#damn im good

1943 03 Scharnhorst - Simon Atack

When the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered Brest in March, 1941, between them they had sunk a total of 22 ships during their North Atlantic operations. Laying in port however, they became a target for constant air attack, Scharnhorst being damaged by bombs, and in February 1942 the decision was made to break out with the famous Channel Dash. Scharnhorst led the flotilla in a daring passage through the English Channel, heading for the sanctuary of Wilhelmshaven. They all got through but, striking two mines en-route, it was March 1943 before the Scharnhorst was able to resume battle operations when, under heavy escort, she sailed for Norway.Simon Atack’s panoramic seascape depicts a scene from Operation Paderborn as Scharnhorst ploughs through a lively swell with Fw190s of I./JG5, based at Oslo Fornebu, providing fighter cover. Steaming in company with destroyers Z-28 and Erich Steinbrinck, the mighty German battleship has departed Gotenhafen and is heading towards Bogen Bay, near Narvik in Norway. But Scharnhorst’s days were numbered. On 26 December 1943 the huge battleship attacked a convoy off North Cape, but in the heavy seas Scharnhorst became detached from her destroyer escort.With the British Home Fleet aware of her position, and intentions, she was intercepted, the British battleship Duke of York landing a barrage of 14-inch shells on the mighty German warship. The blows were fatal, the coup-de-grace coming shortly after, when 11 torpedoes sent the magnificent but deadly battleship quickly to the bottom. There were just 36 survivors..

Note: This took a lot of manual retouching playing with the color filters to alter the pea soup green to shades of blue. I am pleased with the end result

1940 09 Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 JG 3 Hans ‘Vadder’ von Hahn - Mark Postlethwaite 

Hans von Hahn (7 August 1914 – 5 November 1957) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he was credited with 34 aerial victories, 15 on the Western Front and 19 on the Eastern Front.

Hans “Vadder” von Hahn was born on 7 August 1914 at Frankurt am Main. He joined the navy as a sea-cadet in 1934 but transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. On 16 September 1939, von Hahn was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 53. He served under the command of Hauptmann Werner Mölders (115 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 22 November 1941), Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53. He recorded his first victory on 22 December 1939, when he shot down a RAF Hurricane fighter of 73 Squadron northwest of Metz in France. Von Hahn recorded five confirmed victories during the French campaign. Von Hahn was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 3 on 27 August 1940. During the Battle of Britain, von Hahn added a further six victories to his tally, including two Hurricanes on 7 October to record his 10th and 11th. victories.Operating over the Eastern front, von Hahn raised his victory total to 31. He claimed three Russian twin-engine bombers shot down near Brody on 26 June 1941 to record his 14th through 16th victories. Von Hahn recorded his 20th victory on 6 July, when he shot down two Russian DB-3 twin-engine bombers near Shepetowka. Hauptmann von Hahn was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 9 July 1941 for 21 victories.He recorded nine victories in July, including three Russian SB-2 twin-engine bombers shot down near Berdichev on 14 July (25-27)

In September 1941, von Hahn led I./JG 3 back to the Western front. On 15 January 1942, I./JG 3 was redesignated II./JG 1. Von Hahn retained leadership of II./JG 1. Reputedly, he was later relieved of this command and confined to quarters in June 1942 under somewhat mysterious circumstances relating to the shooting of a sentry. In October 1942, von Hahn was transferred to the Geschwaderstab of JG 5. On 1 January 1943, he transferred to the staff of the General der Jagflieger. He was appointed Kommodore of JG 103 on 21 July 1943. From April 1945, he held the post of Kommandeur of Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien based at Verona in Italy.Von Hahn survived the war. He died on 5 November 1957 at Frankfurt am Main.

 There has been two Hahns on the Luftwaffe during the WW2 and in many cases they have been mixed. The other Hahn is major Hans “Assi” Hahn who flew in the East front in JG2 and JG 54 achieving 108 victories of which 40 in the east. He was captured after belly landing in russian territory and he spent 7 years in several prisoner camps in Russia before he was released in 1950.