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| 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 |
  Karl Spreitzer (deceased) *Signature Value : £80 | Karl Spreitzer, Stuka pilot, awarded the Knights Cross as Leutnant 10(Pz) in April 1945. Karl Spreitzer as a Stuka pilot with St.G.2 building over 600 flying combat hours in Stukas. his first actions were in Norway, and the Battle of Britain, and later in the Mediterranean theatre in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Malta. and finally Russia. Sadly, Karl Spreitzer died 2nd February 2009. |
| The Aircraft : | |
| Name | Info |
| Ju87 | By 1935 the German Luftwaffe was developing its first monoplane divebomber which entered production in 1936 as the Ju87 Stuka. The Stuka was to evolve into arguably the most successful single engine Axis divebomber of WW II. Utilizing a nearly vertical dive position the Stuka was stunningly accurate in the days when horizontal bombing was a relatively inaccurate science. The Ju87 was built for functionality and ruggedness. A fixed landing gear and exceptionally strong wing design were incorporated and no attempt was made to minimize protrusions. The Stuka was not designed for speed; it was an aerodynamic nightmare. The Stuka also incorporated a siren which when activated during a dive was designed to inflict psychological damage on the enemy below. The Ju87 was used with tremendous success in the Blitzkrieg attacks on Norway, Poland, Belgium, France, Holland, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Virtually unchallenged in the air during these Blitzkriegs the Stukas took a devastating toll on Allied ground and mechanized forces. Shipping was also vulnerable to the pinpoint attacks of the Stuka, and the Ju87 destroyed more Allied shipping than all other German aircraft put together during WW II. During Hitlers air attacks on Britain the Stukas reputation for invulnerability was shattered. Facing British Hurricanes and Spitfires the slower and less maneuverable Ju87s were destroyed in large numbers, eventually forcing their withdrawal from that conflict. Germanys attempt to develop an improved twin engine divebomber resulted in the introduction of the Messerschmitt 210 which was an unmitigated disaster. As a result, the Stuka remained in production longer than expected and the aircraft played a major role in Germanys surprise attack on Russia. In the first day of combat alone Stukas were credited with the destruction of over 700 Russian aircraft with minimal losses. One of Germanys top aces of WW II was Hans-Ulrich Rudel. Rudel flew over 2,500 combat missions in Ju87s, and was shot down on twelve occasions. Rudel was credited with destroying 519 tanks, 800 vehicles, 150 artillery pieces, one Russian battleship, one cruiser and one destroyer. Rudel was also credited with shooting down nine Russian aircraft in air-to-air combat. |
| Artist Details : David Pentland |
| Click here for a full list of all artwork by David Pentland |
 David Pentland One of Europe's Leading Military and Aviation Artists, David Pentland has produced a wealth of Paintings for Cranston Fine arts, who are proud to have David as one of their leading Artists. As you browse down his wonderful work you may be interested to know that many of the Paintings are still available, and to a collector his work would certainly be a valuable addition. David's Paintings have gone up in value over the past 2 years, and have seen a growth in value of nearly 100%.
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Contact Details |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com |
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Spreitzer, Karl 
(signed in person)
Noller, Wilhelm 
(signed in person)
