First Kill Poster

The first Greek kill in the Middle East is the subject of this painting by Kostas Kavvathias. Apart from its artistic perfection, the painting stands out for the realistic portrayal of the historical event, as it was "set up" with the aid of its main participant, the Middle East veteran Ioannis Anagnostopoulos, whom we would like to thank publicly for honouring us with his trust.
On 29 October 1942, 11 Hurricanes form 335 Sqn while flying an escort mission for 274 Sqn are attacked by four Me 109s. Second Lieutenant Anagnostopoulos is the first to spot the 4 threatening specs in the sky, and immediately takes aggressive action.
A violent dogfight ensues with the fourth Me 109s. Even though the German had the advantage of altitude and speed, his attacks were unsuccessful. Anagnostopoulos, taking advantage of the Hurricane's superior manoeuvrability manages with a sudden manoeuvre to bring his plane in a firing position. The shells from the Greek aircraft find the Messerschmitt amidships. The German aircraft is lost spinning in the heavy cloud. The kill was later confirmed by British forces on the ground.


Poster available at www.discounthobbyzone.gr (Section: Art For Action).