The Long Short Days

By Robert Taylor

A group of Bf109 Gs from III./JG26 are shown here as they return to their forward base after a long fighter sweep along the Channel coast in early 1944.

It was known as the Jagdverbände, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as the war progressed, the Luftwaffe fighter pilots faced another battle - the increasingly desperate war of attrition. The Allied air forces slowly, but inevitably, ground the German war machine into defeat and by early 1945, Allied air supremacy was overwhelming.

And yet, despite overwhelming odds, from within their ranks came the most successful air Aces ever to fly in combat - names such as Hans-Joachim Marseille, the top-scoring fighter pilot in the West, the legendary Erich Rudorffer, who scored more multiple victories than any other pilot and of course the Fighter General, Adolf Galland, who achieved all of his 104 victories in the West. In total more than 100 Luftwaffe fighter pilots are known to have scored 100 or more victories, and 568 Jagdverbände flyers were holders of the Knight’s Cross, Germany’s highest awarded military honor.

Print Size: 24" x 32"     

THE LIMITED EDITION (250 PRINTS): $295 USD 

Every print has been signed in pencil by TWO me109 pilots, together with the artist Robert Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

Limited edition signatures:

• Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm
• Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer

THE COLLECTORS EDITION  (225 PRINTS): $375 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by NINE Me109 pilots, together with the artist Robert Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

Collectors edition signatures:

• Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm
• Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer
• Leutnant Helmut Ballewski
• Feldwebel Ernst Giefing
• Oberstleutnant Norbert Hannig
• Unteroffizier Gerhard Kott
• Major Erich Rudorffer
• Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
• Generalleutnant Walter Krupinski

THE COLLECTORS EDITION A/P (25 PRINTS): $525 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by NINE Me109 pilots, together with the artist Robert Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

Collectors edition signatures:

• Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm
• Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer
• Leutnant Helmut Ballewski
• Feldwebel Ernst Giefing
• Oberstleutnant Norbert Hannig
• Unteroffizier Gerhard Kott
• Major Erich Rudorffer
• Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
• Generalleutnant Walter Krupinski

THE COLLECTORS EDITION REMARQUE (15 PRINTS):$1,195 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by NINE Me109 pilots, together with the artist Robert Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

Collectors edition signatures:

• Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm
• Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer
• Leutnant Helmut Ballewski
• Feldwebel Ernst Giefing
• Oberstleutnant Norbert Hannig
• Unteroffizier Gerhard Kott
• Major Erich Rudorffer
• Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
• Generalleutnant Walter Krupinski

THE COLLECTORS EDITION DOUBLE REMARQUE (15 PRINTS): $1,925 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by NINE Me109 pilots, together with the artist Robert Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

Collectors edition signatures:

• Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm
• Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer
• Leutnant Helmut Ballewski
• Feldwebel Ernst Giefing
• Oberstleutnant Norbert Hannig
• Unteroffizier Gerhard Kott
• Major Erich Rudorffer
• Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
• Generalleutnant Walter Krupinski

THE TRIBUTE EDITION (15 PRINTS): $3,395 USD

The TWENTY signature Tribute Edition, limited by the extreme rarity of many of these pilot’s signatures, contains all the components of the Collectors Editions but each print is accompanied by an original pencil drawing by Robert Taylor.

Each of these beautiful drawings is personally signed by five famous Aces and then conservation matted to include the original signatures of a further six outstanding and highly decorated fighter Aces including some of the leading Pilots of the Western Front.

These Aces have accrued over 1,600 victories between them!  

Tribute edition with twenty (20) signatures and original Masterwork drawing:

• Stabsgefreiter Hubert-Ludwig Pfaulm
• Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer
• Leutnant Helmut Ballewski
• Feldwebel Ernst Giefing
• Oberstleutnant Norbert Hannig
• Unteroffizier Gerhard Kott
• Major Erich Rudorffer
• Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
• Generalleutnant Walter Krupinsk
• Oberleutnant Walter Wolfrum (drawing)
• Oberleutnant Walter Schuck (drawing)
• Feldwebel Oscar Bosch (drawing)
• Oberstleutnant Heinz Marquardt (drawing)
• Major Hans-Ekkerhard Bob (drawing)
• Oberstleutnant Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (mat)
• Generalleutnant Adolf Galland (mat)
• Generalmajor Josef Haibock (mat)
• Hauptman Hugo Dahmer (mat)
• Oberst Johannes Naumann (mat)
• Oberstleutnant Helmut Bennemann (mat)