Order Enquiries (UK) : 01436 820269

You currently have no items in your basket


Buy with confidence and security!
Publishing historical art since 1985

Don't Miss Any Special Deals - Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
Product Search         

ALWAYS GREAT OFFERS :
20% FURTHER PRICE REDUCTIONS ON HUNDREDS OF LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS
BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE ON THOUSANDS OF PAINTINGS AND PRINTS
FOR MORE OFFERS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Gerhard Thyben - Pilot Profile - Gerhard Thyben

Gerhard Thyben

Victories : 157
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 4th September 2006


Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron CrossAwarded Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross
Knights
Cross
Oak Leaves

Oberleutnant Gerhard Thyben was born 24 February 1922. Died 4 September 2006. He was was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. Gerhard "Gerd" Thyben flew 385 combat missions and claimed 157 aerial victories. He claimed 152 victories on the Eastern Front, including 28 Il-2 Sturmoviks and five victories on the Western Front. He flew 22 fighter-bomber missions on which he claimed two aircraft and seven trucks destroyed on the ground.

Gerhard Thyben volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe in late 1940 and by summer 1941 gained his pilot's licence.

On 8 May 1945 he claimed his last victory over the Baltic Sea. He shot down a Petlyakov Pe-2 that was almost certainly looking for German refugee ships escaping from the besieged Courland Pocket. Thyben caught the reconnaissance Pe-2 at 07:54 and achieved what very well might have been the last Focke-Wulf Fw 190 victory of World War II. The Pe-2 crew, consisting of Starshiy Leytenant Grigoriy Davidenko, Kapitan Aleksey Grachev, and Starshina Mikhail Murashko were all killed in the engagement. Thyben surrendered to the British on touching down. Following his release in 1946 he traveled to Spain and Argentina before serving as an instructor with the Colombian Air Force.

Click here for artwork signed by this Ace!


Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
 In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command.  These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy.  On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck.  At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles.  The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship.  The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape.  As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941.  Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.
 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940.  Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.
 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster.  Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks.  For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.
 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944.  Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine.  Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came.  He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Gerhard Thyben

Squadrons for : Gerhard Thyben
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Gerhard Thyben. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

JG3


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG3
JG3

Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. The Geschwader operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet in 1942.

Commanders of IV./JG 3

Major Franz Beyer, 1. June 1943
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 February 1944
Major Friedrich-Karl Müller, 26 February 1944
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 April 1944
Major Wilhelm Moritz, 18 April 1944
Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer, 5 December 1944
Major Erwin Bacsila, 5 January 1945
Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, 17 February 1945
Hauptmann Gerhard Koall, 25 April 1945
Hauptmann Günther Schack, 1 Mai 1945

JG54


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG54
JG54

I./JG 54 was initially formed as I./JG 70 near Nuremberg in July 1939, just two short months before hostilities broke out. As was to become tradition within Grunherzgeschwader, the Gruppe took the Nurember coat-of-arms (a veritcally divided shield with a black heraldic bird on the left, and red and white diagonal stripes on the right) to represent the region the unit came from.

On September 15, 1939, I./JG 70 was redesignated I./JG 54

The initial unit designation for II./JG 54 was I./JG 138. This unit was raised in 1938 after the Austrian annexation. Naturally many Austrian nationals were recruited when I./JG 138 was formed. The Aspern coat of arms (black lion's head surmounting a white cross on a red field) was taken by the Gruppe for its identity.

I./JG 138 was briefly designated I./JG 76 before finally becoming II./JG 54 on April 6, 1940.

The III./JG 54 has its roots in Prussia. Initially I./JG 21, the members were drawn from the Jesau region in Prussia. The modified Jesau coat-of-arms (a shield with a Jesau cross with three diving aircraft on a red background, with a white outline on the shield) was adopted as the Gruppe's own.

On July 15, 1939, I./JG 21 was redesignated III./JG 54. However, the bureaucratic nature of the young Luftwaffe was such that it was over a year before records would reflect the new designation. Consequently, III./JG 54 fought in Poland and France as I./JG 21.


Kommodoren of JG 54 :

Major Martin Mettig; 2 Feb 40 to 25 Aug 40.
Oberst Hannes Trautloft; 25 Aug 40 to 5 Jul 43.
Major Hubertus von Bonin; 6 Jul 43 to 15 Dec 43.
Oberstleutnant Anton Mader; 28 Jan 44 to Sep 44.
Oberst Dieter Hrabak; 1 Oct 44 to 8 May 45.

Known Victory Claims - Gerhard Thyben

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

26/02/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Boston79 142: 4500m9.15Eastern Front
06/05/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Boston70 395: 500m4.45Eastern Front
08/05/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Spitfire85 143: 1800m8Eastern Front
08/05/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Airacobra85 142: 3200m15.46Eastern Front
11/05/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG86 584: 1500m16.23Eastern Front
14/05/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-185 113: 2500m12.15Eastern Front
01/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-361 224: 4000m5.05Eastern Front
03/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-561 364: tiefst.3.15Eastern Front
03/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-161 382: 3000m3.22Eastern Front
12/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-561 267: 1500m3.39Eastern Front
12/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-561 489: 3000m7.15Eastern Front
23/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-461 424: 6500m6.16Eastern Front
24/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-161 634: 1000m5.25Eastern Front
24/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-571 588: 4000m18.05Eastern Front
26/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-361 469: 1500m19.28Eastern Front
26/06/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-571 317: 1500m19.34Eastern Front
02/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Boston71 512: 7500m7.46Eastern Front
06/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-561 492: 2500m12.3Eastern Front
07/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-161 459: 2000m7.55Eastern Front
07/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-561 472: 3000m8.1Eastern Front
07/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-560 291: 1800m17.02Eastern Front
07/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-570 114: 3700m17.14Eastern Front
09/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-562 882: 500m6.2Eastern Front
09/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3LaGG-561 461: 600m6.35Eastern Front
13/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-162 889: 3800m5.56Eastern Front
13/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Mustang62 859: 4000m6.02Eastern Front
14/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-161 243: 3500m6.46Eastern Front
20/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-188 264: 4100m4.36Eastern Front
20/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-188 231: 5000m15.5Eastern Front
24/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-188 285: 4000m4.42Eastern Front
25/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-161 458: 1200m18.24Eastern Front
30/07/1943Uffz. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3Jak-188 433: 5000m12.43Eastern Front
08/10/1943Fw. Gerhard ThybenStab II.JG 3P-47FH: 6000m [50km W. Egmond]15.34Western Front
30/11/1943Fw. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3P-47ML-7: 7000m [Dender-Mönde]11.4Western Front
11/02/1944Fw. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3P-38RK-RL E. St. Vith: 6300m13.06Western Front
11/02/1944Fw. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3P-38RK-RL E. St. Vith: 6000m13.07Western Front
11/02/1944Fw. Gerhard Thyben6JG 3P-38RK-RL E. St. Vith: 5000m13.1Western Front
30/04/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-596 384: 1200m6.02Eastern Front
05/05/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-996 525: 1700m4.36Eastern Front
05/05/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-996 382: 1600m18.45Eastern Front
12/05/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-99754: 4000m13.15Eastern Front
16/05/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-788 853: 3700m7.41Eastern Front
16/05/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-988 856: 4300m8.07Eastern Front
05/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-570 264: 4000m11.26Eastern Front
19/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-981 623: 2200m20.01Eastern Front
19/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Airacobra81 626: 1200m20.1Eastern Front
19/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Airacobra81 415: 800m20.22Eastern Front
20/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Airacobra91 323: 500m17.35Eastern Front
21/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54LaGG-381 543: 1000m9.22Eastern Front
23/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-5-14.12Eastern Front
29/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Airacobra91 349: 2500m8.16Eastern Front
29/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-921 447: 200m7.03Eastern Front
30/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-591 345: 600m12.16Eastern Front
30/06/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-981 298: 800m20.23Eastern Front
01/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-591 345: 4200m [Novorzhev/Pskov]8Eastern Front
01/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Airacobra81 434: 2800m [Novorzhev/Pskov]13.22Eastern Front
03/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-981 464: 3500m11.37Eastern Front
03/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-981464: 3500m [Immola/Leningrad Front]11.37Eastern Front
04/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-981 474: 3000m8.05Eastern Front
06/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-991 277: 800m12.09Eastern Front
07/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-991 464: 3800m6.44Eastern Front
09/07/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-991 273: 3000m9.16Eastern Front
06/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-979 165: 2000m18Eastern Front
07/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-580 572: 5000m6.57Eastern Front
07/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-570 637: 4200m14.23Eastern Front
17/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben6JG 54La-579 841: 4000m12.1Eastern Front
23/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-569 328: 1800m9.22Eastern Front
23/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-569 688: 800-1000m9.45Eastern Front
28/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Pe-269 59217.5Eastern Front
30/08/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-269 549: 300m17.29Eastern Front
04/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-5-18.09Eastern Front
05/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-769 639: 3000m16.52Eastern Front
06/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-969 596: 2000m6.47Eastern Front
06/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-269 651: 200m10.42Eastern Front
06/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-569 628: 800m13.55Eastern Front
06/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-569 624: 400m14Eastern Front
14/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Jak-968 162: 3500m10.43Eastern Front
15/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Jak-968 776: 2300m11.35Eastern Front
15/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54La-568 167: 1200m12Eastern Front
15/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54La-558 229: 1000m12.11Eastern Front
15/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54La-558 133: 1500m17.15Eastern Front
16/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-557 256: 3700m9.1Eastern Front
16/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-557 258: 3800m9.11Eastern Front
16/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-557 292: 1200m9.14Eastern Front
16/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-957 231: 2000m9.24Eastern Front
16/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-9ESE Katrina: 600m9.3Eastern Front
16/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-268 176: 1000m15.4Eastern Front
18/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-557 276: 1500m10.11Eastern Front
23/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-537 466: 4500m15.5Eastern Front
24/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-937 418: 1800m9.4Eastern Front
24/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-937 456: 600m9.41Eastern Front
24/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-237 333: 1500m9.45Eastern Front
25/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-937 418: 800m12.4Eastern Front
25/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-237 274: 1200m12.44Eastern Front
25/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-937 337: 2200m13.06Eastern Front
25/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-257 151: 500m16.37Eastern Front
27/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-257 143: 10m17.41Eastern Front
28/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-958 751: 2300m17.24Eastern Front
30/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54La-548 863: 3200m10.31Eastern Front
30/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Jak-957 146: 2000m11Eastern Front
30/09/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-257 111: 150m15.03Eastern Front
10/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54Jak-904 653: 3000m9.55Eastern Front
10/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54Pe-217 522: 1800m10.15Eastern Front
16/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Il-217 641: 200m13.5Eastern Front
17/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Il-227 546: 500m14.46Eastern Front
22/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Airacobra17 649: 5000m12.48Eastern Front
22/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Pe-217 587: 2000m14.2Eastern Front
27/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Jak-927 518: 1000m11.08Eastern Front
28/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Il-207 637: 10m11.54Eastern Front
28/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Il-217 567: 600m15.1Eastern Front
29/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Il-217 459: 300m9.45Eastern Front
29/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Jak-917 622: 800m12.43Eastern Front
30/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Pe-217 551: 3800m11.58Eastern Front
30/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Pe-217 546: 1500m12Eastern Front
30/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Airacobra17 636: 1200m14.31Eastern Front
30/10/1944Ltn. Gerhard ThybenII.JG 54Airacobra17 613: 3300m14.48Eastern Front
23/11/1944Ltn. Gerhard Thyben5JG 54Il-228 183: 10m8.2Eastern Front
17/02/1945Oblt. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54--Western Front
17/02/1945Oblt. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54--Western Front
17/02/1945Oblt. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54--Western Front
17/02/1945Oblt. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54--Western Front
08/05/1945Oblt. Gerhard Thyben7JG 54Pe-2W. Libau7.54Western Front

Known Claims : 122

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Join us on Facebook!

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts.  Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269.  Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com

Follow us on Twitter!

Return to Home Page