Werner Voss' Last Fight by Various Artists - Page 4

RussGannon · 17 July 2008, 06:57 PM

Pete

I've just done a lot of hard yards in regards military research. Getting down & dirty I call it. If you want 'seven against one' theme, then you might think about painting a picture of poor Heyward's (45 Sqn) demise on 3 Sep 17. A lonely Camel with either engine or gun trouble trying to make it back to Brit lines, only to be set upon by Voss in his gleaming DR1 (oh excuse my herecy - Fokker F1) backed up by the rest of Jasta 10.

You know I still have a 1/48th scale Revell model of Voss's FI lovingly stored away in a box - I made it in the late 60's. Still got a green cowl though!

Cheers Russ

Gregvan · 17 July 2008, 08:54 PM

Hi Again,

Sometime in the late '50's, Phillips Petroleum sponsored a series of aviation paintings called the Historical Aviation Collection. I have seen several very nice paintings by one Robert T. Handville from the collection, reproduced in the 1960 book The Aces by Frederick Oughton (G.P. Putnam's Sons, NY ISBN 60-13672). They depict many of the more familiar incidents involving famous aces (MvR vs. Hawker, Luke balloon busting, Coppens "landing" on a balloon, Barker's VC fight, Udet colliding with a Camel in his D.VII, Warneford and the Zepp, even Nungesser's first victory in a Voisin). These were remarkably accurate renderings for their day. Here is Handville's version of the Voss fight, showing the correct serial on the F.I and 56 Sqn markings on the SE's (yes, Russ, I know they're incorrect for 23 Sept, but this was done in the late '50's).

tcrean7828 · 17 July 2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregvan

Hi Again,

Sometime in the late '50's, Phillips Petroleum sponsored a series of aviation paintings called the Historical Aviation Collection. I have seen several very nice paintings by one Robert T. Handville from the collection, reproduced in the 1960 book The Aces by Frederick Oughton (G.P. Putnam's Sons, NY ISBN 60-13672). They depict many of the more famous incidents involving famous aces (MvR vs. Hawker, Luke balloon busting, Coppens "landing" on a balloon, Barker's VC fight, Udet colliding with a Camel in his D.VII, Warneford and the Zepp, even Nungesser's first victory in a Voisin). These were remarkably accurate renderings for their day. Here is Handville's version of the Voss fight, showing the correct serial on the F.I and 56 Sqn markings on the SE's (yes, Russ, I know they're incorrect for 23 Sept, but this was done in the late '50's).

Mate,
A year or so ago I picked up this exact painting and believe it or not they are still for sale.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

P.S. keep it up, this is fantastic. tc

Gregvan · 18 July 2008, 12:20 AM

Here's George Evans' much later take on the Voss epic, which he produced as a print:

Kirk R. Lowry · 18 July 2008, 05:19 AM

Mes amis!

What an enjoyable thread!
Has anyone made mention of, what would have been for many, the first image of the battle between Voss and elements of 56 Squadron seen by Joseph A. Phelan which appeared in Heroes & Aeroplanes of the Great War 1914-1918 (and the later edition Aeroplanes and Flyers of the First World War)? While suspecting that some do not regard the work of Phelan highly, I still feel the excitement that was made plain as a child looking at those images which, for the period of publication, were remarkably accurate. The book stands as a compilation of the legends of Great War aviation told and illustrated to generate excitment ... and touches of humour are appreciated as well.

One bad memory associated with the volume though ... the day I knocked a jar of paint thinner on the book while my father was building a model!

As for the image of the Fokker F.I and the S.E.5as: interesting as Phelan, unlike many, attempted to depict the weather as it was and made plain the maneuverability Voss was able to achieve.

Greg

I thank you for the kind words. It seems we share a fascination for the history of the history so to speak ... I suspect that you appreciate The Many Deaths of the Red Baron by Frank McGuire ... we need more books of that type on the shelf.

I have a 1935 edition of King Of Air Fighters by

Ira Jones and can state that the illustration Voss's Last Flight appears in the same manner.

I had not seen those images by Robert T. Handville and George Evans ... both are superb!

As you will know I very much appreciate the work of Evans ... the aircraft, of course, but also the illustrations for Crime SuspenStories, particularly that of those murderous women! How did Death of an Ace first appear? Was the painting of the final moments of Voss ever published in a book?

Merci encore!
Salut!
Kirk

Gregvan · 18 July 2008, 02:36 PM

Hi,

You know, Kirk, I was also just thinking about Joe Phelan's lovely watercolor rendering:

I'm sorry I cannot provide a better scan that will meet the Aerodrome's file requirements. At any rate, Joseph A. Phelan's Heroes & Aeroplanes of the Great War 1914-1918 (Grosset & Dunlap, NY 1970) was, for Kirk and me (and I suspect many others) a very influential and impressive book in the days of my youth. Phelan not only wrote it but illustrated it entirely with his own pen and ink wash sketches and beautifully naive watercolors. Packed with well-laid out portrait sketches, scale plans and wonderful full-color paintings (a few of them stretching across two pages) it is still a charming work that I pull out every once in awhile, just for nostalgia's sake. His scene of Navarre's red Nieuport knifing down on those hapless two-seaters is still burned on my retinal memories. As Kirk says, his depiction of the Voss action was one of the first I ever saw, and across from it was the text describing Voss' life, along with full color three views of McCudden's SE5a and Fokker F.I 103-17. A few of Phelan's paintings (including this one) were again reproduced in the 1971 book Illustrated History of World War I in the Air by Stanley Unlanoff, another seminal book from my younger days. Ulanoff also edited the "Air Combat Classics" series from Doubelday, and Phelan also did the little watercolor paintings of aircraft which gaced the dust covers of that series.

Greg

Gregvan · 18 July 2008, 02:48 PM

Here's Lou Basso's somewhat curious rendering, from the cover of Walter Musciano's "Hobby Helper" book Lt. Werner Voss, Germany's Greatest Teenage Ace from 1962.

It still reflects the thinking of the say - at least in the author's opinion - of the colors of the Voss Tripe. It occurs to me that I've no doubt broken every copyright law in the book with these posts, so I hope I'll be forgiven.
Greg

Ricardo Reis · 23 July 2008, 10:06 AM

This has been a very interesting and enjoyable thread to read. This last depiction reminds me of Japanese U-kyoe (maybe the tone of the colours and drawing style).

jastaflieger · 3 August 2008, 02:02 PM

I finally had the time to find two images to scan and post: first one is by Stanley Orton Bradshaw and is found in his book Flying Memories( circa mid 1920's i believe as there is not publication date i could find in the book. Second image is by Jack Moses and he did i believe 8 sketches of the dogfight, this being one of them.

tcrean7828 · 7 August 2008, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jastaflieger

I finally had the time to find two images to scan and post: first one is by Stanley Orton Bradshaw and is found in his book Flying Memories( circa mid 1920's i believe as there is not publication date i could find in the book. Second image is by Jack Moses and he did i believe 8 sketches of the dogfight, this being one of them.

Mate,
Is there a book on Jack Moses and the 8 sketches of the dogfight?

I would be very interested in finding one or a location, or were I can view/ purchase copies of the 8 sketches. I myself have only seen 4 of the 8 sketches and would like to know where the rest are hiding.

Thanks in advance

tcrean7828

tom