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Cranston Fine Arts  Landscape Art and Artists Countries France Cities  Amiens |
[UP] - Paris - Amiens - Bennecourt - Blois - Boulogne - Brest - Dieppe - Dunkirk - Giverny - Port-Villez - Chartres - Lavacourt - Lisieux - Lorient - Juan-les-Pins - Montgeron - Sainte-Adresse - Varengeville-sur-Mer - Yport |
| Amiens Landscape Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings |
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| Text for the above items : |
Liberation from Amiens by Tim Fisher. This sortie was for the sole purpose of saving lives. The objective was to initiate a breakout of more than 700 French resistance workers from Amiens prison, many of whom were on their eve of execution by their Gestapo jailers. The De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk V1s of 464 and 487 Squadron of No 140 wing were to breach the outer walls and destroy certain key buildings within the compound. Absolute pin point precision was vital to reduce casualties amongst the French patriots. Three formations of six aircraft were formed, each crewed by the most experienced members of these squadrons. Low level runs at only fifteen feet were required to maintain bombing accuracy. The raid was the responsibility of Group Captain Percy Charles Pickard, DSO, DFC. The navigational plot was in the hands of Pickards inseparable friend and navigator, Flight Lieutenant J A Bill Broadley. The operation took place on the 18th Februrary 1944 in terrible weather, with heavy snow falling, sweeping in gusts and almost obscuring the runway. The first run took place along the Albert to Amiens road which can be seen in the foreground of the painting. Led by Wing Commander I S Black, the aircraft were flying so low they had to be flown at an angle to miss the trees lining the road. Bombs were placed with pin point accuracy, breaching the walls in places and setting fire to the main building. The second attack at right angles to the first across barren open fields was led by Wing Commander R W Bob Iredale followed by the Australians of 464 Squadron. The target being the second phase demolition of the guards annex. The painting shows Iredale in the foreground with his navigator Flt. Lt. McCaul, followed closely by Sqn Ldr Sugden and navigator Fg Off Bridger. In the background, comimg up rapidly at a height of fifteen feet is Fg Off Mongham, DFM and his navigator Fg Off Dean DFM. These two attacks were so successful, that streams of prisoners managed to escape. Further bombing runs were deemed unnecessary and 21 Squadron returned to base. |
Operation Jericho, the Jail Breakers by Gerald Coulson. One secondary market print available, numbered 166 / 850. |
The Jericho Boys by Ivan Berryman. On 18th February 1944, nineteen De Havilland Mosquito Mk.VIs and one photo-reconnaissance aircraft took off on a mission to attempt to free 120 French patriots being held captive by the Nazis in the prison at Amiens. Codenamed Operation Jericho, the attack on the jail was to be carried out in up to three waves - the first to break the prison walls in two places, the second to bomb the main building and a third standing by, should either of the first two fail. The mission was a complete success despite some losses on the ground and two aircraft destroyed. Here, the iconic moment is captured as a pair of Mosquitoes of 487 Sqn are seen breaching the wall at 12.03 hours. |
Breakout. Amiens Raid by Mosquitos by Ivan Berryman. When De Havilland built the prototype DH.98 Mosquito (E-0234) they did so as an act of the purest faith in their design since the Air Ministry had already dismissed the companys proposal for their all-wood aircraft as impractical and unworkable. However, when E-0234 first flew on 25th November 1940, it demonstrated remarkably smooth handling characteristics and its speed, as expected, was outstanding. Here at last was a bomber which, in a straight line, could outfly even the Spitfire, giving rise to such nicknames as Wooden Wonder and, succicntly The Aeroplane. With such an aircraft, it was soon realised, many new possibilities were laid open to the RAF, among them the chance to initiate precision raids whereupon carefully selected isolated targets could be attacked with pinpoint accuracy. Just such a raid took place on 18th February 1944, involving 18 Mosquitoes of Nos 64 and 487 Squadrons in an operation on the jail at Amiens, France, where a large number of the French Resistance were being held for questioning by the Gestapo. It was thought unlikely that any of them would survive their ordeal at the hands of their inquisitors and it was considered more sensible to try to aid their escape by breaching the prison walls, even if it meant that some of the prisoners might be killed in the process. An accurate model of the jail and the nearby town was constructed and each pilot viewed the model from eye level to familiarise themselves with the view that they would get from a planned height of 50 feet. With this knowledge and some carefully selected reference points such as church spires and chimneys, the Mosquitoes, led by Group Captain Charles Pickard, were able to brush over the rooftops of the town and deliver their bombs with incredible accuracy, breaching the prison walls in four places. 258 prisoners escaped in the ensuing chaos and were quickly spirited away by other Resistance groups who were waiting outside. Sadly, a number of French prisoners were killed in the raid and added to the losses of that day was Group Captain Pickard himself who fell victim to marauding Focke Wulf 190s, but the raid had been a tremendous success and further precision attacks using the most superb Mosquito were carried out throughout 1944 and 1945, each one making its own significant contribution to the downward turn in the fortunes of Hitlers Reich. |
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