Description
This outstanding piece is already one of Robert Taylor’s most iconic and sought after prints but this piece is possibly the ultimate in Aviation art collecting:
August 17th, 1943 saw one of the most remarkable and cleverly conceived air strikes in history. Led by the brilliant strategist Colonel Curtis LeMay, 147 B-17s of the American 8th Air Force’s 4th Wing headed out from their British bases to bomb the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg, some 750 miles distant, with a brief to fly on to North Africa. Meanwhile, 230 B-17s of the 1st Wing headed for the bearing factories at Schweinfurt. Having such vital targets, the crews of the mighty 8th knew they were in for a fight. What they got that day was one of the fiercest air battles of the war.
This impressive painting reconstructs the scene as badly damaged B-17s of the 91st and 381st Bomb Group, which suffered most casualties, battle their way home over the Antwerp area of Holland. A Messerschmitt Me109 makes a high speed attack, while above, another prepares to dive through the formation.
High above, now out of ammunition and low on fuel but with 17 confirmed victories, Hub Zemke’s 56th Fighter Group P-47s contrail their way out of the area. Meanwhile, Johnnie Johnson takes up the fight, diving his Spitfires into the fray as the RAF take up where the 56th left off.
THE MULTI-SIGNED PRINT
After it was first published in 1990 this copy was kept aside by Robert Taylor’s Publisher, and subsequently brought to many official Military Gallery signing events to be additionally autographed by US Airmen. Over a period of almost 30 years it has accumulated a truly astonishing number of autographs: a combination of fighter pilots with almost 770 victories between them, Bomber Crew from some of the most famous historical raids, and no less that eleven recipients of the Medal of Honor:
THE SIGNATURES
Generalleutnant ADOLF GALLAND Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Swords & Diamonds / 104 victories
Air Vice Marshal J.E ‘JOHNNIE’ JOHNSON CB CBE DSO** DFC* – Spitfire Ace with 19 & 616 Sqns / highest scoring Allied Western Ace, 38 victories
Colonel HUBERT ‘HUB’ ZEMKE – Leader of the 56th FG (Zemke’s Wolfpack) / 17 ¾ victories
General CURTIS LEMAY – Developed and led the Strategic bombing campaign against Japan
Colonel DONALD ‘DON’ BLAKESLEE – Mustang Ace & Leader of the 4th FG / 14 ½ victories
Colonel FRANCIS ‘GABBY’ GABRESKI – 56th FG (Wolfpack), 4th, 51st FIW P-47 Ace/ 34 ¼ victories
Lieutenant Colonel ROBERT S. JOHNSON – 56th FG (Wolfpack) P-47 Ace / 27 victories
Colonel WALKER ‘BUD’ MAHURIN – 56th FG (Wolfpack) P-47 Ace/ 24 ¼ victories
Captain JIM BROOKS – 31st FG Mustang Ace/ 13 victories
Colonel JIM SWETT Medal of Honor – USMC Wildcat Ace / 15 ½ victories
Lieutenant DANIEL CUNNINGHAM – USN VF-17 Corsair Ace / 7 victories
Colonel JEFFERSON DE BLANC Medal of Honor – USMC VMF-112 Wildcat Ace / 9 victories
Brigadier General ROBERT “BOB” GALER Medal of Honor – USMC VMF-224 Wildcat Ace / 13 victories
Lieutenant ROGER AMES – P-38 Pilot / Flew the Yamamoto mission
Colonel ROBERT K ‘BOB’ MORGAN – 91st BG / Pilot of the Memphis Belle
Lieutenant Colonel KEN WALSH Medal of Honor – USMC VMF-124 Corsair Ace / 21 victories
Brigadier General JOSEPH ‘JOE’ FOSS Medal of Honor – USMC Wildcat Ace / 26 victories
Colonel ALBERT J SHOWER – Commander of 467th BG
Major RICHARD ‘BUD/PETE’ PETERSON – 357th FG, Mustang Ace / 15 ½ victories
Lieutenant General KEITH KARL COMPTON – 376th BG Pilot / Led Operation Tidal Wave
Major General FREDERICK ‘BOOTS’ BLESSE – 413th FG / 10 victories, 9 of which were MiG-15s
Major General RAMSEY POTTS – 93rd BG Pilot / Ploesti Raid
Major General PHILIP ARDERY – 389th Bomb Group / Command Pilot on Ploesti Raid
Commander ALEX VRACIU – VF6 USN Hellcat Ace / 19 victories
Captain RICHARD ‘ZEKE’ CORMIER – VF80 Hellcat Ace / 10 victories
Captain DONALD ‘FLASH’ GORDON – VF-10 USN Wildcat Ace / 7 victories
Lieutenant RALPH YAUSSI – USNR Helldiver Pilot / Attacked the Japanese carrier fleet in the ‘Mission Beyond Darkness’
Lieutenant Colonel CHARLES ‘CHUCK’ OLDER – AVG Flying Tigers / 10 victories
Brigadier General DAVID ‘TEX’ HILL – AVG Flying Tigers / 18 ¼ victories
Flight Leader JOHN R. ‘DICK’ ROSSI – AVG Flying Tigers / 6 ¼ victories
Lieutenant Colonel CLYDE EAST – 10th Photo Recon Group / 14 ½ victories
Lieutenant NATHAN GORDON Medal of Honor – VP-34 “Black Cats” Pilot
Lieutenant Colonel DONALD CUMMINGS – 38th FG Mustang Ace / 6 ½ victories including 2 jets
Major WILLIAM CAMERON – 67th Bomb Squadron
First Lieutenant RICHARD ‘DICK’ BUTLER – 44th BG / Flew in the Ploesti Raid
Major General CARROL ‘RED’ McCOLPIN – 71, 133 Sqn RAF, 404th FG/ 12 victories
Lieutenant Colonel BOB GOEBEL – 31st FG Mustang Ace/ 11 victories
Captain JOHN ‘TOMMY’ BLACKBURN – VF-17 “Jolly Rogers” / 11 victories
Rear Admiral ROGER HEDRICK – VF-17 “Jolly Rogers” / 12 victories
Lieutenant TOM ‘TK’ KILLEFER – VF-17 “Jolly Rogers” / 4 victories
Colonel JAMES GOODSON – 4th & 31st Fighter Groups / 15 victories
Captain DELTON GOERKE – USMC 339th / Flew the Yamamoto mission
Colonel REX BARBER – USMC 339th / 5 victories, including Yamamoto
Colonel ROBERT ‘BOB’ GATES – Commander of 88th Troop Carrier Squadron
Flight Officer MILES WAGNER – Waco Glider pilot on D-Day with the 434th Troop Carrier Group
Colonel WILLIAM KING – P-51 pilot on D-Day with the 354th FG / 5 victories
Major General DONALD STRAIT – 356th FG, Thunderbolt and Mustang Ace / 13 ½ victories
Colonel JERRY D. COLLINSWORTH – 31st FG / 6 victories, one of the rare American Spitfire Aces
Major ROBERT M BARKEY – 325th FG Mustang Ace / 5 victories
Lieutenant Colonel JAY ZEAMER Jr Medal of Honor – 43rd Bomb Group, B-17 pilot
Master Sergeant HENRY ‘RED’ ERWIN Medal of Honor – 29th BG / B-29 Radio Operator
Brigadier General HENRY HUGLIN – Commanded the 9th BG, flew 17 missions to Japan in a B-29
Lieutenant Colonel LOUIS KITTEL – USMC 339th P-38 Ace/ 5 victories, flew the Yamamoto mission
Captain STANLEY ‘SWEDE’ VEJTASA – USN VS-5 Wildcat Ace / 10 ¼ victories
Captain BEN PRESTON – USN BS-5 Dauntless Pilot/ Battle of the Coral Sea
Commander JOE RILEY – USN VB-2 Dauntless Pilot / On board the Lexington as she sank
Captain BILL CHRISTIE – USN VB-5 / Battles of Coral Sea and Midway
Commander HAROLD BUELL – USN VS-5 Dauntless Pilot / Battle of the Coral Sea
Captain ARTHUR SCHULTZ – USN VS-2 Dauntless Pilot / Battle of the Coral Sea
Lieutenant Commander DICK BEST – VB-6 Dauntless Pilot/ Battle of the Coral Sea & flew escort for the Doolittle Raid, featured in the 2019 Midway movie
Captain LAWRENCE G. ‘LINK’ TRAYNOR – USN Dauntless Pilot / Battle of the Coral Sea
Commander HARRY A. FREDRICKSON – USN VB-5 Dauntless Pilot / Battle of the Coral Sea
Captain ROBERT ELDER – USN Dauntless Pilot / Took part in all major naval air carrier engagements
Colonel RICHARD “DICK” WILLSIE – 82nd FG P-38 Pilot / 3 victories
Aviation Machinist Mate JOHN BRATELY – Mechanic on Nathan Catalina PBY
Lieutenant Colonel JOHN F. BOLT – VMF-224 / 12 victories – 6 in WWII and 6 in Korea
Brigadier General JOHN ADAMS BROOKS – 389th BG / 2 victories in a P-51
Colonel CHARLES E. HUGHES – 44th BG / Flew in the Ploesti Raid
Lieutenant Colonel EDWARD S. MICHAEL Medal of Honor – 305th BG, B-17 Pilot
Colonel WILLIAM “BILL” LAWLEY Medal of Honor – 305th BG
Commander HAMILTON “MAC” MCWHORTER – VF-12 the first Hellcat Ace / 12 victories
Lieutenant Colonel ROGER J AMES – USMC 339th / Flew the Yamamoto mission
Lieutenant Colonel DOUG CANNING – USMC 339th / Flew the Yamamoto mission
Captain LARRY GRAEBENER – USMC 12th Squadron / Flew the Yamamoto mission
Lieutenant Colonel EDWIN L. HELLER – 352nd FG Thunderbolt Ace / 9 victories, 3 ½ of which were in Korea
Colonel ROBERT BALDWIN – 51st Fighter-Interceptor Group, Korea / 5 victories in a F-86 Sabre
Captain ARMISTEAD “CHICK” SMITH – USN VF-9 / 11 victories
Colonel ROLAND SCOTT – 332nd BG / Led the first zero altitude B-26 attack
General PAUL DOUGLAS – 368th FG Thunderbolt Ace / 8 victories
General JAMES E. HILL – 365th FG Thunderbolt Ace/ 6 victories, one of which in a F-80
Major General JOHN MOENCH – 323rd BG / 62 combat missions in B-26 Marauder
Colonel JOSEPH MATTE – 362nd FG Thunderbolt Ace / 5 victories
Colonel ASHLEY WOOLRIDGE – 319th, 320th BG / 106 missions in B-26
Lieutenant Colonel RICHARD T. HEADRICK – 96th BG / 96 B-17 missions without losing a crew member
Colonel DAVID LITSINGER – 351st BG / 27 combat missions in a B-17
Lieutenant Colonel JIM BARKER – 509th, 34th BG / 35 combat missions in a B-17
First Lieutenant “L.A.” MITCHELL – 401st BG / 29 combat missions in a B-17
Colonel ARCHIE DONAHUE – USMC Wildcat Ace / 14 victories, including five in one day
Lieutenant Colonel A. ROGER CONANT – VMF-215 Corsair Ace / 6 victories
Major URBAN “BEN” DREW – 361st FG Mustang Ace / 6 victories, including 2 Me262s in a single mission
Colonel DUERR J. SCHUH – 352nd FG Mustang Ace / 5 victories
Captain ROBERT P WINKS – 357th FG Mustang Ace / 5 ½ victories
Colonel WILBUR R. SCHEIBLE – 356th FG Thunderbolt Ace / 6 victories
Colonel ROBERT SIMPSON – 11th BG /, flew in Pacific and European theaters
Colonel GEORGE P. BIRDSONG – 91st BG, 633rd Special Operations Wing / Flew in WWII, Korea and Vietnam
Captain VERNON L. GRIM – 92nd BG / Flew 32 missions
Captain JAMES A. MYL – 351st BG / Completed his tour in just 72 operational days
Major General WILLIAM H. BRANDON – 44th BG / Flew the Ploesti Raid
Major GRIFFITH P. WILLIAMS – 17th BG, 319th BG / Co-pilot on the Doolittle Raid
Captain ROYDEN STORK – 17th BG / Co-pilot on the Doolittle Raid
Lieutenant Colonel DONALD LOPEZ – 23rd FG Flying Tigers / 5 victories
Colonel EDWARD “ED” RECTOR – 23rd FG Flying Tigers/ 10 ½ victories
Colonel ARTHUR C. “ART” FIEDLER – 325th FG Mustang Ace / 8 victories
Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM J. “DIXIE” SLOAN – 82nd FG P-38 Ace / 12 victories
Brigadier General WILTZ “FLASH” SEGURA – 23rd FG Flying Tigers / 6 victories
Colonel JOHN W. MITCHELL – USMC 347th FG / 16 victories across 2 wars
Major JULIUS “JACK” JACOBSON – USMC 347th FG / Flew Yamamoto mission
Colonel ROYCE W. “DEACON” PRIEST – 355th FG Mustang Ace / 5 victories
Lieutenant Colonel JAMES D. FLETCHER – 91st BG / 32 missions in B-17
Major ROBERT STERNFELS – 98th BG / Flew the Ploesti Raid
Lieutenant Colonel JOSEPH A. DOBROWOLSKI – 367th FG / Flew P-38 throughout D-Day
First Lieutenant ROBERT C. MILLIKEN – 474th FG P-38 Ace / 5 victories
Captain LARRY “SCRAPPY” BLUMER – 393rd Fighter Squadron / 7 victories
Air Gunner JAMES CURRY – VB-2 / Battle of the Philippine Sea, Invasion of the Marianas
Colonel ROBERT BRUCE PORTER USMC / 5 victories
Staff Sergeant ROBERT E. ALTMAN – 19th BG / Belly gunner for Colin Kelly
Captain RICHARD G BRALEY – 4th FG / Flew strafing missions to destroy trains and bridges
Master Sergeant JAMES E. HALKYARD – 19th BG / Right waist gunner for Colin Kelly
Colonel ROBERT M. BAKER – USMC Corsair Ace / 7 victories
Major General ROBERT E. LANDRY – Commanding Officer of the 56th FG
Major CLIFF PETERSON – 392nd BG / Took part in historic raids before becoming a POW
Colonel CLARENCE “BUD” ANDERSON – 357th Fighter Group / 16 ¼ victories
Colonel SID HARWELL – C-47 Dakota pilot on D-Day with the 87th Troop Carrier Sqn
Colonel REX BARBER – USMC 339th / 5 victories, including Yamamoto
Captain WARREN EMERSON – 354th FG Mustang Ace / 6 victories
Captain CLAYTON KELLY GROSS – 354th FG Mustang Ace / 6 victories
Colonel MAURICE LONG – 354th FG Mustang Ace / 8 ½ victories
Colonel PAUL CONGER – 57th FG Thunderbolt Ace / 11 ½ victories
Lieutenant Colonel CHARLES RALPH FISCHETTE – 31st FG Ace / 5 victories
Colonel JOHN H. PAULK – 31st FG Mustang pilot / 4 victories
Colonel RAY BRASHEAR – 499th BG / 35 combat missions in B-29
Lieutenant CHESTER MARSHALL – 499th BG / Flew the first B-29 raid on Tokyo
Brigadier General THOMAS L. HAYES – 357th FG Mustang Ace/ 8 ½ victories
Captain WILLIAM R. “OBEE” O’BRIEN – 357th FG Mustang Ace / 5 ½ victories
Colonel WILLIAM J. CAVOLI – 345th BG / Flew the B-25 in the Pacific
Captain ROBERT E. LEWIS – 345th BG / Co-pilot of the Enola Gay
Major General JOHN ALISON – 23rd FG Flying Tigers / 7 victories
Brigadier General EVERETT W. HOLSTROM – 17th BG / Pilot on the Doolittle Raid
Colonel HOWARD SESSLER – The Navigator and Bombardier on B-25 #15 which attacked Nagoya.
Vice Admiral JAMES STOCKDALE Medal of Honor – VF-51 / POW in Vietnam
Captain WYNN “HOOK” FOSTER – 163 combat missions in an A-4 over Vietnam
General DAVID L. GOLDFEIN – Air Chief of Staff, F-16s & F117 / Operation Desert Storm, Allied Force and more
Major General MICHAEL R. BOERA – Flew F-16s in Operation Desert Storm, Allied Force and more
Staff Sergeant ORLANDO “PETE” PETRILLO – 447th BG / Waist Gunner on B-17 “Bit O’ Lace”
Technical Sergeant NORMAN BUSSEL – 447th BG / Radio Operator on B-17 “Mississippi Lady”
Sergeant BYRON SCHLAG – 447th BG / Tail Gunner on B-17 “Ol Scrapiron”
Staff Sergeant DON SHERMAN – 447th BG / Ball-Turret Gunner on B-17 “Buddy Buddy”
Technical Sergeant JOHN C. BITZER – 447th BG / Pilot on B-17 “Maid to Please”
First Lieutenant FRANK FRISION – 447th BG / Bombardier on B-17 “Bouncin Baby”
Staff Sergeant JOHN H. OSBAHR – 447th BG / Ball Turret Gunner on B-17 “Bouncin’ Baby”
Colonel EDWARD A. DINGIVAN – 447th BG / Pilot on B-17 “Brass Wagon”
Colonel JACKSEL M. BROUGHTON – 4 combat tours in Korea & Vietnam, lead the Thunderbirds for 3 years
Lieutenant Colonel HAROLD W. BINGAMAN – Flew the F-105 with 355th TFW, Vietnam
Lieutenant Colonel MAX C. BRESTEL – First American to shoot down 2 MiGs in Vietnam in F-105
Colonel LEO K. THORSNESS Medal of Honor – Flew 92 ½ missions in a F-105 in Vietnam before being captured
Brigadier General ROBIN OLDS – 479th FG P-38 & Mustang Ace / 17 victories (including 4 in Vietnam)
Major DANIEL L. LAFFERTY – Flew F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam, shooting down a MiG
Lieutenant Colonel MARION H. HAVELAAR – 91st BG / Flew B-17s and B-29s in WWII and Korea
Colonel STEVE N. PISANOS – 4th FG Mustang Ace / 10 victories
Colonel HERSCHEL “HERKY” GREEN – 325th FG Mustang Ace / 18 victories
This already spectacular collectors piece has been conservation framed and matted with the original signatures of the following
General JAMES “JIMMY” DOOLITTLE (Medal of Honor) – Pilot, Crew #1 of the Doolittle Raid – Target Tokyo
Brigadier General CHARLES E. “CHUCK” YEAGER – 357th FG / 12 ½ victories
General BENJAMIN OLIVER DAVIS JR – 332nd FG / Organized and commanded the Tuskegee Airmen
Major “KIT” CARSON – 357th Fighter Group / 18 ½ victories
Major General MARION CARL – Wildcat Ace, first USMC Ace / 18 ½ victories
Colonel ART JEFFREY – 379th FG / 14 victories including the first allied jet kill
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