"The White Eagle : A Tribute to Gerhard Barkhorn"

LIMITED EDITION PRINT by Nicolas Trudgian

Nicolas Trudgian’s breathtaking canvas takes us to the ice-gripped foothills of the Caucasus Mountains and the fiery centre of yet another dogfight for Gerhard Barkhorn on his long and hard road to becoming the second-highest scoring ace in aviation history. 

By the early months of 1943, the situation for the Germans on the Eastern Front was becoming desperate. Von Paulus’ 6th Army at Stalingrad was doomed after a hastily conceived offensive to relieve them had failed to break through to the city. Instead, Field Marshal Erich Von Manstein was forced onto the defensive by a huge Soviet counter-attack that now threatened to destroy the whole German campaign in the Soviet Union. The savage winter weather made it all the more difficult for the Germans. In the air, the Luftwaffe found themselves flying in appalling conditions, and heavy snow blizzards and ice on airfields made operations treacherous. Luftwaffe fighter units were ordered to assist the hard-pressed German army by flying ground-attack sorties, missions not really suited to their Me109 fighters. To enhance their firepower, extra gun-packs were fitted beneath the wings of the Messerschmitts and JG52 went in search of any enemy ground targets they could find. Many of the leading Luftwaffe aces were involved in this new tactic including one of the finest, Gerhard Barkhorn, who had flown with JG52 since the Battle of Britain.

In Nicolas Trudgian’s atmospheric painting set in January 1943, the Me109G’s of 4./JG52, led by Staffelkapitan Gerhard Barkhorn, have encountered Russian Il-2 ground attack aircraft intent on attacking any Panzers in the path of the advance. The Me109G’s have pounced and dispersed the Russian attack while, below, elements of a badly outnumbered 6th Panzer Division, which include obsolete Panzer II’s, engage T-34 tanks of the Red Army in an attempt to halt the Soviet offensive.

Already awarded the coveted Knight’s Cross, Barkhorn was awarded the Oak Leaves after scoring his 105th victory during this bitter winter struggle. He would later be appointed to lead II/JG52 and would be the first German pilot to reach 1000 sorties. In May 1944, Barkhorn was badly wounded and while convalescing, his rival, Erich Hartmann, surpassed him in the victory count. On his return to combat, Barkhorn flew missions with Hartmann over Hungary but was never able regain his title as the highest scoring ace. As the war drew to a close, Gerhard Barkhorn left JG52 to join Adolf Galland’s famous ‘JV44’, flying the renowned Me262 jet fighter, rounding off a remarkable combat flying career. His final score of 301 victories made him, after Erich Hartmann, the second-highest in aviation history.

From our friends at Legends Aviation Gallery the following further editions of THE WHITE EAGLE are available:

ARTIST’S SPECIAL RESERVE EDITION
THE BROCH EDITION
THE JG52 EDITION
THE ADLER EDITION
THE CAUCASUS EDITION
THE GERHARD BARKHORN TRIBUTE EDITION

For details please go to: www.legendsgallery.co.uk

Print published by Fine Arts Autographs, Germany.