A Wartime Signed Photo Of Luftwaffe Ace Colonel Hermann Graf

A photo postcard, measuring 82x133mm, near mint condition. It is signed in blue ink.

Footnote: Hermann Graf (1912–1988) was a highly decorated Luftwaffe ace during the Second World War. Graf joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 and initially only flew transport missions. Even after the start of the war he was given patrol duty and instructing future pilots. Only during the attack on Russia in 1941 Graf would finally be able to show his qualities as a fighter pilot. In roughly half a year on the Eastern Front, he claimed 45 aerial victories for which he was awarded the Knight’s Cross in January of 1942. By September of that year his tally had gone up to 172 victories. This feat won him the Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. At the end of the month he claimed his 200th victory, the first person in aviation history to do so.

Since becoming a national hero, he was seen as too valuable to fly combat missions and returned to training pilots and leading a high flying intercept unit, Fighter Wing 50. Only in late 1943 did he return to flying combat missions. In March 1944 he achieved his 212th and final victory, during which he was severely wounded. After recovering, he took command of the Fighter Wing 52, a position he remained in until the end of the war.

Graf flew over 830 combat missions and was awarded, among other decorations, the Combined Pilots/Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds, the Front Flying Clasp for Fighter Pilots in Gold, and he was mentioned five times in the Wehrmachtbericht.