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Mustangs of 434th Fighter Squadron head across the Channel. Gathering Storm by Anthony Saunders (GL) Click For Details AS0001
When a fighter escort with a bombers range first appeared over Berlin, Goering knew the end of the war was only a matter of time. when that particular fighter escort turned out to be the Mustang, perhaps the most outstanding of all WWII fighters, the time was all too short. Unlike the RAFs Spitfire and Hurricane, that had succeeded in the Battle of Britain, Goerings Luftwaffe failed to protect its own air space, leaving allied air forces unhampered to bomb Germany by both day and night. Two battle weary Mustangs of 357th Fighter Group, with ammunition spent and fuel low, have broken away from the main bomber force to head across the Channel for home. Head for Home by Anthony Saunders. (APB) Click For Details AS0006
Signed by 7 pilots. Chennaults Flying Tigers by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0001
It began in pitch darkness. June 6, 1944 was only a few minutes old when the Airborne Pathfinders drifted silently down from the sky above the fields of Normandy. At first their seemed nothing untoward about the drone of aircraft in the night sky. The German garrisons in Northern France were used to the noise of aircraft overhead after dark, but this night seemed particularly busy. Looking skyward a German sentry caught sight of parachutes floating down, clearly visible as the moon fleetingly broke through the clouds. For an instant he thought it was the crew jumping from a damaged bomber, but when he saw the mass of canopies floating earthwards, he knew it was no ordinary event. Within moments of raising the alarm the crackle of automatic gunfire confirmed his worst fears: The Invasion of France had begun. The first assault upon Hitlers Fortress Europe came from the sky. Shortly after midnight waves of aircraft and gliders delivered three Divisions of elite airborne troops into Normandy, their crucial objectives to seize vital bridges, secure strategic positions and clear the way for the coming aerial armada. As the first streaks of dawn came over the horizon on that historic day, and with American and British paratroops already engaged in furious fire fights, the mighty amphibious armada began landing on the beaches of Normandy. Above them waves of troop-carrying aircraft towing gliders stretched from the coast of France all the way back to England. Closely escorted by fighters, they delivered over 20,000 highly trained men into the battlefield of Northern France. By nightfall the first phase of the greatest military invasion in history was complete. Five Divisions were were ashore and the Allies had established a toehold in occupied Europe. For the Third Reich it was the beginning of the end. Without the advanced airborne assault, and the air supremacy achieved by the escort fighters, the amphibious landings could have been a disaster. Seen crossing the Normandy beaches are C-47 Dakotas of the 438th Troop Carrier Group towing CG-4 Waco gliders, closely escorted by P-51Bs of the 354 Fighter Group. Below, landing craft swarm ashore putting men and equipment on the beaches, and everything about this spectacular painting brings alive the events of that historic day a half a century ago. D-Day The Airborne Assault by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0003
Dauntless of the SS carrier Enterprise prepare to attack the Japanese Fleet at Midway, June 1942. The success of their bold and Devastating action changed the course of the war in the Pacific. Midway The Turning Point. Click For Details AX0032
The mass flyover, Toyko Bay, 1945, heralding the surrender on board USS Missouri. Victory Flyover by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0033
Col Leon Johnson aboard the damaged Suzy Q emerges through an inferno of intense ground fire and dense palls of acrid burning oil. More seriously hit and smoking, another B-24 Liberator completes its bombing run. By the end of that first day of May 1943, the Ploesti oil fields were in ruins and the B-24 crews of the 8th and 9th Air Forces had dealt a vital blow to the Axis war machine. Ploesti, The Vital Mission by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0034
One secondary market print available, numbered 689 / 1000. Lightning Strike by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0035
A Japanese Zero condenses the air off its wing tips as its pilot hauls his fighter inside a Marine F4F Wildcats determined attack. The two adversaries cavort the air in a desperate duel high over the island of Guadalcanal. The sky is alive with fighting aircraft as F4Fs and Zeros are locked in deadly combat. Below, clearly visible throught the clear tropical air is the prize over which they do battle: A single tiny airstrip on a small hill, humid, almost uninhabitable island - A priceless possession providing the key to air supremacy in the South Pacific. Zero Encounter by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0036
F4U Corsairs search and destroy enemy positions during landings in the Marshall Islands, 1944. Beach Head Strike Force by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0037
Into Battle - Piling out of their C47 Dakotas, US paratroopers decent into the Drop Zone inland from Utah Beach D-Day 1944. <br> Crash Landing - A Glider Pilot brings his fully laden CG Glider into the Normandy battlefield - D-Day 1944. Rare Pair of D-Day prints by Robert Taylor - Into Battle by Robert Taylor and Crash Landing by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0038
B-17 Fortresses of the American 8th Air Forces 1st Wing, fighting their way back from Schweinfurt on 17th August 1945. Return from Schweinfurt by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0039
22nd Bomb group B17s under attack by Mitsubishi Zero fighters over Rebaul November 1942. Fortress under Attack by Robert Taylor. Click For Details AX0043
Red Berets drop on Arnhem. A Bold Leap by John Young. Click For Details AX0046
6th Airborne Div , D-Day 1944. Gliders at Caen by Frank Wootton. Click For Details AX0047
South Vietnam : Flying close to the ground, helicopters were vulnerable to enemy fire. This dawn sweep will find trouble before the day ends. Heading For Trouble by William S Phillips. Click For Details AX0048
One secondary market print available, numbered 152 / 650. Misty Marauder by John Young. Click For Details AX0049
The flight of the A-6 Intruder portraying the aircraft flown by Stephen Coonts former crew member (1971-1973) of the USS Enterprise. Going In Hot by William S Phillips. Click For Details AX0050
One secondary market print available, numbered 221 / 650. Skytrain From Kuunming by John Young. Click For Details AX0051
On April 19, 1967, then-Major Leo K. Thorsness took on, in the words of another officer, most of North Vietnam all by himself in one of the epic battles of that war. On that day, Thorsness and his backseater, Electronic Warfare Officer Captain Harold E. Johnson, fought about a half-dozenMiGs, shot down one-and probably another while protecting their wingman, who, with his backseater, had been forced to bail out of their damaged aircraft over enemy territory. The artist has captured the moment after Thorsness shot past his kill and continued on, during one of the most valiant efforts in the air war. He left the battle area only for midair refueling and then returned to ward off enemy fighters, staying even after he had run out of ammunition. Lethal Encounter by William S Phillips. Click For Details AX0052
May 19th, 1967. Cpt. Eugene McDaniel is launched from USS Enterprise in an A-6 intruder on his fateful 81st combat mission over Vietnam. Intruder Outbound by William S Phillips. Click For Details AX0053
One very rare secondary market print available, numbered 2 / 1000. I Could Never be So Lucky Again by William S Phillips. Click For Details AX0054
F4-U4 Corsair VF791 belonging to the Fighting rebels. in Korea. Time to Head Home by William S Phillips. Click For Details AX0055
AX0056P. Phantoms F-4 by R E Pierce. Phantoms F-4 by R E Pierce. (P) Click For Details AX0056
1st Lt Kenneth A Walsh over the Solomon Islands May 13th 1943. He scored 21 Victories at received the medal of Honor. Zero Fighter Sweep by Roy Grinnell. Click For Details AX0058
One secondary market print available, numbered 236 /1250. Christmas Over Rangoon, 1941 by Roy Grinnell Click For Details AX0059
One secondary market artist proof available, number 12. Huey by Wayne Drummond. Click For Details AX0060
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first U.S. aircraft designed specifically as a night fighter, and this P-61B was credited with the last two aerial kills of the World War II. Lady in the Dark was the most famous Black Widow of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron. Her nose art included a cat with a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other, which was the emblem of the 548th, and the lady herself who made quite a striking contrast against the fighters black paint. The P-61B flew its missions after dark, but it was often launched at sunset, a fact I used to my advantage. I wanted to show the aircraft at its best. The colors on the horizon, on the plane, and in the moon make the image majestic and mysterious. The Last to Fight by Craig Kodera. Click For Details AX0061
Huey of the 174th Assault helicopter Company Sharks Gun Platoon 14th Avn.Bn 1st Avn Bde. Vietnam 1971. Bell UH-ie Huey by Larry Capadura. Click For Details AX0063
Grumman A-6A Intruders of VA35 from the USS Enterprise. Moonlight Intruders by Craig Kodera. Click For Details AX0064
Flight over Haiphung Harbor, N. Vietnam. Operation Pierce Arrow by R G Smith. Click For Details AX0065
Boyingtons P-40 scores his first victory against Japanese fighters escorting Mitsubishi G4-M (Betty) Bombers near Rangoon, Burma. Pappy Boyington Scores his first victory by William Reynolds. Click For Details AX0066
arbers fourth victory, April 18th 1943, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. Mission Accomplished by Roy Grinnell. Click For Details AX0067
<b> SOLD OUT (£150, Nov 2008) The Battle of Midway June 4th 1942 by R G Smith. Click For Details AX0069
AX0070. Thuds by R E Pierce. Thuds by R E Pierce. Click For Details AX0070
Depicting Dauntless and Devastator attacking the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi during the Battle of Midway. Midway - The Setting Sun by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0018
It was during the inter-war period that a reawakening interest in twin engined fighter design prompted several countries to investigate a number of revolutionary concepts, of these only the Lockheeds sleek and unconventional P.38 was to be put into large scale production, proving to be a versatile and dominant fighter possessed of extremely long range, good speed and manoeuverability and a formidable armament. When production ceased in 1945, 9,923 examples of the P38 Lightning had been delivered. Fork Tailed Devil (Lightning) by Ivan Berryman Click For Details B0025
The extraordinary Lockheed F.117A Stealth fighter proved an awesome sight when at last it was revealed to the world in 1990, and it was soon to distinguish itself in combat in the deserts of the Middle East during the Iraqi campaign of 1991. Predator depicts an example of this inspired machine at altitude against an evening sun, benign and at the same time menacing, an intriguing testament to mans conquest and exploitation of the skies. Predator by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0029
B87. Thunderbolt on Duty by Richard Ward. Thunderbolt on Duty by Richard Ward Click For Details B0087
North American P-51D Mustangs of the 319th Fighter Sqn, 325th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force, USAAF, climbing past B-24M Liberators of the 765th Bomb Sqn, 461st Bomb Group bombing through cloud by radar, target rail yards at Heiligenstadt, Vienna, Austria, March 22nd 1945. Aircraft flying out picture area to left is a radar equipped B-24J popularly known as a Radar Mickie and the 325th Fighter Group as the Checkertails. Daylight Raid 1945 by Richard Ward Click For Details B0090
B-24 Liberators with escorting P-51D Mustangs of the US 8th Air Force hit a communication centre. Due to the overwhelming air attacks by both Strategic and Tactical Air Forces, German gunners had run out of ammunition by noon in many strongpoints. Mustangs and Liberators by Richard Ward Click For Details B0091
These Republic P-47D Thunderbolts were operational with the 82nd FS, 78th FG based at Duxford during the final months of the war in Europe. Duxford Pair by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details B0093
With 12 victories to his credit, William Sloan was the highest scoring pilot of the 96th FS/82nd FG and is shown here in his P.38 Snooks IV ½, a reference to the fact that this aircraft was made up of so many cannibalised parts from other P.38s. Lt William J Dixie Sloan by Ivan Berryman. (P) Click For Details B0309
US Air Force F15 Eagle over flys British Challenger Tank during the Gulf War. Gulf Buddies by Geoff Lea. Click For Details DHM0260
DHM263. Mustang by Geoff Lea. Mustang by Geoff Lea. Click For Details DHM0263
Depicting Mustang aircraft escorting Flying Fortresses on a bombing raid over Germany. Guardian Angel by Anthony Saunders. Click For Details DHM0415
DHM416. Berlin Bound by Anthony Saunders. Berlin Bound by Anthony Saunders. Click For Details DHM0416
Lockheed Vega PV-1 VB32 Squadron in the Santaren Channel. From this point on the U-boat was hunted and harassed only to be sunk in the Bay of Biscay. The Hunt for U-Boat 134 by David Pentland. (B) Click For Details DHM0571
Phantom II of US Marine Corps, VMFA-531 (Grey Ghosts) Vietnam, Danang April 1965. Phantom II by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0583
Col. Ken Cordier and Col. Bob Buckey were classmates in high school and college in Akron, Ohio. After college, they both became USAF fighter pilots, and although the two school chums never served together, their careers took separate yet parallel paths - until December 1966. On 2nd December 1966, then Cap. Ken Cordier and his back-seat pilot 1st Lt Mike Lane, were flying with the 559th TFS out of Cam Ranh Bay when they were shot down and captured 85 miles NW of Hanoi. They were to languish in North Vietnamese prisons for the next six years, first listed as MIA, then years later as POWs. Linebacker II was the code-name of the bombing offensive designed to force the North Vietnamese to agree to a ceasefire and peace accord. It was during the Linebacker II bombing campaign of December 1972 that then Maj. Bob Buckey and his back-seater, Capt Dan Tibbets, flew over Hanoi with the 555 TFS out of Udorn, Thailand. Their mission was to provide MIG-CAP for the B-52 bombers which were delivering punishing blows to the communist regimes capital city. On the ground, Ken was unaware that his old friend was a part of that campaign which would result in gaining his and the other POWs freedom after enduring long years of torture and deprivation. Bob, on the other hand, had known for years that Ken was a POW. So, every time he flew Downtown, Bob thought about Ken down there locked up in the infamous Hanoi Hilton and wondered when they would meet again. The bombing campaign had the desired effect and the North Vietnamese signed the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973. Shortly thereafter, Operation Homecoming brought the POWs home to family, friends and freedom. Six months after his release, at a class reunion in Akron, Ken and Bob met and had a great time comparing war stories and resuming their old friendship. The image shows Maj. Bob Buckey as he pulls his F-4E Phantom II away from the Hanoi Hilton. Reunion Over Hanoi by Philip West. Click For Details DHM0630
A Bombadier from a B17 Flying Fortress. A tribute to all Bombadier from all Bomber Aircraft. US Bombadier by Chris Collingwood. Click For Details DHM0703
Supplies being flown in for the US Implementation Force (IFOR), near Zupanja, Croatia. Hercules Supply Drop by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM0771
Depicting two B17s from 92nd bomb group having joined a lone B24 from 93rd. In the background, the distinctive triangles on the tails of the two aircraft denote membership to the 303rd BG. Motley Crew by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM0773
P51D of Colonel Glenn Duncan C.O. of the 353rd Fighter Group, along with Betty-E flown by Lt. Colonel Wayne Blickenstaff, taking off on one of their last missions of the war, April 1945. Dove of Peace by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0780
F86A Sabre of Col. Jack W. Hayes ex-cavalry, bomber and Mustang pilot, attempting to intercept a Russian MIG 15 flown by Soviet ace Casey Jones, over the Yalu river, Korea, February 1952. Cavalry Sabre by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0782
On the 12th May 1944, Col. Hubert Zemke tried his new fan tactic, designed to engage Luftwaffe fighters. Unfortunately on this occasion his aircraft was bounced by German ace Major Gunther Rall in his ME109 G-6AS, and escaped only by sending his P47-D Thunderbolt into a gut wrenching dive. Zemkes First Fan by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0795
6th August 1945, Col. Paul Tibbets puts his aircraft, Enola Gay, into a violent turn to evade the blast of the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This marked a turning point in the war and history. Turning Point by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM0796
DHM1032. Balmy Days by Ivan Berryman. Balmy Days by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1032
A trio of Bell Huey UH-1s deliver ARVN Rangers to a drop zone in the central Highlands of Vietnam during 1970. The ubiquitous Huey saw action in an enormous variety of roles, Vietnam being the first true helicopter war, and it will perhaps be remembered by many a grateful GI for its (and its crews) part in many hundreds of daring rescues amid the unyielding and unfamiliar terrain of south east Asia. DZ 9.00am by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1105
Mustang P51 Nooky Booky IV flown by Captain Leonard Kit Carson of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, giving fighter escort top cover protection to the B17s of 381st Bomb Group, returning after a raid in Germany, January 1944. Kit Carson ended the war as top scorer of the 357th with 18.5 aerial victories in the last 6 months of the war. Mustang Escort by Graeme Lothian. Click For Details DHM1157
Aircraft number 2247, flown by Lt McElroy, attacks the Yokosuka Yard near Tokyo. He was one of the 18 B25 Mitchell bombers which took part in the famous retaliatory raid on Japan. Doolittle Raider, Tokyo, April 18th 1942 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM1183
The Flying Fortress the Memphis Belle returns from another mission over Germany. Coming Home by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM1283
This aircraft is credited with flying 126 missions without an abort for the 447th Bomb Group and was one of only three original aircraft to survive the war and return to the US. To the left can be seen the famous A Bit O Lace. All these aircraft were based at Rattlesden. The scene is early 1945, the aircraft flying out to bomb rail marshalling yards. Scheherazade by Tim Fisher. Click For Details DHM1363
Our Gal Sal, a veteran of over a hundred ops, returning to base in the summer of 1944. The peace of the English country side is broken by the thunder of the mighty four engined bombers and keen observers will spot the rabbit scampering along the country lane as the Forts of the Bloody 100th circle the Airbase. With one engine feathered and showing signs of the gauntlet of Flak and fighters she has had to come through, the crew know they are only moments away from the safety of home. The Veteran by Simon Smith. Click For Details DHM1461
The leading ace of the mighty Eighth Air Force, Gabby Gabreski. He finished the war with a total of 28 air victories and 2 1/2 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground by strafing airfields. Gabreski also scored 6 1/2 air victories in the Korean war. Return From Bremen by Simon Smith. Click For Details DHM1463
The aircraft in the foreground bears the name Alabama Rammer Jammer, the personal mount of 2/Lt Arthur Cundy ,352nd FS, 353rd FG. The 353rds yellow and black chequered nose bands were one of the most distinctive recognition features of all the Eighths fighter groups. Little Friends by Simon Smith. Click For Details DHM1464
B-17G 42-37755 NV-A 325th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group from Poddington crash landing in Switzerland on 25th February 1944 after sustaining damage over enemy territory after a raid on Augsburg and Stuttgart. Safe Pastures by Mark Postlethwaite. Click For Details DHM1473
Captain Edward Rickenbacker of the 94th Sqn, United States Air Force, is shown in his Spad S.XIII, pursuing a Fokker D.VII. Eddie scored his first victory on 29th April 1918, but by the November Armistice he had increased his tally to 26 confirmed kills. Edward Rickenbacker by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1564
As the four P51D Mustangs of Major William T Haltons Yellow Flight, 487th Fighter Squadron took off from Asch, they found themselves in the middle of a massive German attack. That New Years Day the Luftwaffe had launched hundreds of aircraft in low level raids against the allied airfields across Northern France and Belgium. The unexpected take-off by the 487th however, ended Jagdgeswader 11s chances of success, with Yellow Flight alone claiming 9 enemy aircraft destroyed. Dogfight over Asch, Belgium, 09.20 a.m., New Years Day, 1st January 1945 by David Pentland. Click For Details DHM1570
In action over Germany - Jim Howard, CO of 356th FS bags another bogey. Mustang P51-D by Randall Wilson. (GL) Click For Details DHM1617
The outstanding qualities of the Spad S.VII were exploited to the full by Lieutenant Paul Baer, who was to become the first ace of the United States Air Service whilst serving with the 103rd Pursuit Squadron. This former Lafayette Flying Corps volunteer is also recorded as the highest-scoring Spad pilot in the USAS, claiming 9 confirmed victories before being shot down on 22nd May 1918 and being taken prisoner. His aircraft is shown here in combat with Albatross scouts of Jasta 18. 1st Lieutenant Paul Baer by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1684
A pair of P51D Mustangs of the 361st Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, escort a damaged B17G Flying Fortress of the 381st Bomb Group back to its home base of Ridgewell, England, during the Autumn of 1944. Last One Home by Ivan Berryman. Click For Details DHM1724
The 56th Fighter Group was led by some of Americas greatest fighter leaders of World War II and was home to many of its leading fighter Aces. Under successive commanders Hub Zemke, Robert Landry and David Schilling, the 56th destroyed more enemy aircraft in combat than any other fighter group in the Eighth Air Force. Arriving in England in January 1943 under the command of Colonel Hub Zemke, a master tactician and fearless leader, the 56th quickly emerged as an outstanding fighting unit. The only Eighth Air Force Group to fly P-47 Thunderbolts throughout the war, the 56th spawned more fighter Aces than any other USAAF group - legends such as Gabby Gabreski, Robert Johnson and the colourful Ace Walker Bud Mahurin. Under Hub Zemkes mercurial leadership they became known and feared as Zemkes Wolfpack. On 26 November, 1943, the P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group were tasked to escort B-24 Liberators of the 392nd Bomb Group on a dangerous mission to attack the heavily defended industrial and dockyard facilities in the German port of Bremen. Zemke knew the Luftwaffe would be waiting for them as they approached the target, and they were – in force! It was to become a day of high drama. With the Luftwaffe throwing all the fighters they could muster at the American heavy bombers, a massive aerial battle ensued. In the running dogfights high over Bremen, the Wolfpack claimed their most successful action of the war with 23 confirmed kills, 3 probables, and 9 damaged, creating an all-time record in the European Theatre. The 392nds B-24 Liberators could not have been in safer hands on that eventful day. The Wolfpack by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM1726
With bright yellow spinners and distinctive twin-booms glinting in the June sunshine, two P-38 Lockheed Lightnings of the USAAFs 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group hurtle low over Pegasus Bridge as they race across the Normandy landscape shortly after the D-Day landings, June 1944. Flying from their base at Kings Cliffe in Cambridgeshire they have today been tasked to support the advancing allied forces; they will strafe and bomb the enemy lines, destroying enemy communications, armour and ground targets, causing as much chaos and disruption as they can. Dangerous work, these low-level missions, but tasks that the tough P-38 pilots relish. A few days before, the bridge below had witnessed a very different scene. The first action on D-Day happened here when, moments after midnight on the night of 5th - 6th June, three gliders swooped silently from the sky to land within yards of their target - this vital road bridge across the Caen canal. Major John Howard and men of the 6th British Airborne Division were to seize and hold this strategic point. After a brief but furious fire-fight the stunned German defenders were overwhelmed and the bridge captured. The Invasion of France had begun, and for the Germans it was the beginning of the end. Hitlers much vaunted armies had begun their slow bitter retreat to the end that was the burning hell of Berlin. When it came to hammering German ground forces in the days after D-Day, Lockheeds outstanding P-38 Lightning gained an awesome reputation. Richard Taylors evocative new painting recreates the scene over Pegasus Bridge shortly after D-Day as a pair of P-38 Lightnings thunder inland in support of the advancing allied armies. Below, signs of the recent action are still plainly visible as trucks and their exhausted drivers hasten back to the beach-head to collect reinforcements. Tactical Support by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM1745
P-51 Mustangs of the 20th Fighter Group, flying out of Kings Cliffe to engage Me109s from JG77 in a furiously contested dogfight. Below them a formation of B-17s from the 379th Bomb Group fly through the chaos, doggedly maintaining their course, as they head on to attack the huge synthetic oil refinery at Meresburg, southern Germany, on 11 September 1944. So vital was this refinery to the Nazi war machine that it became one of the most heavily defended targets in Germany, the air defences even surpassing those of Berlin. Clash of Eagles by Anthony Saunders. Click For Details DHM1794
The relieved but weary crew members of Ol Gappy of the 379th Bomb Group, as they nurse their battle scarred B-17G back to their base at Kimbolton. Close behind them, the remainder of the group, relieved to see familiar territory, makes its final approach after the grueling mission to Meresburg on 11 September 1944. A Welcome Return by Anthony Saunders. Click For Details DHM1795
In the Vietnam war Squadron VA-163 was stationed aboard the carrier Oriskany on its second cruise, the squadrons A-4 Skyhawks were led by Commander Wynn Foster, one of the navys most aggressive strike leaders, and under Air Wing Commander James Stockdale, the A-4 pilots racked up a formidable record as a top fighting unit. Alfa-Strike by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2020
On February 15, 1944, flying his Navy PBY Catalina on air-sea rescue duty, Lt. Nathan Gordon received an urgent call. Several 345th BG B25s were down following a major attack on Kavieng, and crews were in the water just offshore. Under intense gunfire, Gordon made no fewer than four perilous water landings to pick up survivors, returning to make an emergency landing at Cape Gloucester with 25 people aboard, an just 10 gallons of fuel in his tanks. Gordon was awarded the Medal of Honor. Black Cat Rescue by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2021
With their brightly coloured checkertail tails there was no mistaking the P.51 Mustangs of the 325th Fighter Group. Escorting B-24s over Austria in August 1944, tangled with a group of Fw190 fighters. The ensuing dogfight spiraled down below the mountain peaks as Herky Green led the Checkertails in a low-level chase. Herky nails one Fw190. Behind him his pilots will take out the two Fw190. When all is done this day the 325th will be credited with 15 enemy fighters destroyed. Checkertail Clan by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2023
On February 15, 1944, a force of B-24s, B-25s and A-20s hammered the heavily defended Japanese base at Kavieng. Several aircraft, however, were forced to ditch; three downed B-25 crews from 345th Bomb Group floating helplessly in life-rafts within a thousand yards of the beach, and the Japanese troops were in no mood to take prisoners. Their only chance of survival was the air-sea rescue PBY Catalina. Nicolas Trudgians dramatic reconstruction depicts Lt. Commander Nathan Gordons PBY Catalina making its final take-off, the intense enemy gunfire from the shore making his mission seemingly impossible. But the young pilot got all 25 men aboard safely home, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for what is one of the bravest actions of the war in the Pacific. Flight Out of Hell by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2024
In a scene that was repeated almost daily throughout the long war years, the pilots of the 357th Fighter Group have returned from a gruelling mission to their base in Leiston, Suffolk. As they clamber out of their aircraft, all eyes are turned anxiously skyward, awaiting the return of the last man home. Last Man Home by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2025
P-38 Lightnings launching a surprise attack on a German freight train as it winds its way through the hills of Northern France towards the battle front, shortly before D-Day, 1944. Lightning Encounter by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2026
Mustangs of the 31st Fighter Group pass low over an Italian fishing village, heading out on another combat patrol. Mustangs Over the Mediterranean by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2027
Returning from a dogfight raid over Germany, B-24s of 93rd Bomb Group fly low over an East Anglian fishing village on Britains east coast. Safe Haven by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2030
The Black Widow is a formidable creature. It lurks in the dark, carefully chooses its moment of attack and strikes unseen, cutting down its prey with deadly certainty. Northrop could not have chosen a more apt name with which to christen their new night fighter when the P61 Black Widow entered service in the spring of 1944. The first aircraft designed from the start as a night fighter, the P61 had the distinction of pioneering airborne radar interception during World War II, and this remarkable twin engined fighter saw service in the ETO, in China, the Marianas and the South West Pacific. Under the command of Lt Col O B Johnson, one of the P61s greatest exponents, the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron was the leading P61 outfit in the ETO, destroying 43 enemy aircraft in the air, 5 buzz bombs and hundreds of ground based vehicles, becoming the most successful night fighter squadron of the war. Flying a twilight mission in his P-61 Black Widow on October 24, 1944, Colonel Johnson and his radar operator have picked up a formation of three Fw190s, stealthily closing on their quarry in the gathering dusk, O.B. makes one quick and decisive strike, bringing down the enemy leader with two short bursts of fire. Banking hard, as the Fw190 pilot prepares to bale out, he brings his blazing guns to bear on a second Fw190, the tracer lighting up the fuselage of his P-61. Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2036
F-4U Corsair during the Korean War attacking Yalu bridges. Attack on the Yalu Bridges by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2038
Chippy Ho and his wingman from VFA-195, hurtle through the sky with Mount Fuji in the background, armed and ready for action at a moments notice. The McDonnell Douglas F-18 became the backbone of the US Navy and Marine Corps for the past twenty years. These two aircraft were based at Kadena AB, Okinawa and their armament consists of AIM-9L Sidewinders, AGM-88 missiles, sensor pods and drop tanks. Chippy Ho by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2039
A pair of F-15 Eagles of 125th Fighter Wing based at Jacksonville IAP, Florida, intercept a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear en route non-stop from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, at the height of the Cold War. Constantly on alert, the Eagles form part of the First Air Force, tasked with the air defense of continental United States. Eagle Intercept by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2040
Richard Graham and RSO Don Emmons cruising their SR-71 in after-burner, gathering intelligence over the Soviet nuclear facility at Kamchatka, December 15, 1976. At 80,000ft Rich Grahams SR-71 Blackbird is all but invisible to the three MiG fighters seen contrailing at 45,000 ft below. Under radar control, the MiGs make a futile attempt to intercept, but with the SR-71 travelling at three times the speed of sound along the edge of the stratosphere, there is nothing they can do. At this great height the crew of Habu 972 can clearly see the pronounced curvature of the earth and, in broad daylight above them, the brightest stars shining in the heavens. The SR-71 Habu 972, now resides in the National Air & Space Museum, Washington DC. Habu 972 at Mach 3.0 by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2041
Under full after-burner, an F-4B Phantom of VF-111 (Sundowners) launches from the carrier USS Coral Sea, positioned in the Gulf of Tonkin, March 6, 1972. The crew will engage and destroy a MiG-17 over North Vietnam during the mission. Launch at Sundown by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2042
Led by The Lone Star Lady, N-52 Stratofortresses based at Anderson AFB on the island of Guam, head for Hanoi, North Vietnam, during Strategic Air Commands operation Linebacker II, winter of 1972. Lone Star Lady by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2043
A pair of F-14 Tomcats of VF-2 Bounty Hunters return to the USS Constellation from a CAP mission in the Indian Ocean, 1997. Two F-14D Tomcats, with tail hooks lowered, prepare to recover aboard the USS Constellation at the end of a mission during a deployment that took the carrier to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea in 1997. Generally accepted as the worlds finest long range interceptor, the Tomcat has celebrated 25 years of F-14 front-line service. Return of the Bounty Hunter by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2044
Having put an AIM-9 missile up the tailpipe of a MiG-17 over North Vietnam, pilot Jerry Devil Houston with Kevin Moore riding shotgun, swings his F-4B Phantom onto the center-line of the USS Coral Sea following a strike mission gainst the airfield at Bai Thuong on May 6, 1972. The brightly painted stylistic eagle denotes they are flying the CAG bird. Screaming Eagle by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2045
Lt Randy Cunningham with his back-seaeter Willie Driscoll, score their second of three MiG kills on a single mission on May 10, 1972. With two previous victories, Cunningham and Driscoll became the only US Navy Aces of the Vietnam war. Showtime 100 by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2046
Corsairs of VMF 121 provide close air support to the US landings on Rendova, June 30, 1943. Fiercely contested, the invasion force was heavily attacked by Zero fighters and Mitsubishi G4M1 Betty bombers, flying from their base at Rabaul. Dog-fighting at tree-top height, VMF 121 Corsairs rip into a bunch of Betty bombers as they try to make their escape following their attack on shipping. On fire, the Betty in the foreground is doomed, and will shortly become one of 19 Japanese aircraft accounted for by VMF 121. Other Marine fighter units brought the total this day to a staggering 58 enemy aircraft destroyed. Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2047
As Red Dog Norleys P-51D screams across the field at hangar height with his squadrons Mustangs fanned out behind him, the 4th Fighter Group pilots jink through the intense groundfire wreaking havoc on the ground. In this, its final major mission of the war, the group destroyed no fewer than 105 enemy aircraft in two blishtering airfield attacks. Mustang Mayhem by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2053
Badly marked by Focke-Wulf 190’s the B-17 The Peacemaker of the 91st Bomb Group limps towards the sanctuary of the English coast escorted by P-51B Mustangs of the 361st Fighter Group. To keep her flying the crew are jettisoning everything that they can. The Peacemaker made it back to Bassingbourne that day, eight others did not. Bringing the Peacemaker Home by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2056
The first successful daylight raid on Berlin. Nicolas Trudgians painting relives the fearsome aerial combat on March 6, 1944, as B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 100th B.G. are attacked. Screaming in head-on, Fw190s of II./JG I charge into the bomber stream. With throttles wide open, 56th Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolts come hurtling down to intercept. B-17 gunners are working overtime, the air is full of cordite, smoke, jagged pieces of flying metal and hot lead. We are in the midst of one of the fiercest aerial battles of the war. First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2057
Following the attack against Admiral Ozawas Japanese carrier fleet on June 20, 1944, Admiral Mitscher defies all rules of naval engagement: In total darkness, with the ever-present danger of enemy submarines, he orders every ship in his Task Force 58 to switch on lights to guide over 100 returning carrier-borne aircraft, all desperately low on fuel. Amid the confusion, unable to get a landing slot aboard the USS Lexington, and now out of fuel, a pilot and his gunner scramble from their ditched SB2B Curtiss Helldiver, as a Fletcher class destroyer manoeuvres to make the pick up. Mission Beyond Darkness by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2058
B26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group 9th Air Force, returning from a strike against VI, rocket sites in the Pas de Calais, January 1944. The 9th Air Force became one of the most effective forces in the destruction of VI rocket sites, railroad yards, bridges and other enemy position in northern France and by May 1944, was despatching more than one thousand aircraft a day against targets in Normandy and the Pas de Calais. Marauder Mission by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2072
A flight of P47 thunderbolts of the 404 Fighter group, 9th Air force, clear the target area after a low-level attack on the airfield inland from Le Havre, Normandy, 1944. Tracer winds up towards them from ground defences and almost all the aircraft have taken hits. Ground-attack pilots went in low, did the job and got our fast! Thunderbolt Strike by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2073
Doug Canning breaks radio silence to call the sighting of Admiral Yamamotos flight over the pacific island of Bourganville, 18 April 1943. After a two and a half hour, four hundred mile flight just above the waves, mission leader John Mitchell and his 16 ship raiding party push their P-38s to full power to complete one of the most remarkable ambushes in aviation history. Bogeys Eleven O Clock High by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2075
A B-24 has been hit and is losing touch with the main bomber formation, as Luftwaffe pilots concentrated their attentions on the unfortunate aircraft. Two Fw190s, are zooming up for the kill on the damaged B-24. Seeing the desperate situation, a P-38 escort pilot has made a head-on attack, splitting the pair of Fw190s, and thwarting their attempt to finish off the B-24. Another P-38, aware of the situation, is turning into the path of the Fw190s, and Robert makes it clear in his dramatic portrayal that the action has some way to go before any conclusion will be reached. Hostile Sky by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2085
Russ Berg flies his 10th Recce Group P51s in low and fast, dodging flak and enemy fighters, to get vital photographs for General Patons advancing forces. A superb study of World War IIs most outstanding tactical fighter in action, in the hands of one of the USAAFs most distinguished and highly decorated pilots. Mustang Recce by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2096
Australian Ace Dick Cresswell tangles with a Japanese Zero in the humid air of the tropics over New Guinea during an encounter in 1942. Flying a P-40E Kittyhawk with the insignia of 77 Squadron, RAAF blazoned on his aircraft, Cresswell makes a head-on pass leaving the enemy aircraft streaming smoke. Immortalised by the Flying Tigers, the P-40 was a fine combat aircraft that operated in the Pacific, European and Middle East theaters. Combat Over New Guinea by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2111
Nicolas Trudgians action packed painting shows an attack on Rabaul during the fall of 1943. B-24 Liberators of the Army Air Force pound the harbor and docks below whilst the Marines Corps pilots of VMF 214 - the famous Black Sheep Squadron - provide top cover in their F4U Corsairs. A fierce dog-fight has developed between the F4U pilots and Japanese Zeros. One Zero, already smoking, begins to roll out of control, while the two F4U pilots turn their attentions on to a second. Below further dog-fights are in progress, the air filled with aerial combat. Gunfight Over Rabaul by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details DHM2116
Doolittle Raiders take their B-25 bombers down to very low level and head for China after delivering their surprise attack on the industrial and military targets in and around Tokyo on April 18, 1942. The sixteen-ship mission, led by volunteer crews, successfully completed one of the most audacious air raids of World War II. Doolittle Raiders by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2146
December 10th 1941, Just three days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, captain Colin Kellys 19th BG B-17C is heavily outnumbered by Zeros as it returns to Clark Field after completing a successful bombing attack. With his aircraft on fire. Kelly remained at the controls whilst his crew bailed out. Seconds later the B-17 exploded. Colin Kelly gave his life and was posthumously awarded the DFC. A legend was born. Legend of Colin Kelly by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2154
Flying low over the picturesque village of Thaxted, in the cold winter of 1944-45, the P-51D Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group return to Duxford after a tiring eight hour escort mission. With dusk approaching, low on fuel, the fighters have about 20 miles to run. Catching the festive mood, the pilots have dropped to tree-top height to take in the spectacular countryside as they scurry back to base and some well-earned celebrations. Return to Duxford by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2164
Flying down Thud Ridge at just below the speed of sound, Jack Broughton leads an F-105 Thunderbolt raid on the power plant at Viet Tri, North Vietnam, March12, 1967. The target was destroyed. Rolling Thunder by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2165
In the mid 1930s, at a time when Pan American had led the way with two generations of four0engined flying boats. the United States Navy sought a much larger, heavier flying boat for over-water reconnaissance bomber service. Consolidated Aircrafts PB2Y Coronado was the result, this massive all-metal flying boat first taking to the air in 1937. Several models and extensive modifications followed, and in 1943-44 a number of the latest types were converted for the Naval Air Transport Service for the carriage of cargo and passengers. This wartime fleet, based at San Franciscos Treasure Island and at Pan Americans North Beach facility, now part of New Yorks La Guardia Airport, performed vital transport services across the Atlantic and throughout the Pacific. Flown by contracted Pan Am crews, the Sky Giant saw its share of action. On one notable occasion Captain Bill Moss and his crew landed in heavy seas to rescue 48 survivors from a torpedoed merchantman, lifting off in a 15ft swell to fly the oil-soaked seamen 300 miles to safety. Sky Giant by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2170
With their crews, the 447th Bomb Group B-17 Fortresses arrived at Rattlesden in late 1943, the East Anglian base from which the group flew all its missions until the end of the war. Entering combat on December 24, the 447th targeted submarine pens, naval installations, ports and missile sites, airfields and marshalling yards in France, Belgium and Germany in preparation for the Normandy invasion. In the thick of the bomber offensive, the 447th took part in the Big-Week raids, supported the D-Day landings, aided the breakthrough at St. Lo, pounded enemy positions during the airborne invasion of Holland, and dropped supplies to the Free French forces fighting behind enemy lines. During the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945, the group attacked marshalling yards, railroad bridges and communications centers in the combat zone, later resuming their offensive against targets deep inside Germany. When the war ended the 447th had flown over 257 individual missions, with one of their aircrew, Robert Femoyer, being awarded the Medal of Honor. Theirs was typical of the action packed campaigns flown by the American Eighth Air Force bomb groups in Europe during WWII. Return to Rattlesden by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2176
Pilots from the 31st and the 52nd Fighter Wings climb their heavily armed F-16 Vipers out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, on a strike mission over Bosnia, June 1999. Viper Venom by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2178
A superb study of the legendary P-38 Lightning, this print commemorates the American Air Forces that operated in the European Theater. Wide Horizons by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2180
A combat damaged B-17 of the 91st Bomb Group heads home to Bassingbourn shadowed by P51Ds of the 352nd Fighter Squadron (353rd FG) Homeward Bound by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2194
Once downed by enemy fire in North Vietnam, surviving US pilots were largely dependent on brave Skyraider FAC and HH-53 Super Jolly helicopter crews to save them. On this occasion the crewman on the ground has just broken cover and is about to be winched to safety by the Super Jolly helicopter crew under the protective cover of the Douglas A-1 Skyraiders. Combat Rescue by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2196
Returning from a raid over Lorient, France on the 17th May 1943 the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Memphis Belle came under close attack from Fw190s and Me109s. Fortunately no aircraft were lost and very little damage sustained to the 91st Bomb Group aircraft during this mission - the 25th and final one of the Memphis Belle for Captain Robert Morgan. Named after Capt. Morgans wartime sweetheart, Miss Margaret Polk, the Memphis Belle was based at Bassingbourn, England and was the first B-17 to complete 25 combat missions and keep her entire crew alive - this at a time when eight out of ten aircraft were being shot down over Europe. Final Encounter by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2198
The Apache is the worlds premier Attack helicopter. Its early history was crowned during Operation Desert Storm setting a combat record second to none, dispelling any doubts about the Apaches supremacy. The Longbow offers even greater mission capability and provides a significant contribution to any battlefield arena, anywhere in the world. Right Here, Right Now by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2211
Few fighter units in World War II gained the notoriety of Pappy Boyingtons Marine Corps VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron. Equipped with the Chance Vought F4U Corsair, under Boyingtons spirited leadership, the Black Sheep pilots were accorded one of only two Presidential Unit Citations awarded to Marine Corps squadrons during the war in the Pacific. With the American forces pushing up through the South Pacific, the First Marine Air Wing was urgently looking for a seasoned fighter pilot to form a unit to take the brand new F4U into combat. Boyington had the experience - he had become an Ace flying with Chennaults Flying Tigers in China - and the rank to lead a squadron; he also had a reputation as an aggressive fighter leader, and was a natural choice for the job. Recruiting pilots from the reserve pool, together with others awaiting assignment to squadrons, the 30 year-old Boyington - dubbed Pappy by his group of young pilots - knocked them into one of the most effective fighter units in the South Pacific. In their first twelve weeks of operation they brought down 97 Japanese aircraft, no fewer than 95 of which were enemy fighters. During this period they lost only 11 pilots. VMF-214 saw action at Guadalcanal, the northern Solomons and Vella Lavella; they were the first to strafe Kahili, the first to operate from the field at Munda while it was still under enemy artillery fire, and the first to lead fighter sweeps over Rabaul. Nicolas Trudgians outstanding painting captures the scene at Vella Lavella as Pappy Boyington leads his VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron off the island strip to escort a B-17 Fortress raid on Rabaul in December 1943. Boyington led his Black Sheep pilots through two combat tours before being brought down himself and taken prisoner. On his last mission he shot down three Zeros, bringing his final tally to 28. He was to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Nicks fine image pays tribute to one of the US Marine Corps most illustrious fighter squadrons and to its remarkable leader. The Black Sheep by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2225
Depicted are B-29s of the 499th Bomb Group, 73rd Wing of the 20th Air Force. After a daylight raid on Tokyo, showing all the telltale signs of combat over the target, a Wing of the worlds largest and fastest-ever piston-engined bombers make their long over-water journey home, still many hours away at Saipan Island. At the extremity of their range, little friends, very-long-range P-51 Mustang escort fighters, peel off and head for home - leaving the mighty bombers to fend for themselves. Valour in the Pacific by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2226
DHM2230. The Untouchable by Philip West. The Untouchable by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2230
For bomber crews, any daylight-bombing mission almost certainly meant combat. If it werent the attentions of determined Luftwaffe fighter pilots, it would be an aerial carpet of flak that welcomed the bombers en route to the target - and again on the journey home. On most missions the Eighth Air Force aircrews had to contend with both. Enduring up to ten hours of concentrated flying under cramped conditions, extreme cold, with the constant noise and vibration produced by four powerful engines, made every mission uncomfortable enough without being shot at. But the USAAF aircrews confronted the odds - a one in three chance of completing a 25-mission tour of operations - cheerfully and with gallant resolve. Playing a major role in the great raids on Germany and other targets in occupied Europe from early in 1944, equipped with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the USAAF Second Air Division flew no fewer than 95,048 sorties. Based in Norfolk, England, the crews also attacked targets far distant in Norway, Poland and Rumania, unloading almost 100,000 tons of bombs and claiming over 1000 enemy fighters shot down. End Game by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2261
Between 3 and 13 September 1944, the 55th Fighter Group flew eight arduous, highly successful, bomber escort missions to Germany for which the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation. Like those the group had flown before, and would fly again and again until the end of hostilities, each mission took them deep into enemy airspace, involved desperate combat with Luftwaffe fighters, and culminated in rapid descent to low level to strafe enemy airfields on the way home. In that ten day period of intense fighting the 55th covered themselves in glory, destroying large numbers of enemy fighters in the air and on the ground, one of their pilots becoming the top-scoring ground attack pilot of the campaign. Long-range combat missions were typical of the assignments flown by the fighters of the 8th Air Force during that period of the air war. Not content with dog-fighting at altitude, when escort duty was complete, the Eighths aggressive fighter pilots relished the opportunity to hurtle down to tree-top height and, ignoring the inevitable barrage of anti-aircraft fire, shoot up any target of opportunity upon which they could bring their guns to bear. Robert Taylors spectacular new limited edition print, the third in his acclaimed Collector Portfolio commemorating the great Air Commands of World War II, depicts the king of the Eighths ground attack Aces, Colonel Elwyn Righetti. Flying his P-51D Mustang, the 55ths CO of 338 Squadron, already with 20 plus victories to his credit, leads his pilots through the Rhine Gorge, skimming the ancient Castle of Stableck standing above Bacharach, as they seek out enemy targets on their way back to base at Wormingford, England, in the spring of 1945. A classic Robert Taylor edition endorsed with the signatures of Aces who flew and fought the legendary P-51 Mustang in the greatest air war in history. Mustangs on the Prowl by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2265
It had taken almost six years of continual air fighting for the Allied forces to attain complete and total air superiority over the Luftwaffe. At the outbreak of World War II the mighty German Air Force had appeared invincible but the ensuing Battle of Britain gave the Luftwaffe its first taste of what was to come. When America joined the war, bringing with her to Europe ne wtypes of fighters and bombers, the writing must have been clearly chalked on the wall of Hitlers bunker. Unleashing the full power of the Eighth Air Force against the Third Reich by day, and with the RAF Bomber Commands constant attacks by night, production in Germanys aircraft and munitions factories became fatally depleted. In the air the Allied fighter pilots were beginning to dominate the skies, and by the spring on 1945, had achieved complete air superiority. It had been a long and bitter struggle, fought with great courage and sacrifice. Air Superiority by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2267
No aircraft came to symbolize the war in Vietnam more than the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known to the men who flew, and fought from this aircraft - and to those who were to owe it their survival, by just one never to be forgotten name - the Huey. Ideally suited to the terrain of South Vietnam - formidable mountain peaks, dense jungle, almost every other acre of land under water, and the fact that large tracts of the countryside were controlled by the Vietcong and impassable, the Huey became one of the US Armys most effective weapons of the war. With the ability to carry eight fully equipped troops, the Huey was also ideal for use as Medevac flying ambulances, which were to create their own legend. By the end of the conflict the Hueys had notched up a staggering 34 million combat sorties flown! In July 1965 the 1st Air Cavalry, equipped with 500 Hueys arrived in South Vietnam to begin what became the longest tour of duty in American combat history. Under the command of the flamboyant Colonel John Stockton, the 1st Air Cavalry went on the immediate offensive, swiftly creating a devastating impact on the enemy, bringing them to battle wherever they could be found. Ride of the Valkyries by Simon Atack Click For Details DHM2268
There was never a greater concentration of air power deployed in an active theater of war as over the English Channel in May and June 1944. As D-Day approached, the USAAFs Ninth Air Force had assembled over 3500 aircraft a day, they were pounding enemy positions all the way from Pas de Calais to the coast of Normandy. 6 June 1944, arguably the most decisive single day in modern military history, saw the sky filled with waves of troop carrying aircraft towing gliders, dropping over 20,000 highly trained men in support of the massed sea-borne landings on the beaches below. Grabbing all the airspace they could find, the combat wings of the Ninth Air Force were creating havoc among the German ground forces as they scrambled to get troops and armor to the battlefront. D-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2275
This remarkable aircraft first entered combat service in 1986. Reaching speeds of Mach 1.2 at sea level the B1-B is not only the fastest bomber in American service, it also carries the largest payload of any current bomber. Full Throttle (B1-B Lancer) by Philip West Click For Details DHM2294
Big Brothers and Little Friends : the enduring bond between the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the USAAF Eighth Air Force in their prolonged and hotly contested air war against Hitlers Nazi Germany, 1942-1945. Top Cover by Gerald Coulson. Click For Details DHM2303
Just 50 miles north west of Hanoi in North Vietnam, lies the long and winding valley of the infamous Red River - a name that was to become bitterly familiar to the F4U Phantom pilots of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. Flowing for miles through the countrys deep interior, the waters of the Red River fed the strategically important steel mills at Thai Nguyen, and the power stations at Viet Tri; they also irrigated the rice and shrimp paddy fields that fed the armies of the North Vietnamese and Vietcong, distributed to the combat areas through a sophisticated network of hidden trails and tracks, bridges and railways. Defending these vitally important targets was a vast array of anti-aircraft systems of every conceivable type and calibre; at Yen Bai the North Vietnamese even established a secret fighter airfield where their Mig jet fighters were hidden in hangars dug by hand deep into the surrounding hills - in short it was one of the most heavily defended and awesome places on Earth. But these targets had to be destroyed, and one aircraft above all others became inextricably and forever linked with the fast, low-level jet attacks to obliterate these heavily fortified objectives - the legendary F4U Phatnom, the fastest, the most powerful, versatile fighter of the day. The bravery and determination of the Phantom crews as they flew into the maelstroms of intense, deadly, flak and ground fire remain an inspiration to all ground attack combat pilots and crew. Simon Atacks powerful limited edition depicting the high-speed, low-level attack by F4 Phantoms of the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron on the bridge near Viet Tri, 24 May 1967. Phantom Raiders by Simon Atack. Click For Details DHM2306
In early April 1942, under the command of General Ralph Royce, and almost a week before the Doolittle raid – seven B-25C Mitchells and three B-17 Fortresses of the 5th Air Force, lifted off from their base in Australia and headed for the staging field at Del Monte on the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines. The painting shows one of 5th Air Force B-25C Mitchell taking off from the Del Monte on Sunday 12 April 1942, en-route to hit the harbor and shipping targets at Cebu. In the three days of Royces raids, the Mitchells flew over twenty sorties, sinking and seriously damaging three Japanese transport ships, and shooting down three enemy fighters. In a triumph of surprise aerial strikes, all seven B-25s and their crews returned safely to base. The Royce Raid by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM2307
The SR-71 Blackbird is the worlds fastest and highest flying jet aircraft. For over 23 years, the SR-71s gathered highly classified intelligence around the world for the United States, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon and other governmental agencies, allowing them to make crucial decisions during the Cold War. Above and Beyond by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2313
As the sun slowly begins to rise this wintry morning over Thorpe Abbots, Norfolk, ground crew prepare B-17G The All American Girl in an almost surreal setting, for her 99th dangerous mission over enemy territory. On 10th January 1945, 19-year-old pilot, 1st Lt. John Dodrill and his crew went missing on a combat sortie to Cologne. Like many other crews, they made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for freedom, with the Bloody Hundredth Bombardment Group playing its full part with courage and honour. Those Golden Moments by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2321
American built, British inspired and once re-engined with the Merlin, the mighty Mustang became a supreme long-range escort fighter and close air support platform. Old Crow was the mount of Clarence E. Anderson based at Leiston, England, with the 357th FG, 363rd FS. Andersons personal victory score during WWII was 16.25 in air combat. Winter of 45 by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2331
Fighter, bomber, night-fighter, reconnaissance together with many other variants made the P-38 Lightning one of the most adaptable and respected aircraft of World War 2. The P-38 serving in Europe and the Mediterranean theatre, earned it the German nickname The fork-tail devil. The total production of the P-38 was 9,924. Winter of 44 by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2335
A Boeing B17G of the 91st BG USA 8th Airforce returns to English soil on three engines after a fraught daylight mission over Germany. Back to English Soil by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details DHM2402
Ground crew rush to the assistance of an 8th Airforce Consolidated B24D Liberator as it slides to a halt after an emergency landing at an English airfield following damage sustained during a mission over Germany. Safe by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details DHM2406
In the early morning sun, two North American P51D Mustangs of the 359 FS, 356 FG, take off from their base at Martlesham Heath to escort 8th Air force bombers on another daylight raid. Escort Service by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details DHM2416
DHM2426. North American F100 Super Sabre. North American F100 Super Sabre. Click For Details DHM2426
Captain Don Gentile and Lt John Godfrey, 4th Fighter Group, team up to form one of the most successful Leader-Wingman duos in the 8th Air Force, scoring a combined total of 36 victories. Deadly Duo by Harley Copic. Click For Details DHM2430
Marine Ace Captain Joe Foss leads a flight of eight F4F Wildcats of VMF121, based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in a diversionary attack on the Imperial Japanese battlecruiser Hiei north of Savo Island, Friday November 13, 1942. In the distance TBF Avenger torpedo bombers of VMSB-131, having already attacked from the starboard side, head for base. That evening, after relentless air attack, the Hiei, disappeared beneath the sea- the first Japanese battleship sunk by American Forces in World War II Attack on the Hiei by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2436
A dramatic low-level attack on a Japanese base near Rabaul is in progress by F-4U Corsairs of 16 Squadron, RNZAF. Taking the lead is Bryan Cox, as the Corsairs leave a trail of smoke and debris in their wake. Water vapor is squeezed out of the humid atmosphere as Coxs wingman banks sharply to avoid groundfire. The Kiwi Corsairs buccaneered their way through the intensly fought campaigns in the Solomons and Guadalcanal. Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2443
At first light on August 1, 1943 a force of 178 B-24 Liberator bombers lifted off dusty airstrips in the Libyan desert. The target - the oil refineries at Ploesti. Depicted exiting the target at extreme low-level are B-24s of the 44th and 98th Bomb Groups, with the 98th BG B-24 Sandman in the immediate foreground. In the distance other Liberators lucky enough to have survived the fiery maelstrom make their escape. Behind them fires rage among the structures of the refinery as yet more crews enter the holocaust. Operation Tidal Wave by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2449
When the seasoned B-26 crews of the 386th Bomb Group took delivery of their Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft in September 1944, the arrival of their new fast attack bombers neatly coincided with a move to France. Now based at Beaumont-sur-Oise, they were able to penetrate deep into enemy territory. The three man crews took part in the Battle of the Bulge, their twin engined aircraft being well suited to their task of destroying strategic bridges and cutting vital supply lines. After the Ardennes Campaign, now fully equipped with the A-26, the 386th BG continued to strike hard against important targets in Germany, the nimble handling characteristics of the aircraft making low-level attacks a speciality. As the Allies advanced upon Germany the 386th moved to St. Trond in Belgium, their base at the time of Nicolas Trudgians dramatic painting. Arriving at high speed over the busy German rail yard in the heart of the Ruhr Valley, barely skimming the nearby factory chimney stacks on the way into the target, the A-26 crews on the 386th deliver a devastating blow, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. With bombs away, the Invader crews strafe the area with their battery of ten forward-firing .50 cal. machine guns, the roar of their twin 2000hp engines heightening the tension and confusion on the ground. Ruhr Valley Invaders by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2450
On April 18, 1942, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, a small force of B-25 Mitchell light bombers set forth on one of the most audacious air raids of World War II. Launching in a rough sea from the heaving deck of the carrier USS Hornet, the crews knew that even if they achieved success, they were not to return. Their mission to bomb Tokyo and other industrial targets some 800 miles distant would leave them barely enough fuel to fly on to crash-land in China. Nine aircraft were attacked by enemy fighters, every one made it to the target, all but one aircraft were lost. But the raid was a triumph. The Japanese High Command were so alarmed by the Americans ability to strike at their homeland they attempted to expand the perimeter of activity in the central and southern Pacific - with disastrous results. Lt. Col. Doolittle was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in recognition of the extraordinary feat he and his gallant crews performed. Miraculously most survived to fly and fight again later in the war, Jimmy Doolittle going on to command the Eighth Air Force in Europe at the time of the Normandy invasion. Tokyo Bound by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2453
A pair of Navy F-4 Phantoms of VF84 prepare to recover aboard the carrier U.S.S. Independence. A beautifully proportioned painting by one of the most accomplished American aviation artists, provides a spectacular view of the legendary Phantom. Seen against a beautiful Yankee Station sundown, an element of F-4s decelerate in preparation for deck landing, following a combat mission m 1965. Revered by all who flew it, the classic F-4 Phantom served the Navies and Air Forces of more Western world countries than any other combat jet. Robert Watts superb print edition pays tribute to this legendary aircraft, as it phases out of front-line duties after over 30 years of service. Flying the Jolly Roger by Robert Watts. Click For Details DHM2459
Mig Alley! That chilling destination synonymous with the dawn of the jet ages first large-scale air battles; deadly contests fought at unprecedented speeds in an aerial battleground in the thin air high above a hostile faraway land. Quick to react to the Communist invasion of South Korea, American fighter pilots, many already World War II Aces, were more than able to meet the North Korean challenge flying their trusty P-51 Mustangs, and two new jets, the F-80 Shooting Star and the F9F Panther. All that changed one bright November day: a patrol of P-51s were pounced upon by shiny new swept wing fighters bearing the Red Star of the Chinese Air Force, and as the flight of Russian-built MiG-15s hurtled past at near supersonic speed, it became evident that America would have to move its new F-86 Sabre into the front line. When the two new planes finally met in combat over Korea, so alike was their configuration and performance, it was difficult to tell them apart. The MiGs high rate of climb and service ceiling gave it an advantage, but the manoeuvrability and rock-steady response of the F-86 was an edge in a dogfight. The real difference was the pilots! Fighting with the disadvantage of having to fly 200 miles to the battle zone, the skill and courage of the F-86 pilots has become legend. With speeds often nudging the sound barrier, and performing combat manoeuvres at 600 m.p.h. imposing crushing G-forces, the F-86 pilots ran up a spectacular kill ratio of 8:1 against the MiGs. In Robert Watts powerful painting, the frosty morning air is shattered by a hunting party of F-86 Sabres of the U.S. 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, as they blast off the runway at Kimpo airfield, South Korea. Led by Gabby Gabreski, they are headed north to the Yalu River, and Mig Alley. Hunting Party by Robert Watts. Click For Details DHM2460
On August 5, 1944, following a successful attack on Japanese forces just north of Changsha, P-40 Warhawks of the75th and 16th Fighter Squadrons, 23rd F.G., are attacked by enemy Nakajima fighters and a massive dog-fight has developed over the Hsiang Chiang river with aircraft wheeling and turning in all directions. The action is set against the distinctive, haunting landscape of Southern China, Roberts panoramic canvas capturing all the atmosphere of a crucial aerial campaign fought in the skies above a distant land so many years ago. Fighting Tigers by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2465
Irish and I came into the break smoking at 500 knots, below the level of the flight deck. I could see thousands of men watching from the catwalks. I made a six-G break turn with 90 degree angle of bank. We landed after one of my best passes of the cruise. - Commander Randy Duke Cunningham. Back on deck, first to shake the hands of Lt.Randy Cunningham and his Radar Intercept Officer, Lt (jg) Willie Irish Driscoll, was ordnancement Willie White: Mr. Cunningham, we got our MiG today, didnt we! It was January 19, 1972 aboard the USS Constellation in the Gulf of Tonkin. As Cunningham shut down the engines of his Fighting Falcons F-4J Phantom, Task Force 77 Commander Admiral Cooper congratulated Cunningham and Driscoll on achieving their first of five air victories They went on to become the US Navys only Aces of the Vietnam war. Phantom Showtime by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2469
Typical of the aggressive fighter pilots led by the great Hub Zemke was Robin Olds. Having completed his training on the P-38 in America, Olds arrived at RAF Wattisham, England in May 1944, assigned to fly the remarkable twin-boomed fighter with the 434th Squadron. It didnt take long for the novice pilot to make his mark. After flying interdiction missions over France and Germany, with the 479th Olds took part in the D-Day operations, then on August 13 opened his score by jumping two Fw190s at ground level. After a brief but hectic fight, he brought both down. A couple of weeks later he bagged three Me109s – his wingman got another two – when attacking a group of some fifty enemy fighters while escorting bombers high over Muritz Zee. Converting to P-51D Mustangs, Olds completed two combat tours, flying deep penetration missions, engagements with the Luftwaffes new Me262 jet fighter, and strafing attacks on German facilities and airfields. By the end of the war, at 23 years of age with the rank of Major, Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron. His final tally was 13 air victories, and he was credited with a further 11.5 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. Simon Atacks powerful painting recreates Robin Olds last air victory of WWII. Flying Scat VII he is seen bringing down a Me109 G10 high over Germany in the late spring of 1945 while flying escort to B-17s bombers of the 381st Bomb Group. Remarkably, this P-51 survived the war and in 1958 was sold to a private owner. In 1992 it was returned to its old wartime configuration. Final Victory by Simon Atack. Click For Details DHM2470
The mighty Lancaster, the mainstay of RAF Bomber Command, crewed by volunteers from Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Rhodesia, South Africa, and many other nations opposed to Nazi rule, flew day and night sorties whenever there was a chance of reaching the target. Their unflinching courage, and selfless devotion to duty paved the way for the D-Day invasion, and the ultimate liberation of Nazi occupied Europe. Embellished with Goerings infamous quotation No Enemy Plane Will Fly Over The Reich Territory, S for Sugar took her bombs to Berlin, Hamburg, Schweinfurt, Bremen, Hanover, Wurzburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and other prime targets, flying the second greatest number of operational sorties of any bomber in the Command. Time and again Sugar brought her crew home, often limping back riddled with flak and bullet holes, occasionally on three engines, and once all the way back from the German capital with a badly damaged wing following a mid-air collision over the target. Robert Taylors emotive painting shows S for Sugar on the morning of 27th April, 1944 after her 95th sortie - a raid on the ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt. As the battle-scarred bomber taxies in at RAF Waddington, other 467 Squadron Lancasters follow, heading for their dispersal points. Already the weary crews begin their informal debriefing. By the wars end this trusty bomber had completed no fewer than 137 operations over enemy territory, bringing her crew home every time. Now magnificently restored to her former glory, S for Sugar resides in the RAF Museum at Hendon, providing a lasting tribute to the gallant men of RAF Bomber Command. The famous aircraft was typical of, and ultimately came to symbolise, the men and machines of Royal Air Force Bomber Command. Flying initially with 83 Squadron Pathfinder Force, then 467 Squadron RAAF, Avro Lancaster serial number R5868, call sign S for Sugar, took part in almost every major attack on Germany between the summer of 1942 and the end of hostilities. With the life expectancy of a new Lancaster being just a few months, it was a miracle she survived the war. Band of Brothers by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2472
P51 Mustangs of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group range deep into the Reich in search for targets of opportunity. Mustangs over the Reich by Stephen Brown. Click For Details DHM2490
North American P51D-NA15 Mustang 414495 Dallas Doll 352nd Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. American designed and built, British inspired and, later, powered, the Mustang turned into arguably the finest WW11 long-range fighter ever constructed. The Mustang, developed from the Prototype NA73X, was manufactured in large quantities, with an impressive final total of 15,586 aircraft. Of these 13,600 were powered by the British, Rolls Royce designed Merlin engine. Dallas Doll by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2503
The Boeing Stearman PT 17 is a picture painted by Gerald Coulson essentially for the American Market and as a little self-indulgence. The U.S. equivalent to the Tiger Moth, it was typically larger and more powerful, being based around a comparatively large radial engine. Tough and easy to fly the Stearman still exists in large quantities and is used by fun fliers on both sides of the Atlantic, it being an extremely agile aerobatics machine capable of exciting continuous manoeuvres pulled along by its tremendous power. The sound of the Stearman, like the Harvard, is unmistakable with its propeller tips going supersonic at maximum revs. As trainers they were painted in the most attractive colours and against the typical Coulson sky this machine makes a brilliant impact and striking print as U.S. Army trainer 530 buzzes angrily through the sunlit skies probably taking yet another potential World War II ace on his first solo flight. Stearman PT17 by Gerald Coulson. Click For Details DHM2511
At 3.30 pm on 14th October 1943, following severe damage sustained during the second Schweinfurt mission, pilot Ed Dienhart brings the crippled B-17 Lazy Baby safely into Switzerland to land on the Schlattfeld, near Aesch, only four miles from hostile German-held Alsace after a harrowing flight at tree-top level all the way from Aachen, with two crew missing and three severely injured. A Green Hill Far Away by Robert Tomlin. Click For Details DHM2515
At the end of its landing run and streaming the unmistakable scarlet brake parachute with its characteristic tuck at the bottom, an SR-71 prepares to turn off of the runway after another Hot Flight. Retired in favour of other technology including satellite surveillance a small number of these remarkable aircraft were due to start back in service at the end of 1996. There were jobs that just could not be done by any other system, even the most sophisticated modern technology failing to address all of the incredible capabilities of one of the most advanced aircraft of all time. The Black is Back by Robert Tomlin. Click For Details DHM2535
From the summer of 1942 until the end of hostilities, the USAAFs Eighth Air Force took the battle to enemy occupied Europe every single day that weather permitted. The largest air unit ever to go to war, the Eighth played a vital role in the ultimate defeat of Hitlers Germany. In the forefront of this awesome fighting force, the crews of the mighty B-17 Flying Fortress will be forever remembered. Skipper Comes Home by Robert Taylor Click For Details DHM2579
The 357th Fighter Group was thrown into action soon after arriving in England in February 1944. Being the first fighter group equipped with P-51 Mustangs, great things were expected of them, and they did not disappoint; in the final year of the war they achieved a faster rate of victories than any other group in the 8th Air Force, and the record for the highest number of enemy aircraft shot down in a single mission - in excess of 50 - during a great air battle on 14th January 1945. American Eagles by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2580
One of the most successful of the P-38 equipped units was the 475th Fighter Group, Satans Angels, and it is the P-38s of this famous unit that Nicolas Trudgian has portrayed in his tribute to the American Air Forces that made Victory in the Pacific possible. It is March 1945 and the P-38s of the 475th FG are involved in a huge dogfight with Japanese Zeros over the coast of Indo-China. Flying Pee Wee V is Lt Ken Hart of the 431st Fighter Squadron, who has fatally damaged a Zero in a blistering head on encounter. The second P-38 – Vickie – belongs to Captain John Rabbit Pietz, who would end the War an Ace with six victories. Pacific Glory by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2589
B-17 Fortresses of the Bloody Hundredth- the Eighth Air Forces 100th Bomb Group - return to Thorpe Abbotts following a raid on enemy oil refineries, September 11, 1944. Nicolas Trudgians moving tribute to the Bloody Hundredth shows the imaginatively named B-17, Heaven Can Wait, on final approach to Thorpe Abbotts after the intense battle on September 11, 1944. Skilfully piloted by Harry Hempy, the seriously damaged B-17G has struggled 500 miles home on two engines to make it back to England. They lost their tail gunner that fateful day. Below the descending bomber stream, an agricultural traction engine peacefully ploughs the wheat stubble in preparation for next year’s vital crop, the farm workers oblivious to the unimaginable traumas so recently experienced by the crews of the returning B-17 Fortresses. Heaven Can Wait by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2592
The relief of Bastogne turned the tide in the Battle of the Bulge and Hitlers final great offensive of World War II lay in ruins. P47 Thunderbolts of the 406th Fighter Group, in company with P38 Lightnings, support the advancing armor of General George Pattons US Third Army as they prepare to relieve the battered 101st Airborne Division from their heroic defence of Bastogne during the final climax to the Battle of the Bulge, 24 December 1944. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest land battles of WWII with more than a million American, British and German troops involved, incurring huge casualties on all sides and this release pays tribute to the sacrifice of Allied Forces, during this important milestone in World War II. Thunderbolts and Lightnings by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2595
With their distinctive red tails, P-51 Mustangs of the 332nd Fighter Group – the famed Tuskegee Airmen, climb to operational height as B17 Fortresses from the 483rd Bomb Group manoeuvre into formation at the start of another long and dangerous mission over Germany, Oct 1944. A welcome sight for the Fortress crews, the renowned all-black Tuskegee pilots were credited for never losing an escorted bomber to enemy aircraft. For the first time ever Robert pays tribute to the Tuskegee Fighter Pilots in this stunning portrait of one of the most famous fighter units of WWII. Fighting Red Tails by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2596
Bound for Tokyo, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle launches his B-25 Mitchell from the heaving deck of the carrier USS Hornet on the morning of 18 April, 1942. Leading a sixteen-bomber force on their long distance one - way mission, the Doolittle Raiders completed the first strike at the heart of Imperial Japan since the infamous attack on Pearl Harbour four months earlier. Together, they completed one of the most audacious air raids in aviation history. Into the Teeth of the Wind by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2603
A spectacular dogfight over Eisenach on 24 March 1945 when the doughty Clyde East, returning from a recce over Schweinfurt and with photos already in the can, takes on a group of six Me109s. Flying his legendary Lil Margaret, having already dispatched one, he peels round to line up his second Me109 to add two more victories to his remarkable tally. Dual Victory by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM2604
A dramatic recreation of an event that took place on 14 May, 1965. Flying ground attacks, F-100D Super Sabres of the 416th Squadron of the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing - the Silver Knights based at Da Nang - execute an attack on communist NVA guerrilla forces in the Bac Lieu region of South Vietnam. Knights Charge by Simon Atack. Click For Details DHM2611
Duxford became home to the 78th Fighter Group when they arrived in England with their P-47B Thunderbolts in 1943. The objective of the American fighter units was to gain air superiority over the Luftwaffe in support of their daylight bombing campaign. By 1944 they achieved their objective. Richard Taylor commemorates the valiant contribution of the 78th Fighter Group with a fine new rendition showing P-47D Thunderbolts departing Duxford en route for the north coast of France, and a low-level strafing mission. It is the spring of 1944, and with the Normandy invasion just days away, the Thunderbolts are already painted with invasion markings. Days of Thunder by Richard Taylor. Click For Details DHM2613
Briefing at 0500 hours on the morning of 14 October 1943 brought the crews of the 92nd Bomb Group news they did not want to hear: Its Schweinfurt again! The same message was being repeated in USAAF bomb group briefing rooms all over eastern England in the early hours of what was to become forever known as Black Thursday. Robert Taylors majestic painting shows Colonel Budd Peaslees B-17 Equipose, piloted by Kemp McLaughlin, leading the Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group en-route to the vital ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt. Schweinfurt - The Second Mission by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2614
When a radio broadcast by German propagandist Lord Haw Haw sneeringly announced the secret deployment of the 357th Fighter Group to England in 1943 as the arrival of The Yoxford Boys it became the nick-name for one of the most potent air combat groups of WW II. Based at Leiston, East Anglia, P-51B Mustang OLD CROW was the personal aircraft of Captain Clarence E Bud Anderson, 363rd Fighter Squadron/ 357th Fighter Group. On June 29 1944 Bud was leading his Squadron when they engaged enemy fighters on an escort mission to Leipzig. In the ensuing fight that day Anderson shot down three FW190s in a short period of time. Captain Clarence E Bud Anderson flew two tours and 116 combat missions with a total of 16.25 kills in the Old Crow. The Yoxford Boys by Simon Atack. Click For Details DHM2619
Captain Archie Glenn Donahue of VMF-112s Wolfpack, becomes an ace in a day in the skies near Guadalcanal in May 1943. He would repeat this remarkable feat 2 years later, after shooting down five enemy planes while on service aboard the USS Bunker Hill, establishing himself as one of the finest aces in US marine aviation history. Semper Fi Skies by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2631
The amazing SR-71, number 972, at Kadena as it undergoes a last-minute engine run-up prior to a reconnaissance sortie over the Soviet naval base at Vladivostok. Outrun the Thunder by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2632
In this superb tribute to one of the most famous fighter units of WWII the serenity of the beautiful Li River is broken as P40 Tomahawks of the AVG Flying Tigers, bearing their famous shark-mouth motif, return to base at Kweilin. Summer of 42 by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2633
Only 660 miles from Tokyo, the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima was recognized as early as 1943 as being a vital location to secure an airbase for allied aircraft, in order to achieve victory in the Pacific. Forseeing this goal, the Japanese began extensive fortifications early, preparing for the eventual onslaught. Within Iwo Jimas myriad tunnels, both underground and within the extinct volcano known as mt Suribachi, enemy forces were able to remain virtually unscathed during the 72 day heavy bombardment in late 1944, which preceded the American landings. In mid Ferbuary 1945, the invasion landing forces arrived, and so began one of the bloodiest and most bitter battles of World War II. Over the course of the next 36 days, the United States Marine Corps would experience many of its most horrific hours, but certainly their finest as well. Marine photographer Joe Rosenthals shot of Old Glory being hoisted aloft atop Suribachi came to be recognized as possibly the most famous photo in history. During the first week of March, the first B-29 to make an emergency landing at Iwo touched down. With its nose art bearing the name Dinah Might, this Superfortress and its crew were hastily repaired, aided and again took to the air within half an hour. Many others soon would follow. Shown here, a B-29 of 34th Bomb Group limps in to Iwos runway number one as emergency crews prepare for more incoming planes, some of which would inevitably have to ditch in the water offshore to avoid an explosive pileup. It is estimated that nearly 25,000 airmen lives would ultimately be spared as a result of being able to make emergency landings there. Nearly 7000 Marines died taking Iwo, with many thousands awarded, the largest number during any single campaign. Of the 23000 Japanese troops defending Iwo, only 1083 were taken prisoner. By the beginning of April, Iwo Jima was secure enough to base P-51 Mustangs to escort the B-29s to Japan, as allies prepared for the frightful prospect of a land invasion on Japans mainland, which historians speculate would likely have cost potentially millions more lives. At this time, more than 60 years after the battle, only a small remnant remains of those who participated first hand in this epic battle. Forever a sympbol of freedom, Iwo Jima remains truly sacred ground. Iwo Jima - A Hard Won Haven by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2634
Lt. Col. James H.Doolittle confers with Capt. Marc A. Mitscher on the bomber-laden deck of the U.S.S. Hornet as the fateful day of April 18, 1942 approaches. This daring bombing raid on Japan gave America and its allies a badly-needed morale boost in the wake of the destruction at Pearl Harbour. Hornets Nest by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2635
Philippine Islands, late November 1941. As the United States prepared for inevitable conflict, members of the US Army Air Corps found themselves stationed in locations throughout this area, in terrifyingly close proximity to a certain enemy far more numberous and well equipped than themselves. To the average citizen, faraway places with exotic names such as Mindinao, Java, Bataan and Corregidor held little meaning. As these young Americans would daily prepare their shiny new B-17 bombers and P-40 fighters for practice missions, none knew the exact day or hour their light heated cameraderie would be interrupted by the sound of approaching Japanese combat aircraft, and how savagely devastating the first surprise attacks would be. On December 8th, shortly after receiving the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the skies over American bases throughout the Philippines were darkened as well. In the following few months, these once obscure sounding places would become world famous for both the infamy wrought, and for the gallant heroism shown by the American forces isolated there. Some would gain tragic fame throughout the world, such as Colin Kelly, Harl Pease, and many of their countrymen who would make the ultimate sacrifice during combat, on the infamous Bataan Death March, or from the inhuman treatment inflicted on them by their captors. They Fought With What They Had by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2636
The valor shown by those who defended Wake Island against impossible odds from the day of the first Japanese attack on December 8th 1941 through December 23rd 1941, has never been surpassed. Though generally known as the battle which brought the US Marine Corps worldwide admiration in World War Two, men of the US Navy, Army and certain civilians also fought with distinction. Though suffering great hardship as Prisoners of War, the spirit of this group was never broken, and remains steadfast to this day amongst those who live to tell first hand the story of a truly Magnificent Fight. The Magnificent Fight by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2637
Based at RAF Debden in England under Blakeslees leadership the unit, originally comprising of RAF Eagle Squadron pilots, would produce some of the wars greatest aces. By the end of WWII Blakeslee had flown more combat hours than any US pilot and inspired his group to destroy over 1,000 enemy aircraft. Debden Eagles by John D Shaw. Click For Details DHM2638
Over three years of continuous air combat the 91st Bombardment Group The Ragged Irregulars were based at Bassingbourn in England. They flew 340 missions with honor and bravery, over occupied Europe and bore such B-17 legends as Memphis Belle, Shoo Shoo Baby, General Ike and Nine O Nine. On this day, however, the Memphis Belle is going to have to wait for the snow to be cleared before it can depart on yet another dangerous mission over enemy territory. In the meantime, to enable the Memphis Belle to leave at the earliest opportunity when the weather clears, ground crew carry on with their maintenance work in support of a crew and aircraft they all look upon with affection and admiration. The Memphis Belle by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2649
Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. Flying Tiger by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2651
Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. P-51 Mustang by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2652
Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. B-24 Liberator by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2653
Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. B-17 Flying Fortress by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2655
Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. Superfortress by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2656
Obersalzberg, a spectacularly picturesque area of southern Germany in the Bavarian Alps, became a focal point for the Allies as World War II was drawing to its close. This mountain village had become a Nazi stronghold after the Third Reich had seized houses, farms, and some 600 acres, and built private residences for Martin Bormann and Hermann Goering, an SS barracks, and erected a 30kmn fence around the perimeter to deter intrusion. At its centre was the Berghoff, Adolf Hitlers private mountain retreat. Crowning Bormanns lavish building programme was the house he had built on a rocky spur almost 3000 feet above the Obersalzberg, some 6000 feet above sea level. Reached via a twisting road blasted out of the mountainside, the house was approached after entering a tunnel via a large brass two story elevator rising over 400 feet to the building. The Kelilsteinhaus was Martin Bormanns present for Hitter on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 1939. It was known by the Allies as the Eagles Nest. Believing the Obersalzberg to be where Hitler and his closest henchmen would make their final stand, in April 1945 Allied bombing raids reduced much of the area to ruins. The Eagles Nest, intended as a private retreat from which Hitler could gaze over a conquered Europe, being an isolated target, survived this onslaught, and endures to this day. Nicolas Trudgians painting shows P-51Ds of the 339th Fighter Group roaring over the rooftop of Hitlers now abandoned folly. With Germany and the Third Reich on the brink of defeat, this majestic aviation image conveys the poignant irony of the greatest lost cause in human history, with P-51 Mustangs providing a fitting symbol of victory over tyranny. Mustangs Over the Eagles Nest by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2657
The USAAF bomber bases of WWII were situated in the heart of rural England. Surrounded by countryside and pretty villages, it took the crews little time to become regulars at the nearest village inn, where traditionally there was Open House to American servicemen. A few convivial hours at the pub after a gruelling mission provided a welcome escape from the rigours of combat flying. Today, 50 years on, most of those local pubs are still there, serving up that unique brand of British hospitality which is so cherished in the memories of the USAAF aircrews. Never was the welcome at the inn more warmly appreciated than on Christmas Eve 1944. General Von Rundstedt had launched a massive offensive in the Ardennes, and the situation was critical. The Eight Air Force was called upon to mount its largest single operation of the war, and on that day over 2000 American bombers climbed into the cold air and headed for the battlefields. After fighting their way through to the target, neutralising enemy airfields, and pounding highways and railtracks, the elated crews headed home only to find the gathering mists wirling around their bases. After landing and debriefing, they were in the modd to party down at the village inn. And they did! A wonderfully nostalgic rendering of B-17s returning over a Suffolk village on that memorable Christmas Eve. His painting will bring back nostalgic memories to thousands of American servicemen who spent Christmas away from home, so long ago. A Welcome at the Inn by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2660
On June 19, 1944 American Navy pilots ripped into wave after wave of enemy aircraft. As each new onslaught arrived there were more fighters there to meet them. Other squadrons joined in the melee and the radio circuits crackled with shouts and cries of encouragement. Hell this is like an old time turkey shoot! yelled one pilot - and thus the battle became known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. By the late afternoon two Japanese carriers had been sunk by submarines, and an incredible 373 enemy planes shot down. The U.S. Navy pilots had won an historic victory. Seen hurtling off the deck of the U.S.S. Lexington is the F6F Hellcat of Lt. Alex Vraciu of Fighting Squadron VF-16. With 12 victories already to his credit, Vraciu would add a further 6 to his tally in the space of just 8 minutes on that momentous day. Scramble for the Marianas by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) Click For Details DHM2663
In early 1941, many months before Pearl Harbor, an irrepressible bunch of American fighter pilots, together with 200 ground crew, came together and stood alone against the might of the Imperial Japanese Air Force. Under the indomitable command of General Claire Chennault, their task was to keep the vital road link open between the port of Rangoon and the city of Kunming in South West China. A treacherous unpaved track, hacked through mountain terrain and known as the infamous Burma Road, was the only lifeline for supplies into China from the outside world. With the Japanese hell-bent on its destruction, the Flying Tigers were all that stood between defeat and survival. With little support from home, and almost without replacement aircraft or spares, the P-40 Tomahawk pilots of the American Volunteer Group - the AVG - became the scourge of the Japanese Air Force and heroes to the people of China. In a six month period of combat, with no more than 50 or 60 serviceable aircraft at anyone time, and invariably heavily outnumbered in the air, they destroyed some 300 Japanese airplanes, damaging and destroying another 300, and causing incalculable damage to Japanese ground forces. During its brief existence this remarkable group became one of the most successful and famous fighter units of all time. Their short but glorious private war came to an end when on July 4th, 1942 the AVG was absorbed into the USAAF and Chennaults Flying Tigers passed into aviation folklore. Motivated by the legend of the Flying Tigers, Nicolas Trudgian has painted one of his finest pictures. Dominating the foreground is a stunning view of Chuck Olders P-40 - one of the 3rd Pursuit Squadrons, known as Hells Angels - in hot pursuit of a bunch of Zero fighters up ahead. Close by to his left another Flying Tiger finishes off a Zero, already on its way down. Below the pastoral scene is caught unawares by the sudden approach of fighters, as the fast-moving dogfight hurtles across the landscape. Tiger Fire by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2664
June 1944, dawn is breaking over a sleepy English village, and P-38 Lightnings shatter the silence as they climb out from a nearby air base, en route to the Normandy beach heads. Dawn Chorus by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Click For Details DHM2665
When the U.S. Air Forces arrived in Europe in 1942 it was the beginning of a three year aerial campaign, the scale of which had never been seen before, nor since. The 8th, 9th, 12th and 15th Air Forces constituted the mightiest aerial armada in history. With outstanding leadership and sustained courage, they blazed a trail of glory across the skies of war-torn Europe that today is legend. Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. Air Forces campaign in Europe, the talented aviation artist Nicolas Trudgian has painted a spectacular canvas, bringing to life the men and machines of that epoc-making era, half a century ago. Set in a dramatic and powerful evening sky, B-17 Fortresses come thundering home after a mid over enemy territory. Joining the formation are a pair of B-24 Liberators which have become separated from their own group, and P-51 fighters fly in close escort for the perilous journey home. Aboard the aircraft, pilots and gunners scan the horizon for enemy fighters. Flight engineers are busy coaxing their ships along, some having to deal with overheating engines, damaged fuel lines, leaking hydraulics and other inflicted damage. Some have injured on board. Glistening in the strong evening sunlight the lead aircraft fills the canvas. Clearly visible are the pilot and upper turret gunner, and all the fine detail of this legendary warbird as it thunders through the sky. Below, reflecting the evening glow, is the forbidding North Sea, providing a constant reminder that the dangers of the mission are not yet ever. Thundering Home by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Click For Details DHM2667
Flying a bomber escort mission, a P- 51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group engages Me109s about to descend upon a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses. Hot Pursuit by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Click For Details DHM2670
In a majestic new painting combining his love of landscape with aviation, Gerald Coulson depicts Bud Anderson and Chuck Yeager racing their Mustangs at low level through an Alpine landscape, oblivious to the record-breaking air battle involving the rest of the 357th pilots. Wild Horses by Gerald Coulson. Click For Details DHM2672
For their outstanding contribution to the war in the South Pacific, the Black Sheep were awarded one of only two Presidential Unit Citations accorded to Marine Corps squadrons during the war in the Pacific. With typical mastery, Robert Taylor has brought to life an encounter over Rabaul in late December 1943, paying tribute to one of the US Marine Corps most famous fighter squadrons, and its outstanding leader. With the Japanese airbase at Rabaul visible in the distance, Pappy Boyington and his fellow pilots of VMF-214 tear into a large formation of Japanese Zekes and a series of deadly dogfights have started, one Zeke already fallen victim to their guns. Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor. Click For Details DHM2673
The Douglas Dakota was undoubtedly one of the most important allied aircraft of the Second World War. The aircraft served in a variety of roles including paratroop-dropping, glider-towing, casualty evacuation to transporting all sorts of materials from food to weapons of war. It did it all and in doing so, helped win the war. Together we Stand by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2677
P-51 Mustangs of the 20th Fighter Group make a low pass over B-17s of the 401st Bomb Group at Deenethorpe, as they return to their base at Kingscliffe in late 1944. Teamwork by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2680
With the words of his Group CO ringing in his ears, a pilot of the 332nd Fighter Group returns to protect a crippled American B17 bomber after downing two Me109s in quick succession. Agonisingly, two more enemy fighters were left to escape but the pilot knew that under the strict leadership of Colonel Benjamin O Davis, his mission, and that if the other all-black pilots of the 332nd, was solely to protect the bombers. That iron discipline was to earn this famous unit the respect and admiration of hundreds of bomber crews, and to create a legend. Despite lingering racial prejudice and some opposition within the Air Force, President Roosevelt had ordered the USAAF to form an all-black fighter pilot unit, its crews to be trained at Tuskegee in Alabama. To the surprise of their critics, the Tuskegee Airmen were to prove their detractors spectacularly wrong from the first day they went into action in Italy in May 1943. Flying first with the Twelfth Air Force, then the Fifteenth, the four squadrons of the 332nd completed over 15,000 combat sorties, destroyed over 250 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and on the ground, 950 railway trucks and locomotives, and even sunk a destroyer by machine gun fire! The Group was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, their pilots decorated with over 1000 medals for gallantry. But above all, with the spinners and tails of their P-51 Mustangs brightly painted red, the Red Tails as they were affectionately known, became the only US Fighter Group that never lost a bomber in their care. The Tuskegee Red Tail pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group are a more than welcome sight as they close in to escort home a damaged B17 Fortress of the 483rd Bomb Group. Seen high over the Italian Alps during the summer of 1944 this poignant scene conveys precisely the story of the legendary Red Tails. Red Tail Escort by Richard Taylor.  Click For Details DHM2703
<b>Only 50 copies available. V.E. Day - Heading Home by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details DHM2705
10th May 1972. Lt. Curt Dose together with his RIO, LCDR Jim McDevitt line up their F-4J Phantom prior to landing on the USS Constellation following their first successful target CAP of the day. During this mission they claimed a MiG-21F after a ultra-low level supersonic flight over the North Vietnamese airfield of Kep, northeast of Hanoi. Silver Kite 211 by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2714
The F-86 Sabre and MiG 15 were evenly matched. On 19th July 1953 after his flight of four F-86s were set upon by 16 MiGs, John Glenn pursued and flamed a MiG, the second of three he shot down during the Korean War. Combat Over Korea by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2715
Nine O Nine awaits her next mission over occupied Europe. Part of the 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Squadron, this B-17 went on to complete a record mission tally of 140 without an abort or loss of a single crew member. She started operations in February 1944. By April 1945 Nine O Nine had flown an extraordinary 1,129 hours. This aircraft and crew represented just one of many who fought in war-torn skies for the freedom we now enjoy. Nine O Nine by Philip West. Click For Details DHM2718
There are few scenes quite so evocative as the vision of a once mighty warbird resting silently in its watery grave, a tranquil underwater world so alien to the world that it was created to fly and fight in. Far removed from the hostile skies of Europe and the long hours of tension, cold and extreme danger endured by its crew, this potent warrior now lies peacefully, its guns silent and quiet forever in the shallow waters of the Mediterranean where it came to rest so many years ago. This is without doubt an extraordinary and moving tribute to those young airmen of the USAAF. Silent Fortress by Randall Scott. Click For Details DHM2719
A harbinger of Adolf Hitlers grand scheme came on March 1, 1938, when Nazi troops moved into the Rhineland, but it hardly raised an eyebrow in the international circles. His treachery did not rear its ugly head again for nearly two years. The worlds perception of the little corporal was radically changed when his blitzkrieg enveloped Austria and rolled through Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway and the Netherlands. Then on May 28, 1940, Belgium fell, exposing France to the onslaught. Although President Franklin Roosevelt had long realized that the United States entrance into the war was inevitable, it took the invasion of France to awaken the American public to the horrors of this madmans actions. Roosevelt then found overwhelming public support for his appeal for military preparedness. When the massive war mobilization program began, African-Americans were overlooked. The attitudes and apathy of the Federal Government and military officials caused African-American leaders and their white supporters to put pressure on Roosevelt to uphold the Constitution that proclaimed equal treatment for all Americans. This would not only provide personal dignity to all citizens, it would also utilize the valuable human resource. On March 21, 1941, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was activated, and four months later work began on the construction of Tuskegee Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. Thus began what the reluctant War Department called the Experiment. Although designed to fail, its success made possible the emergence of the pioneers of African-American aviation. A total of 992 African-American pilots graduated at Tuskegee Institute, and 450 of these were sent overseas to open a new chapter in the annals of combat aviation. One of those who garnered an impressive record in aerial combat is Captain Lee A Archer (later Colonel) who flew with the 332nd Fighter Group. The morning of July 18, 1944, the 332nd Fighter Group took off to escort bombers of the 5th to Memmingen airdrome. The group met with a formation of ME-109s and FW-190s as they approached Udine and Treviso areas. The group shot down 11 enemy planes and damaged another. Archer downed one of the ME-109s. July 20, while escorting B-24s of the 47th Heavy Bombardment Group to Friedrichshafen, the 332nd was challenged by a squadron of ME-109s. Archer fell in behind one, with LT Charles Bussey on his wing. They chased the enemy plane until it crashed into the side of a mountain after being hit by a volley from Archers guns. Nine enemy aircraft were shot down and 26 were detroyed on the ground during an attack on Blechhammer by the 332nd on October 12, 1944. Archer was the top scorer with three victories. Archer was one of 75 Tuskegee airmen to record one or more victories over Hitlers finest. Collectively, these aviators in their distinctive red tail planes shot down 111 enemy planes. Regrettably, 66 tuskegee airmen paid the supreme price as their group earned the accolade that no other group could claim. The Red Tails Never Lost a Bomber. The Red Tails Never Lost a Bomber by Clyde Heron. Click For Details DHM8013
Grumman panther F9F / 5s of Marine Squadron VM311 flown by Boston Redsox Baseball star Ted Williams and future Astronaut John Glenn take off from K3 Airbase Pohang, on a ground support mission. Panther Pack, Korea, March 1953 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0001
Boeing B29 Superfortresses of the USAAF 40th Bomb Group come under attack from a Kawasaki Ki64 Hein (Tony) of the Japanese Army Airforces 244th Sentai. Mission to Yokohama, Japan, June 1944 by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0008
Martin Mauler in a hypothetical attack on a Soviet Cruiser. The aircraft attained limited production and use, but never saw action. Cuban Crisis 1960s by David Pentland. Click For Details DP0034
FAR936. The Peacekeepers by Adrian Rigby. The Peacekeepers by Adrian Rigby. Click For Details FAR0936
GC723. The Yoxford Boys by Gerald Coulson. The Yoxford Boys by Gerald Coulson. Click For Details GC0723
USAAF P-51s from 357th Fighter Group, led by Capt. Bud Anderson in Old Crow, over the D-Day beaches in the early morning of June 6th 1944. American Patrol by Michael Turner. Click For Details GT0107
IW2.By the Dawns Early Light by Iain Wyllie. By the Dawns Early Light by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0002
IW6. King of the Strafers by Iain Wyllie. King of the Strafers by Iain Wyllie. Click For Details IW0006
Doolittles Raiders. Early Launch by James Dietz. Click For Details JD0013
In March of 2003, the Turkish government refused to allow American ground forces, which were positioned at their ports, to move through Turkey in order to establish a northern front in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. America needed another option and the Sky Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade provided that option. On the 26th March at 2000 hours, fifteen C-17 aircraft delivered 20 heavy platforms and 959 paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade onto Bashur Drop Zone vicinity Bashur, Iraq. This combat parachute assault was the initiation of Operation Northern Delay and established the Coalitions northern front. The parachute assault force consisted of HHC, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st-508th Infantry (Airborne), 2nd-503rd Infantry (Airborne), 74th Long Range Surveillance Detachment, D Battery 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Combat Support Company, 501st Forward Support Company, 250th Forward Surgical Team, ODA (-), 2nd Battalion 10th SFG, 4th ASOS (USAF), and the 86th Expeditionary Contingency Response Group (-) (USAF). The paratroopers were under the command of Colonel William C. Mayville Jr., commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The chariots from which the Sky Soldiers were delivered into battle were the C-17s of the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings from McChord AFB, Washington and the 437th Airlift Wing and 315th Reserve Airlift Wing from Charleston AFB, South Carolina. The C-17s were under the command of Colonel Robert Dice R. Allardice, commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing. This airborne operation was not only the largest since the 1990 invasion of Panama, but was the first airborne personnel insertion ever conducted with the C-17. The professionalism and courage of both the paratroopers and the aircrews were beyond reproach. The successful establishment of a northern front was essential to the coalition battle plan. Without a northern front six Iraqi divisions arrayed in northern Iraq remained free to move south to reinforce Baghdad. Fast moving coalition forces were closing on Baghdad with the expectation of having to capture the Iraqi capital from three defensively arrayed divisions. six additional Iraqi divisions streaming from the north could dramatically affect the balance of power around Baghdad. Another critical factor was the oil rich area of Kirkuk. The oil wealth of the Kirkuk area would be crucial to rebuilding Iraq but the Iraqi army had shown a willingness to destroy their countries own future simply to spite the Coalition. Securing the oil fields and airbases of Kirkuk was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The success of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in its securing of Bashur and Kirkuk and its subsequent control and rebuilding of Kirkuk Province and later the As Sulaymaniyah Province was unmatched in theater. The Sky Soldiers integrated forces from fifteen other units, to include five Army divisions, to accomplish every mission. The Sky Soldiers added to the reputation of the Herd, so hard won in Vietnam. This print is dedicated to the team members who served with and supported the Herd, past and present. The sacrifices theyve made and the blood theyve shed in the service of their country demonstrate the true cost of freedom. Moving the Herd by James Dietz. Click For Details JD0060
KA3. Fighting Falcons by Keith Aspinall. Fighting Falcons by Keith Aspinall Click For Details KA0003
KA12. Desert Thunder by Keith Aspinall. Desert Thunder by Keith Aspinall. Click For Details KA0012
<b>SOLD OUT (£16, March 2009)</b> High Flying Aardvarks by Keith Aspinall. Click For Details KA0025
F-15 Tomcats of VF-143 Pukin Dogs intercept a Russian Tu-95 Bear over the Mediterranean during the Cold War. The Bear and the Tomcats by Keith Aspinall. Click For Details KA0026
Air America Bell 205 vs Attacking North Vietnamese Air Force An-2 Colt Captain Theodore H. Moore and Flight Mechanic Glenn R. Woods 12 January 1968 at Lima Site 85, Phou Pha Thi, Laos. Air America Won. During the Vietnam War the Americans operated a secret radar station; Site 85, situated 15 miles from the North Vietnamese border atop one of the highest mountains in Laos. Crucially it gave American bombers the ability to attack in all weather, a critical capability during the Rolling Thunder bombing campaign. The North Vietnamese got wise! Captain Theodore H. Moore and Flight Mechanic Glenn R. Woods had been recruited to fly for Air America, a CIA owned and operated proprietary that was used to support intelligence agents and military personnel in Asia. On 12 Jan 1968, Moore and Woods, who were on a mission delivering artillery ammunition in the area, watched in amazement as a formation of North Vietnamese Air Force AN-2 Colt biplanes attacked the base. The two Russian built biplanes dropped mortars, fired rockets and strafed the radar station with machine gun fire. Moore radioed a warning to the agents on the ground; however the attack killed several Hmong guerrillas defending the base. Moores helicopter, a civilian version of the UH-1 Huey was supposed to be unarmed, but Woods had packed an AK-47, officially contraband, but in their defence Moore explained; if you go down and dont have a weapon, youre Toast. They decided to; make chase Moore said. The Colts, first flown in 1947, were faster than the helicopter, which was able to gain on them when they flew low and then tried to climb the mountainous terrain. Woods fired from the door of the Huey. One of the planes crashed immediately, while the second plane, also hit, flew on for several miles before crashing into a ridge. The shooting down of fixed wing aircraft from a helicopter was a Singular aerial victory in the entire history of the Vietnam war, according to the author of One Day Too Long: Top Secret Site 85 and the Bombing of North Vietnam. Moore was initially hauled before his superiors under threat of Court Marshal, I was a little out of line in what I did’ he recalled. However after initial consternations his actions were finally commended. Two months later Site 85 was destroyed by North Vietnamese Commandos, 12 U.S. Air Force personnel were killed, the largest single loss of USAF personnel during the war. An Air Combat First by Keith Woodcock Click For Details KEIG0002
KW3. Looking for Trouble by Keith Woodcock. Looking for Trouble by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details KW0003
KW10. B-17 Memphis Belle by Keith Woodcock. B-17 Memphis Belle by Keith Woodcock. Click For Details KW0010
Military pilots do not easily heap praise on one anothers aircraft but when the object of their attention is the McDonnell F-18 Hornet, they really do talk in superlatives. Whether displaying its awesome manoeuvrability and firepower in the air-to-air combat role, or delivering a hefty warload with unerring accuracy in the ground-attack role, this aircraft has few, if any, equals. Ask any RAF Jaguar pilot from the Gulf War what modifications he would have liked to improve the combat effectiveness of his aircraft, and the answer is invariably the same - Twin fins, bubble canopy, big engines, a powerful multi-mode radar and face-shooting missiles. In other words, Id rather be flying an F-18. Of all the single-seat combat aircraft in service today, the Hornet is universally regarded by those in the know as the most versatile and effective aircraft around. Capable of both ground-attack and day/night all-weather air-to-air missions, the hornet has earned a justifiable reputation as the most sought-after cockpit in the single-seat business. During the months before the outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf War, Hornets flew round-the-clock Combat Air Patrols to provide top cover for Allied fleets. They played a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Iraqi aircraft probing their defenses before turning away, but when the war started it was a different game and in deadly earnest. US Navy and Marine Corps F-18s were among the first Allied aircraft to cross the Iraqi border and they remained in the thick of the fighting throughout the air campaign. In addition to flying escort and sweep missions in support of strike aircraft to and from targets deep within Iraq, Hornets also flew bombing and defence suppression missions and participated in raids on Baghdad. They flew more than 10,000 sorties and 25,000 flight hours during Operation Desert Storm, and shot down two Iraqi MiG 21s to add to the proud McDonnell boast that every enemy fighter shot down in combat was downed by one of their aircraft. Hornet the Hunter by Michael Rondot. Click For Details MR0025
In any conflict, accurate intelligence about the enemy is important, but during the Gulf War it was crucial to the rapid ending of hostilities with minimum Allied casualties. US Air National Guard RF-4C Phantoms, flying deep-penetration photo reconnaissance missions into Iraq and occupied Kuwait, provided much of the vital intelligence which enabled Allied ground forces to outflank and overwhelm Iraqi opposition with such devastation. Their missions were dangerous, taking them into the most heavily defended airspace over Baghdad and The Kuwait of Operations in broad daylight. They were fired on by SAMs and intense AAA barrages, but none were lost in over 300 missions. Michael Rondots painting portrays a classic formation of two RF-4Cs in action over Iraq, flying in company to provide lookout and mutual support in case of attack. On the ground, palls of Sand and smoke drift away from Iraqi artillery positions following an air strike, as the Phantoms accelerate and turn in for their battle-damage assessment photo run. In the next minutes they will come under fire from heat-seeking missiles and flak defenses around the target before escaping South, back to their base at Sheikh Isa AB, Bahrain. In the days following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990, RF-4C Phantoms from the 117 TRW, Birmingham, Alabama ANG were among the spearhead of Units deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield. Operating under difficult and dry conditions from Al Dafra AB, UAE, the Birmingham Guardsmen flew border reconnaissance missions using long range oblique cameras until mid-December, when the Nevada Air Guard took over and moved to similarly tense and dry Sheikh Isa AB, Bahrain. The two Phantoms in Mutual Support represent both the Birmingham Guard and the Nevada Guard, the High Rollers. Aircraft 886 flew 54 combat missions during Desert Storm, whilst 056 flew 51 missions in combat before it was lost on 30 March following a catastrophic systems failure over the Persian Gulf. The 192 TRS, Nevada ANG, flew 350 combat and combat support missions during Desert Storm. They did this with just 6 aircraft and 12 crews, supported by a small detachment of technicians and support personnel from their home base in Reno. The Part Timers are now back at their civilian jobs, but their contribution is commemorated marking the twilight of the RF-4C Phantom in service with the Nevada and Alabama ANG. Mutual Support by Michael Rondot. Click For Details MR0035
With Top Cover, Michael Rondot portrays a pilots eye view of the speed and excitement of modern high-tech aerial warfare. High over a panorama of broken clouds, a pair of F/A-18C Hornets from VFA-81 Sunliners dive onto a group of F-16s simulating an attack on a formation of low flying A-7 Corsairs far below. The low-flying A-7s are in deep trouble, having been bounced by the F-16s, and will evade as hard as they can to shake off their opponents. For the F/A-18 Hornet pilots the priority is to kill the F-16s before they can threaten the A-7s. The Fights on! You could easily be forgiven for believing that US Navy and Marine Corps aviators enjoy an unfair advantage in life. They fly the finest aircraft around, in the most demanding and exciting roles, and they get to practice their art in some of the most beautiful and exotic parts of the world, basking in the glamour and mystique of US Naval Aviation. The reality is more down to earth. Flying the F/A-18 Hornet in both the air-defence and the ground-attack role is hard, challenging work. Pilots from the attack community have to learn the skills of air-to-air fighting, and air defenders have to learn the art of putting bombs and bullets onto a pinpoint target from a first-pass attack in bad weather. It is an uncompromising and unforgiving environment, with no room for bullshit. Top Cover by Michael Rondot. Click For Details MR0048
Designed and built in the early 1980s at the Lockheed Skunk Works under conditions of intense secrecy, the F-117A Stealth fighter was not revealed to the public until 1990, after it had been in service for over 7 years. A year later during Operation Desert Storm, laser-guided precision bombing images from the cockpits of Black jets over downtown Baghdad were on every television screen and newspaper front page around the world. Night after night, the theory of an aircraft designed to evade radar detection was tested by brave pilots in combat over densely packed Iraqi radar-directed air defences. The results, together with the aircraft and its pilots, are now legend. Black Jet by Michael Rondot. Click For Details MRX0002
Major Jim Goodson taxies his 4th (The Eagles) Fighter Group P-51 D Mustang at Debden following a mission to supply air support over the Normandy beaches soon after D-Day, June 1944. Having previously flown Spitfires and Hurricanes with the RAF, Spitfires with 133 Eagle Squadron, and P-47 Thunderbolts with the Fourth fighter group, Jim Goodson became one of the USAAFs top fighter pilots of WWII. Eagles of the Eighth by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0001
As the Autumn of 1944 turned to winter, the USAAF Eighth Air Force bombers were penetrating ever deeper into enemy territory, attacking distant targets in central and south-east Germany. Large formations of seven or eight hundred bombers, escorted by as many fighters, darkened the skies over the Reich. Central to the massive daylight raids was the long-range capabilities of the P-51 Mustang, the most versatile fighter of the war. Despite incessant pounding from the air, the Luftwaffe were putting up determined resistance, particularly in the south, often sending up several hundred fighters to meet the challenge. Huge aerial battles were fought between the opposing groups of fighters, and though the Allied pilots usually gained the upper hand in these encounters, the air fighting was prolonged and furious. Typical of those encounters, on a single mission in November the Allied estimate of Luftwaffe sorties flown against them exceeded 750, but often the German fighters were handicapped by poor direction from the ground, hampering their effectiveness - on the 27th, several Gruppen were vectored directly towards the P-51s of the 357th and 353rd Groups believing them to be in-coming bombers. They paid the price, the Leiston based pilots of the 357th bagging 30 enemy fighters before they knew what hit them. Successful as they were, the long-range escort missions flown by the P-51s were both hazardous and grueling. The weather, particularly in winter, was often appalling, and even an experienced pilot could become disoriented after hectic combat, and lost in the far reaches of the Reich. The return to base in England after combat over distant enemy territory was always exhilarating, and the pilots often hedgehopped gleefully over towns and villages on their way home after crossing the English coast. Nicolas Trudgians painting depicts such a scene, with P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group racing over a typical English village as they head for Leiston and home. As the evening light fades, the peace and tranquillity of the snowy village, broken momentarily by the roar of Merlin engines, seems to bid the returning fighter boys a warm winters welcome. Warm Winters Welcome by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0005
Truk, the small atoll in the South Pacific, was the major anchorage for the Japanese Fleet. Comprising a magnificent harbor and four heavily defended airfields, it was thought impregnable by the US forces as they fought their way up through the Pacific. But on 16-17 February 1944 a violent two-day aerial assault by carrierborne aircraft of Task Force 58 exploded the myth. In just two days the US Navy flyers sunk over 200,000 tons of Japanese naval shipping and destroyed an estimated 275 enemy aircraft, totally eliminating all effectiveness of the Japanese base. Light as the US Navy losses were only 25 aircraft failed to return the battle for Truk was ferocious. The ground installations, ships, and airfield batteries put up intense antiaircraft fire against the attacking American aircraft, while Zeros did their best to repel the onslaught. The air above the atoll became a maelstrom of flak, tracer, flying lead and shrapnel, while below huge explosions rocked the ground as ammo and fuel dumps were hit, fires raged, and the acrid smoke of battle pervaded the entire area. In this important new painting, his first featuring the F6F Hellcat, Robert Taylor brings to life the scenario that was crucial to Admiral Spruances forceful drive through the Central Pacific. The once feared Japanese base at Truk is being reduced to a statistic of war. Hellcats of VF6 hurtle across the lagoon at masthead height with guns blazing, creating havoc as they tear into the enemy positions below. Seen in the foreground is the F6F-3 of Lt. Alex Vracui, subsequently to become one of the Navys top guns. This exhilarating work dramatically conveys the awesome conditions endured day after day by the pilots of the US Navy and Marine Corps in the Pacific. Hellcat Fury by Robert Taylor. Click For Details NT0007
From the day they began their aerial campaign against Nazi Germany to the cessation of hostilities in 1945, the USAAF bomber crews plied their hazardous trade in broad daylight. This tactic may have enabled better sighting of targets, and possibly less danger of mid-air collisions, but the grievous penalty of flying daylight missions over enemy territory was the ever presence of enemy fighters. Though heavily armed, the heavy bombers of the American Eighth Air Force were no match against the fast, highly manoeuvrable Me109s, Fw190s and, late in the war, Me 262 jet fighters which the Luftwaffe sent up to intercept them. Without fighter escort they were sitting ducks, and inevitably paid a heavy price. Among others, one fighter group earned particular respect, gratitude, and praise from bomber crews for their escort tactics. The 356th FG stuck rigidly to the principle of tight bomber escort duty, their presence in tight formation with the bombers often being sufficient to deter enemy attack. Repeatedly passing up the opportunity to increase individual scores, the leadership determined it more important to bring the bombers home than claim another enemy fighter victory. As the air war progressed this philosophy brought about an unbreakable bond between heavy bomber crews and escort fighter pilots, and among those held in the highest esteem were the pilots of the 356th. Top scoring ace Donald J Strait, flying his P-51 D Mustang Jersey Jerk, together with pilots of the 356th Fighter Group, are seen in action against Luftwaffe Fw 190s while escorting B-17 bombers returning from a raid on German installations during the late winter of 1944. One minute all is orderly as the mighty bombers thunder their way homeward, the next minute enemy fighters are upon them and all hell breaks loose. Ace of Diamonds by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details NT0008
Base to the legendary Douglas Bader Fighter Wing during the Battle of Britain, Duxford became home to the 78th Fighter Group in April 1943. Today it appropriately houses the American Air Museum, and hosts the many summer air-shows where crowds thrill to the sight and sound of the glorious WWII warbirds. First equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts then P-51Ds, the 78th Fighter Group was credited with 688 enemy aircraft destroyed, 474 in the air, and another 406 destroyed on the ground during low-level strafing missions. Charles London of the 78th became the 8th Air Forces first fighter ace of the war and a 78th pilot, Quince Brown, was the first to down a Me262 jet in August 1944. It is March 1945. Led by Colonel John Landers flying Big Beautiful Doll, one of the 8th Air Forces most flamboyant fighters, the 78th P-51D Mustangs roar off the field to begin an escort mission taking B-17 Fortresses already airborne in the background all the way to Hamburg. Duxford Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian Click For Details NT0316
It is January 1945, and its cold. The German advance in the Ardennes is nearly over, but the Panzer Army is desperately throwing more troops into the breach who try to keep their momentum going in The Battle of the Bulge. Tasked with preventing German reinforcements from reaching the battle front, the Ninth Air Force launched a series of low-level attacks on enemy ground forces as they wind their way through the Ardennes. Flying conditions were not easy, cloud bases were low, and snow was in the air. Nicolas Trudgians new painting recreates an attack on January 23, 1945, by Douglas A-20 Havocs of the 410th Bomb Group. Locating an enemy convoy in open space near the German town of Blankenheim, the Havoc pilots make a swift attack diving from 8000 feet, catching the German force by surprise: Hurtling down the line of vehicles at 320mph they release their parafrag bombs from 300 feet then, dropping just above the roofs of the army trucks continue down the column blasting everything in sight with their forward-firing .50mm caliber machine guns. In the space of a few minutes the attack is completed and the convoy decimated. With ammunition expended and fuel running low the A-20 Havocs climb out of the zone and head for base in France. A 20mm shell has hit the lead aircraft wounding the Bombardier/Navigator Gordon Jones, which will seriously hamper their return through a blizzard, but all aircraft make it safely home - the lead aircraft, on landing, counting over 100 holes of various sizes. For their part in leading the successful attack the Lead Pilot Russell Fellers and Bombardier/Navigator Gordon G. Jones received the Silver Star. Raising Havoc in the Ardennes by Nicolas Trudgian. Click For Details NT0322
N88. B17G Flying Fortress Little Miss Mischief by Barry Price. B17G Flying Fortress Little Miss Mischief by Barry Price. Click For Details NTR0088
P51D Mustangs, 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group USAAF, 8th Air Force, based at Leiston, Suffolk. Aircraft Glamorous Glen III, piloted by Chuck Yeager, and Old Crow, piloted by Bud Anderson, circa 1945. P51D Mustangs, January 1945 by Barry Price. Click For Details NTR0089
A B17 arriving at its home base somewhere in Norfolk, as its attending P-51 Mustangs continue a short way to there respective base. The Boeing B17 Flying Fortress was the prime instrument in the evaluation of the American strategic bombing, and enjoyed a measure of affection from the aircrew like no other aircraft. Altogether, 12731 Flying Fortresses were built. While its principle function was to drop bombs on the enemy, the fort also performed many other tasks such as dropping propaganda leaflets, food supplies, and even life boats to ditched aircrews. During the war the B17s dropped 640,036 US tons of bombs on European targets alone. This compares with 452,508 tons by the Consolidated Liberators. Following 1935, when the prototype B17 was built, constant improvements increased its bomb load from 22,000lbs to 36,000lbs. The Safe Return by Robin Smith. Click For Details RS0021
<b>SOLD OUT. Coming Home by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0015
<b>SOLD OUT. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0022
P-51 Mustangs of the 353rd Fighter Group make a low-level run over towns and villages along the Rhine. Eagles Over the Rhine by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0027
<b>Supplied with companion print Wolfpack Leader. Phantom Strike by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0030
<b>SOLD OUT. Fourth Fighter Patrol by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0032
<b>SOLD OUT. Gathering of Eagles by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0034
<b>SOLD OUT. Helping Hand by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0038
<b>SOLD OUT. Home at Dusk by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0040
<b>SOLD OUT. Home Run by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0041
<b>SOLD OUT. Struggle for Supremacy by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0055
<b>SOLD OUT. Low Holding by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0056
<b>SOLD OUT. Memphis Belle by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0058
<b>SOLD OUT. Midway - Strike Against the Akagi by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0059
<b>SOLD OUT. Mission Completed by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0060
<b>Supplied with companion print Tail-End Charlie. Outward Bound by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0064
<b>SOLD OUT. Return of the Belle by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0066
<b>SOLD OUT. Welcome Sight by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0080
<b>SOLD OUT. Winters Welcome by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0081
RST0082. Zemkes Wolfpack by Robert Taylor. Zemkes Wolfpack by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0082
Approaching their target at the oil refinery at Zwickau, 60 mikes southwest of Dresden, the 452nd Bomb Groups B-17 Flying Fortresses were bounced by 28 ME-262 jets from JG-7. Screaming in from the six oclock position, the jet pilots singled out the 3rd Division just as they began their bombing run. The crew of one B-17 desperately defend their bomber against the determined, high-speed attack by the ME-262 interceptors. Closing at almost three times the speed of their targets, each ME-262 pilot has just fractions of a second to find his mark. Each interception is over in the blink of an eye. Combat over the Reich by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RST0086
In the early days of the USAAF daylight bombing campaign, before the arrival of long-range fighter escorts, rarely was a mission flown without Luftwaffe interception and the ever-present barrage of anti-aircraft fire. The Eighth Air Force crews literally fought their way through swarms of enemy fighters and thick flak to hit their targets, then fought their way home again. Seldom a formation returned without losses and casualties, but inexorably the American bomb groups struck deeper and deeper into enemy territory. Bomber crews lucky enough to survive a complete tour were few and far between. They knew this when they arrived in England at the start of their tour, and the awesome task they faced banded the flyers together like brothers. They flew and fought for each other, their country and liberty with determination and a camaraderie that only those who went through the experience could fully appreciate. In his tribute to the USAAF bomber crews, Robert Taylor has selected the 381st Bomb Group to represent, and pay tribute to all those who flew the perilous daylight raids out of bases in England into the heavily defended skies above enemy occupied Europe. Roberts emotive painting shows 381st Bomb Group B-17 Fortresses returning to Ridgewell on a summer afternoon in 1944 during a period when the Group reached the peak of it effectiveness- for several months it was the top ranked outfit in the Eighth. Between June 1943 and the end of hostilities the 381st completed 297 combat missions, hit almost every important target in German hands and was credited with the destruction of 223 enemy aircraft. One aircraft, more than any other, came to symbolise the great bombing campaign of the USAAF in Europe during World War Two, and in his spectacular new painting Robert Taylor captures the magnificence of Boeings legendary B-17 Flying Fortress. In his inimitable style the artist brings to life an exact wartime scene, a battle-damaged aircraft making apparent the fearsome task tackled daily by those who flew the hazardous missions to occupied Europe during the greatest air war ever fought. Thunderheads Over Ridgewell by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RT0002
The very first air combat fought by American pilots following the surprise attack upon Pearl Harbor. In less than one hour America struck back in a war that was to end in total victory. As the assault mounted on the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, simultaneously the air base at Wheeler Field came under heavy attack. Two young USAAF pilots, Kenneth Taylor and George Walsh, quickly got their P-40 Tomahawks airborne. Winging southwards towards Ewa Field they ripped into a dozen or more enemy planes attacking the marine field. Diving into the formation they each downed Val fighter-bombers. Robert Taylors painting shows Ken Taylor in his P-40 tomahawk, with George Walsh in close company, bringing down his second enemy aircraft on December 7, 1941, an Aichi D-3Al Val dive-bomber. In the background palls of smoke rise from Hangar 6 housing the naval float planes, and the up-turned battleship Oaklahoma. America Strikes Back by Robert Taylor Click For Details RT0299
By any military standards, it is difficult to imagine the Supreme Commander of the largest air force of the day, piloting himself over the battlefront during the early moments of one of historys greatest military operations. But General Jimmy Doollittle was no ordinary commander. Already awarded Americas highest decoration for valour, General Doolittle was, by the summer of 1944, in command of the American 8th Air Force. On the morning of 6 June, D-Day, he dispatched 1350 bombers together with his entire fighter force to attack enemy ground installations near the beachheads. Sitting around waiting for intelligence reports was not Jimmy Doolittles style. He was going to see for himself what was happening! With Pat Partridge as wingman, they took off flying P-38 Lightnings - chosen for their distinctive profile in the hopes they would deter friendly fire - and climbed above the overcast. Having observed the 8th Air Forces operations at first hand, as they turned for home, Doolittle spotted a hole in the clouds, flick-rolled through it and disappeared beneath the cloud layer. Pat Partridge had his head in the cockpit, probably changing his gas tanks, and when he looked up there was no sign of his Supreme Commander, he circled around for a while, then headed for home. Beneath the clouds Doolittle saw - the most impressive and unforgettable sight I could have possibly imagined - . As some 5000 ships of all shapes and sizes landed 176,000 troops on the enemy held beaches of Northern France, Doolittle flew up and down the battlefront assessing how the invasion was progressing, and after a two and a half hour sortie, headed back to base. After landing, Doolittle hurried over to General Eisenhowers headquarters to provide the first report Eisenhower received, beating his own intelligence information by several hours. Doolittles D-Day, 6th June 1944 by Robert Taylor. Click For Details RT0313
The most incredible 614mph freefall from the edge of space, celebrated in this superb limited edition print, signed by the skydiving legend himself, Colonel Joe W Kittinger. Excelsior III - the Long, Lonely Leap by Stuart Brown. Click For Details SBR0005
A Black Hawk MH-60K of the U.S. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) delivers a team of coalition Special Forces onto an Afghan mountain pass in the hunt for Taleban forces. MH-60K is the standard special operations version of the Black Hawk, capable of providing long-range airlifts far into hostile territory in adverse weather conditions. The avionics suite includes interactive Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) , Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) , digital map generator, and terrain avoidance/terrain following multi-mode radar. Survivability equipment includes radar and missile warning systems and IR jammers. The MH-60K has full shipboard operability and is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701C 1843 shp turboshaft engines. Black Hawk Special Delivery by Stuart Brown. Click For Details SBR0010
Excelsior III - the Long, Lonely Leap by Stuart Brown. Kittinger performed three extreme altitude jumps during August 1960 as part of the USAF research project Excelsior - a precursor to the US space race designed to test human survivability. Excelsior III was the climax of the operation. Leaping from the gondola of a 200ft diameter helium balloon, Kittinger spent four minutes thirty six seconds in freefall. Passing through 90,000ft, his speed reached an incredible 614mph (almost the speed of sound in the thin freezing air of the upper atmosphere) before his multi stage parachute slowed his descent - opening the main chute at 18,000ft. Excelsior III - the Long, Lonely Leap by Stuart Brown. (Y) Click For Details SBR005
The 94th and 95th Pursuit Squadrons of the U.S. Army Air Service were the first American units to see action in WW I following Americas entry into the War. The units were assigned in March of 1918 to a former French aerodrome at Villeneuve, which was located about twenty miles behind the front line. The 94th had several experienced pilots who had flown with the Lafayette Escadrille, including Major Raoul Lufbery, who had become the top American ace with the Lafayette Escadrille. The weather in March was poor for flying, and the 94th lacked appropriately equipped aircraft to oppose attacking German planes. However, the unit could hear the thunder of heavy guns in the distance, and when it was clear a string of observation balloons could be seen in the distance. Rumors of German advances startled the young flyers of the 94th, and compounded their frustrations. On March 30 the unit was moved further back from the lines to an aerodrome adjacent to the small village of Epiez. In early April guns finally arrived for the units Neuport 28s. Major Huffer, commander of the squadron, suggested the hat-in-the-ring insignia for the unit which was drawn-up by Lt. J. Wentworth. On the morning of April 14, the 94th planned to fly its first combat sortie. Two of the pilots, Lt. Douglas Campbell and Lt. Alan Winslow were to keep a sharp lookout at the aeodrome for enemy fighters. Unfortunately the weather on the morning of the 14th was marginal with a heavy mist, and the mission was partially aborted. Later that morning two enemy aircraft buzzed the aerodrome, and Winslow and Campbell rushed to their waiting machines. Within a few minutes Alan Winslow had bagged a Hun, and shortly thereafter Campbell was successful at downing the other aircraft. Both enemy machines fell right on the doorstep of the aerodrome. These were the first two enemy aircraft downed by pilots flying for the American Air Service. It appears that the enemy pilots became disoriented in the bad weather and mistook the 94ths aerodrome for their own. This double victory for the Americans brought joy to the members of the American Air Service and to the local inhabitants would had withstood unopposed attacks by enemy aircraft. The young Winslow, who received the Croix de Guerre, wrote his parents a letter on April 17, 1918 describing the incident and all the commotion made thereafter, in which he indicated that the 14th of April was the, happiest day of my life. Cables poured in from all across the United States, and as Eddie Rickenbacker pointed out in his Fighting the Flying Circus, It was particularly fortunate for the squadron that such an extraordinary success should have marked the very first day of our operations ..... the episode put great confidence into all of us and we felt that we were a match for the whole German Air Force. Something to Write Home About by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0001
World War I was the first major conflict in which the airplane became a practical instrument of war. However, because of the slow speeds, small armaments, limited fuel capacities and light weights of these aircraft many pilots survived being shot down many times. These were the glory days for early aviators with pilots from both sides having tremendous status amongst both their peers and their adversaries. In Gotcha, Stan Stokes has captured the camaraderie and good sportsmanship shown by the military pilots of the time. In a beautiful scene Stokes shows the downed German aviator dripping from the unscheduled bath just inflicted upon him, as a Spad piloted by Eddie Rickenbacker, Americas top ranking ace, passes overhead for a last look. Steam is rising from the engine of the downed Fokker D VII, which was arguably one of the finest fighter planes of World War I. About 700 Fokker D VIIs were produced during the War, and the aircraft was capable of speeds of 125 MPH with a range of 134 Miles. The D VII was constructed with welded tubing and was fabric covered. Most variants were armed with two 7.9 mm machine guns. Rickenbacker, as a very young man, was involved in automobile racing and engineering, and in 1914 he set a worlds speed record of 134 MPH in a Blitzen-Benz racer. Rickenbacker was in England when WW I began, and while there he became interested in Britains progress in aviation. Returning to the States Rickenbacker figured that his expertise in driving race cars should make him a great pilot, but the best he could do was get himself assigned as General Pershings personal chauffeur. In August 1917 Rickenbacker finally got his wish and was transferred to the Army Air Corp, and by 1918 he was assigned to combat duty. Although bothered by an ear infection which led to his hospitalization in Paris for two months in 1918, Rickenbackers achievements were impressive. In the month of October 1918 alone, he was credited with ten kills, Rickenbacker is pictured by Stokes flying a Spad S.13 which was the best French-built fighter of the War. The S.13 was produced in large numbers (8,472) and was capable of 138 MPH with a range of 250 miles. The Spad S.13 was armed with twin 0.303 inch machine guns. Rickenbackers squadron was nicknamed the Hat in the Ring gang. After the War Rickenbacker had a very successful business career, and he served as Chairman of Eastern Airlines. Gotcha by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0006
Edward V. Rickenbacker was Americas Ace of Aces in WWI. A Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Eddie was born in Columbus Ohio on October 8, 1890. Eddies schooling ceased at age twelve when his father died. His first job was working at a foundry 72 hours a week for $3.50 per week. Eventually Eddie found employment in a garage, a job which was to have a tremendous influence on his entire life. Rickenbacker studied engineering through a correspondence school, and at age 18 he was employed to road test automobiles for the then famous Frayer-Miller company. Eddie drove in three Indy 500 races, and was deemed a conservative but highly skilled driver. By his early twenties Eddie was making about $40,000 a year, and in 1916 he visited England and was caught up in the spirit of the war, and in particular all activity relating to the Royal Flying Corps. A year later Rickenbacker had enlisted, hoping to become an American flyer. Unfortunately, he was assigned to General Pressings staff as a driver. After much persistence Eddie was finally given a transfer to the embryonic American Aviation Service, thanks to the influence of Billy Mitchell. Rickenbacker trained at Issoudun in France, and his flying demonstrated his amazing ability to judge both speed and distance. Because of his great mechanical ability, Rickenbackers superiors thought he would be more valuable in a ground maintenance capacity than as a flyer. Finally, Eddie got his wish and was sent to Cazeau where he received his air gunnery training. In March of 1918 Eddie was posted to the 94th (Hat-in-the-Ring) Pursuit Squadron which was based at Villeneuve. This new squadron was being organized around Major Raoul Luftbery, the famous American ace who had flown with the Lafayette Escadrille. Eddies flying was marked by an almost scientific approach, making every turn or maneuver gain some advantage over his adversary. Rickenbackers score rose steadily and he helped push the 94th to the highest score of any American squadron. Rickenbacker received numerous decorations including The Distinguished Service Cross with nine Oak Leaves, the French Legion of Honor, and the Croix de Guerre with four Palms. Eddies record of 26 confirmed aerial victories was achieved in a few short months of flying. Eddie also was never injured during his battles in the skies over France. Captain Eddie, as he was known to most Americans, was promoted to Major prior to leaving the service, but Eddies midwestern mentality prevented from using a title he didnt feel he had earned. Following the war Rickenbacker had a very successful business career which included formation of his own automobile company, ownership of the Indianapolis Raceway, and the purchase of Eastern Air Lines from General Motors. Eddie survived a terrible crash of an Eastern Air Lines DC-3, and also survived a 24-day unplanned voyage in a life raft, when his aircraft crashed in the Pacific. During WWII Eddie performed a number of diplomatic missions for the U.S. government, and he was an outspoken proponent of a unified and strong air force. Rickenbacker is unarguably one of the most important figures in aviation history. Rickenbacker: American Ace of Aces by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0015
The fledgling air forces of WW I had no problem finding volunteers for a life promising adventure, romance, and a chance for immortality. The glamorized version of life as a WW I aviator, while not far off the mark for national heroes like Max Immelmann, Oswold Boelcke, Charles Nungesser, Manfred von Richtofen, René Fonck and Billy Bishop, was only a pipe dream for most pilots. Honors accrued only to those with large victory totals, and impressive wins, and as the War dragged on, the chivalrous adventure became more and more unglamorous. In fact the Allied command discouraged the use of parachutes – believing it the pilots duty to stay with his aircraft. Many pilots did not return home. The average expected lifespan of a new combat pilot during WW I was about 5 weeks. The French suffered a 77 percent loss ratio during the War, and the loss ratios for many British squadrons exceeded 90% early in the War. The Great War had started only about ten years after the Wright Brothers first flight and the aircraft flown at the beginning of the War were very fragile and not yet truly suitable for combat. Flying accidents and malfunctions took an enormous toll on both equipment and pilots. Despite the frailties of the aircraft and the relative inexperience of the military as to their use in combat roles, an Italian staff officer named Giulio Douhet, way back in 1909 had laid down the fundamental strategies of future air combat. In order to conquer the air, it is necessary to deprive the enemy of all means of flying, by striking them in the air, at his bases of operation, or at his production centers. There were many lesser known heroes of WW I, and one of the little known American aces of WW I was 1st Lt. William P. Erwin of the 1st Aero Squadron USAS. Erwin flew the Salmson 2A2 depicted in Stan Stokes painting. Erwin would attain eight aerial victories in this type of aircraft, making him the leading ace in this type of aircraft. Erwin was born in Amarillo, Texas, but grew up in Chicago. He volunteered for pilot training at the beginning of Americas entry into the War. He was accepted and ultimately was sent to France Flying with Lt. D.H. Dahringer, the first in a succession of observers, he downed his first German aircraft in September 1917. He shot down a Rumpler two-seater a couple of weeks later, and in early October during a dawn patrol he claimed his third victory. He bagged two German 2-seaters on a late afternoon mission to become an ace. On October 15 he bagged an unspecified German aircraft and three days later he downed a Fokker D VII. He completed his tally with the downing of another 2-seater on October 22. Erwin earned the Distinguished Service Cross and the French Croix de Guerre. He continued to be involved with aviation following the War. He entered the Dole Air Race from Oakland to Hawaii, but his aircraft was lost over the Pacific. Dawn Patrol by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0019
Germany, concerned over the full brunt of Americas entry into the War, decided in 1918 to launch one last all-out offensive. Germanys air forces were to play an important role in this offensive, but production of new aircraft had lagged behind expectations. With insufficient numbers of aircraft, German military leaders had to hope for technically superior machines to offset their disadvantages in numbers. In early 1918 top aces were brought back from the front to test competing designs. The overall favorite was a Fokker design which would ultimately reach the front as the D.VII. The aircraft was ordered into production immediately. The Germans organized a couple more fighter groups which could be rapidly deployed in those area where they could do the most good. The German offensive, which is generally referred to as the Kaisers Battle, began in the Spring and was focused on the area north of the Somme. British forces were initially overwhelmed by the German offensive. German airpower dominated in the early phases of the offensive. For the first major counter offensive of the War in which American forces would play a major role, Col. Billy Mitchell, Chief of the Air Service, assembled a huge air armada, the objective of which was to wrest toal air superiority from the German forces. Mitchell assembled 28 American squadrons. More than 600 US-piloted aircraft were available to Mitchell in this sector including more than 100 new American-built DH-4s with Liberty engines. In addition Mitchell rested control of several hundred additional aircraft in British, French, and Italian squadrons. Mitchells total force amounted to nearly 1,500 aircraft – the largest air armada ever assembled. In the early days of the counter offensive Mitchells strategy worked brilliantly, as the sheer number of Allied aircraft overwhelmed the Germans. Later, as the fighting continued, the Germans would have some success; especially with their Fokker D. VIIs. In Stan Stokes painting DH-4 bombers of the US 11th Aero Squadron come under attack by Fokker D.VIIs while on their way to another target during the St. Mihiel offensive. The 11th Aero Squadron would be decimated before the end of the offensive, losing all but one its aircraft. Five of the six DH-4s sent to bomb Mars-la-Tour were downed by a flight led by Hermann Becker, a significant German ace. The American built DH-4 was capable of carrying a 450-pound bomb load. Powered with a 416-HP Liberty 12 engine, these aircraft were capable of 125 MPH, and were adequately armed with 4 machine guns. The Fokker D. VIIs were powered with a 175-HP Mercedes engine and were capable of 119 MPH. The Fokkers were typically armed with twin Spandau machine guns. Mitchells Air Armada by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0020
Col. John D. Landers, the pilot of the Big Beautiful Doll, was born in 1920 in Wilson, Oklahoma. He attended Texas A & M and Arkansas State University before joining the Army Air Corp. In March of 1941 Landers graduated from aviation cadet training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. With America thrust into WWII following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Landers was assigned to the 49th Fighter Group and set forth to Australia. Flying a Curtis P-40 out of bases in Darwin and Port Moresby, Landers became an ace by downing two Betty bombers and four Mitsubishi Zeros. When his first combat tour ended, Landers returned to the States as a P-38 Lightning instructor. During a second combat tour Landers was assigned to the European Theatre as Commander of the 38th Fighter Squadron of the 55th Fighter Group. On June 25th 1944 Landers downed his first German aircraft, an Fw190. Several days later he would bag three Me110s on a single day. Later in 1944 Landers was made acting Commander of the 357th Fighter Group. Flying a P-51 Mustang for the first time he obtained an aerial victory on November 18th. Landers returned to America for a brief rest following completion of his second combat tour. However, by January of 1945 he was back in action as C.O. of the 78th Fighter Group which flew out of Duxford, England. Landers attained 3 ½ additional confirmed aerial victories and destroyed many additional enemy aircraft on the ground. In fact the 78th Fighter Group destroyed 125 German aircraft on the ground on April 16th 1945, which is a record for one day. After V.E. Day Landers was given command of the 361st Fighter Group which he was preparing to take to the Pacific when the war ended. Officially credited with 14 ½ aerial victories, Landers decorations include the Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three OLCs, the Purple Heart, the Croix de Guerre, and the Air Medal with twenty-one OLCs. The ace returned to civilian life after the war where he was active in the pipeline business in the Southwest. He retired in 1975, and passed away in 1989 from complications during surgery. The P-51 Mustang played a major role in the Allied victory in WWII. The P-51 was the first fighter with the range to accompany bombers into Germany, and tangle with the best of the Luftwaffes fighters on an equal basis. Many Mustangs carried unique personalized paint schemes. The Big Beautiful Doll is considered by many to be one of the classics with its checker board cowling, black rudder, and red accents. Big Beautiful Doll by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0025
In 1936 the Lockheed Aircraft Company won a contract to produce a high altitude interceptor for the USAAC. This contract was won despite the fact that the company had been nearly bankrupt in 1932, and had never produced a fighter aircraft. Mr. Kelly Johnson, Lockheeds chief designer on the project, settled on a design incorporating a twin engine scheme utilizing twin booms to house the aircrafts supercharged engines, and a central nacelle which housed the pilot and all the armament. Despite an unfortunate crash of the prototype, the USAAC was impressed with the aircraft, and a production order was placed for the first P-38 Lightnings. The P-38 was to prove to be one of Americas top fighters of WW II. The Lightning was fast, very heavily armed, had excellent range, and a great rate of climb. The aircraft was capable of flying with only one engine, and this proved advantageous in improving long range reliability. The two most effective models were the J and the L, of which more than 6,000 were produced. One early technical problem with the aircraft was the loss of control during high speed dives when the aircraft obtained speeds approximating 500 MPH. This problem was ultimately solved by the addition of a dive flap beneath the spar to offset a nose down tendency during such dives. Nicknamed the twin tailed devil by the Germans, the P-38 saw a lot of action in the Pacific where its great range was a more important asset. Americas two top aces of the War were P-38 pilots serving with the Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific. Major Richard Bong was a soft spoken Wisconsin native who achieved 40 confirmed victories, but was killed on August 6, 1945 while testing a P-80 jet over Southern California. On July 26, 1943 Bong achieved four victories on a single mission. Thomas McGuire was born in New Jersey, and enlisted in the Army as an aviation cadet in 1941. Between August 1943 and January 1945 McGuire was credited with 38 victories. McGuire and Bong flew together in combat on many occasions. On December 7, 1944 both Bong and McGuire chalked up two kills during a mission over Ormoc Bay. McGuire was ultimately killed in combat in early 1945 when he stalled his P-38 prior to an engagement with the enemy. Both of these gentlemen received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and both flew aircraft named after women who would become their wives. The print depicts both Bong and McGuire over the Southwest Pacific in 1944. Bongs Marge is in the foreground, with McGuires Pudgy off his wing. A Pair of Aces by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0026
On September 18, 1944 P-51 pilots of the 375th Fighter Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group, based at Little Walden in Essex, were assigned the mission of escorting B-17s on a shuttle mission to Russia. The Mustangs would accompany the bombers to the south of Sweden where they would be picked up by an escort of Russian fighters. Urban Drew, flying a 51-D named Detroit Miss, was one of the USAAF pilots on this mission. Just before breaking off the escort Drew spotted a twin-engine German aircraft flying very low to the water. He broke off with two wingman and went down after the German plane. It turned out to be an He-111, most likely a courier plane from Scandinavia. He opened fire hitting the top gun position, circled around, and with his second burst set the aircraft afire. It tumbled into the Baltic. As Drew and his two wingman climbed back to altitude to rejoin their flight, he looked off to the right and spotted an enormous flying boat moored at a sea plane base on a lake. Drew called to his wingman and said, get lined astern immediately, and we will make one pass, and one pass only... lets see if we can burn and sink this mother. The three Mustangs commenced their attack with the element of surprise to their advantage. The three Mustangs poured about 1200 rounds of 50 caliber ammo into the behemoth, and as the third aircraft pulled up black smoke and flames were pouring from the target. It was not until that moment that anti-aircraft batteries opened fire, but the P-51s were quickly out of range. During the debriefing it was determined that their target was probably a Blohm and Voss BV-222. Years later, in 1974, while Drew was living in London, he was contacted by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) which wanted to do a documentary. It was only then that Drew found out that the aircraft he destroyed at the Bug Seaplane Base on Lake Schaal was actually the BV-238, the largest aircraft to see service in WW II. Development work on the Blohm and Voss BV-238 began in 1940. This was planned to be a very large overseas transport aircraft, and was powered by six 1900-HP Daimler-Benz inverted V-12 engines. It would be considerably larger than the BV-222 with a wingspan of nearly 200 feet, a height of nearly 44 feet, and an empty weight of more than 110,000 pounds. Although two other aircraft, the Douglas B-19 and the Soviet ANT.20, had longer wingspans, the BV-238 was the heaviest and most powerful aircraft developed during WW II. It was during the testing phase of this aircraft at Lake Schall in 1944 that the BV-238 was strafed and destroyed by a flight of three P-51s lead by Eighth Air Force ace Urban Drew. A Big Victory by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0027
Alexander Kartveli was a engineer with Seversky Aircraft who designed the P-35, which first flew in 1937. With Republic Aviation Kartveli supervised the development of the P-43 Lancer. Neither of these aircraft were produced in large numbers, and neither was quite successful. However, the Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt, also nicknamed the Jug, was quite a different story. The Jug was the jewel in Kartvelis design crown, and went on to become one of the most produced fighter aircraft of all time with 15,683 being manufactured. The P-47 was the largest and heaviest single seat fighter of WW II. The P-47 immediately demonstrated its excellent combat qualities, including speed, rate of climb, maneuverability, heavy fire power, and the ability to take a lot of punishment. With a wingspan of more than 40 feet and a weight of 19,400 pounds, this large aircraft was designed around the powerful 2000 HP Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. The first P-47 prototype flew in May of 1941, and the primary variant the P-47D went into service in 1943 with units of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The Jug had a maximum speed in excess of 400 MPH, a service ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet, and was heavily armed with either six or eight heavy caliber machine guns. With its ability to carry up to a 2,500 pound bomb load, the Jug saw lots of use in ground attack roles. Until the introduction of the N model, the P-47 lacked the long range required for fighter escort missions which were most often relegated to P-51 Mustangs or P-38 Lightnings. In his outstanding painting entitled Bridge Busting Jugs, noted aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts Eighth Air Force Jugs in a ground attack mission in the Alps in June of 1944. The top P-47 ace was Francis Gabreski who had flown with the 56th Fighter Group, the first unit to be equipped with the P-47. In August of 1943 Gabreski attained his first aerial combat victory (over an Fw-190) and by years end he had reached ace status with 8 confirmed victories. As Commander of the 61st Squadron, Gabreski continued to chalk up victory after victory, and on seven different occasions he achieved two victories during the same mission. However, in July of 1944 Gabreski damaged the prop on his Jug during a low level attack on an airfield near Coblenz. Forced to make a crash landing, he was captured and remained a prisoner of war until Wars end in 1945. Following the War Gabreski returned to military service with the Air Forces 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea. Flying the F-86 Sabre Jet, Gabreski attained 6.5 more aerial victories in 1951 and 1952 becoming an ace in two different wars. Bridge Busting Jugs by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0028
Chuck Older was born in California in 1914. He graduated from UCLA and entered the U.S. Marine Corps. in 1940. He earned his wings as an aviation cadet, and was assigned to VNIF-1. In mid-1941, anxious to see some action, Chuck resigned his USNIC commission and joined Claire Chennaults American Volunteer Group. He was assigned to the 3rd Pursuit Squadron Hells Angels and experienced his first combat in December of 1941. In the first two combat missions he flew on December 23 and December 25, 1941, Older would be credited with downing five Japanese aircraft becoming one of the first two AVG aces. He bagged four more enemy aircraft prior to mid-1942 when the AVG was disbanded. In mid-1942 Older returned to the States and accepted a commission with the USAAF. He commanded a P-38 squadron for a time, and in 1944, having been promoted to Major, he was sent back to China to serve once again with General Claire Chennault, this time with the 14th Air Force. Chuck served as Deputy Commander and Group Operations Officer for the 23rd Fighter Group. Flying P-5 Is for the first time, he downed as Oscar over Yochow on July 28, 1944. Promoted to Lt. Colonel, Older would down four more aircraft in December including three more Oscars and a Lilly. In January of 1945, Older bagged three different types of enemy aircraft on a single mission, including a Sonia, a Betty, and a Tess on the outskirts of Shanghai. His attack on the Sonia is depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Triple Dates With Destiny. Some artistic license has been utilized in the depiction. The artist has chosen to depict in the scene Olders regular aircraft, rather than the borrowed one he actually flew on the mission. Chucks regular mount had actually been destroyed the day before during a ground attack . Later, Older would lead the first attack on Shanghai with a flight of sixteen Mustangs. This successful mission caught the Japanese by surprise, and resulted in the destruction of more than seventy aircraft on the ground and five more in the air. Following the War, with a total of 18.25 aerial victories, Older left the Air Force. He earned a Law Degree from the University of Southern California, and entered the law profession. In 1952 he was recalled for the Korean War, and served with the 352nd Bomb Group based in Japan. He returned home and practiced law for fifteen years before Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him to the bench, as a Judge of the Superior Court in Los Angeles. Judge Older served the court for twenty years hearing both criminal and civil cases. He presided over the highly publicized Charles Manson murder case. Chuck retired from the bench in 1987 and continues to live in Los Angeles. His numerous decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the Chinese Air Force Medal and the Order of the Cloud Banner. In 1996, the USAF honored Older and other AVG members, and Chuck received the USAF Distinguished Flying Cross for his service with the AVG. Triple Dates With Destiny by Stan Stokes. Click For Details STK0029