Herman Graf - Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/R2, JG(r) 50, Wiesbarden-Erbenheim, Germany (Circa 1943).

Originally a sergeant pilot in JG-51, Graf ended of the war a full Colonel as Kommodore of JG-52 on the Russian Front. One of only nine pilots to win the coveted Diamonds, he was the most heavily publicized ace in Germany. 
Before the war Graf followed his fathers footsteps and was apprenticed as a blacksmith. After completing his apprenticeship, he left the trade to become a clerk in the Engen municipal offices. He remained with that job until the outbreak of war, when he was 27 years old. 

Graf had taken up gliding in 1933 and by 1936 had qualified as a pilot of powered aircraft. He then joined the Luftwaffe reserve, and was called up immediately at the start of the war and given the rank of Flight Sergeant. 

Grafs first encounters in air combat occurred against western aircraft in Greece and Crete. His first victory did not come until the 4th of August 1941, on the Eastern Front when he shot down an I-16 Rata.

Just over 13 months after his first victory, Graf had shot down 172 aircraft and won the Diamonds. His scoring run climaxed on October 2nd, 1942 when he became the first ace ever to reach two hundred victories. As a result of this incredible rate of scoring, Graf became the favorite of Goebbels propaganda machine and he was depicted as a shining example of National Socialist youth. His personal opinions on National Socialism are not really known. 
Erich Hartmann described Graf as, cool-headed and a hell of a fighter. When the war ended he had flown over 800 missions and in addition to his 202 kills against the Russians he shot down 10 American heavies on the Western Front. The Americans turned him over to the Russians after being captured, and his later decision to cooperate with the Russians resulted in him being ostracized for many years by other Luftwaffe pilots. Graf was finally released in 1950 and passed away in 1988.
...........................................................................................................THE SKIN I HAVE DONE IS USING THE ORIGINAL EAW PCX FILES AND HAS BEEN DONE BY ME COMPLETELY FROM SCRATCH 

 THE WING VIEW IS ALL MY OWN WORK FROM SCRATCH AS WELL:)

 FILES USED WERE CAPTAIN MANDUCAS NEWER 3DZ MODEL AND INCLUDED TOM LAGARTO AND HYNKELS  TRA FILE AND MIGGES INSTRUMENTS AND KEIBINS GUNSIGHT- ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS DONE WORK TO THIS MODEL I THANK AS WELL BUT IN THE README OF THE VARIOUS FILES I USED THESE WERE THE ONLY NAMES  I COULD FIND.THANKS TO THE GEGMAISTER FOR GETTING ME STARTED IN THIS SKINNING OBSESSION ..AND MOSI FOR HIS HELP AT SIMHQ WITH THIS MODEL ;)

 HOPE YOU LIKE THE SKIN AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK IT SOME MORE I CAN SEND THE PCX AND TRA FILES IF YOU CONTACT ME VIA SIMHQ:)  
 
DROP ALL TPC AND 3DZ FILES INTO YOUR EAW FOLDER OR A SKIN FOLDER IF USING OAW I HAVE INCLUDED ONE OF KEIBINS SIGHTS FOR THIS MODEL TOO SO IF YOU WANT TO USE IT DROP IN THE GUNSIGHT.SPT AS WELL.

  CHEERS ALL..EAW ROCKS....AUSSIE JIM IN BRISVEGAS AUGUST 2003
