Junkers Ju-52 "Iron Annie"
Wilhelm Ludwig Kriessmann, Luftwaffe Pilot
Original Painting of Kriessmann' s Ju-52.
Print Number Two in a Series of Famous Luftwaffe Aircraft by Aviation Artist/Historian,
Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
Total number of prints in the limited edition series is 150 prints.
Print Size 12x18"
Limited Edition Price $95.00
Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered by the artist and co-signed by the Luftwaffe pilot.
Poster Print Price $18.00
Poster Prints are not autographed.
Junkers Ju-52 pilot Wilhelm Kriessmann.
Written by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
Wilhelm Ludwig Kriessmann flew for the Luftwaffe from October 14, 1939 when he received his pilots wings to the end of the war. Wilhelm was selected for multiple engine aircraft and flew them through out the war. From training in the twin-engine open cockpit Donier Do-11 to flying the first operational jet bomber equipped with a pressurized cockpit and ejector seat, Wilhelm flew many of the most famous Luftwaffe bombers including many experiential aircraft.
Here are his experiences in the Junkers Ju-52.
Wilhelm flew 172 flights in the Junkers Ju-52. All of his flights were while he was in flight school, flying ferrying flights in and out of Berlin and while assigned to LDK 1 Flugbereitschat General Oberst Weise. Here Wilhelm had the opportunity to fly the Fieseler Storch, Me-108, Junkers Ju-88 and others. These flights were not in combat situations. Here Wilhelm was able to sample the many different types of Luftwaffe aircraft. As time passed Wilhelm flew even more verities including the first and only Luftwaffe jet bomber. Wilhelm's personal comment on the Ju-52 was, "She was called Tante (auntie), the Ju-52 was the most reliable aircraft."
Does anyone else adore the "Iron Annie" like I do? I love this airplane. Just something about the lines of the aircraft. It was designed to be a civilian airliner and cargo transport, but for the Luftwaffe, the "Annie" was used extensively on all fronts. Wilhelm flew officers and General staff all over Germany in the Ju-52. This is my tribute. I do not have any art information on any exact Ju-52's flown by Wilhelm and he does not have any information either. So the Ju-52 will be an example of the aircraft from one of the many squadrons that risked their lives in order to get supplies to the troops and the wounded back to proper hospital care. Here I will salute the "Iron Annie."
The Junkers Ju-52 and the DC-3 are the two most famous military transport aircraft in history. The Ju-52 first flew with 800h.p. Junkers L.88 twelve cylinder in-line engines. The next model was fitted with a 750h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Leopard fourteen cylinder, two-row radial power plants. This was the Ju-52di model. Then 750h.p. Junkers Jumo 204 diesels were added to up-grade to a Ju-52do model. The aircraft was redesigned several times and fitted with every type of power-plant to get the best performance form the airframe. A generous interior of 590 cubic feet accessed by a port side loading hatch was the aircrafts selling point. The aircraft grew in size incorporating new wing designs. The Junkers had a "double-wing" which consist of a full span trailing edge flap. Later a leading edge taper was added. The first models were single engine passenger aircraft. All had corrugated metal skin. The design of the metal skin gave the Junkers greater integrity thru strength. Junkers were sold internationally including to the English and Canadian airlines. The Junkers was designed and used as a conventional land based aircraft but there was also a marketable sea craft version. Then the Ju-52 grew further.
The prototype model that we are more familiar with is the Ju-52/3m which was developed by Dipl.Ing. Zindel who was the chief engineer at Junkers.
April 16, 2008
In interviewing Wilhelm about his service in the Junkers he remembered quite well the type, coloring and code numbers of several of his Junkers transports. He stated that the aircraft was very stable and dependable. Wilhelm said he enjoyed flying the "Iron Annie". Wilhelm flew General Stall all over Germany, Holland and Norway in the Junkers Ju-52.
3-18-08