Playing the last Ace

This aviation art print by Heinz Krebs depicts Me-163 attacking US-Bombers and their P-51D Mustang escort. The Me-163 rocket fighter aircraft was possibly the most radical German manned fighter aircraft design to actually enter the WW II combat theater. Although the Germans were flying other operational jet aircraft in various roles by the end of the war, it was only the Me-163 that featured a liquid-fuelled rocket engine. However, their combat missions were paid for dearly by the German pilots who flew these dangerous rockets. Its Walter motor ran on two liquid propellants, “C-Stoff” and “T-Stoff”, which ignited on contact. The Me-163’s maximum endurance was limited to an extremely short 7.5 minutes, during which the pilots had to take off, climb to almost 40.000 feet, fight, and then glide back to their bases. This last segment of their mission left them extremely vulnerable to fighter attacks, having expended their ammunition and with only one chance to land their unique machine. Many a brave German line pilot lost his life to the opposition´s guns in these turkey shoots in sight of the war´s end. Heinz Krebs’ aviation art print shows Me-163 fighter aircraft in a typical engagement in late 1944 or early 1945. Two of the Luftwaffe’s “Last Aces” climb vertically through an 8th Army Air Force bomber formation and its top fighter cover before swooping down on the U.S. heavies for their short but often deadly attack.

Printed on heavy stock acid-free paper, issued with a certificate of authenticity.

 

• 750 signed and numbered by the Artist and countersigned by four German Me163 rocket fighter pilots Kurt Schiebeler, Adolf Niemeyer, Rolf 'Bubi' Glogner and Otto A. Boehner