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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures Germany R to S Spreitzer, Karl

Karl Spreitzer

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.

Knights Cross

Fairey Battle, 218 Squadron by Ivan Berryman. 3 editions. All 3 editions feature up to 2 additional signature(s). £60.00 - £400.00

Clash of Steel, Prokhorovka, Kursk, 12th July 1943 by David Pentland. 12 of 13 editions available. 6 of 7 editions featuring up to 2 additional signatures are available. £2.50 - £620.00

Stuka Ju87 - Preparing for the Day by Ivan Berryman. 4 editions. All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s). £60.00 - £670.00

Stuka - Tribute to Hans Rudel by Ivan Berryman. 3 of 4 editions available. All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures. £60.00 - £250.00

The Jaws of Victory by Ivan Berryman. 2 of 3 editions available. All 3 editions feature an additional signature. £60.00 - £85.00

Bombing Up - Stuka of Hans Rudel by Ivan Berryman. 2 of 4 editions available. All 2 editions featuring up to 3 additional signatures are sold out. £60.00 - £85.00

Tank Hunters by David Pentland. 3 of 4 editions available. All 4 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures. £75.00 - £430.00

Ju87 Manufacturer : Junkers Built : 6500

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.

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Karl Spreitzer Squadron details

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