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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures United States H Haeuser, Karl

Staff Sergeant Karl Haeuser

Born February 14th, 1922, in Paso Robles, California, Karl attended local schools until he went off to Concordia High School in Oakland. In February of 1943 Karl and his best friend, Gene Ernst, compelled by their deep love of their country, went to San Francisco to enlist in the military. Gene became a Marine and Karl enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Karl became a Turret Gunner with the 644th Sqn and his first combat mission was in July 1944. Shot down and taken prisoner in August 1944, he was sent to Stalag Luft 4 near Grosstychow, Prussia, which is now Tychowo, Poland. There were 6,660 American POWs held there. Karl was imprisoned for 601 days - one year and nine months. He was included in the number of survivors liberated when released to Americans after the 86 day German Death March, as the war ended. Karl died on 29th March 2017.

Staff Sergeant Karl Haeuser - Signed Aviation Art

Raising Havoc in the Ardennes by Nicolas Trudgian. 6 of 7 editions available. 5 of 6 editions featuring up to 19 additional signatures are available. £2.00 - £390.00

Text for the above items :

Raising Havoc in the Ardennes by Nicolas Trudgian. 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. Published 2001. Signed by A-20 Havoc combat aircrews, including two Silver Star recipients, from World War Two.