Yellow 14 by Stan Stokes.

Hans-Joachim Marseille - Germanys Eagle of the Desert, had a less than auspicious start as a fighter pilot. Having completed his training in the autumn of 1940 he participated in the Battle of Britain while based in western France. Although Marseille was credited with downing eight RAF aircraft, he had a reputation for losing lots of aircraft. In fact he had bailed out of six Bf-109s and during his units transfer to North Africa, the young ace lost another 109. The Bf-109 was one of the most successful fighters of WW II, and was produced in large quantities for a very long production run. Marseilles debonair manner harkened back to the earlier era of WW I when knights of the sky faced death every day on their canvas-covered wings. He was very aggressive, and very often would dive his aircraft into enemy formations without regard for the consequences. Marseilless commanding officer was Capt. Eduard Neumann, and he deserves credit for the maturation of the young pilot. He convinced Marseille that it would take more than luck to become a truly outstanding fighter pilot. Marseille took these observations to heart and began to devote much of his free time to improving his tactics. He practiced shooting from all angles and his flying and shooting skills began to improve. By the summer of 1941 the young ace had attained 18 victories, and by September he had reached 24 by bagging five on one mission. By late in 1941 his score was approaching fifty, and he was awarded the Knights Cross. With it came certain privileges, including his own personal aircraft, Yellow 14. As his victory tally rose his reputation grew on both sides. In Stan Stokes painting Marseille is depicted on a mission on June 3, 1942. Escorting Stukkas against Ben Hacheim. The force was intercepted by RAF fighters and the No. 5 Squadron of the South African Air Force, flying American-made P-40s. Marseille and his wingman, Sgt. Rainer Pöttgen swept into the melee. The South Africans formed a defensive circle, but Marseille got inside it flying incredible slowly and still managing to turn inside the South Africans. He decimated the formation - downing six of the P-40s while utilizing only a small percentage of his ammunition. Marseille was a master of low-speed combat. By June of 42 the aces total had exceeded 100. Recognizing the signs of combat fatigue, Neumann sent Marseille on leave for several months. Back in Germany the dashing and flamboyant Marseille made the party rounds, and attracted more than his share of young women. On September 1, following his return to fighting, Marseille had an unbelievable day when he downed seventeen aircraft, and two days later he was awarded the Diamonds to the Knights Cross. Marseilles victory total reached 158 before he flew his final mission in September of 1942. Bailing out of his smoking inverted 109; he appeared to strike the tail plane. No parachute opened and the Eagle of the Desert fell to his death. He was buried where he fell.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)