|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
|
Aviation Art Prints  Countries US Aircraft Index  Dakota |
[UP] - Mustang - Flying Fortress - Thunderbolt - Corsair - Lightning - Liberator - Dakota - Phantom - More Aircraft |
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 2 | Page 1 .. Next |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 2 | Page 1 .. Next |
| Text for the above items : |
Road to the Rhine by Robert Taylor. As the Allied armies dashed across France after victory in Normandy, they remained reliant on one thing - supplies. With Cherbourg the only port in use, everything depended on trucks to deliver enough fuel, food and ammunition to keep the momentum going. But there was a problem. Too few trucks, and too few drivers. The invasion was in danger of stalling, and if it did, the Germans might just regain the initiative. Action was needed, and quickly. Montgomery argued that all resources be channeled into a single, powerful thrust into Germany, but Eisenhower disagreed. the Allies would advance on a broad front. But he did give Montgomery the First Allied Airborne Army to try and capture the major bridges in Holland on the road to the Rhine, ahead of the Allies advance. For the men of the 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles, their task was to seize the bridges at Eindhoven. The 82nd would do the same at Nijmegan, and the British 1st Airborne would capture the farthest bridge, at Arnhem. On the ground the British 30th Corps would advance northwards and link up with them, and, if successful, turn the German flank on the Rhine. On 17th September 1944 the plan was put into action, the 101st quickly securing all of its objectives, and the 82nd capturing one bridge. The British 1st Airborne fought its way into Arnhem and seized the bridge over the Rhine. Now all they had to do was hold out until the 30th Corps arrived. But 30th Corps was making slow progress, and although the men of the 101st and the 82nd held out until relieved, in Arnhem it was too late to save the British 1st Airborne. Battle-weary, without ammunition or supplies, only a few survivors escaped back across the Rhine. Of the 10,000 men who had landed, just 2,000 made it out. If the operation had succeeded the war in Europe might have been over by Christmas 1944. Instead, hostilities would continue through the bitter winter. |
Day Drop - Stick 21 by Robert Taylor. At 23.45 on the night of 5 June 1944, the 101st Airborne's most legendary unit of combat paratroopers - the notorious 'Filthy Thirteen' - jumped into France near the village of Sainte Mere Eglise, in the final hours before the D-Day landings. They were the Screaming Eagles' most notorious unit, a small bunch of raw, tough, ruthless young men. Hard drinking and savage fighting - and that was only in training - with scant regard for authority. And if the reputation of this unique bunch of renegades within the ranks of the 101st was formidable, for the Germans it became one of sheer terror. Officially they were the First Demolition Squadron, HQ Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne. Unofficially they were the 'Filthy Thirteen'. Superbly crafted in his unique blend of pencil and paint on tinted paper, Robert Taylor's classic new Master Drawing captures the moment on the night of 5 June 1944 when the 101st Airborne's legendary squad of elite paratroopers jump into battle in the vital hours before the D-Day landings commence. The pilots of the 440th Troop Carrier Group struggle to keep their Dakotas level as deadly flak pummels the formation. |
Together we Stand by Philip West. The Douglas Dakota was undoubtedly one of the most important allied aircraft of the Second World War. The aircraft served in a variety of roles including paratroop-dropping, glider-towing, casualty evacuation to transporting all sorts of materials from food to weapons of war. It did it all and in doing so, helped win the war. |
Final Roster by Anthony Saunders. On the evening of 5th June 1944, at a dozen airfields across southern England, more than 13,000 American paratroopers prepared themselves for a mission that would change the course of history. The next morning these brave young men found themselves at the forefront of the bitter fighting to secure the right flank of the Normandy beach-head. The odds against them were huge and, if they failed, the American amphibious landings on Utah and Omaha beaches would face disaster - the destiny of the US First Army rested squarely on the shoulders of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. |
Drop Zone Ahead by Ivan Berryman. Douglas C-47s of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, 94th Troop Carrier Squadron, approach the Drop Zone above Normandy on the night of 5th / 6th June 1944 at the start of Operation Overlord. |
Eve of Destiny by Richard Taylor. Richard Taylor's stunning painting depicts the men of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as they take inventory of their equipment during the early evening of 5 June 1944. Adorned with hastily applied invasion stripes, the C-47s of the 438th Troop Carrier Group stand primed, ready to carry the elite unit to Normandy in the early hours of D-Day 1944. To add to the poignancy of this release, the edition is personally signed by veterans that jumped on D-Day with the 101st Airborne. |
C-46 Flying the Hump by Stan Stokes. The C-46 transport was one of Americas workhorses during the War. |
Hell Below Us by Ivan Berryman. Douglas C-47s of the 439th Troop Carrier Group from Upottery, East Devon, try to hold steady amid a barrage of flak and anti aircraft fire as troops of 101st jump into the unknown above Normandy on the night of 5th / 6th June 1944. These aircraft are of the 94th Troop Carrier Squadron. |
Invasion Force by Nicolas Trudgian. Almost every major invasion that took place in Europe in World War II began with para drops, and in almost every case the C-47 was the aircraft that delivered these elite fighting troops. Few C-47 pilots had more combat experience than Sid Harwell, seen flying his Dakota in this typical action scene, dropping airborne troops into occupied Europe soon after D-Day. No matter what resistance he encountered, the good C-47 pilot put his aircraft right over the Dropping Zone, every time. |
The Ubiquitous Dakota by Ivan Berryman. The Douglas C-47 Skytrain - or Dakota, as it was known in RAF service - saw extensive use both as a glider tug and troop transport throughout World War 2, most notably for delivering paratroops to their designated drop zones over Normandy in June 1944 and over Arnhem in September the same year, often in the face of extreme anti-aircraft fire and attacks from enemy fighters. Here, C47s of the 81st Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group drop paratroops above Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. |
Dawn Departure, Arnhem by Geoff Lea. British paratroopers board a Dakota in preparation for Operation Market Garden, the assault on Arnhem. |
Into the Unknown by Ivan Berryman. Douglas C-47s of the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group deploy the 101st Airborne Division above the drop zone on the night of 5th/6th June 1944 at the start of Operation Overlord. |
Market Garden. Arnhem by Graeme Lothian. Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion sort their kit out and get ready to enplane the waiting American Dakota C-47s of the 14 and 59 Squadrons/61st Troop Carrier Group. The paratroops took off simultaneously from Saltby and Barkston, commencing at 1121. All planes were in the air by 1155. A relatively uneventful trip over the northern route to the Netherlands resulted in not a plane being shot down; only five were slightly damaged. The 1st Battalion were dropped at 1403, 2nd Battalion at 1353 and the 3rd Battalion at 1356, all at DZ-X, west of Wolfhezen some eight miles west of Arnhem. The Battalion orders were for three different routes to the Arnhem Bridge. 1st Battalion took the Leopard route, 2nd Battalion Tiger route and the 3rd Battalion Lion route. Only the 2nd Battalion, commanded by Lt colonel John Frost managed to fight their way to the bridge. |
101st Airborne en route to Normandy by Ivan Berryman. A Douglas C-47 of the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group gets away from the Devon airfield of Upottery on 5th June 1944 carrying paratroops of 101st Airborne Division. The company departed from Upottery airbase in Devon, England, and dropped over the Cotentin Peninsula of Normandy, France in the early hours of the morning of June 6th, 1944 at the start of the Normandy invasion. |
Arnhem by Simon Smith Douglas C47 Dakotas fly into the landing and drop zone at Renkum Heath, September 17th 1944. |
Leap of Faith by Ivan Berryman. Dodging heavy flak and anti aircraft fire in the skies above Normandy, Douglas C-47s of the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group see the 101st Airborne Division away on the night of 5th/6th June 1944 at the start of Operation Overlord. D-Day had arrived. |
D-Day Invaders by Stan Stokes. You are about to embark on the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other fronts, you will bring the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. These were the final words of Supreme Commander Eisenhower to the huge force assembled in June of 1944 on the eve of D-Day. Parachute infantry units would play an important role on D-Day. Although Billy Mitchell had contemplated forming airborne military forces during WW I, it was not until May of 1939 that the United States commenced a study regarding the feasibility of creating an air infantry. By 1940 an all-volunteer test platoon had been organized at Ft. Benning, Georgia. As the threat of War continued, the Army began experimenting with gliders in mid-1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army established Parachute Infantry Battalions, and by early 1943 an Airborne Command was organized as well as an Air Transport Command to facilitate the training of air crews necessary for the deployment of airborne forces. By mid-1942 authorization was received to form two airborne divisions the 82nd and the 101st. With a strength of about 8,000 men, these divisions were about half the normal strength of an infantry division. The first major test for Americas new airborne forces came in North Africa during operation TORCH where the 1st Battalion of the 503rd Infantry was deployed. The 82nd Airborne was later successfully deployed during the invasion of Sicily. Operation OVERLORD, the code name for the D-Day invasion, included both of Americas Airborne Divisions as well as the British 6th Airborne Division. The plan called for numerous parachute jumps and glider landings during the evening prior to the invasion. Supplemental jumps or landings would take place later during daylight hours to reinforce these troops and bring in supplies. Although eighteen aircraft were utilized as pathfinders, the evening jumps were highly scattered and off target in many cases. Despite the massive difficulty in reassembling, the troops of the 101st and 82nd performed their missions with distinction. By June 9 nearly all airborne objectives had been secured despite heavy casualties. Both the 101st and the 82nd each lost about 1,200 men killed-in-action. By occupying German forces behind the invasion front, these airborne forces saved the lives of many on the beaches at Normandy. The 101st and 82nd Divisions continued fighting until mid-July when they were pulled back to England. During these hectic weeks of fighting casualty rates were in excess of 50%. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting, which is dedicated to all those who participated in the Great Crusade, a C-47 Skytrain (bearing white and black invasion stripes) passes over the beaches of Normandy following a drop behind enemy lines on June 6, 1944. |
Arnhem - September 17th 1944 by Graeme Lothian. Douglas C47 Dakotas fly into the landing and drop zone at Renkum Heath, September 17th 1944. |
D-Day The Airborne Assault by Robert Taylor. It began in pitch darkness. June 6, 1944 was only a few minutes old when the Airborne Pathfinders drifted silently down from the sky above the fields of Normandy. At first their seemed nothing untoward about the drone of aircraft in the night sky. The German garrisons in Northern France were used to the noise of aircraft overhead after dark, but this night seemed particularly busy. Looking skyward a German sentry caught sight of parachutes floating down, clearly visible as the moon fleetingly broke through the clouds. For an instant he thought it was the crew jumping from a damaged bomber, but when he saw the mass of canopies floating earthwards, he knew it was no ordinary event. Within moments of raising the alarm the crackle of automatic gunfire confirmed his worst fears: The Invasion of France had begun. The first assault upon Hitlers Fortress Europe came from the sky. Shortly after midnight waves of aircraft and gliders delivered three Divisions of elite airborne troops into Normandy, their crucial objectives to seize vital bridges, secure strategic positions and clear the way for the coming aerial armada. As the first streaks of dawn came over the horizon on that historic day, and with American and British paratroops already engaged in furious fire fights, the mighty amphibious armada began landing on the beaches of Normandy. Above them waves of troop-carrying aircraft towing gliders stretched from the coast of France all the way back to England. Closely escorted by fighters, they delivered over 20,000 highly trained men into the battlefield of Northern France. By nightfall the first phase of the greatest military invasion in history was complete. Five Divisions were were ashore and the Allies had established a toehold in occupied Europe. For the Third Reich it was the beginning of the end. Without the advanced airborne assault, and the air supremacy achieved by the escort fighters, the amphibious landings could have been a disaster. Seen crossing the Normandy beaches are C-47 Dakotas of the 438th Troop Carrier Group towing CG-4 Waco gliders, closely escorted by P-51Bs of the 354 Fighter Group. Below, landing craft swarm ashore putting men and equipment on the beaches, and everything about this spectacular painting brings alive the events of that historic day a half a century ago. |
Arnhem Op Market Garden by Geoff Lea. Douglas C47 Dakotas fly into the landing and drop zone at Renkum Heath, September 17th 1944. |
Boarding Call by David Pentland. Southern England, D-Day, 6th June 1944. U.S. Paratroopers of 101st Airborne Division awaiting H-hour, and the call to board their DC 3 Dakota transports. |
Dakota DOUGLAS DAKOTA, Transport aircraft with three crew and can carry 28 passengers. speed 230-mph, and a altitude of 23,200 feet. maximum range 2,100 miles. The Douglas Dakota served in all theatres of world war two, The Royal Air Force received its first Douglas Dakota's in April 1941, to 31 squadron which was serving in India. These were DC2, later DC3 and eventually C-47 Dakotas were supplied. The Douglas Dakota was developed from the civil airliner of the 1930's. The Royal Air Force received nearly 2,000 Dakotas, But many more than this served in the US Air Force and other allied countries. The last flight of a Douglas Dakota of the Royal Air Force was in 1970. You can still see Douglas Dakota's in operational and transport use across the world. |
| Top Aces for : Dakota | |
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown this aircraft. | |
| Name | Victories |
| James Lindsay | 7.00 |
|
Contact Details |
|
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
|
|
