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Hurricane on my Tail by Stan Stokes. (B) With Europe occupied by Nazi forces, Great Britain was the last obstacle in Hitlers plan to rule Europe. Hitlers invasion plan called for his Luftwaffe to gain control of the air over Britain in the first few weeks of attack, which would be followed by pulverizing bombing attacks on the British coastline, and finally by a blitzkrieg style invasion spearheaded by Panzer Divisions supported by fighters and dive bombers. The Germans had assembled over 100 well-equipped divisions by the Summer of 1940 for its invasion of Britain, and on August 8 the Luftwaffe attacks commenced. The Germans had underestimated the capability of the British air defense and both the will and skill of its pilots. In the first ten days of German attacks RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires shot down 697 German aircraft, while losing only 153 aircraft and 93 flight personnel of their own. By months end the German strategists shifted to all out attacks on British airfields, aircraft plants, and munitions factories. Effectively utilizing radar to pinpoint incoming strikes, and by widely dispersing their own aircraft so few could be destroyed during any single attack, the RAF fought back. During this second phase of attack the Germans lost an additional 562 aircraft compared to only 219 for the Brits. However, every German plane shot down resulted in the death or capture of its trained flight crews, but in more than half of the RAF losses the experienced pilot was saved. Forced to react to ever increasing losses, the Germans shifted their strategy to strategic night bombing raids on London and several other major cities. A year after The Battle Of Britain commenced Germany was forced to abandon major air operations directed at Britain marking this conflict the first major battle in the history of warfare fought solely by aircraft, as not a single Nazi soldier voluntarily set foot on British soil. The Hawker Hurricane while less glamorized than the Supermarine Spitfire, was the fighter most widely used by the RAF during the first two years of the War. The Hurricane was the first British fighter to exceed 300 MPH, and the first to carry eight machine guns. In excess of 14,000 Hurricanes were produced through 1944. The Heinkel He. 111 medium bomber pictured in Stan Stokes painting, Hurricane on My Tail!, was widely used by the Luftwaffe (7,300 produced) during the Battle of Britain. The 111 could carry a 5,500 pound bomb load and had a maximum speed of 252 MPH. In total the Germans lost 2,375 aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The inspiration and determination of the RAFs Hurricane and Spitfire pilots during this conflict lead to Winston Churchills often quoted remark, Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. Item Code : STK0117B Hurricane on my Tail by Stan Stokes. (B) - This Edition TYPE EDITION DETAILS SIZE SIGNATURES OFFERS YOUR PRICE PURCHASING PRINT 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Knaebel, Herbert E + Artist : Stan Stokes Signature(s) value alone : £45 £20 Off! Now : £110.00 All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

Other editions of this item : Hurricane on my Tail by Stan Stokes. STK0117 TYPE EDITION DETAILS SIZE SIGNATURES OFFERS YOUR PRICE PURCHASING PRINT Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Artist : Stan Stokes £15 Off! Now : £35.00 VIEW EDITION... PRINT Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Knaebel, Herbert E + Artist : Stan Stokes Signature(s) value alone : £45 £45 Off! Now : £85.00 VIEW EDITION... General descriptions of types of editions :

Extra Details : Hurricane on my Tail by Stan Stokes. (B)

About all editions : A photo of an edition of the print.

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
Oberleutnant Herbert E Knaebel (deceased) *Signature Value : £45	Born on February 21, 1918 in Wolmirstedt, Germany, Herbert Knaebel was interested in aviation as a youngster. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1936, was trained as a pilot, earned his wings, and joined the Kampfgeschwader Hindenburg. Knaebel volunteered for combat duty and joined the Condor Legion in Spain, where he flew the Heinkel 111 on 62 missions during the Spanish Civil War. At the end of this conflict Knaebel rejoined his old unit. As World War 11 erupted Knaebel was pressed into duty during the attacks on Poland, France, and eventually during the Battle of Britain. Knaebel became the first Luftwaffe bomber pilot to fly his 100th mission. Herbert was fortunate to fly many of these mission without incident. However, on April 9,1941 Knaebel flew his 162nd and most eventful mission, which was to prove to be his last. While attacking a British convoy in the North Sea, Knaebel's Heinkel 111 was hit by anti-aircraft fire from two destroyers. With two of his crew critically injured, Knaebel was attempting to return to base when an RAF Hurricane targeted Knaebel's aircraft. The Hurricane ultimately brought down Knaebel's craft, and Knaebel and his navigator, the only other surviving crewman, bailed out. Demonstrating the gallantry and respect often exhibited by fellow airmen, even if on opposing sides, the Hurricane pilot dropped a yellow marker, and flew back and forth to a destroyer, which finally picked up the two survivors from the cold waters. Knaebel became, as he describes it, 'a guest of the King' (i.e.- prisoner of war) following his rescue. He spent one year of captivity in England, but was later transferred to Canada. As a POW Knaebel took advantage of the opportunity to further educate himself, as he had access in the camp to many books. He was released in Canada in 1947. Returning to Germany to complete his education, Herbert married his wife Mary in 1951. The young couple immigrated to Canada where Herbert worked for the International Nickel Company and later U.S. Steel in Northern Quebec. In 1962 the Knaebels decided to look for a warmer climate, and they immigrated to the Central Coast of California. Herbert worked for a time at Vandenburg AF13 near Santa Maria, California. Bitten by the California bug, he decided to pass up the opportunity for a permanent position which would have necessitated a move to Arkansas. Instead Knaebel joined a local company as its Chief Chemist, a position he retained for twenty-two years prior to his retirement. Herbert and his wife Mary were resident in Santa Maria, where Herbert enjoyed a daily swim under the warm California skys. Sadly, Herbert Knaebel passed away on 17th October 2009.

The Aircraft :
Name	Info
Hurricane	Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built.
He111	The German medium bomber the Heinkel He111 was designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter. The first He111 flew on 24th of February 1935, piloted by chief test pilot Gerhard Nitschke. The Heinkel He111 was the primary medium bomber of the Luftwaffe during the opening years of World War Two and the major bomber during the Battle of Britain. It was also used as a torpedo bomber during the Battle of the Atlantic. The Heinkel He111 was used in all theatres, Western, Eastern, Middle East and Northern Africa. He111 continued in production into 1944 and by the end of the war it was used primarily as a transport. Its origins came from a pre war airliner design.

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