| Doolittle's
D-Day. Aviation art print by Aviation artist
Robert Taylor. Aviation art print 'Doolittle's D-Day' by Robert Taylor.
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 history's greatest military
operations. But General Jimmy Doollittle was no ordinary
commander. Already awarded America's 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 Doolittle's style. He was going
to see for himself what was happening! With Pat Partridge as
wingman, they took off flyinh 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 Force's
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 Eisenhower's headquarters to provide the first report
Eisenhower received, beating his own intelligence information by several
hours.
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©
Copyright |
Doolittle's D-Day, 6th
June 1944 by Robert Taylor
Image Size 32" x 16". Order Code RT313
Limited Edition of 500 signed prints with five signatures.
Price £195 ($295)
Portfolio Edition :
50 Portfolio Artist Proofs with six signatures. Also supplied
with 'Double Trouble' pencil drawing. Price £375 ($595)
25 Portfolio Remarques with six signatures. Also supplied with
'Double Trouble' pencil drawing. Price £525 ($850). |
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Pencil drawing 'Double Trouble' |
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Print titles signed by pilot :
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Colonel Hubert M. Childress Hubert Childress was
posted to England, joining the 27th Photo Recon Squadron, 7th Photographic
Group flying the F5 - a specially adapted photo-recon version of the P38
with cameras and no guns. Hubert flew his first combat mission on
New Year's Eve 1943, and was heavily involved in many reconnaissance
missions prior to D-Day. He also flew the Spitfire MkIXs on several
operations. He flew 58 combat missions and later commanded the 7th
Photographic Group (R)
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Print titles signed by pilot :
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Lt Colonel Frank D Hurlbut Frank Hurlbut joined
the National Guard in early 1940 before being activated following the
Japanese Attack at Pearl Harbor. He was posted to the 82nd Fighter
Group, 96th FS flying P38s in Europe. He became a P38 Ace on 10th
July 1943 during a notable fighter sweep in which his Group was credited
with 10 kills. Frank Hurlbut flew over 50 combat missions and scored
nine confirmed victories, all in Europe, making him the second highest Ace
in the 12th Air Force.
in Italy, in the summer of 1944, where he flew P38s with the 96th
FS. Attacking targets of opportunity and strafing trains, the
squadron escorted the heavy bombers that attacked aircraft
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Print titles signed by pilot :
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First Lieutenant Richard Ostronik Joining the
service at the end of 1942, Dick Ostronik was posted to the 82nd Fighter
Group in Italy, in the summer of 1944, where he flew P38s with the 96th
FS. Attacking targets of opportunity and strafing trains, the
squadron escorted the heavy bombers that attacked aircraft factories and
industrial targets, and flew defending photo reconnaissance missions -
once against a pair of Me262s. Dick flew over 30 combat missions,
finishing his stint in Europe in May 1945.
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Print titles signed by pilot :
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First Lieutenant Mel Roasvig Already in the
Reserves, Mel Roasvig was activated for full service in August 1941, and
was posted overseas to join the 97th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group,
by then operating in Italy. Flying the P38 Lightning in its main
role of bomber escort, he also took part in dive bombing operations in
Czechoslovakia, and hitting targets of opportunity, including strafing an
ammunition train which exploded, the debris seriously damaging his
aircraft.
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Print titles signed by pilot :
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Colonel Richard Willsie Joining up in 1942, Dick
Willsie was posted to North Africaq with the 414th Night Fighter Squadron,
where he flew 31 missions on the Beaufighter. He transferred to the
96th FS, 82nd Fighter Group, flying the P38 Lightning on 82 day missions
through to the end of hostilities in Europe. He notched up a large
number of ground attack victories as well as three aerial victories in his
P38 'Snake Eyes'. He later served in both Korea and Vietnam,
and retired in 1974.
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Print titles signed by pilot :
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Brigadier General Robin Olds
After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the
479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron. Based at
Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy
bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon
after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs. by early 1945
Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the
Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne
attack across the Rhine. At the end of World War II Robin Olds had
24.5 victories, of which 13 were in the air. Later in Vietnam Robin
Olds gained four more victories, flying F4 Phantoms. |
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