Description
WARTIME KNIGHTS CROSS WINNER PORTRAIT & SIGNATURE – HERMANN GRAF
Wartime portrait photo & signature. 9x13cm.
Hermann Graf, born in October 1912, began pilot training in 1936 and joined 2./JG 51 in mid-1939. Later assigned to 9./JG 52, he served at various locations across Europe, including Greece and Romania, before moving to Ukraine in August 1941. He achieved his first aerial victory that same month and, by early 1942, had reached 45 victories, earning the Knight’s Cross on January 24, 1942.
Graf’s success on the Eastern Front grew rapidly, and in 1942 he became the first pilot to surpass 200 victories. For this, he received the Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds to his Knight’s Cross on May 17, May 19, and September 16, 1942. Due to concerns over losing such a high-scoring ace, he was reassigned to lead a pilot training unit.
In March 1944, he was injured in a collision with an American fighter but later recovered and resumed command of JG 52. He ultimately surrendered with his unit in May 1945. Graf finished the war with 212 victories and died on April 11, 1988.
