Don't Miss Any Special Deals - Sign Up To Our Newsletter! Product Search

Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures Germany Surnames A to C Broch, Hugo

Leutnant Hugo Broch

Vital to all fighter units are the pilots who make such superb wingmen that their leaders are loath to part with them. Hugo Broch was one such wingman. Having joined VI./JG54 in January he flew first with Horst Adameit (166 victories), and later with Bazi Sterr (130 victories), but soon demonstrated his own skill in combat. By the end of 1944 he had lifted his personal score to 71 victories. One of JG54s great Fw190 Aces, Hugo Broch saw combat on the Eastern and Baltic Fronts, and completed the war having flown 324 combat missions, and claiming 81 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross.

Knights Cross

Navigation
Page 2 of 2	Previous .. Page 2

Leutnant Hugo Broch - Signed Aviation Art

The Last Eagle, Innsbruck, Austria, May 1945 by David Pentland. 7 editions. 3 of the 7 editions feature up to 5 additional signatures. £2.90 - £600.00

Clipped Signature - Hugo Broch. One edition. £50.00

Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman. 4 editions. All 4 editions feature up to 3 additional signature(s). £75.00 - £540.00

Dawn Eagles Rising by Robert Taylor. One of 3 editions available. All 3 editions feature up to 33 additional signatures. £250.00

The Eagles Divide by Robert Taylor. 4 of 6 editions available. All 6 editions feature up to 24 additional signatures. £65.00 - £200.00

The Last Patrol by David Pentland. 16 editions. 11 of the 16 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures. £2.50 - £500.00

New Enemy by David Pentland. 4 editions. All 4 editions feature up to 6 additional signature(s). £65.00 - £440.00

Knight of the Reich by Robert Taylor. 2 of 6 editions available. All 6 editions feature up to 15 additional signatures. £215.00 - £430.00

Fw190F Fighters - Winter 1943 by Ivan Berryman. 4 editions. All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s). £60.00 - £450.00

Battle of Britain - Tribute to the Luftwaffe Aces by Graeme Lothian. (P) One edition. The edition features 4 additional signature(s). £580.00

Horrido! by Robert Taylor. All 4 editions sold out. All editions feature up to 18 additional signatures.

The Blond Knight by Robert Taylor. 2 of 5 editions available. All 5 editions feature up to 9 additional signatures. £215.00 - £325.00

Birth of a Legend by Robert Taylor. Both editions sold out. Both editions feature up to 9 additional signatures.

Gathering Storm by Robert Taylor. This single edition is sold out. The edition features 4 additional signatures.

Navigation
Page 2 of 2	Previous .. Page 2

Text for the above items :

The Last Eagle, Innsbruck, Austria, May 1945 by David Pentland. Abandoned Me 109G-10, 3rd Staffel JG4.

Clipped Signature - Hugo Broch. A Knight's Cross winning Fw190 pilot with JG54, he flew as a wingman to Horst Adameit and Bazi Sterr. He scored more than 80 victories of his own in 324 missions on the Eastern front.

Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman. The Fw190A-4 was introduced in July 1942, and was equipped with the same engine and basic armament as the A-3. A total of 976 A-4s were built between June 1942 and March 1943. Some of the most successful fighter aces of the Luftwaffe flew the Fw190. Otto Kittel scored 267 vicotries, Erich Rudorffer claimed 222 kills, and Walter Nowotny 258 victories. The majority of their kills were scored while flying the Fw190.

Dawn Eagles Rising by Robert Taylor. September 1940: The Battle of Britain reaches a crescendo as Me109s of the 1./JG52, their bright yellow noses glinting in the sun, gather speed and altitude as they form up after take-off from their base at Coquelles, near Calais. Led by Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald, the Scharwm settle into their loose, finger-four formation, the pilots alert for danger and ready for yet another raid on England, just a few miles across the Channel.

The Eagles Divide by Robert Taylor. P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group clash with Me109s in close combat as they struggle for air superiority over the heart of Germany, during the desperate days of 1945. It had begun - the end game was inexorably in play. The final defeat of Germany and the end of Nazi tyranny was almost within sight but in the skies over Germany the defiant remnants of the Luftwaffe fought on with savage determination. Ever since the long-range American P-51 escort fighters had first appeared, the skies over the Reich had witnessed grim encounters with the Mustangs taking on the Luftwaffe as they tried to stop the heavy bombers of the USAAF reaching their targets. By early 1945 it was a losing battle, but still the Luftwaffe fought on and, in the resulting maelstrom of combat, the Mustang pilots still had their work cut out against these battle hardened, expert pilots. Robert Taylor's superb drawing dramatically reconstructs one such clash in early 1945 as P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group have spotted a group of Bf109s heading their way. Without hesitation they dive head-on in an attempt to break-up the enemy formation and for the pilots on both sides the explosive encounter of close combat is suddenly upon them. Limited edition prints of this classic Robert Taylor Master Drawing have been signed over the last few years by some of the most respected USAAF P-51 and distinguished Luftwaffe pilots who duelled in those merciless skies over Europe. Since signing the prints some of these legendary names have very sadly passed away, making it one of the most collectible editions of recent years.

The Last Patrol by David Pentland. A pair of ME109 G-14s of 9th Staffel, Jagdgeswader 54 (Greenheart Wing) make a final sortie during the last days of March 1945.

New Enemy by David Pentland. Kedainiai, Lithuania, 23rd June 1941. Taking part in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, Hans-Ekkehard Bob recorded his first victory in Russian airspace - a Tupolev SB-2 twin-engined bomber. During this combat action his Me 109F2 was hit by return fire, resulting in a forced landing behind enemy lines. He evaded capture and returned to his unit 2 days later. This was his 22nd victory.

Knight of the Reich by Robert Taylor. On the morning of 15th October 1943, as Bf109G's from III./JG52 dive into attack a group of Russian fighters high over Zaporozhye in south-east Ukraine, their Kommandeur Hauptmann Gunther Rall pounces on a Soviet La-5 to claim his 222nd victory. During this astonishing one month period Rall shot down 40 aircraft and at the end of November 1943 achieved 250 victories - at the time only the second Ace to do so after Walter Nowotny. By the time he was posted back to the West, he was well on the way to his final score of 275 victories, making him the third highest-scoring Ace in history. Had he not been wounded in action numerous times and forced to spend months in hospital, he might well have been the highest-scoring Ace of them all.

Fw190F Fighters - Winter 1943 by Ivan Berryman. A pair of Fw190F fighters during the winter of 1943. The Fw190F and G had become the Luftwaffes standard fighter-bomber for ground attack. The Fw190F was very effective in this role. Additional armour protection was given to ground-attack variants and the G version also could carry a single 4,000-pound (1,800-kg) bomb or numbers of smaller bombs. The Fw190 was also used as a successful night fighter during the autumn and early winter of 1943-44, using conventional daylight methods to attack RAF bombers after searchlights had illuminated them.

Battle of Britain - Tribute to the Luftwaffe Aces by Graeme Lothian. (P) No text for this item

Horrido! by Robert Taylor. Of the many outstanding Luftwaffe fighter Wings of World War II, JG52 became the most successful. Many of the most famous Aces flew with this legendary wing, including one-time Squadron Commander Adolf Galland. JG-52 was home to the only fighter Aces in history to destroy more than 300 enemy aircraft - Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn. The wings top ten scoring Aces amassed a staggering 2286 aerial victories and, by the end of the war, JG-52s pilots had recorded over 10,000 aerial victories; sixty-seven of their number were awarded the coveted Knights Cross or higher decorations, but the cost to the Wing was high: 678 of its aircrew perished in combat, while many others were taken prisoner following combat. Appropriately, Robert Taylor has chosen the Me109s of JG52 as his subject to represent the fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe in his tribute to these courageous flyers, with his breathtaking painting Horrido! With the traditional battle cry ringing in their ears, Squadron Commander Hptm Wolfgang Ewald leads pilots of I./JG52 into combat. Based at Coquelles/Calais in September 1940, the JG-52 Me109s hurtle down in a high-speed dive to engage the enemy during the ferociously fought Battle of Britain. Robert eloquently depicts these sleek and deadly fighters high over the Channel, glinting and menacing against an ominous backdrop of heavy cumulous clouds.

The Blond Knight by Robert Taylor. It is a record likely to stand for all time, Erich Hartmann's tally of 352 victories is more than any other pilot in history. Posted to JG52 over Russia in August 1942 his new Kommodore, Dieter Hrabak, placed the novice pilot under the guidance of Paule Rossman, one of the unit's most experienced and respected Aces. However, during his very first combat Hartmann became so disorientated that he got lost in cloud and ran out of fuel. His undoubted skill as a pilot enabled him to survive the inevitable crash-landing, but a few days later and just minutes after scoring his first ever victory, he was shot down - again crash-landing. This time he only just escaped from his burning aircraft before it exploded. Any other new pilot might have succumbed but Hartmann was made of sterner stuff and , with Rossman's help and guidance, it was not long before everyone in JG52 realised that he possessed exceptional skill. By the summer of 1943 the Blond Knight and his colleagues were flying up to six missions a day and having now perfected his technique, it was unusual for him to finish a day without a victory. Never claiming to be an expert marksman, his approach, which took nerves of steel and great flying skills, was to get as close to his enemy as possible before opening fire at the last minute. Often flying head on, the risks of collision and damage were great - of the sixteen times Hartmann was brought down, eight were as a result of flying into the debris of his victim! Hartmann's 352 victories were achieved with JG52 - all except one. It happened during a brief two week spell at the beginning of February 1945 when the top Ace was placed in temporary command of I./JG53. His new unit were based in Hungary where German Army Group South was in bitter retreat and the fighting was as tough and relentless as ever. The Blond Knightportrays Erich Hartmann climbing out of his Bf109 G-6 at Weszperem's snow-covered airfield after returning from another arduous mission leading Stab I./JG53 with whom, on 4th February he downed a Yak-9. It was his 337th victory.

Birth of a Legend by Robert Taylor. On November 5, 1942, flying wingman in a Schwarm of four Me109s of JG-52, his flight had scrambled to intercept Russian Lagg-3s and IL-2 fighter-bombers bound for the Front. Splitting into two elements they dived steeply into attack, screaming in behind and below the enemy aircraft a few hundred feet off the deck. Selecting on of the IL-2s, the rookie pilot closed at high speed, commencing firing with 20mm cannon from about two hundred feet. His first pass was unsuccessful but, undeterred, Hartmann zoomed up and dived over for a second run at the Russian machine. Holding his fire till the IL-2 filled his gun-sight, he drilled cannon shells into the oil-cooling system setting the enemy aircraft on fire. Closing rapidly from behind, Hartmanns Me109 was showered with debris from the doomed Russian plane, causing an explosion in the young pilots own aircraft, which immediately caught fire. Now at very low altitude, Hartmann had no alternative but to belly in. With great presence of mind he cut power, fuel and ignition switches as he crash-landed at high speed in a massive cloud of dirt and dust. Though he lost his aircraft, Hartmann had made his first kill, the IL-2 crashing with a resounding explosion a few miles distant. Unhurt, the young future Ace was picked up and returned to base almost immediately by a German car. And thus a legend was born: It was the first of 352 air victories that would make Hartmann the top scoring fighter pilot in history. Birth of a Legend, set in the picturesque Caucasus mountain region bathed in the golden hues of autumn, captures for posterity the dramatic moments that launched the career of a fighter pilot legend.

Gathering Storm by Robert Taylor. During the early part of 1943 the B-17s of the American Eighth Air Force were paying regular visits to the occupied ports on the west coast of France. It was here at Brest, St Nazaire and Lorient that the U-boats were serviced and made ready for their deadly trade in the Atlantic. The area was heavily defended by flak batteries, but it was the notorious fighter interceptors of JG-2 that the bomber crews feared most. Equipped with the outstanding and still comparatively new Fw190, the Luftwaffe pilots achieved startling successes against the still inexperienced USAAF units. As the Allied bomber offensive got properly underway in 1943 the Fw190 quickly established a fearsome reputation, and became the mainstay of the German defence. This beautifully proportioned, aesthetically appealing single seat fighter immediately displayed the hallmarks of a thoroughbred, and within six months of its operational debut in 1941 was causing consternation amongst the RAF fighter squadrons based in southern England. The Fw190 could outperform the Spitfire in every manoeuvre except the turn, and could even leave the new MkIX Spitfires standing in a half-roll and dive. It came close to perfection by the fighter aircraft standards of the day. The painting depicts a group of Fw190A-3 and Fw190A-4 fighters as they climb out over Theville to intercept an incoming armada of B-17 Fortresses en-route to bomb the submarine pens at Lorient. Pilots in their high visibility cockpits gun their massive BMW radial engines as they power upwards through the turbulent air. Within minutes drop tanks will be jettisoned and battle joined. Spoiling for a fight, they present the B-17s with an awesome reception committee.

Fw190 Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf

Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended.

---

---

Leutnant Hugo Broch Squadron details

---