The White Eagle - by Nicolas Trudgian

The White Eagle
- A Tribute to Gerhard Barkhorn -
by Nicolas Trudgian

Gerhard Barkhorn - Erich Hartmann - Günther Rall - Adolf Galland

Oberleutnant Gerhard Barkhorn leads the Me109Gs of 4./JG52 against Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft ahead of a major Russian counter offensive in the Caucasus in January 1943. Below, the German 6th Panzer Division, heavily outnumbered, desperately attempt to prevent a Soviet breakthrough. Gerhard Barkhorn exceeded 100 victories and was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross on the 11th January 1943, following his 105th claim. He eventually became the second most successful fighter pilot of all time, after fellow Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann, the only two pilots to reach 300 claimed victories. This JG-52 edition print has been conservation mounted to include not only the highly prized wartime signature of Gerhard Barkhorn, but also the signatures of Erich Hartmann, Günther Rall and Adolf Galland - the three highest scoring fighter Aces in history and their fellow Ace and commanding General of all Luftwaffe fighter forces. The mount also includes six additional JG-52 pilot signatures, all Knight's Cross recipients. - This group of Aces represent an astonishing combined total of 1,656 aerial victories.

Luftwaffe officer's breast eagle Included in the mount is an original Luftwaffe officer's breast eagle. This example retains very small traces of thread in the edge of the backing material that indicate it was issued and uniform worn. Although there are minor signs of wear it is in remarkably good condition, an excellent example. (Officers breast eagles differed from those worn by enlisted men and NCOs in that silver thread was used and they were usually hand embroidered.)

Overall size: 29¼" x 33⅞"

1

Museum Presentation

Barkhorn, Hartmann, Rall, Galland, six additional JG 52 signatures & original breast eagle

SOLD

The signatures
	Gerhard Barkhorn Flying with II./JG52 during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, he moved to the Eastern Front in early 1941 becoming the Group Kommandeur in June 1943. As his score rose steadily he became the first fighter pilot to complete 1000 combat missions on January 23rd 1944 and after briefly commanding JG6 he joined Adolf Galland’s JV44 flying the Me262. In 1104 Combat missions he was shot down 9 times, wounded twice and scored 301 victories making him the second highest scoring Ace in history.


	Erich Hartmann In October 1942 Hartmann joined 7./JG52 on the Eastern Front and in August 1943, a month when he scored 48 victories, was shot down and taken prisoner, later escaping. In August 1944 he reached 300 victories after downing 11 aircraft in one day, taking command of 9./JG52. Promoted to Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG52 he trained on the Me262 before returning to JG52. Flying over 1400 combat missions he was forced to crash land 14 times and achieved 352 victories to become the highest scoring Ace in history.


	Günther Rall Günther Rall was a young pilot with III./JG52 at the outbreak of war, and quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership qualities. He scored his first victory early in the Battle of France, and by July 1940 was leading 8./JG52. After transferring to the Eastern Front his victories soon mounted but he was hospitalized following a crash. Returning to combat as Kommandeur of III./JG52, he gained the Wing's 500th victory, before being posted Kommandeur of II./JG11 on the Western Front, flying high altitude intercepts in Me109Gs. He was later Kommandeur of JG300, and finished the war as the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knight ’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.


	Adolf Galland Adolf “Dolfo” Galland joined the Luftwaffe in February 1934, and in 1937 volunteered for service with the Condor Legion in Spain. In September 1939 he took part in the invasion of Poland flying 50 ground attack missions. Hethen was posted to JG 27 and by the end of the French campaign he had accumulated 14 victories. Galland was promoted to Oberstleutnant and given command of JG 26.On 21 June 1941, he was shot down, and baled out wounded. Galland had, by now, been ordered by Hitler and Göring not to fly combat missions. However, he disregarded these orders and continued to rack up aerial victories. On the death of Oberst Werner Mölders on 22 November 1941, Galland was named General der Jagdflieger. Late in the war Galland was given command of JV 44 which he led until 26 April 1945. Galland achieved 104 aerial victories in 705 missions, all on the Western front. Included in his score are at least seven victories flying the Me 262 and four four-engined bombers. He was himself shot down four times.

Additional JG-52 signatures

Walter Wolfrum Knight's Cross 137 victories in 423 operational sorties		Adolf Dickfeld Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves 1,072 combat missions 136 aerial victories

Edmund Rossman Knight's Cross Flew 640 combat missions and scored a total of 93 aerial victories		Franz Woidich Knight's Cross Flew 1,000 combat missions and ended the war with 110 aerial victories

Heinz Ewald Knight's Cross Flew 396 combat missions and ended the war with a total score of 84 victories.		Viktor Petermann Knight's Cross Ended the war with 64 victories.

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