Gemini Aces GALFT3005 Bf 109F Yellow 1, Hermann Graf

Hermann Graf was one of the most gifted fighter pilots of WWII – he was also one of the most controversial! As with most Luftwaffe pilots, Graf gained his first flying experiences on the hillsides of Germany, piloting various gliders. Following his formal training, he was eventually posted to Russia, in support of Operation Barbarossa. Here he would begin to display his abilities in aerial combat and quickly rose to prominence as he decimated his Russian opponents. During a three week period in early 1942, Graf shot down 48 enemy aircraft and in the following September, a further 64 aircraft fell to his guns. Graf ended the war with 212 aerial victories, having flown more than 830 sorties. He was one of the most decorated Luftwaffe pilots of the Second World War.

When thinking of the Luftwaffe in WWII, it is the Messerschmitt Bf 109 that immediately springs to mind. This was the most widely used of all the German fighters and was produced in huge numbers, initially serving during the Spanish Civil War. The Bf 109F (Friedrich) was the most handsome variant of this famous fighter, whilst remaining a lethal fighting machine. It displayed much sleeker lines than the more angular “Emil” and enjoyed huge success in the deserts of North Africa and the Russian Steppe. Flown by many of the world’s highest scoring Air “Aces’, the Me 109F concentrated its awesome firepower through the nose of the aircraft. This feature allowed many novice pilots to gain aerial victories and valuable combat experience, early in their careers.