SWANSONG

Description

By the time Gunther Rall led the FW-190s of JG-300 on their last combat mission of World War II, he had established himself as perhaps the most remarkable of all fighter pilots.

Having joined the war in its early stages, Rall took part in the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain, and campaigns in Crete and Rumania, before being posted to the Russian Front.  By 1944 he was back on the Western Front again commanding successively JG-11 and JG-300 Fighter Wings, flying the long-nose Focke Wulf 190 in the final defense of Germany.

He flew 800 missions, suffered 3 severe injuries, survived seven forced landings, a mid-air collision, and brought his tally of air victories to 275.  He flew against the top aces of the RAF in the early part of the war and did battle with the aggressive fighter pilots of the USAAF after D-Day in the defense of Germany.  In spite of a long period of immobility in 1941/42 after crash-landing and breaking his back, he still recorded the third highest number of air victories in the history of air fighting.

Robert Taylor has recreated the scene, high over Germany as the last morning of combat breaks, and the final dramas of the great air war are played out.  Rall leads his FW-190 pilots into combat with the P-51’s of the United State Air Force for the last time.

The unmistakable features of Gunther Rall at the controls of his FW-190 bring a quality of realism to this outstanding work of art.  From high in the stratosphere we view Rall and his wingman as they dive their elegant and powerful FW-190’s yet again into attack.  Around them swirl the contrails of battle.  Below and beyond another duel is fought out between FW-190s and P-51 Mustangs, and way, way below and as far as the eye an see, we behold a majestic magnificently painted cloudscape.  A truly stunning print from the world’s foremost aviation artist.

Appropriately, each print in this rare, long-sold out edition has been signed by:

Generalleutnant GÜNTHER RALL Knights Cross with Oak Leaves & Swords – 275 victories (the third highest scoring Ace in history)