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The Shepherd by David Pentland. - Cranston Military Prints

The Shepherd by David Pentland.


The Shepherd by David Pentland.

Orville, Normandy, 20th August 1944. Within days of the death of his friend and commander Obfw. Fendesack, Feldwebel Kurt Knipsel climbed into the last remaining Tiger II of 1st Company 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion as a tank commander. While leading the unit's retreat to the Seine he more than once saved it by knocking out allied tanks at extreme visual range. On the 28th the column reached Pontiose, and safety.
Item Code : DHM6288PCThe Shepherd by David Pentland. - Editions AvailableExtra....



Artist David Pentland with the original painting The Shepherd

Personal notes on this painting from the artist :

For many years Kurt Knipsel's exploits were relatively unknown. In recent years with the more general publication of books by the likes of Alfred Rubbel or Franz Kurowski, he has generally been hailed as one of the great tank aces. That he was only given his own tank to command during the retreat from Normandy, belies the skill and success he had displayed as a gunner prior to this in his years in Russia.

One of his most admired qualities for those that knew him was his humanity, and pulling his mortally wounded commander and friend Obfw. Fendesack from their Tiger's turret while under air attack was just one example of this. Being given the command of the company's last remaining King Tiger to batter a way through to safety, is evidence of the confidence that the other men of the elite 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion held in him.

In the painting I wanted to show a battered Tiger II leading a column of weary tank men marching along a French back road to avoid being spotted from the air. Some branches are used for camouflage, which also helps obscure the tank number. In this case it proved impossible to confirm the turret number, I had narrowed the choice to a couple, but conflicting accounts made it difficult to be 100% certain. As for the tank variant I was on safer ground, it being a Porsche version with a two piece barrel, and using the three colour sand, brown green paint scheme.

A photo of an edition of the print :

DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Limited edition of 30 giclee prints. Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)Artist : David Pentland£20 Off!Now : £75.00

Quantity:
Limited edition of 20 artist proofs. Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)Artist : David PentlandAdd any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£120.00

Quantity:
Tank Commmander Presentation edition of 3 prints. Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)
Egger, Paul (clipped)

Died : 2007
Paul Egger (deceased)
Knights Cross winning tank commander, SS Panzer Abteilung 502. Received Knights Cross 28th April 1945. 7th highest scoring Panzer Ace with a score of 113. Paul Egger was born in Mautern , Austria on the 23rd November 1916 and after finnishing high school in June 1935 he worked as a clerk until joining the Luftwaffe in late 1938. paul Egger was already a Glider Pilot and was trained as a bomber Pilot joining Kampfgeschader 51., Flying the Diver Bomber Junkers JU 87 Stuka. Paul Egger took part
Signature Value : £70
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Carius, Otto (clipped)

Died : 2015
Otto Carius (deceased)
German Army - Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Otto Carius was born on May 27th of 1922 in Zweibrucken, Rheinland-Pfalz in Southwest Germany. Carius volunteered for 104th Infantry Placement Battalion in May of 1940 and was assigned to the 21st Panzer Regiment when he graduated. During the Invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941, Carius was a loader Panzer 38 and experienced his first battle as a loader on a Panzer III, light tank In 1941 after serving 11 months in Russia Carius w
Signature Value : £85
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Kerscher, Albert (clipped)

Died : 2011
Albert Kerscher (deceased)
German Army - Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Oberfeldwebel Albert Kerscher was, like Otto Carius, a panzer ace from schwere Panzer Abteilung 502. He achieved his 100th kill in defending the Neuhauser Forest near Pillau, East Prussia in April 1945. On 22nd July 1944, 1st Lieutenant Otto Carius with his company of eight Tigers advanced towards the village on Malinava (northern suburb of Dunaburg) in order to halt the Russian advance. Carius and Kerscher took a Kubelwagen in order to check if t
Signature Value : £80
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : David Pentland


Signature(s) value alone : £235
£40 Off!Now : £400.00

Quantity:
Limited edition of up to 10 giclee canvas prints. Size 20 inches x 16 inches (51cm x 41cm)Artist : David Pentland
(on separate certificate)
£60 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!
Now : £220.00

Quantity:
Original oil on canvas painting by David Pentland. Size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)Artist : David PentlandSOLD
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Collector's Postcard - Restricted Initial Print Run of 100 cards.Postcard size 6 inches x 4 inches (15cm x 10cm)none£2.90

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and 1 Pack
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Some other related items available from this site.

 A handful of Tigers from 2nd Kompanie SS Schwere Panzer Abteilung 101 halted the advance of the British 7th Armoured Division, The Desert Rats, outside the little Norman village of Villers Bocage. Prowling through the streets of the village, the solitary tank of Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann knocked out most of the 4th County of London Yeomanrys regimental HQ Stuart and Cromwell tanks, before falling victim to a 6pdr anti-tank gun. Wittmann survived the battle but was killed a month later on August 8th 1944.

Counter Attack at Villers Bocage by David Pentland.
  Preussisch Stargard, East Prussia, February 1945.  Following the departure  of the platoon's two other vehicles, after expending all their ammunition, the single Jagdpanther of Oberfeldwebel Hermann Bix remained to cover the withdrawal of all supporting infantry in the area.  Hidden behind a muck heap, with only twenty armour piercing and five high explosive shells remaining he made the attacking Soviet Shermans pay a heavy price, destroying sixteen of their number before he too fell back out of ammunition.

The Rearguard by David Pentland.
 Orville, Normandy, 20th August 1944.  Within days of the death of his friend and commander Obfw. Fendesack, Feldwebel Kurt Knipsel climbed into the last remaining Tiger II of 1st Company 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion as a tank commander.  While leading the unit's retreat to the Seine he more than once saved it by knocking out allied tanks at extreme visual range.  On the 28th the column reached Pontiose, and safety.

The Shepherd by David Pentland.
Mortain, France, 7th August 1944. Panther tanks of 1st SS Panzer Division 'Leibstandarde' attack units of US 30th Infantry Division in Mortain under cover of heavy fog. Following the successful American breakthrough at St. Lo, and the virtual collapse of the western half of the German line, Hitler ordered an immediate counterattack between Mortain and Avranches to halt the US forces. 'Operation Luttich' was the code name given to this last major German counterattack in Normandy. Initially successful the operation was doomed to failure once the weather cleared and the US air support was brought to bear.

Panthers in the Fog by David Pentland.
Signatures on these products
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature and is for the unmatted version where available. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo




Paul Egger (deceased)
Died : 2007
*Signature Value : £70

Editions signed :

Tank Commmander Presentation edition of 3 prints.


Egger, Paul
(Paul Egger (deceased))

Knights Cross winning tank commander, SS Panzer Abteilung 502. Received Knights Cross 28th April 1945. 7th highest scoring Panzer Ace with a score of 113. Paul Egger was born in Mautern , Austria on the 23rd November 1916 and after finnishing high school in June 1935 he worked as a clerk until joining the Luftwaffe in late 1938. paul Egger was already a Glider Pilot and was trained as a bomber Pilot joining Kampfgeschader 51., Flying the Diver Bomber Junkers JU 87 Stuka. Paul Egger took part in the Invassion of Poland. he was then transferred tp Jagdeschwader 27 becoming a fighter Pilot flying the Messerschmitt BF 109 taking part in the Battle of france and the Battle of Britain, flying a total of 112 misions and was shot down three times. He had 2 kills. In his last mission he was shot down over the English Channel and had severe head wounds which stopped him flying and he was eventually transferred to staff duties. Paul Egger voluntered for the Waffen SS in May 1941 and was trained as aanti tank gunner. After traingin ghe moved to the Motorcycle Battalion of the Das reich division and transferred later to the 8th Compnay SS Panzer Regiment 2. As a tank commander he soon hsowed skill as a commander during the battle of Kieve he destroyed 28 tanks, 14 anti tank guns, 8 artillery batteries and 40 various Russian vehicles. In February 1943 durign the Thrid battle of Kharkov he recorded his 65th tank victory but his company was all but wiped out apart form his tank and one other. Paul Egger transferred to the 102 SS Heavy Panzer battalion commanding a Tiger tank in October 1943. After the D - Day landings. Paul Egger battalion was deployed to Normandy where he fought at point 122 destroying 14 allied tanks and 4 anti tank guns. His commander reccomended him for a knights cross for this action but received a German cross in Gold instead. Egger's battalion was almost completely destroyed during the fighting and in September 1944, and reformed in Sennelager Germany and renamed the 502 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. In 1945 Egger was promoted to Untersturmfuhrer. 502 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion was sent to the Eatsern Front and fought around Stettin. paul Egger destroyed another 19 tanks during the fighting. In April 1945 Egger was promoted to Obersturmfuhrer took over command of the 1st Company. Egger recieved the Knight's Cross by Felix Steiner the commander of the XI SS Panzer Army Commander On the 3 May 1945, Paul Egger became the seventh top panzer ace recording his 113th tank destroyed. Paul Egger escaped from berlin and the Russian but surrendered to the American forces at the River Elbe after being shoot in the arm. he became a prisoner of war for 30 months and released in November 1947. Egger became a sports reporter. In civilian life he became a sports reporter. He died on 12 July 2007.




Otto Carius (deceased)
Died : 2015
*Signature Value : £85

Editions signed :

Tank Commmander Presentation edition of 3 prints.


Carius, Otto
(Otto Carius (deceased))

German Army - Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Otto Carius was born on May 27th of 1922 in Zweibrucken, Rheinland-Pfalz in Southwest Germany. Carius volunteered for 104th Infantry Placement Battalion in May of 1940 and was assigned to the 21st Panzer Regiment when he graduated. During the Invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941, Carius was a loader Panzer 38 and experienced his first battle as a loader on a Panzer III, light tank In 1941 after serving 11 months in Russia Carius went to Officer training and when commissioned he went to 502nd heavy tank battalion in April 1943. He was assigned as a tank commander in the 2nd battalion 502. The battlion had the new Tiger Tank. Otto Carius and the 2nd Company 502 were stationed in Russia on the Leningrad Front. At the narva bridgehead Carius engaged Russian SU85 tanks destroying 4 of them. In June 1944 carius was sent to Daugavpils in Latvia where he was part of the city. On the 22nd of July 1944 Carius with his company of 8 tigers advanced to Malinava, where his job was to halt the Russian advance. 1st Lieutenant Otto Carius commanding 2nd Company of the 502nd heavy tank Battalion, with eight Tigers, advanced towards the village of Malinava (a northern suburb of Dunaburg) to halt the Russian advance. Following a reconnaissance Lieutenant Otto Carius explained his plan to take the village. He decided to attack using only two tanks because there was only one narrow road leading to the village. Six Tigers therefore remained in the reserve while Lt Carius and Lt. Albert Kerschers (one of the most decorated commanders of sPzAbt 502) tanks moved towards the village. Speed was the essence and afterwards, Otto Carius recalls that the entire battle did not last more than 20 minutes. in this short time, Carius and Kerscher knocked out 17 of the new JS-1 Stalin and 5 T-34 tanks. Following this he deployed 6 of his tanks in an ambush against the remainder of the Soviet tank battalion advancing toward him, unaware of their lead companies demise. Surprise was complete and a further 28 tanks were destroyed along with their supporting trucks and vehicles, the complete battalion had been wiped out for no loss. In November of 1943, Otto Carius destroyed 10 Russian T34s at short range and in August 1944 he was transferred to the newly formed Schwere panzerjager Abteilung 512 equipped with the New Jagdtiger. Carius was stationed at Paderborn and Dollersheim. The 2nd Company which he commanded was ordered to Siegburg as part of the defence of the Rhine, and it was here he eventually surrendered to the US forces on April 15th 1945. Awarded the Knights Cross on 4th May 1944 and Oak Leaves on 27th July 1944. Died 24th January 2015.




Albert Kerscher (deceased)
Died : 2011
*Signature Value : £80

Editions signed :

Tank Commmander Presentation edition of 3 prints.


Kerscher, Albert
(Albert Kerscher (deceased))

German Army - Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Oberfeldwebel Albert Kerscher was, like Otto Carius, a panzer ace from schwere Panzer Abteilung 502. He achieved his 100th kill in defending the Neuhauser Forest near Pillau, East Prussia in April 1945. On 22nd July 1944, 1st Lieutenant Otto Carius with his company of eight Tigers advanced towards the village on Malinava (northern suburb of Dunaburg) in order to halt the Russian advance. Carius and Kerscher took a Kubelwagen in order to check if the village was already in Russian hands. They discovered that Malinava had already been taken by the enemy. Carius recognised that the Russian tanks in the village were only advance troops waiting for the main force to arrive. He decided to recapture the village before the arrival of more Russian tanks. Carius returned to his company for briefing and explained his plan to take the village. He decided to attack the village with only two Tigers because there was only one road leading to the village and it meant very risky business. Six Tigers remained in the reserve while the Tigers of Carius and Kerscher moved towards the village of Malinava. Speed was the essence of the plan to take the Russians by surprise and immobilise their tanks. When they were about to enter the village, they could see two T-34/85 tanks rotating their turrets in their direction. Immediately Kerscher, following Carius at about 150 metres, fired two shots in rapid succession, and destroyed the two enemy tanks. This was the first time that Carius had encountered one of the latest JS-1 heavy tanks. The silhouette of the new heavy Russian tank was somewhat similar to that of the Tiger II, and Carius got confused at first but after a little hesitation, ordered his crew to fire at once, and the JS-1 burst into flames. Afterwards they realised that the entire battle was over in about twenty minutes. In such a short time, the two Tigers of Carius and Kerscher had knocked out 17 Russian tanks including the new JS-1. The Russians were taken by surprise and their quick and accurate perception of the situation were the main factors that led the two Tigers to victory. The achievement of Carius and Kerscher at Malinava is on the same level as the famous action of Michael Wittmann at Villers Bocage. He ended the war with a total score of 107. Albert Kerscher passed away on 12th June 2011.

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