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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists Aviation Artists Stan Stokes

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Billy Shows Them by Stan Stokes. One edition. £35.00

The Kaisers Battle by Stan Stokes. 3 of 5 editions available. £35.00 - £400.00

Royal Navy Ace by Stan Stokes. 2 of 3 editions available. £35.00 - £145.00

Buffalo Ace by Stan Stokes. 3 editions. 2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature. £35.00 - £120.00

Lady Pioneer by Stan Stokes. 2 editions. £35.00 - £145.00

The Brothers Richthofen by Stan Stokes. 2 of 5 editions available. £35.00 - £145.00

A Pair of Famous Nines by Stan Stokes. 2 editions. £35.00 - £145.00

Antarctic Mayday by Stan Stokes. 3 editions. 2 of the 3 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures. £35.00 - £120.00

Vintage Mustangs by Stan Stokes. 2 of 4 editions available. The one edition featuring an additional signature is available. £120.00 - £400.00

Top Cover by Stan Stokes. 2 of 3 editions available. 1 of 2 editions featuring an additional signature are available. £45.00 - £120.00

Showtime at the Circus by Stan Stokes. 2 editions. £35.00 - £145.00

Bridge Busting Jugs by Stan Stokes. 3 editions. 2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature. £35.00 - £154.00

Angels and Knights by Stan Stokes. 3 of 4 editions available. All 2 editions featuring an additional signature are available. £35.00 - £120.00

The Air Pirate by Stan Stokes. One edition. £35.00

Those Nagging Mosquitoes by Stan Stokes. 3 editions. 2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature. £35.00 - £150.00

Sparrowhawks of the Macon by Stan Stokes. One edition. £35.00

Fateful Voyage by Stan Stokes. 2 editions. £35.00 - £145.00

Tahiti Clippers by Stan Stokes. 3 editions. 2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature. £35.00 - £120.00

Miracle in the Sand Dunes by Stan Stokes. 2 of 5 editions available. £35.00 - £130.00

Hobo Queens by Stan Stokes. 3 of 6 editions available. The one edition featuring an additional signature is available. £35.00 - £145.00

Flying Into a War by Stan Stokes. 4 of 5 editions available. All 2 editions featuring an additional signature are available. £35.00 - £145.00

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Text for the above items :

Billy Shows Them by Stan Stokes. In the period following WW I, Americas military spending was severely curtailed. The Air Service of the United States Army, which had performed admirably in the latter stages of the War, was treated like an unwanted child. The Air Service had detractors within the regular Army, the Navy, and the Naval Air Service. Rivalry between the Navy and Army was fierce during these times, and competition for the limited amount of funds available for defense spending further intensified matters. Brigadier General Billy Mitchell was one of the senior officers in the US Army Air Service. A veteran of WW I, Billy was an outspoken advocate of the Air Service. Mitchell requested permission to attempt to sink the German dreadnought Ostfriesland in a demonstration off the Virginia coast. The Navy was anxious to discredit the Air Service, and even within the Army itself there were many rooting against Mitchell. Mitchells commanding officer ordered him to attack the Ostfriesland from a minimum altitude of 5000 feet, and to utilize nothing greater than 1000 lb bombs. Mitchells first attempt was not successful, but on his second attempt on June 21, 1921 he disobeyed his direct orders and used 2,000 pounders dropped from low altitude. These bigger bombs shattered the hull plates of the German ship and she sank in about twenty minutes. This infuriated the Navy, which did not anticipate this result, and also resulted in Mitchell being demoted to Colonel. For the attack Mitchell utilized six Curtis MB-2 twin-engine bombers. The MB-2 was developed by Curtis in response to the Armys request in 1917 for a medium-range bomber superior to anything available at that time. The MB-1 first flew in 1918, and in 1919 an improved variant, the MB-2, took to the air. Following the crash of the USN airship Shenandoah, Mitchell publicly criticized Admiral Moffett, head of the Navys Air Service. He also strongly criticized senior Army officers due to the terrible safety record for the Air Service. These remarks lead to the much publicized court marshall of Billy Mitchell. Mitchell was found guilty and stripped of his rank, and suspended from duty for a period of five years. Despite this set back, Mitchell continued to lobby for both a safe and strong independent Air Force. He was convinced that the outcome of the next major world conflict would be determined by air power. Many of Mitchells ideas would ultimately be implemented, and he is generally acknowledged to be the Father of the modern American Air Force.

The Kaisers Battle by Stan Stokes. By the spring of 1918 WW I was fast approaching its climax. In the East, Russia had collapsed, allowing Germany to amass a force of 3.5 million troops in 194 divisions on the all-important Western Front. The German strategy was to end the War before the full brunt of American involvement could swing the balance irretrievably in favor of the Allies. In an offensive of titanic proportions, later known as the Kaisers Battle, German forces strove to break the three-and-a-half year stalemate in trench warfare. This massive offensive would combine the use of sturmtruppen trained to infiltrate Allied positions, massed artillery attacks, and finally schlachtstasffein which were formations of specialized ground attack aircraft. These units, while lacking the publicity of the fighter squadrons, played a more offensive role than any other aircraft of WW I. As part of German industrys Amerika Programm, begun in mid-1917 to counter the anticipated arrival of an American air armada, the Imperial German Air Force called for the development of a new light, compact, highly maneuverable, two-seat aircraft to be known as the CL class. These new aircraft were to be offensive machines to be used to escort bombers and strafe trenches. One of the most successful of the new class of aircraft was the Hannover CL IIIa. The Hannover, as a single-engined aircraft, was unique in having a biplane tail. Its purpose was to reduce the tailplane span, thereby affording a wider field of fire for the observer/gunner. For a two seat aircraft the CL IIIa was a smallish (38 foot wingspan) and compact aircraft, and was often mistaken by Allied scouts as a single seater, whereupon they were speedily disabused of their illusion by a hail of fire from the observers Parabellum machine-gun. The small size of this aircraft imparted great maneuverability and an excellent field of view for its pilot. Powered by an Argus As III engine, the Hannover also utilized a plywood fuselage, giving the aircraft great strength and the ability to withstand a lot of punishment. These characteristics made the CL IIIa an ideal ground attack aircraft. More than one thousand of these airplanes were built, and they entered service in late 1917. The Hannoveranas, as they were called by the RFC, were without doubt, formidable opponents. Major James McCudden, V.C., the RFCs fourth ranking ace with 57 victories, was to write: These machines are very deceptive and pilots are apt to mistake them for Albatros scouts until they get to close range, when up pops the Hun gunner from inside his office. Johann Baur, who later became the personal pilot of Adolf Hitler, flew Hannovers and claimed nine victories. In Stan Stokes dramatic depiction, a CL IIIa strafes counter-attacking British Mk IV tanks in a shell pocked landscape during the Spring offensive of 1918, Germanys supreme bid for victory in the West.

Royal Navy Ace by Stan Stokes. Tommy Sopwith was born in 1888. He became the second person to fly the English Channel, and he established the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1912. His first successful aircraft design was the Sopwith Tabloid. This was a very modern aircraft when introduced in 1913. With its top speed of 92-MPH the Tabloid won the 1914 Schneider Trophy race. Two other early Sopwith designs were the Bat Boat, one of the first flying boats flown by the Naval Wing, and the Three-Seater, a large observation aircraft. Sopwith proliferated many other designs during the Great War, including the Snipe, Pup, Dolphin, Salamander, Strutter, and Camel. Sopwiths triplane was introduced in 1917. It evolved from the need for an aircraft with a superior rate of climb. By reducing the length and width of the wings, and by adding a third wing, the desired results were achieved. The triplane was a sound design with good rate of climb and very good maneuverability. It was somewhat underpowered when compared with its German adversaries. It was powered with either a 110-HP or 130-HP Clerget engine. The Sopwith Triplane utilized a convention design with I-sections and longertrons made of spruce wood. The fabric was separated from the structural members by thin strips of spruce, and the forward section of the fuselage was covered with sheet aluminum. The Triplane had a steerable tailskid, and the undercarriage was built with streamlined steel tubing. This diminutive aircraft was 26 feet 6 inches in span and just under 19 feet in length. The maximum speed of the aircraft was 117-MPH; attainable at 5,000 feet altitude. With a service ceiling of 20,500 feet the Triplane had a maximum endurance of 90 minutes. Maneuverability was a hallmark of Sopwith designs and the triplane was no exception to this rule. Many Royal Naval Air Service pilots flew the Triplane. For most of 1917 the pilots of Navy 1, 8, and 10 squadrons in Flanders flew Triplanes. Sopwith also produced a 200-HP Hispano-Suiza powered triplane that had larger wings to compensate for the increased engine weight. More than 20,000 aircraft were built of Sopwith design prior to the companys merger with Hawker in 1933. Captain R.A. Little was the RNASs highest-scoring ace with a total of 47 victories. He had fifteen victories (Nos 22-36) that were attained while flying the Sopwith Triplane with No 8 Squadron RNAS between April 1917 and July 1917.

Buffalo Ace by Stan Stokes. The Brewster Aeronautical Corp. commenced development of the F2A Buffalo in 1936 in response to a US Navy request for a carrier-based fighter capable of 300 MPH. Development took place at the time when Grumman was also working on its first carrier-based fighter for the Navy. Utilizing an all-metal, mid-wing, monoplane design, the first Brewster Buffalo prototype flew in 1937. An initial order for fifty-four aircraft was placed in mid-1938. The F2A-1 utilized a 900-HP R-H20-34 radial engine, and was armed with four machine guns. Eleven of the aircraft from the first production order were assigned to VF-3, which was based at that time on the USS Saratoga. The remaining forty-three aircraft were sent to Finland, which was fighting off an invasion by the Soviet Union. In 1940 the F2A-2 variant entered production utilizing a more powerful 1200-HP engine. Capable of 323-MPH, orders for three hundred additional aircraft were obtained, including 170 from the RAF, which at that time was in the midst of the Battle of Britain.. The Brits found the Buffalo very ineffective, and not capable of dog fighting with the faster and highly maneuverable Bf-109s it faced. The British withdrew the Buffalo from front line service, sending most of its aircraft to units in the Far East, where the Buffalo would later play a role in defending Java, Burma, Manila, and Singapore. Meanwhile the US Navy was becoming disenchanted with the aircraft due to weakness in its landing gear, and its minimal armor plating. Nonetheless, the Buffalo was one of the front line fighters the United States had in its arsenal when America entered WW II on December 7, 1941. During the only serious combat in which the Buffalo was flown by US forces, VMF-221 lost 18 of its 25 F2As during the Battle of Midway. The Buffalo proved to be no match for the faster and highly maneuverable Mitsubishi Zeroes flown by the Imperial Navy. Despite its lack luster reputation, the Buffalo was utilized effectively by the Finnish Air Force in fighting the Soviets. Some of this success is no doubt due to the relative lack of combat experience by many of the Soviet pilots, the fact that the Soviets had stuck with bi-plane fighter designs longer than other countries, and the fact that Finland had some excellent pilots of their own. The top Finnish ace, Eino Juutilainen, attained thirty-three of his incredible ninety-four victories while flying the Brewster Buffalo. Several of his victories were obtained against American-built Curtis P-40s, which had been sold to the Red Air Force. In his dramatic depiction, entitled Buffalo Ace, aviation artist Stan Stokes shows Juutilainen in action against Soviet P-40s during the defense of Finland.

Lady Pioneer by Stan Stokes. While considerable controversy still surrounds the disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937, there is no question that Amelia Mary Earhart was one of the great pioneers of American aviation. Born in Atchison, Kansas in 1897, Amelia was the daughter of a railroad attorney. She exhibited an adventurous spirit at a young age, and was able to travel extensively with her parents. In 1918 at the age of twenty-one, Amelia witnessed a flight demonstration in Toronto, and this inspired her to take a course in engine mechanics. Three years later she was in New York City studying medicine at Columbia University when she had the opportunity to take her first airplane ride to California. She immediately decided to learn to fly, and she remained in California where she obtained her pilots license in 1921. During the next few years Earhart had many jobs in many locales, but her true love was flying. Amelia was the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic in 1928, and the fame this generated allowed her to direct her attention at attempting other record-breaking feats. Amelia met George Putnam during this time, and he supported her flying efforts. They married in 1931. In 1932 Amelia became the first woman to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic flying a Lockheed Vega. Months later she became the first woman to completed a solo flight from Los Angeles to New York. Her next major record came in January, 1935 when she completed a solo flight from Honolulu to Oakland in a little over 18 hours. In 1936 Earhart was appointed to the faculty of Purdue University which provided her a Lockheed Electra as a flying laboratory. Having access to the Electra allowed Amelia to begin planning her dream flight, an around the world crossing as close to the equator as possible. In March of 1937 she embarked on a round the world trip in a westerly direction, but her aircraft was damaged on take off from Hawaii. In June a new route going in an easterly direction, starting from Miami, was mapped out by her navigator, Fred Noonan. Departing on June 1, 1937 Earhart arrived in Lae, New Guinea some 22,000 miles and 146 flying-hours later. The next leg of this record setting trip would cover 2,500 miles over the Pacific with the intended destination being the tiny Howland Island. When Earhart and Noonan failed to arrive, a massive search commenced, which was abandoned in mid-July. Presumably lost at sea, the nation mourned the loss of one of its heroes. In Stan Stokes painting entitled Lady Pioneer, Amelias beloved Model 10E Electra is depicted next to the aviators Cord automobile. This aircraft was delivered to Earhart in 1936. It was powered by twin 550 HP Wasp S3 H 1 engines, and was equipped with extended range fuel tanks, giving the craft a maximum range of 4,000 miles. The Electra was returned to Lockheeds plant in Burbank in 1937 for repairs following the accident in Hawaii. A new right wing was fitted, and repairs were made to the center fuselage and landing gear. The Civilian Aviation Administration officially canceled the registration of Earharts NR16020 in July of 1938, approximately one year after her disappearance. 1997 marked the 100th anniversary of Earharts birth and the 60th anniversary of her disappearance.

The Brothers Richthofen by Stan Stokes. Arguably the best brother team of two fighter aces was Manfred and Lothar von Richtofen, with 120 WW I aerial victories between them. Manfred, who became known as The Red Baron, was the top ace of WW I and his reputation is still alive and well today thanks to movies and books. The Richtofen family was minor nobility, and Manfred painted the aircraft he flew in the squadron he commanded bright red - hence the name Red Baron. Manfred was born in Poland in 1892, and was sent to military school at age eleven. When WW I commenced Manfred, commissioned as a lieutenant, initially served in the cavalry. He became enthralled with aircraft while watching planes perform aerial reconnaissance missions. In 1915 he attended flying school, and was first assigned as an observer to a bombing squadron. Inspired by the exploits of the famous ace Oswald Boelcke Manfred put in for pilot training. He passed the pilots test on his third try. He was fortunate to fly with Boelcke in Jasta 2, a unit of promising young pilots. In October of 1916 Manfred witnessed the death of Boelcke when the great ace collided in midair with one of his squadron mates. Richtofen carried Boelckes medals at the funeral, a symbolic portending of his future greatness. Richtofen began flying an Albatros D.1 with red stripes and had good success including the downing of Lanoe Hawker the first British ace of the War. By early 1917 Manfred had sixteen victories and was awarded the Blue Max. At the same time he was given command of his own unit, Jasta 11. As an incredible leader Manfred trained his pilots well in both aerial tactics and strategies. He insisted on formation flying principles and his pilots were not permitted to fly recklessly or attack without assistance. They were taught to look for situations of relative advantage whether in terms of altitude, position of the sun, or relative strength. This scientific approach made Jasta 11 one of the most successful units. It became a squadron of aces, including Ernst Udet, Werner Voss and Lothar Richtofen, Manfreds younger brother. JG 1, a group of four Jastas, was organized in June of 1917 with Manfred as its Commander. With all the planes painted bright colors for identification, this unit became known as Richtofens Flying Circus. This crack unit was moved around the front as needed, and it concentrated on intercepting and destroying enemy aircraft. Very little reconnaissance or escort missions were flown. The unit attained between June 1917 and November 1918 an incredible 644 aerial victories compared to the loss of only 52 of its own aircraft. The Fokker Dr. 1 triplane was deployed with JG 1 in 1917. This diminutive aircraft was too slow to be effective with pilots of ordinary skill, but in the hands of the skilled pilots of JG 1 its advantages of climbing rate and maneuverability were put to great use. Manfred attained his last 20 victories in the triplane. Manfred was downed in April of 1918 behind enemy lines. He received a full military funeral by the British. Lothar would attain 40 victories - equaling Boelckes total and making him the 10th highest scoring German ace of the Great War. Lothar downed Albert Ball (the leading British ace at the time with 44 victories) in May of 1917.

A Pair of Famous Nines by Stan Stokes. Ted Williams, the famous Hall of Fame baseball great was also an accomplished fighter pilot in WW II and Korea. Ted missed out flying combat missions during WW II, because his flying and gunnery skills were so good that he was kept as an instructor for much of the War. During advanced training at Pensacola, Florida Ted would accurately shoot the sleeve targets to shreds while shooting out of wing-overs, zooms, and barrel rolls. He broke the all time record for hits at the school. Following Pensacola, Ted was sent to Jacksonville for advanced gunnery training. This is the payoff test for potential combat pilots. Ted set all the records for reflexes, coordination, and visual reaction time. As a result of his stunning success he was made an instructor at Bronson field to put Marine aviation cadets through their final paces. By 1945 Ted got his wish and was finally transferred to a combat wing, but weeks later the War was over. He was discharged from the military in December of 1945. Seven years later, in December of 1952, Ted was recalled to active duty as a Marine Corps fighter pilot. The Boston Red Sox slugger who wore No. 9 as a major leaguer, would now be assigned to an F-9 Panther jet as a pilot. Ted flew a total of 39 combat missions in Korea. He was selected by his commander John Glenn (later the astronaut, senator, and septuagenonaut) to fly as Glenns wingman. While flying an air strike on a troop encampment near Kyomipo, Williams F-9 was hit by hostile ground fire. Ted commented later ...the funny thing was I didn't feel anything... I knew I was hit when the stick started shaking like mad in my hands. Then everything went out, my radio, my landing gear, everything. The red warning lights were on all over the plane. The F-9 Panther had a centrifugal flow engine and normally caught fire when hit. The tail would literally blow off most stricken aircraft. The standard orders were to eject from any Panther with a fire in the rear of the plane. Teds aircraft was indeed on fire, and was trailing smoke and flames. Glen and the other pilots on the mission were yelling over their radios for Williams to get out. However, with his radio out Williams could not hear their warnings, and he could not see the condition of the rear of his aircraft. Glenn and another Panther flown by Larry Hawkins came up alongside Williams and lead him to the nearest friendly airfield. Fighting to hold the plane together, Ted brought his Panther in at more than 200-MPH for a crash landing on the Marsden-matted strip. With no landing gear, dive brakes, or functioning flaps the flaming Panther jet skidded down the runway for more than 3000 feet. Williams got out of the aircraft only moments before it was totally engulfed in flames. Ted Williams survived his tour of duty in Korea and returned to major league baseball. He is one of the greatest hitters of all time.

Antarctic Mayday by Stan Stokes. In 1946 Admiral Richard Byrd lead a 4,000-man mission to Antarctica to map the continent. This was the fourth of Byrds polar explorations, and his most ambitious. The expedition was named, Operation High Jump. One of the ships involved was the USS Pine Island, a PBM seaplane tender under the command of H.H. Caldwell. The three PBMs of the Pine Island were given the task of photo mapping the eastern side of the Antarctic continent, and the ship had moved as far south as possible to establish a base of operations. The ship anchored on the leeward side of a huge iceberg to provide a suitable area for the launch and recovery of the PBMs. The first flight was made by George-1 on December 30, 1946 without incident. The second flight of this aircraft with a different crew would prove to be a life and death struggle. Under the command of Ralph Frenchy LeBlanc, co-piloted by Bill Kearns, and with Captain Caldwell aboard as an observer, the second flight of George-1 began under hazardous sea conditions and at times near zero visibility conditions due to snowstorms. The aircraft was approximately 200 miles from the coast. Because of the bad visibility Kearns was preparing to execute a 180 degree turn and return to the Pine Island, when George-1 crashed into a giant snowdrift. The aircraft was ripped apart by the crash, and a fire began almost immediately. Three of the nine on board perished in the crash. LeBlanc was pulled from the burning cockpit by Jim Robbins and some of the other survivors, none of which were without some injury. The six survivors of George-1 now faced an indeterminate amount of time before any rescue might be possible. Fortunately, the six survivors showed solid American ingenuity, and went about the business of surviving and caring for the injured in the best way possible. With no working radio, the group had no way of knowing if help would ever reach them. It would be 13-days before the survivors would be spotted by the pilot of George-2 Jimmy Ball. Balls crew spotted a signal fire which the survivors had ignited when the second Mariner passed within several miles of the crash site. George-2 dropped supplies for the survivors and a message that a pick-up might be possible if the group could move about six miles to the coast. The trek was not easy, but the survivors finally made it and were picked up by George-3. This limited edition by Stan Stokes is dedicated to the memory of the three men who did not survive the crash; Max Lopez, W.K. Hendersin, and F.W. Williams, and to the commander of George-1, the late Frenchy LeBlanc. Frenchy lost both his legs as a result of the tragedy, but maintained a determination and a sense of humor which has both inspired and motivated the survivors of this Antarctic Mayday for the fifty years which have passed since that fateful day in 1946.

Vintage Mustangs by Stan Stokes. When War broke out in Europe in 1939 the British Government decided to establish a second source for the Curtis P-40 fighter. The Brits approached North American Aviation of Inglewood, California. North Americans manufacturing division was headed by James Dutch Kindelberger, and the division already was involved with Britain in supplying its AT-6 trainers to the RAF. Kindelberger rejected the British proposal and instead offered a new aircraft to be built using the same engine as the P-40, but with an improved more aerodynamic design. In May of 1940 a contract was signed for 320 of the new aircraft, designated NA-73, and North American put Raymond Rice in charge of the design team. The chief designer was Edgar Schmued who had immigrated to America from Germany in 1930. Incorporating a laminar flow wing, and a streamlined design, the NA-73X took to the air in October of 1940 under the control of Vance Breese, the projects test pilot. As production commenced a pair of aircraft were provided the USAAC for evaluation at Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio. Designated the XP-51 by the USAAC, the Brits coined the name Mustang for this new aircraft. About 1,000 Mustangs were produced utilizing the Allison V- 1710-3 9 engine. The aircrafts performance was somewhat disappointing, and the RAF proposed testing this aircraft with the more powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Testing showed dramatic performance improvements, and the P-51 was some reborn with a Packard-built version of the Merlin. More than 3,700 P-5 1 Bs utilizing the Merlin engine were produced. Equipped with underwing drop tanks these Mustangs were now capable of accompanying US bombers deep into enemy airspace. They also were now the equals of anything the Germans could produce when involved in high altitude dog fighting. A number of Americas top fighter aces of the War flew the Mustang, including Col. Henry W. Brown. Brown, a native of Dallas Texas, flew a P-51B nicknamed the Hun Hunter from Texas. Brown had been assigned to the 355th Fighter Group of the Eighth Air Force in 1943. His first combat tour, flying the P-47 Jug, yielded 4.5 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. On his second combat tour Brown began flying the Mustang. He attained 14.2 confirmed aerial victories, and a total of 28.7, prior to being shot down and captured in October of 1944. Following the War, and his release from prisoner of war camp, Brown remained in the Air Force. He commanded a number of fighter units prior to his retirement in 1974. The Ford Mustang was introduced in April 1964 at the New York Worlds Fair. It was the most successful new car of the 1960s with nearly 700,000 sold between mid-1964 and December 1965. Spearheading this incredible success was Lee A. lacocca, a straight-talking former car salesman, who had risen rapidly in the Ford organization. In many ways the Mustang was similar to the first Ford Thunderbirds of 1955-57, yet this automobile had its own unique identity. Powered by either a 101 HP 170 cu. inch six, or a 164 HP V-8, a long list of options allowed consumers to tailor their Mustang to their own tastes. The original Mustang was a brilliant design and much of the credit goes to Joe Oros, Gale Halderman, and L. David Ash of the Ford Division Styling Studio.

Top Cover by Stan Stokes. The painting depicts a P-51D Mustang (flown by William Bailey of the 353rd Fighter Group) flying escort for B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The scene is over the French countryside during late 1944, and several more hours of high altitude flying lies ahead of these pilots before the days work is over. Bombing played a major role in the Allies victory in Europe. The RAF relied primarily on night bombing which was also called strategic bombing. Day time bombing was a necessity for hitting specific targets such as munition plants, dams, and submarine pens. The Mighty Eighth took on responsibility for most of the day time bombing missions. The hazards and discomforts of high altitude flying, the perils of enemy flak batteries, and the threat of enemy fighters made these missions exceedingly dangerous until only very late in the war. Fighter escort was critically important in improving the odds of a successful mission, and the P-51 became arguably the premier aircraft for providing that cover. The P-51 is generally acknowledged as Americas top fighter plane of World War II. The first Mustangs were ordered by the British Government in 1940. The USAAF was initially reluctant to order the Mustang, having already committed itself to the P-38 Lightning, the P-47 Thunderbolt, the P-40 Warhawk, and the P-39 Airacobra. In 1944 an improved version of the Mustang, the D, came off North American Aviations assembly line in California. It was dramatically altered from earlier versions, as major changes in fuselage design were incorporated to improve pilot visibility. The P-51D was powered by a Packard-built, Rolls Royce-designed, liquid cooled V-12 engine which generated 1,612 HP. The Mustang had a top speed of 436 MPH, a range of 949 miles, and an operational ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet. Nearly 8,000 P-51Ds were produced. In service with the USAAF Mustangs flew in excess of 200,000 missions, and were credited with destroying nearly 5,000 enemy aircraft. The Mustang was unique in its ability to provide long range fighter escort, and this greatly enhanced the effectiveness of Allied bombing missions. On returning from their escort missions Mustangs would generally split into squadrons and take varying routes home looking for targets of opportunity.

Showtime at the Circus by Stan Stokes. Born in Prussia to wealthy aristocratic parents, Manfred F. von Richtofen, The Red Baron, was to become the top ace of World War I, with 80 confirmed kills, and probably another 40-50 which took place over enemy lines and could not be confirmed. Richtofen was originally a cavalry officer, but with great persistence he was transferred to the air arm. After a brief period on the eastern front Richtofen was transferred to the western front in August 1915. His first confirmed victory was recorded in September 1916 and by November he recorded eleven kills, including Major L. Hawker, the top British fighter pilot at that point in time. With his keen reflexes and eyesight he quickly ascended, and by June 1917 Richtofen took control of a unit near Coutrai. This unit became known as Richtofens Circus. By July the ringmaster had his fifty-seventh victim. Despite his successes Richtofen shunned publicity and became increasingly withdrawn. Richtofen was wounded in combat and spent three weeks in the hospital recuperating. After his return to duty Manfred became a vocal proponent of the Fokker triplane. The bright red paint scheme utilized on one of Richtofens aircraft is what earned him the nickname, The Red Baron. Richtofens brother, Lothar, was also an ace with forty victories to his credit. By April of 1918, aided by Americas entry into the War, Germany was facing overwhelming numbers of enemy aircraft, and many with performance capabilities the equal to, and in some cases superior to, their own. The Germans mounted a final desperate offensive, and on April 21,1918 The Red Baron finally fell victim to the perils of combat. Although there is considerable controversy over the Red Barons demise, it appears that Richtofen was either killed by Captain Arthur Brown, a Canadian flying with the RAF, or was shot down by Australian machine gunners while evading Captain Brown. Richtofen was provided a full military funeral by the Allies, and on the evening following his funeral a single RAF fighter dropped a small package containing photos of the funeral onto the Circus headquarters. By Wars end the Circus was credited with the destruction of 644 aircraft, but 56 of its airmen had been killed, 32 seriously wounded, and 6 captured.

Bridge Busting Jugs by Stan Stokes. 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.

Angels and Knights by Stan Stokes. In 1946 Navy brass selected Lt. Cdr. Roy Butch Voris, a fighter pilot with WW II experience, to organize a flight exhibition team. The twenty-six-year-old Voris wasted no time in forming his team, and developed an exciting low altitude acrobatic demonstration utilizing the F6F Hellcat fighter. Recognizing the need for a minimum of distractions, Voris selected only bachelors for his embryonic flight team. When the group put on their first demonstration, Voris commanding officer called them a bunch of crazy S.O.B.s who were going to kill themselves. Nonetheless, the show was impressive and the Navy moved ahead. Lacking a name for this new group a contest was held, but no names were submitted which the pilots all liked. One day Voris #2 - Wick Wickendall - saw an ad for a night club called the Blue Angel in a magazine. From that day forward the name Blue Angels was official. The team quickly transitioned to the faster F8 Bearcat, but when the Korean War began, the group was temporarily disbanded, and its pilots formed the nucleus of VF-191 Satans Kittens. Following the war Voris was asked again to reactivate the team, this time utilizing the Panther jet. In 1955 the Angels transitioned to their first supersonic aircraft the F-8 Cougar. In 1957 they switched to the F-11, and in 1969 they began flying the F-4 Phantom II. Plagued with maintenance difficulties the group dropped the F-4 in 1974 in favor of the diminutive A-4 Skyhawk. In 1985 the Blue Angels began utilizing the McDonnel Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, one of the most capable fighter and attack aircraft in the world. Flying at speeds in the 400-500 MPH range with only 36 inches of separation during most of their shows, the pilot are subject to G forces equal to eight times the weight of gravity. However, the Blue Angels perform without the use of G-suits. The Blues are made up of an all volunteer group. Pilots typically have 8-10 years of fighter experience (1500 or more hours), are carrier qualified, and have had time as instructors. The Blue Angels follow an intensive training program. They fly six days a week, with only a 2-3 week break in November of each year. The Blue Angel pilots and their ground support crew spend about 300 days a year away from home. The support team, which flies from show to show in a specially modified C-130 nicknamed Fat Albert, is of vital importance. A Blue Angels show has never been canceled due to a maintenance or equipment problem, and no spectators have ever been injured during a demonstration. In 1992 the Blue Angels were given the opportunity of visiting the former Soviet Union to become the first American flight demonstration team to perform over Moscow. This was a significant event as it truly signified the change taking place in the former Soviet Union, and the new post Cold War relationship which was evolving. Lead by Cdr. Greg Wooldridge, the Blue Angels took Moscow by storm. A series of exchange flights took place with the Russian pilots having their first exposure to American-built aircraft, and the Blue Angels having opportunity to fly in SU-27s and Mig-31s, two of the hottest Russian aircraft. As depicted in Stan Stokes highly-detailed painting entitled Angels and Knights, a Blue Angel F/A-18 and a Russian Knight SU-27 make a low altitude pass over Red Square, in a symbolic gesture signifying the end of the Cold War.

The Air Pirate by Stan Stokes. The Societe Anonyme dAeroplanes Morane-Saulnier first showed its aircraft at the Salon Aeronautique in Paris in 1911. With the famous French airman Roland Garos as its test pilot, the company received a lot of interest in the products it displayed. The first production models were delivered in 1913. The Type L was a parasol monoplane, and orders were received from the French Air Corps. The Type L was the forerunner of the first true family of fighters, the Fokker Eindeckers. When War began the Type L was one of the fastest reconnaissance aircraft available. With its high speed and excellent maneuverability, the Type L was a natural to take on the role of interceptor, once it became evident that aircraft were going to be utilized for more than just reconnaissance. The Type N debuted in mid-1914. Its most characteristic feature was its incorporation of a large prop spinner which completely covered the engine. With no ailerons, all lateral control was made by warping the wings through a complex system of control wires. In early 1916 the Type I was introduced. It utilized a more powerful 110-HP rotary engine. The Type I was capable of 176-MPH, with an operational ceiling of 3,500 feet. The large prop spinner was reshaped, and the undercarriage was strengthened. These aircraft were not without their faults. Flying was exceptionally difficult in bad weather, and the wing design was modified several times to reduce the tendency of the Moraine-Saulnier to go into an uncontrollable tail spin. A number of these aircraft were flown by the Russians on the Romanian and Southwestern Fronts. The Moraine-Saulnier monoplane of Lt. Ivan W Smirnoff is depicted in action in Stan Stokes painting entitled The Air Pirate. While the vast majority of the air combat in WW I took place on the Western Front, air combat was not uncommon on the other fronts. Smirnoff, an ex-infantryman, joined XIX Squadron in 1915 as a Sergeant. He attained his first victory piloting a two-seater. His last victory, which was recorded in November of 1917, was his twelfth. Fearing that he would be executed by the Bolsheviks, Smirnoff fled Russia and served briefly with the Royal Flying Corps. In 1922 he joined the Dutch airline KLM. He flew for KLM for many years. In 1942, during WW II, Smirnoff was Captain of a KLM DC-2 which was shot down by Imperial Japanese fighters over the East Indies. Smirnoff survived this disaster, and he died in October, 1956. Smirnoff is generally acknowledged to be the top scoring Russian ace of WW I.

Those Nagging Mosquitoes by Stan Stokes. Although fifty years has passed since the end of WW II, the de Havilland Mosquito, or Mossie, is still held in high admiration by the crews which flew this wonderful aircraft. Built in a number of variants, the Mosquito served in a number of roles including fighter, bomber, trainer, transport, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft. Prior to WW II the de Havilland Company had built a good reputation for building highly streamlined, very fast aircraft, utilized for racing. The Company submitted a design proposal in 1939 for an all new twin-engined aircraft, primarily built of wood, which would be capable of 400 MPH with its twin Merlin engines. Late in 1939 the Air Ministry ordered a prototype, and in March of 1940 an initial fifty production aircraft were ordered. The Mosquito was built utilizing a one-piece, two-spar wing. Spruce and plywood were utilized extensively. The aircraft performed admirably in its initial tests and the first combat mission took place in September, 1941. Some of the early Mosquitoes were produced in a bomber variant. Early Mosquitoes were painted in a unique blue-gray camouflage. One of the first squadrons equipped with the Mosquito was number 105. In September of 1942, 105 squadron sent four of its aircraft on a daring daylight low level raid to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo, Norway. This successful mission was lead by RAF Squadron Leader George Parry. The mission was important because the Gestapo Headquarters housed vital dossiers on Norwegian resistance personnel, and the resistance had requested the mission to boost morale. The Mosquitoes were unexpectedly attacked by two Fw-190s as they approached the target. One of the aircraft (piloted by F/Sgt. Carter) was hit and crashed while attempting a forced landing on a lake. One of the Fw-190s struck a tree during the chase, and crash landed in a mountainous area. Stan Stokes, in his striking painting, appropriately titled Those Nagging Mosquitoes, depicts the three returning aircraft of 105 Squadron flying fast and low over a fjord in Norway. Because the Mossie utilized speed as a way to avoid enemy fighters, several minor modifications were made to coax every additional MPH possible out of the aircraft. Other modification were made to some aircraft which allowed them to carry a 4,000 pound bomb. The Mosquito was also produced under license in Canada utilizing Packard-manufactured Merlin engines. The Mosquito B Mk IX utilized a pair of 1,680 HP Merlin 72s and the prototype attained a speed of 437 MPH. Other Mossies were modified to utilize a bulbous ventral radar dome. The Mosquito was produced until 1950. More than 7,700 aircraft were built. The aircraft remained in service with the RAF until 1963. Only a few restored examples of this versatile aircraft remain in existence.

Sparrowhawks of the Macon by Stan Stokes. In 1924 the US Navy took delivery of the Los Angeles, which was built by the Zeppelin Company in Germany. A partnership was formed between the Goodyear Company and the Zeppelin Company for developing rigid airships in the United States. Rear Admiral William A. Moffett was unquestioned booster of the rigid airship program in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. As chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics Moffet had considerable influence. In 1926 he was successful at getting Congress to allocate funds for the construction of two 758-foot long rigid airships (the USS Akron and the USS Macon) with a capacity of 6.5 million cubic feet of helium, more than twice the size of the Graf Zepplin which would circle the globe in 1929. The Goodyear company commenced construction of a huge hangar at Akron which would be used for construction of the first of the two massive airships. Utilizing three keels and thirty-six longitudinal girders, the Akron had a sturdy airframe. One of the most novel features of these two new airships would be their ability to launch and recover Curtis F9C-2 Sparrowhawks, making them the first flying aircraft carriers. The Akron was completed in September of 1931, but it would be nearly a year later before the Sparrowhawks were deployed. The Akron logged about 1,700 hours of flying time, but on the night of April 1, 1933 the Akron crashed in the icy Atlantic off the New Jersey shore with few survivors. Admiral Moffett was one of the fatalities. It was the worst aviation disaster in history - at that time. Construction of the Macon was completed only weeks after the loss of its sister ship. Some improvements had been made to her design. She was lighter and faster than the Akron, and could carry up to five Sparrowhawks vs. only three for the Akron. Following testing of the new airship in the New York- New Jersey area, the Macon was ordered to newly named Moffet field in Sunnyvale, California. On July 18, 1934 the Macon utilized its Sparrowhawks to intercept a pair of US Navy ships at considerable distance off the Pacific Coast. The cruiser USS Houston was carrying Franklin D. Roosevelt on a trip from Panama to Hawaii. Startled to encounter aircraft at such a considerable distance from land, they would be even more shocked when the Sparrowhawks would deliver newspapers and mail for the President. In the late summer and fall of 1934 the Macon was sent east for fleet training exercises in the Atlantic. Utilizing a simple radio homing beacon for the first time the Macon proved beyond a doubt that the concept of air launched scouting planes was feasible. However, in February of 1935 the USS Macon met the same fate as its sister ship. While cruising up the California coast near Point Sur, the great airship encountered turbulence and began to break-up. Fortunately, only two of the eighty-three man crew were lost.

Fateful Voyage by Stan Stokes. Construction of the dirigible Hindenburg began in 1931 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The huge dirigible took nearly five years to complete. It was 804-feet long, and at its widest point was 135-feet in diameter. The Hindenburgs gas capacity (in 16 gas cells) was more than 7 million cubic feet. Each cell was coated with a gelatin solution to insure its permeability against the volatile hydrogen gas. The Hindenburgs frame was made of a special alloy of aluminum and copper. The Hindenburg was powered by four huge 16-cylinder diesel engines. Each engine provided 1300-HP of take off power, and 850-HP for sustained cruising. A navigation room in the control car contained two gyro compasses, a radio compass, and a telephone switchboard. The radio room was directly above the control car. In the bridge located in the control car were the controls for controlling the engines, releasing ballast or hydrogen, and in adjusting rudder or elevators. Each passenger had a 78 x 66 inch cabin consisting of an upper and lower berth, a folding wash basin, and a collapsible writing table with folding chair. Rooms were for sleeping as passengers spent most of their time elsewhere on the ship. The lounge was decorated with a huge mural and was fairly spacious. It included a baby grand piano. The reading and writing room was a quiet area where passengers could write letters, and the smoking room was the only area on the ship that smoking was permitted. Kept under positive air pressure no hydrogen could enter the smoking lounge. The largest space on the ship was the dining room with promenade. On May 6, 1936 the Hindenburg departed Germany with fifty passengers and a crew of fity-five on its maiden voyage to America. The aircraft reached the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, New Jersey approximately 61 hours later. The huge ship was eased into her hangar, and the passengers disembarked for a short plane ride to Newark Airport. On its return trip the Hindenburg completed the journey in less than 49 hours, unprecendented in the days of long distance sea travel. The Hindenburg made ten round trip crossings in 1936. In 1937 the plans called for the Hindenburg to make 18 Atlantic crossings. The first of the 1937 trips began on May 3. Thirty-six passengers and a crew of sixty-one were onboard. Headwinds were very strong on this voyage and it took three full days to reach the New York area. It was late in the afternoon and thunderstorms were reported in the area. The Hindenburg made a courtesy sightseeing tour of Manhattan and at 7:00PM headed into Lakehurst for landing. At about 200-feet in altitude a tongue of flame appeared at the stern. It spread rapidly and within a few short seconds the Hindenburg was a giant fireball, falling to earth tail first. The catastrophe was covered by film and radio broadcasts, and to this day is one of the most devastating disasters ever recorded. Miraculously, there were a fair number of survivors, but the age of the dirigible was over.

Tahiti Clippers by Stan Stokes. Juan Trippe left Yale University in 1917 to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Trippe became a Naval Aviator on June 17, 1918. With the War nearing its end Trippe returned to Yale where he founded the Yale Flying Club. Writing in the May 1919 edition of The Yale Graphic, Juan speculated that the new Navy NC flying boats being introduced might be the first to successfully cross the Atlantic, and that eventually commercial flights across the Atlantic would be, a perfectly sane commercial proposition. Several years later Trippe was in control of Pan American Airways. Pan Am had a contract to fly mail to Havana utilizing Fokker triplanes. Trippe believed that flying boats possessed advantages in serving South America where rivers, harbors, or lagoons could make suitable airfields in locations where no adequate facilities existed. In 1927 Pan Am acquired its first flying boat, the twin-engine Sikorsky S-36. Five such aircraft were utilized to expand service to additional South American cities. A few years later Pan Am acquired the large four-engine Sikorsky S-40, which was piloted on its maiden flight from Miami to Panama by Charles Lindbergh. The S-40 was not capable of providing transoceanic service, but a later variant, the S-42, was. An S-42 was utilized to survey the San Francisco to Manila route, but the first commercial service was provided utilizing a Martin M-130, a significantly improved aircraft. The biggest and most luxurious of the Pan Am flying boats was the Boeing 314. This huge aircraft was 28 feet high, 106 feet long, and had a wingspan of 152 feet. Six of these aircraft were delivered to Pan Am in 1939, and they were utilized to provide the first transatlantic commercial service. Two of Pan Ams flying boats, or Clippers as they were more popularly referred to, are depicted in a beautiful south seas setting by aviation artist Stan Stokes. In the foreground taxing to the floating dock is the Dixie Clipper, a Boeing 314. The Dixie Clipper inaugurated the first regular transatlantic passenger service in June of 1939, and was utilized by President Roosevelt to attend the Casablanca Conference in 1943. In the background, having just lifted off, is the China Clipper, a Martin M-130. This is the aircraft which departed San Francisco for Manila in 1935, and became the first commercial passenger aircraft to cross the Pacific. In 1968 when Juan Trippe stepped down, Pan American Airways had developed an 80,000 mile international route structure which served 85 countries. Juan Trippe was a driving force behind the development of international air travel, and his marvelous flying boats played a major role in making the mans ambitions a reality. These Clippers were truly some of the classics of Americas great aviation heritage.

Miracle in the Sand Dunes by Stan Stokes. Orville and Wilbur Wright were two enterprising Americans from the Midwest who made a living operating a bicycle shop. They were fascinated with the possibility of flight and they built their first glider in 1900. They were inspired by the work of a German, Otto Lilienthal, who had studied the wing and had built effective gliders that had reached more than 1000 feet in altitude. Following Lilienthals death the torch of aeronautical progress was passed to an American civil engineer named Octave Chanute. The French-born Chanute had come to America in 1838, and only became interested in flight in 1889. In 1894 he published a book entitled Progress in Flying Machines, which became the reference manual for all potential future aeronautical pioneers. Another early pioneer was Samuel P. Langley. He was a professor who became Secretary of the Smithsonian in 1887. In 1891 he began to experiment in aeronautics, and by 1896 he had developed a number of large powered flying models that he launched from a boat on the Potomac River. Langley received $50,000 from the War Department in 1897 to build a man-carrying aircraft. By October of 1903 Langleys Aerodrome was completed and prepared for a catapult launching on the Potomac. Despite careful preparations a line snagged during take off and the craft immediately crashed. Two months later on December 8, 1903 Langley made a final try with a rebuilt Aerodrome. This time the aircraft split into two upon launching. The Wright brothers developed a rudimentary wind tunnel to test their glider designs. This also helped the Wrights understand how to control an aircraft during flight, a small detail often overlooked by other early pioneers - sometimes with fatal consequences. On December 17, 1903 the Wright Brothers took their latest aircraft powered with a small petrol engine to the Kill Devil Hills sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Winning the coin toss Wilbur won the honors for the first flight. On a cold and windy December morning the small engine was started and the aircraft was launched down a short wooden monorail track. The machine lifted into the air and remained airborne for about 12 seconds. Covering a mere 120 feet. Three more flights occurred that day, the last lasting nearly one minute and covering more than 850 feet. History would mark this as the beginning of the aviation age, as the advent of controlled powered flight in heavier than air aircraft. By 1908 the Wright Brothers had received an Army contract for more than $30,000 to build Wright Flyers. Unfortunately, the Wrights would spend most of their latter years in legal patent fights with aviation pioneer Glen Curtiss. Curtiss went on to build a successful aviation company, whereas the Wright Brothers were relegated to a lesser role.

Hobo Queens by Stan Stokes. The B-32 Dominator was produced by Consolidated Aircraft in parallel with Boeings development of the B-29 Superfortress. While both of these long-range heavy strategic bomber development programs encountered some difficulties, the B-29 was completed sooner, and was ordered in far larger quantities than the B-32. About one hundred Dominators were ultimately built and the aircraft saw some service very late in WW II. Powered by the same engines as the B-29, the B-32 had a distinctive very tall stabilizer. Four B-32s from the 386th BS of the 312th BG based at Yontan, Okinawa were given a three-day photoreconnaissance mission near the end of the War. On the third day of the mission, August 18, 1945, two aircraft were forced to turn back and only two aircraft, the Hobo Queen and the Hobo Queen II made it to Japan. The mission involved photographing an area north and east of Tokyo. The aircraft were unescorted, as the War was for all practical purposes over. As the two aircraft prepared to head home they were jumped by a large group of Japanese fighters including Imperial Navy A6M2 Zeros and Army Ki44 Tojos. The first attacks occurred at 1:30 PM while the aircraft were at 20,000 feet. The enemy planes made ten passes on the Hobo Queen II with little or no damage. About twenty-five passes were made at the Hobo Queen, which was under the command of Lt. John R. Anderson. Seven passes were made at the tail of the B-32 and one of the attackers blew-up. One fighter pass was made at the ball turret from below with no success, and another six were made at the forward upper turret. About six more were made at the nose turret position, and several more at the upper rear turret. Another enemy fighter blew up, and a third was seen going down smoking. The pilots went to full mix and full throttle and power-dived the B-32 from 20,000 to 10,000 feet. The Hobo Queen absorbed a lot of damage during these attacks. The radioman got the Hobo Queen II to regroup with the badly damaged Hobo Queen to provide some cover. Three men were wounded including Sgt. Anthony J. Marchione, SSgt. Joseph M. Lacharite, and Sgt. John T. Houston. Marchione and Lacharite were at the camera hatch at the rear of the aircraft when that section of the plane was riddled. Both men were hit. Despite his own wounds, SSgt. Lacharite began administering first aid to Marchione, but a second fighter pass wounded Marchione again. Despite the valiant efforts of his crewmates to keep him alive, Marchione passed away at 2:00PM. Sgt. Marchione may have been the last USAAF combat casualty of the War. SSgt. Chevalier administered first aid to SSgt. Lacharite during the long ride home. Despite being unable to bank his aircraft due a feathered prop, Lt. Anderson got the Hobo Queen down successfully.

Flying Into a War by Stan Stokes. John Davy Crockett was trained as a navigator by Pan Am in mid-1941 because the USAAF did not have its navigator school in operation. Davy was assigned to the 36th Bomb Squadron of the 19th Bomb Group flying the new B-17C Flying Fortress. Davy found that most Air Corps pilots were used to doing their own navigating, so his job would be easy. Davy experienced a crash in a B-17 while training, but the crew walked away from the wreck. In late 1941 his crew was informed that they would be flying to Clark Field in the Philippines. On December they left Albuquerque and flew to Hamilton Field in California. They received a briefing on expected weather and left on the evening of December 6 for their first stop at Hickham Field, Oahu Hawaii. Flying into the darkness over the vast Pacific, the pilot for the first time in Crocketts career turned the navigation over to Davy. Realizing that the Hawaiian Islands were only small dots on the charts of the vast Pacific, and that his aircraft would have little fuel reserves left when it arrived, sent chills up Crocketts spine. As dawn broke Davy saw lots of islands where there were not suppose to be any. His panic subsided when he realized that they were only clouds. The pilot, Earl Cooper, came on the intercom at that moment to ask for an ETA. As Davy responded, the gunners in the back came on the intercom to report a large formation of aircraft about ten miles north of their position. They must be Navy aircraft. Minutes later they had descended to about 1200 feet when eight fighter aircraft came straight at them with their guns blazing. As the aircraft flew bye the flight engineer, Jesse Broyls, yelled out, Rising Sun ! The zeros reformed behind the unarmed B-17, and as Cooper dove the lumbering giant towards the wave tops, Crockett could hear the thump of bullets hitting his plane. The No. 2 engine was hit and Cooper shut it down. Rounding Diamond Head at about 300-feet the crew saw smoke and fire everywhere, and Japanese planes all over the sky. They passed over Hickham Field at about 1000-feet, realizing that this was no time and place for a landing. They turned towards Ford Island and passed directly over the USS Arizona minutes after the ship had exploded. Crocketts B-17 now became a target for nervous anti-aircraft gunners on the ground, and the B-17 had its No. 4 engine shot out. Cooper prepared the crew to bail out, but he then saw an opportunity to bring the big bird into Wheeler Field. He came straight in and belly-landed the B-17 with almost no fuel left. The plane slid to a stop on the turf just short of a group of P-40s. The entire crew got out of the B-17 and ran for cover in a patch of nearby woods. The B-17s on the flight from the mainland were scattered all over the island, with most of them seriously damaged. Fortunately, there were only two casualties, a flight surgeon who was killed and a bombardier who was injured when they were strafed while running from their plane. Crockett would survive a third crash in another B-17 on December 25th when he would spend six days in a life raft.