|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
|
United States Air Force
Aviation Art Prints  Aviation Artists Robert Taylor  US Air Force |
[UP] - Royal Air Force - Luftwaffe - US Air Force - Civilian Aircraft - Modern Aircraft - More Aircraft |
| More Pages : Mustang - Flying Fortress - Tomahawk - Lightning - Liberator - Superfortress - Corsair - Mitchell - Warhawk - Hellcat - Dakota - Marauder - Viper - Phantom - Thunderbolt - Dauntless - Helldiver - Thunderchief - Wildcat - Waco - Avenger |
| Navigation | |
| Page 3 of 4 | Previous .. Page 3 .. Next |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Navigation | |
| Page 3 of 4 | Previous .. Page 3 .. Next |
| Text for the above items : |
Schweinfurt - The Second Mission by Robert Taylor. Briefing at 0500 hours on the morning of 14 October 1943 brought the crews of the 92nd Bomb Group news they did not want to hear: Its Schweinfurt again! The same message was being repeated in USAAF bomb group briefing rooms all over eastern England in the early hours of what was to become forever known as Black Thursday. Robert Taylors majestic painting shows Colonel Budd Peaslees B-17 Equipose, piloted by Kemp McLaughlin, leading the Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group en-route to the vital ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt. |
The Wolfpack by Robert Taylor. The 56th Fighter Group was led by some of Americas greatest fighter leaders of World War II and was home to many of its leading fighter Aces. Under successive commanders Hub Zemke, Robert Landry and David Schilling, the 56th destroyed more enemy aircraft in combat than any other fighter group in the Eighth Air Force. Arriving in England in January 1943 under the command of Colonel Hub Zemke, a master tactician and fearless leader, the 56th quickly emerged as an outstanding fighting unit. The only Eighth Air Force Group to fly P-47 Thunderbolts throughout the war, the 56th spawned more fighter Aces than any other USAAF group - legends such as Gabby Gabreski, Robert Johnson and the colourful Ace Walker Bud Mahurin. Under Hub Zemkes mercurial leadership they became known and feared as Zemkes Wolfpack. On 26 November, 1943, the P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group were tasked to escort B-24 Liberators of the 392nd Bomb Group on a dangerous mission to attack the heavily defended industrial and dockyard facilities in the German port of Bremen. Zemke knew the Luftwaffe would be waiting for them as they approached the target, and they were - in force! It was to become a day of high drama. With the Luftwaffe throwing all the fighters they could muster at the American heavy bombers, a massive aerial battle ensued. In the running dogfights high over Bremen, the Wolfpack claimed their most successful action of the war with 23 confirmed kills, 3 probables, and 9 damaged, creating an all-time record in the European Theatre. The 392nds B-24 Liberators could not have been in safer hands on that eventful day. |
Thunderheads Over Ridgewell by Robert Taylor. In the early days of the USAAF daylight bombing campaign, before the arrival of long-range fighter escorts, rarely was a mission flown without Luftwaffe interception and the ever-present barrage of anti-aircraft fire. The Eighth Air Force crews literally fought their way through swarms of enemy fighters and thick flak to hit their targets, then fought their way home again. Seldom a formation returned without losses and casualties, but inexorably the American bomb groups struck deeper and deeper into enemy territory. Bomber crews lucky enough to survive a complete tour were few and far between. They knew this when they arrived in England at the start of their tour, and the awesome task they faced banded the flyers together like brothers. They flew and fought for each other, their country and liberty with determination and a camaraderie that only those who went through the experience could fully appreciate. In his tribute to the USAAF bomber crews, Robert Taylor has selected the 381st Bomb Group to represent, and pay tribute to all those who flew the perilous daylight raids out of bases in England into the heavily defended skies above enemy occupied Europe. Roberts emotive painting shows 381st Bomb Group B-17 Fortresses returning to Ridgewell on a summer afternoon in 1944 during a period when the Group reached the peak of it effectiveness- for several months it was the top ranked outfit in the Eighth. Between June 1943 and the end of hostilities the 381st completed 297 combat missions, hit almost every important target in German hands and was credited with the destruction of 223 enemy aircraft. One aircraft, more than any other, came to symbolise the great bombing campaign of the USAAF in Europe during World War Two, and in his spectacular new painting Robert Taylor captures the magnificence of Boeings legendary B-17 Flying Fortress. In his inimitable style the artist brings to life an exact wartime scene, a battle-damaged aircraft making apparent the fearsome task tackled daily by those who flew the hazardous missions to occupied Europe during the greatest air war ever fought. |
Mission Beyond Darkness by Robert Taylor Following the attack against Admiral Ozawas Japanese carrier fleet on June 20, 1944, Admiral Mitscher defies all rules of naval engagement: In total darkness, with the ever-present danger of enemy submarines, he orders every ship in his Task Force 58 to switch on lights to guide over 100 returning carrier-borne aircraft, all desperately low on fuel. Amid the confusion, unable to get a landing slot aboard the USS Lexington, and now out of fuel, a pilot and his gunner scramble from their ditched SB2B Curtiss Helldiver, as a Fletcher class destroyer manoeuvres to make the pick up. |
Rolling Thunder by Robert Taylor. Flying down Thud Ridge at just below the speed of sound, Jack Broughton leads an F-105 Thunderbolt raid on the power plant at Viet Tri, North Vietnam, March12, 1967. The target was destroyed. |
Hostile Sky by Robert Taylor A B-24 has been hit and is losing touch with the main bomber formation, as Luftwaffe pilots concentrated their attentions on the unfortunate aircraft. Two Fw190s, are zooming up for the kill on the damaged B-24. Seeing the desperate situation, a P-38 escort pilot has made a head-on attack, splitting the pair of Fw190s, and thwarting their attempt to finish off the B-24. Another P-38, aware of the situation, is turning into the path of the Fw190s, and Robert makes it clear in his dramatic portrayal that the action has some way to go before any conclusion will be reached. |
The Eagles Divide by Robert Taylor. P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group clash with Me109s in close combat as they struggle for air superiority over the heart of Germany, during the desperate days of 1945. It had begun - the end game was inexorably in play. The final defeat of Germany and the end of Nazi tyranny was almost within sight but in the skies over Germany the defiant remnants of the Luftwaffe fought on with savage determination. Ever since the long-range American P-51 escort fighters had first appeared, the skies over the Reich had witnessed grim encounters with the Mustangs taking on the Luftwaffe as they tried to stop the heavy bombers of the USAAF reaching their targets. By early 1945 it was a losing battle, but still the Luftwaffe fought on and, in the resulting maelstrom of combat, the Mustang pilots still had their work cut out against these battle hardened, expert pilots. Robert Taylor's superb drawing dramatically reconstructs one such clash in early 1945 as P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group have spotted a group of Bf109s heading their way. Without hesitation they dive head-on in an attempt to break-up the enemy formation and for the pilots on both sides the explosive encounter of close combat is suddenly upon them. Limited edition prints of this classic Robert Taylor Master Drawing have been signed over the last few years by some of the most respected USAAF P-51 and distinguished Luftwaffe pilots who duelled in those merciless skies over Europe. Since signing the prints some of these legendary names have very sadly passed away, making it one of the most collectible editions of recent years. |
Chennault's Flying Tigers by Robert Taylor. P40 Tomahawks of the American Volunteer Group fought against the Japanese air force in the skies over Indo-China during World War 2 and became one of the most successful and famous fighter units of all time. Strangled by the Japanese blockade of its sea ports, and with supplies from Russia diverted to combat Hitler's invasion, China was left with one lifeline for vital supplies from the outside world: a treacherous unpaved track hacked through mountain terrain linking the port of Rangoon with the city of Kumming, in South West China - it was the infamous Burma Road. With the Impirial Japanese air force hell-bent on destroying Chinas last supply link, opposition had almost evaporated but for a tiny air force of American volunteers led by the indomitable figure of Claire Chennault. Formed in early 1941, months before Pearl Harbor, a rag-tag bunch of 100 recruited flyers supported by 200 ground personnel, known as the American Volunteer Group came together to stand alone against the might of Japanese air force in Indo-china. Blazing a trail in the skies over Burma and China they created a legend that will remain in the folklore of aviation history. They were Chennault's Flying Tigers. With little official support from home, the P-40 Tomahawk pilots of the A.V.G. became the scourge of the Japanese air force. In a six month period of combat, with no more than 50 or 60 serviceable aircraft, they destroyed some 300 Japanese aircraft, while probably destroying another 300. Their brief, glorious existance came to and end when on 4th July 1942 the A.V.G. was absorbed into the U.S Army Air Corps. Chennault's Flying Tigers passed into history. Moved by the legend of the Flying tigers, Robert Taylor has created a masterpiece. Capturing the spirit of the Flying Tigers he portrays a scene typical of the distant war fought by this tiny band of warriors. In the foreground of Robert's dramatic combat scene are two P-40s of the 2nd Pursuit Squadron, the Panda Bears, as they pull out of a driving attack just above the tree-tops of the Burmese jungle. One bomber hits the water, as two more P-40s bear down on another Nakajima bomber. In the distance the air is busy with low-level combat. |
Midway The Turning Point by Robert Taylor. Dauntless of the SS carrier Enterprise prepare to attack the Japanese Fleet at Midway, June 1942. The success of their bold and Devastating action changed the course of the war in the Pacific. |
Ploesti, The Vital Mission by Robert Taylor. Col Leon Johnson aboard the damaged Suzy Q emerges through an inferno of intense ground fire and dense palls of acrid burning oil. More seriously hit and smoking, another B-24 Liberator completes its bombing run. By the end of that first day of May 1943, the Ploesti oil fields were in ruins and the B-24 crews of the 8th and 9th Air Forces had dealt a vital blow to the Axis war machine. |
Zero Encounter by Robert Taylor. A Japanese Zero condenses the air off its wing tips as its pilot hauls his fighter inside a Marine F4F Wildcats determined attack. The two adversaries cavort the air in a desperate duel high over the island of Guadalcanal. The sky is alive with fighting aircraft as F4Fs and Zeros are locked in deadly combat. Below, clearly visible throught the clear tropical air is the prize over which they do battle: A single tiny airstrip on a small hill, humid, almost uninhabitable island - A priceless possession providing the key to air supremacy in the South Pacific. |
Beach Head Strike Force by Robert Taylor. F4U Corsairs search and destroy enemy positions during landings in the Marshall Islands, 1944. |
Rare Pair of D-Day prints by Robert Taylor - Into Battle by Robert Taylor and Crash Landing by Robert Taylor. Into Battle - Piling out of their C47 Dakotas, US paratroopers decent into the Drop Zone inland from Utah Beach D-Day 1944. Crash Landing - A Glider Pilot brings his fully laden CG Glider into the Normandy battlefield - D-Day 1944. |
Return from Schweinfurt by Robert Taylor. B-17 Fortresses of the American 8th Air Forces 1st Wing, fighting their way back from Schweinfurt on 17th August 1945. |
Fortress under Attack by Robert Taylor. 22nd Bomb group B17s under attack by Mitsubishi Zero fighters over Rebaul November 1942. |
Return to Duxford by Robert Taylor Flying low over the picturesque village of Thaxted, in the cold winter of 1944-45, the P-51D Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group return to Duxford after a tiring eight hour escort mission. With dusk approaching, low on fuel, the fighters have about 20 miles to run. Catching the festive mood, the pilots have dropped to tree-top height to take in the spectacular countryside as they scurry back to base and some well-earned celebrations. |
Valor in the Pacific by Robert Taylor. Depicted are B-29s of the 499th Bomb Group, 73rd Wing of the 20th Air Force. After a daylight raid on Tokyo, showing all the telltale signs of combat over the target, a Wing of the worlds largest and fastest-ever piston-engined bombers make their long over-water journey home, still many hours away at Saipan Island. At the extremity of their range, little friends, very-long-range P-51 Mustang escort fighters, peel off and head for home - leaving the mighty bombers to fend for themselves. |
Attack on the Hiei by Robert Taylor. Marine Ace Captain Joe Foss leads a flight of eight F4F Wildcats of VMF121, based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in a diversionary attack on the Imperial Japanese battlecruiser Hiei north of Savo Island, Friday November 13, 1942. In the distance TBF Avenger torpedo bombers of VMSB-131, having already attacked from the starboard side, head for base. That evening, after relentless air attack, the Hiei, disappeared beneath the sea- the first Japanese battleship sunk by American Forces in World War II |
Phantom Showtime by Robert Taylor Irish and I came into the break smoking at 500 knots, below the level of the flight deck. I could see thousands of men watching from the catwalks. I made a six-G break turn with 90 degree angle of bank. We landed after one of my best passes of the cruise. - Commander Randy Duke Cunningham. Back on deck, first to shake the hands of Lt.Randy Cunningham and his Radar Intercept Officer, Lt (jg) Willie Irish Driscoll, was ordnancement Willie White: Mr. Cunningham, we got our MiG today, didn't we! It was January 19, 1972 aboard the USS Constellation in the Gulf of Tonkin. As Cunningham shut down the engines of his Fighting Falcons F-4J Phantom, Task Force 77 Commander Admiral Cooper congratulated Cunningham and Driscoll on achieving their first of five air victories They went on to become the US Navys only Aces of the Vietnam war. |
Skipper Comes Home by Robert Taylor From the summer of 1942 until the end of hostilities, the USAAFs Eighth Air Force took the battle to enemy occupied Europe every single day that weather permitted. The largest air unit ever to go to war, the Eighth played a vital role in the ultimate defeat of Hitlers Germany. In the forefront of this awesome fighting force, the crews of the mighty B-17 Flying Fortress will be forever remembered. |
Battle of the Coral Sea by Robert Taylor. Commemorating the Battle of the Coral Sea, Robert Taylor has chosen to portray the sinking of the Shoho in this dramatic painting. When Commander Weldon Hamilton, leading one of the Lexington's Dauntless squadrons, spotted the Shoho at 1040 on the morning of May 4th 1942, the Japanese carrier's fate was sealed. Within minutes she was hit by the full force of the Lexington's dive bombers and torpedo aircraft, aided by the Yorktown's attack group. Smothered by a dozen bomb and seven torpedo hits, she was sunk within thirty minutes of the first sighting. |
|
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
|
|
|
