laststandonzombieisland

Ernst Udet (1896 – 1941), second most successful fighter pilot of the first World War with 62 confirmed victories, was requested by Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen for the Jasta 11 in March 1918, he received the Pour le Mérite in April 1918 and took over the command of Jasta 4 after Richthofen was killed in action. After the First World War he took up work as an aircraft constructor, actor, and pilot for stunts, shows and advertisements. His close relationship to Göring opened up his career path in the Luftwaffe in 1935, which came to an end on 17.11.1941. At the time of his suicide he was a Director General of Equipment in the rank of a Colonel General.

The following 8 drawings of aircraft, dating from 1915 – 1941 were made by Ernst Udet in watercolor and drawing ink over pencil on identically sized sheets of paper (37 x 50 cm). Very detailed studies in profile with inscriptions and short notes in block letters handwritten by Udet with the typical spelling mistakes known from his other handwritten documents. The (slightly foxed) paper and colors are more or less identical, suggesting that the fair drawings were made around 1940/41. He signed and dated them after original sketches he largely made during the First World War. The crop marks on each drawing indicate that the drawings were intended for a book project on the development of aeronautics which Udet had in mind, but were not realized due to his suicide in November 1941.

Udet´s drawing skills are well known from numerous small sketches and caricatures, especially famous are his extremely rare illustrations of captured allied aircraft re-lacquered in German colors – only a few were captured and re-used, and practically none of them survived the First World War – which could only have been observed and documented by experienced front pilots such as Udet. With a comprehensive expert opinion.

 

Ref: Ernst Udet in Aquarellfarben und Tusche über Bleistift auf einheitlichem Papierformat (37 x 50 cm) angefertigt.