The Art of Russell Smith

On 23 November 1916, while flying an DH2 Serial No. 5964 Hawker left Bertangles Aerodrome at 1300 hours as part of ‘A’ Flight, led by Capt J. O. Andrews. Andrews led the flight in an attack on two German aircraft over Achiet, but spotting a larger flight of German aircraft above Andrews was chose to break off the attack. Hawker, however, continued to press the attack. Losing contact with the other DH-2’s, Hawker began a lengthy, circling dog-fight with the Albatros D.II flown by Leut. Manfred von Richthofen. Richthofen wrote of the dogfight in his autobiography, “Thus we both turned like madmen in circles, with engines running full-throttle at three-thousand-five-hundred meters height. First twenty times left, then thirty times right, each mindful of getting above and behind the other.”

As is the nature of a dogfight, the circling combatants began to lose altitude as each tried to gain the advantage over the other. The playing field was almost evenly matched as Hawker flew the DH2 capable of turning tighter circles and Richthofen piloted the Albatros DII, which capable of faster airspeed. Hawker, however, had the dual disadvantage of being over German lines and a wind drift that would carry him even farther into enemy territory. Unable to get advantage over his opponent, Hawker broke away from the spiral and attempted a series of evasive acrobatics. Running out of both fuel and sky, Hawker finally had to make what was perhaps the only practical choice available to him - a low level dash back towards the Allied lines. Flying in a somewhat straight line only a few meters above the treetops, Richthofen, in the faster machine, now had the advantage. Hawker jinked his machine up and down and side to side in order to present a difficult target for Richthofen. 50 yards from the lines, however, a bullet from Richthofen’s guns struck Hawker in the head, killing him instantly. His plane spun from 1,000 feet and crashed 200 meters east of Luisenhof Farm, just south of Bapaume on the Flers Road. Lanoe Hawker went down in history as Richthofen’s 11th victim.

Hector is the right half of a dyptich which also features Achilles. Hector is symbolic of Hawker - the champion of his people. Here, Manfred von Richthofen eyes Lanoe Hawker from across a descending 75-yard circle. Neither man knows the identity of his opponent, nor are they aware that this one-on-one engagement will become one of the most legendary aerial duels of the First World War. This engagement would see the death of Lanoe Hawker and help to make Richthofen's name a household word on both sides of the lines.

- Giclee prints on paper: Printed on acid free rag paper, The prints measure 24" x 18". The edition consists of 200 prints, each of which is signed and numbered by Russell Smith.
- Gilcee prints on canvas: Prints on canvas measure 24.5" x 13.5". The canvas edition consists of only 20 prints, each of which is signed and numbered on the back.
- Special full-size giclee prints on canvas: This special edition of prints on canvas measure 34.5" x 23" - 100% size of the original painting! I'm only making 10 of these available. Each issigned and numbered on the back.