An Honour Goblet To Dkg Recipient & Battle Of Britain Participant

An Honour Goblet to DKG Recipient & Battle of Britain Participant Unteroffizier Herbert Lettow; A textbook example of a fine quality manufacture Luftwaffe Honour Goblet (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) German Cross in Gold Recipient Herbert Lettow. It is manufactured in Alpaca “Feinsilber” by Johann Wagner & Sohn, as marked on the underside of the goblet. Three-piece construction, consisting of the bowl, stem, and base. The bowl with a outward-crimped rim, with a textured wall, depicting two eagles in combat and an Iron Cross 1939 First Class in high relief. The stem with a ribbon depicting oak leaves, and engraved “Unteroffizier Herbert Lettow”directly beneath. The base is marked “Für Besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg”. It measures 206 mm x 98 mm, in extremely fine condition with dark and very attractive patina.

Footnote: Herbert Lettow served as an Unteroffizier (NCO) as an Observer within the 3./Kampfgeschwader 53 during the second war. He was awarded the Honour Goblet on May 19th, 1942, and was published in the “Ehrenliste der Deutschen Luftwaffe on May 25th, 1942. He was also awarded the German Cross in Gold on October 27th, 1942. The Kampfgeschwader 53 was a bomber squadron formed on May 1, 1939 at Ansbach, Germany, where it initially put on immediate standby in Western Germany in the event of an Allied offensive. It remained under the command of the Luftflotte 1 for training purposes, being equipped with 31 HE 111 medium bombers. It saw action in the Battle of France, bombing targets in Abbeville, Amiens, Rouen, Arras, and Lillie. It was moved to Belgium on July 1, 1940, participating in the Battle of Britain, later taking part in “The Hardest Day” (August 18th, 1940) and “Battle of Britain Day” on September 15th of the same year. Following the start of Operation Barbarossa, the Geschwader provided support to the Army Group Centre at the Battles of Minks, Brody, Kiev, and Smolensk. It also participated in the failed assault on Moscow, being withdrawn to Germany between December 1941 - January 1942. After returning to the Eastern Front, it supported Fall Blau in attempts to aid the German Sixth Army in conquering the city of Stalingrad. In all, it destroyed 1 manufacturing plant, 50 buildings, consisting of 9,000 meters of conveyors, 5,900 units of equipment, and 8,000 tank engines. The Geschwader also saw limited action at the Battle of Kursk, where it destroyed 44 B-17 bombers, damaging 26 others, and destroying 15 fighters at a American-Russian joint air base in Poltava. It was withdrawn from the Eastern Front entirely in August 1944, and soon after began operations over Britain, flying HE 111H-22 bombers outfitted to air launch V-1 flying bombs. The Geschwader was disbanded on January 25, 1945 due to fuel shortages.