WWII Nazi German 1941 Mitau Latvia Destroyed Soviet Aircraft Airfield Third Reich HDK Art Print

Interesting WWII German wartime military aviation artwork from the Munchen house of art museum (HDK) depicting destroyed Soviet aircraft at the Mitau (Jelgava), Latvia airfield during the opening stages of the Eastern Front in 1941.

The printed German caption on the reverse reads:

“10. Mitau – zerstörte Flugzeuge. Auf dem Flugplatz von Mitau überraschte und am Boden zerstörte sowjetische Flugzeuge. 29. Juni 1941.”

Translation:
“10. Mitau – Destroyed Aircraft. Soviet aircraft surprised and destroyed on the ground at the Mitau airfield. June 29, 1941.”

The handwritten inscription on the reverse is especially interesting. It essentially states that after the artist had spent about an hour on the airfield drawing/painting the destroyed aircraft, his driver turned over a sign that warned:

“Do not enter the airfield – mined.”

The artwork itself is signed/initialed in the lower right and dated Mitau, 29.VI.41 (June 29, 1941).

Historical records confirm that German forces captured Jelgava/Mitau on June 29, 1941 and encountered numerous abandoned and destroyed Soviet aircraft at the airfields. The scene appears to belong to the wartime “Kampf und Kunst” series of front-line artwork associated with a German Army propaganda company.

Large-format sheet with the illustration mounted/printed within a bordered presentation area. The reverse retains both the original printed identification caption and period handwritten notation.

Condition: Original vintage condition with age toning, handling wear, light creasing/curling and other age-related wear as shown. Please examine all photos carefully for condition and details.

A very interesting piece for collectors of WWII German military artwork, Luftwaffe history, Operation Barbarossa, Soviet aviation, Eastern Front material, Latvia/Jelgava history, and wartime propaganda artwork.

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