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Please note that our logo is used on our website images only and does not appear on our products. Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. (B) Within two days of the D-Day Normandy invasion, on 8 June 1944 Commander of US Air Forces in Europe, General Carl Spaatz, ordered a massive new offensive to halt the supply of oil to the enemy forces. As top priority his bombers would henceforth concentrate their attacks on Germanys oil refineries. Those in range of air bases in England would feel the full force of the Eighth Air Force, while the installations further south in Romania, Hungary, and southern Germany would be attacked by bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy. To add to the pressure, RAF Bomber Command was coordinated to attack the refineries in the Ruhr by night. As the huge mass of American bombers streamed into the daylight skies, the Luftwaffe quickly changed tactics to counter the potentially devastating threat with a new specialist tactic - the Sturmgruppe. Flying their redesigned and heavily armoured Sturmbocke Fw190A-8 heavy fighters, pilots of the newly formed IV Sturm/JG3 Gruppe were urgently assigned the task of attacking the vast bomber streams in an effort to protect the refineries. Escorted into battle by Me 109s to hold off any escorting American fighters, the Fw190s tactic was to make en-masse lightning attacks on carefully selected targets. With the American bomber formations spread over miles of sky, the Sturmgruppe aimed for the less well defended centre of the stream, attacking from the rear with concentrated cannon fire. With the pilots of IV Sturm JG3 sworn on oath to press home their attacks at the closest possible range, even ramming their targets if necessary to ensure a kill, these desperate tactics were to inflict considerable damage to the allied bomber offensive during the final year of the war. Item Code : DHM2639B Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. (B) - This Edition TYPE EDITION DETAILS SIZE SIGNATURES OFFERS YOUR PRICE PURCHASING PRINT Limited edition of 25 remarques. Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm) Reschke, Willi Ballewski, Helmut Wuppermann, Kurt + Artist : Richard Taylor Signature(s) value alone : £120 £395.00 All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

Other editions of this item : Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. DHM2639 TYPE EDITION DETAILS SIZE SIGNATURES OFFERS YOUR PRICE PURCHASING PRINT Signed limited edition of 400 prints. Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item! Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm) Reschke, Willi Ballewski, Helmut Wuppermann, Kurt + Artist : Richard Taylor Signature(s) value alone : £120 £95.00 VIEW EDITION... ARTIST PROOF Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm) Reschke, Willi Ballewski, Helmut Wuppermann, Kurt + Artist : Richard Taylor Signature(s) value alone : £120 £135.00 VIEW EDITION... PRINT Limited edition of 10 double remarques. Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm) Reschke, Willi Ballewski, Helmut Wuppermann, Kurt + Artist : Richard Taylor Signature(s) value alone : £120 £625.00 VIEW EDITION... General descriptions of types of editions :

Signatures on this item
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
Name	Info
Leutnant Helmut Ballewski (deceased) *Signature Value : £55	Helmut Ballewski was one of the 'younger' generation flyers, not joining the Luftwaffe until November 1942. Posted to JG53 PIK AS he flew all of his 47 missions in the west. With IV./JG53 from January 1945, Helmut Ballewski was Helmut Bennemann's wingman on Operation Bodenplatte. He also flew fighter bomber operations on the Bridge at Remagen operation. He was awarded the Iron Cross. He died on 27th June 2015.
Leutnant Kurt Wuppermann *Signature Value : £25	Kurt Wupperrnann was called up in 1942, and with a love of flying, joined the Luftwaffe. After completing his pilot training, he was posted to join JG54 Greenhearts flying the Fw190A-8. Transferring to the northern sector of the Eastern Front, he notched up three quick victories and flew oil combat operations continually until 18 December 1944, when he was shot down over the Baltic near Riga, making an emergency landing. On theground, he was rescued by Strafgeschwader 291, but had suffered bad facial injuries. So great was the need for experienced pilots in the last months of the war however that after six weeks in hospital he was patched up and flying combat again.
Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke (deceased) *Signature Value : £40	One of the outstanding younger Luftwaffe pilots, Willi Reschke was one of the leading members of JG300 Wilde Sau flying the Fw190A in the 'Defence of the Reich'. Towards the latter months of the war he transferred to the Stabsschwarm of JG301, still flying the Fw190A. Awarded the Knight's Crossin April 1945, he was credited with 26 victories - all in the west - including 18 four engined bombers. He died on 5th July 2017.

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