German WWII VDA Postcard of Knights Cross Recipient Erbo Graf von Kageneck

German WWII VDA Postcard of Knights Cross Recipient Erbo Graf von KageneckGerman WWII VDA Postcard of Knights Cross Recipient Erbo Graf von Kageneck This is a card from the series from the National League of German's Abroad who published this postcard. This was an organization that wanted to support Germanness overseas. The artist Wolfgang Willrich painted all of the portraits in this series. Graf was a Knights Cross recipient and Luftwaffe military aviator of aristocratic descent during World War II. On 5 November 1941,

German WWII VDA Postcard of Knights Cross Recipient Erbo Graf von Kageneck-This is a card from the series from the National League of German's Abroad who published this postcard. This was an organization that wanted to support Germanness overseas. The artist Wolfgang Willrich painted all of the portraits in this series. Graf was a Knights Cross recipient and Luftwaffe military aviator of aristocratic descent during World War II. On 5 November 1941, Kageneck received the Knights Cross Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler personally at the Wolf's Lair. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 67 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in 329 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 19 claims in the Mediterranean theatre and over the Western Front. He was "ace-in-a-day" once, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day. On Christmas eve in 1941 Kageneck sustained severe injuries in combat near Agedabia resulting in a forced landing of his Bf 109 F4 in the desert near El Magrun. He was recovered by Italian soldiers and was immediately evacuated, first to a hospital in Athens, and then to another in Naples. Despite intensive care, he died of his wounds to his stomach and abdomen on 12 January 1942. He was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann. It is said that Australian Ace Clive Caldwell was the pilot who shot him down. This postcard is in very good condition. The colors are muted, but this is how the sketch was done. The front has Kageneck’s signature. At the top corners you can see a shield with cross, and three airplanes, to the right is the artist’s signature.  The reverse is set up in traditional postcard style, with the number of the series at the bottom, and the caption at the top left. Of course, the space for a note, with the address box to the right side. It is very clean and in near excellent condition.