Japanese Fighters and Japanese Bombers
of World war Two in aviation art prints. Japanese aircraft FIM2 and Japanese
Zero fighter, A6M0s in aviation art prints including the attack on Pearl
Harbor by aviation artists Robert Taylor and Ivan Berryman. Aviation art
prints available from the aviation art print company.
The Brits Get Burned by Stan Stokes.
Twenty-four
hours prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese fighters
near the Gulf of Siam shot down a RAF Catalina flying boat. The RAF
aircraft had stumbled across the Japanese Southern Expeditionary Fleet
proceeding to Malaya with a powerful invasion force. With many of its
carriers approaching Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invasion force was
dependent on land-based air cover. The Japanese Navys 22nd
Air Flotilla had relocated to bases in French Indochina. Also within
range were Army aircraft flying out of the Saigon area. The Japanese had
several hundred aircraft at their disposal. On the British side there
was a collection of approximately 150 mostly obsolete and poorly
maintained aircraft including Brewster Buffalos, Vildebeast torpedo
bombers, Blenheim light bombers, and Hudson patrol aircraft. The British
had reinforced their naval forces in the area in November with the
arrival of Force Z. Force Z included the old battle cruiser Repulse
and the new state-of-the-art battleship Prince of Wales. It had
also included the aircraft carrier Indomitable, but that ship had
unhappily run aground in the West Indies. Force Z was sent north, under
radio silence, to seek out the Japanese invasion force. Guided by some
reports from a submarine, a force of 53 Japanese aircraft from the 22nd
Air Flotilla took off on a mission to intercept the British force.
Flying twin-engine G3M Nell and G4M1 Betty bombers, mostly armed with
torpedoes, the Japanese pilots flew southwards through darkness and
heavy clouds. Finally spotting something, the aircraft proceeded to
attack position, but realized at the last minute that they were
preparing to attack Admiral Ozawas flagship. About the same time, Force
Z made contact with two scout planes launched from Ozawas cruisers.
Disappointed that they had lost any element of surprise, the British
force turned back. The next day the force was spotted by Japanese
reconnaissance aircraft and their position was established for another
attack force of nearly 100 aircraft.The Repulse was attacked first by a low level bombing run
by Nells. Two waves of torpedo bomber attacks then followed. Captain
Tennant, the ships commander twisted and swerved his ship, managing to
dodge all the torpedoes. A third wave resulted in a single torpedo hit;
exposing the old ship to nine more torpedo bombers. Four more torpedoes
struck home, and the Repulse rolled over and sunk. The Prince
of Wales was attacked by an initial wave of nine torpedo bombers,
and suffered two hits. Mortally wounded she was attacked by a second
wave of torpedo bombers. This time 4 more torpedoes struck home. She
capsized and sank a few hours after the Repulse had preceded her.
The demise of the Repulse and the Prince of Wales marked
the end of the Battleship Era. Never again could powerful ships feel any
security as long as unopposed enemy airpower was in range.
Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian.
Corsairs of VMF 121 provide close air support to the US landings on Rendova, June 30, 1943. Fiercely contested, the invasion force was heavily attacked by Zero fighters and Mitsubishi G4M1 Betty bombers, flying from their base at Rabaul. Dog-fighting at tree-top height, VMF 121 Corsairs rip into a bunch of Betty bombers as they try to make their escape following their attack on shipping. On fire, the Betty in the foreground is doomed, and will shortly become one of 19 Japanese aircraft accounted for by VMF 121. Other Marine fighter units brought the total this day to a staggering 58 enemy aircraft destroyed.
Item Code : DHM2047
Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian. - Editions Available
One of the most successful of the P-38 equipped units was the 475th Fighter Group, Satans Angels, and it is the P-38s of this famous unit that Nicolas Trudgian has portrayed in his tribute to the American Air Forces that made Victory in the Pacific possible. It is March 1945 and the P-38s of the 475th FG are involved in a huge dogfight with Japanese Zeros over the coast of Indo-China. Flying Pee Wee V is Lt Ken Hart of the 431st Fighter Squadron, who has fatally damaged a Zero in a blistering head on encounter. The second P-38 – Vickie – belongs to Captain John Rabbit Pietz, who would end the War an Ace with six victories.
Item Code : DHM2589
Pacific Glory by Nicolas Trudgian. - Editions Available
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Anniversary Edition : Signed limited edition of 350 prints. Full Item Details
Print paper size 35.5 inches x 27 inches (90cm x 69cm)
As the war in the Pacific continued to intensify in 1943 and 1944, the naval air forces of Japan began to suffer from both quantitative and qualitative shortcomings in both aircraft and pilots that contributed to American domination of the air. The once dominant Japanese naval air arm was decimated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the defense of the Philippines, and other lesser battles. With American bombing forces now capable of reaching the Japanese islands with B-29 Superfortresses, the Japanese lacked any effective fighter defenses. In an effort to improve the situation and provide some semblance of air superiority, Captain Minoru Genda, the architect of the air operations for the attack on Pearl Harbor, formed a new elite fighter air group, the 343rd Kokutai, at Matsuyama in December of 1944. This group contained the best of Japans remaining fighter pilots which were personally selected for participation. Consisting of three squadrons, the 301st, 407th, and 701st hikotai, th.........
Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.
Artist : Stan Stokes
£10 Off!
Now : £30.00
Fighting Tigers by Robert Taylor.
On August 5, 1944, following a successful attack on Japanese forces just north of Changsha, P-40 Warhawks of the75th and 16th Fighter Squadrons, 23rd F.G., are attacked by enemy Nakajima fighters and a massive dog-fight has developed over the Hsiang Chiang river with aircraft wheeling and turning in all directions. The action is set against the distinctive, haunting landscape of Southern China, Roberts panoramic canvas capturing all the atmosphere of a crucial aerial campaign fought in the skies above a distant land so many years ago.
Item Code : DHM2465
Fighting Tigers by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
Mission to Yokohama, Japan, June 1944 by David Pentland.
Boeing B29 Superfortresses of the USAAF 40th Bomb Group come under attack from a Kawasaki Ki64 Hein (Tony) of the Japanese Army Airforces 244th Sentai.
Item Code : DP0008
Mission to Yokohama, Japan, June 1944 by David Pentland. - Editions Available
Curtiss had been the primary supplier of fighter aircraft to the U.S. Army Air Corps. since its inception, and the company was dismayed when the Army procured the Boeing P-26 Peashooter in 1932. Curtiss responded by hiring Mr. Donovan Berlin, a bright young engineer who was working for Northrop. Donovan developed the Hawk 75, a streamlined, low-wing, monoplane coastal defense fighter. With an enhanced Twin Wasp engine the Hawk 75 evolved into the P-36, which had a brief and fairly undistinguished career with the Air Corps. In 1938 a P-36 was retrofitted with the Allison in-line 12-cylinder, 1150 HP engine, and the P-40 was born. This was the beginning of what would eventually be a production run of more than 13,000 aircraft. Depending on its theater of operation and the particular model, the P-40 was alternatively known as the Tomahawk, the Kittyhawk, or the Warhawk. By mid-1942 P-40s were serving in every major conflict. The aircraft excelled in ground attack missions, but lacked the.........
Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.
Artist : Stan Stokes
£5 Off!
Now : £35.00
An Interesting Dog Fight by Stan Stokes.
October 23, 1942 was a typical day for American troops at Esprito Santo, but for the crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress it would become a most memorable day. Early that morning the Japanese began shelling the field. Lt. Ed Loberg, a former farm boy from Wisconsin, was ordered to take his B-17 up for a reconnaissance mission to determine where the Japanese guns may be located. Not finding anything they returned to the field. The brakes failed on the B-17 upon landing, and they hit several parked Navy aircraft. Fortunately for Lobergs crew a 100 pound bomb dislodged in the crash did not explode. Later that day the crew boarded another B-17 and went hunting out to sea. Around mid-day the crew noticed a PBY being attacked by a Kawanishi H6K Mavis flying boat. Diving the B-17 straight down, the Mavis and the Flying Fortress soon entered a rain squall. The windows were black with clouds and rain, and the plane was buffeted by strong winds. Emerging from the squall at low altitude into blinding .........
On the morning of Sunday 7th December 1941 the Japanese launched their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Surprise was complete - within a few terrifying minutes, bombs and torpedoes had damaged or destroyed much of the US Pacific Fleet peacefully at anchor, and almost all of the fighters on the ground. But as Aichi D-3A dive bombers target the Fleet's flagship, the battleship California, a lone P-40 has managed to get airborne in the chaos to engage the enemy. Seventy years ago the world stood open-mouthed in shock as it learnt of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. This dramatic new edition is released in tribute to all those that took part in the actions on December 7 1941.
Item Code : DHM6111
Day of Infamy by Anthony Saunders. - Editions Available ***New Release !*** (November 2011)
On April 18, 1943, in one of the more interesting, daring, and ultimately controversial missions of WW II, a flight of P-38s under the command of Major John Mitchell, intercepted and destroyed the aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, and the mastermind of the attack on Pearl Harbor. American code breakers had intercepted and translated a message indicating that Adm. Yamamoto would fly from Rabaul to an airfield on the southern tip of Bouganville on the morning of April 18, 1943. Because of the great distances to be covered during this intercept mission the P-38s would have very limited time over the rendezvous area. Fortunately for the Army Air Force pilots, Yamamoto was noted for his punctuality, and if he departed Rabaul on time the mission might just work. Major Mitchell led his flight of 16 P-38s to the rendezvous, with twelve of his fighters acting as high cover to fend off escorting fighters, while four pilots were design.........
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the third monoplane to see carrier service with the Navy. It was also the fighter aircraft which would carry the brunt of the fighting in the Pacific until 1943 when the F6F Hellcat would enter service. The Wildcat was flow by both USN and USMC aviators. The Wildcat lacked the range and maneuverability of the Mitsubishi Zeros it often faced, but the Wildcat was more heavily armed and able to take a lot more punishment than the Mitsubishis. Most of the pilots which obtained ace status while flying the F4F obtained most of their victories against Japanese bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Eight individuals were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor while displaying valor while in command of an F4F. The pilots of no other aircraft during WW II were as highly decorated. One of the most outstanding of this elite group was USMC Captain Joseph Jacob Foss. Foss, a South Dakota native, had been accepted as a naval aviation cadet following his graduation from t.........
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
Item Code : DHM2436
Attack on the Hiei by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
On July 24, 1945, Air Group 87 on board the USS Ticonderoga was informed that the Hyuga, anchored off a small island near Kure, Japan, would be its target. The ship, a WW I vintage battleship which had been modernized in 1936, and later converted to part battleship and part sea plane tender, would be a formidable objective with its impressive firepower and the fact that its location would place the attackers in the line of fire of numerous shore batteries. The ship was 704 feet in length, displaced 39,000 tons, and carried a compliment of Aichi E16A1 Zuiun reconaissance aircraft which were code named Paul by the Allies. Lt Cdr. Kanaga would lead the squadrons Curtiss SB2C Helldivers on the attack. Each of the twelve Helldivers would carry a 1,000 pound bomb in the internal bomb bay, a 260 pound fragmentation bomb under one wing and a droppable wing tank under the other wing. The drop tank weighed substantially more than the 260 pounder so it was anticipated that the Helldivers might b.........
The Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo-bomber was the first low-wing, all metal monoplane to see service with the US Navy. Delivered in 1937 about 100 TBDs were in service when the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into WW II. Powered by a 811-HP Pratt and Whitney radial engine, the TBD had a maximum speed of about 200 MPH and a range of about 700 miles. Unfortunately, given the design of the torpedoes used, attacks had to be made at a maximum speed of only about 110 MPH, and at an altitude of no more than 100 feet. This made the Devastator a sitting duck for both enemy fighters or anti-aircraft gunners. The highlight of the TBDs brief battle career in WW II came during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. This battle, the first ever waged solely between the aircraft of opposing carrier attack groups, involved air groups from the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington. Three Japanese carriers, the Shokaku, the Zuikaku, and the Shoho were involved. On May 7 the Lexington lau.........
A new U.S. Navy fighter squadron designated VF-11 was organized in August 1942. The new squadron received several combat tested pilots, and many newcomers, including Vernon E. Graham, a Colorado native. After two months of training in San Diego the new squadron deployed to Maui, where, under the command of Charles Fenton, the squadron commenced a comprehensive training program. While in Hawaii several of VF-11s pilots came up with a squadron insignia which depicted two Grumman F4F Wildcats blasting a rising sun into the Pacific. Thus VF- 11 became known as the Sun Downers. The Sun Downers first combat tour would be land-based, flying out of Guadacanal with the Marines. This was a bit upsetting to some member of the squadron as the Marines were flying the state-of-the-art F4U Corsair, while VF-11 was equipped with the older Grumman F4F Wildcat, an aircraft somewhat inferior in dog fighting capability to the Japanese Zero. During the first several weeks of its first combat tour the Sun .........
Colin P. Kelly, Americas first hero of WW II, was born in Florida in 1915. He was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and following graduation Kelly married the former Marian Wick. Kelly received his primary flight instruction at Randolph Field in San Antonio, and after earning his wings he moved across town to Kelly Field for advanced pilot training. Unlike many would-be fighter pilots, Kelly was not disappointed with being assigned as a bomber pilot. Kelly received a letter of commendation from The Secretary of War when he crash landed a Northrop A-17A he was ferrying to Mitchel field in a vacant street in Brooklyn. In September of 1940 Kelly was promoted to Captain, and was assigned to the 42nd Bomb Squadron as commander of a B-17. Kelly trained in Hawaii, and was later made Operations Officer for the 14th Bomb Squadron. In September of 1941 Kelly and his crew flew from Hawaii to Clark Field in the Philippines. The B-17s were an important addition to the woefully i.........
For their outstanding contribution to the war in the South Pacific, the Black Sheep were awarded one of only two Presidential Unit Citations accorded to Marine Corps squadrons during the war in the Pacific. With typical mastery, Robert Taylor has brought to life an encounter over Rabaul in late December 1943, paying tribute to one of the US Marine Corps most famous fighter squadrons, and its outstanding leader. With the Japanese airbase at Rabaul visible in the distance, Pappy Boyington and his fellow pilots of VMF-214 tear into a large formation of Japanese Zekes and a series of deadly dogfights have started, one Zeke already fallen victim to their guns.
Item Code : DHM2673
Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto attended Harvard University where he gained a good understanding of American culture and developed an avid interest in the game of poker. Yamamoto played his cards when he outlined a plan to attack Pearl Harbor in January 1941. In April the Japanese organized a First Air Fleet with Vice Admiral Nagumo as its Commander in Chief. Commander Minoru Genda was appointed air staff officer, and because Nagumo was unfamiliar with air tactics, Genda was given responsibility for planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. Cdr. Genda immediately began perfecting the Pearl Harbor plan, and few details were overlooked. The Imperial Navys First Air Fleet consisted of six carriers. The Akagi, flagship of the strike force, was a converted cruiser which carried 63 aircraft. The Kaga also carried 63 aircraft, and was a converted battleship. The Soryu was the first carrier built from the ground up and was similar to the Hiryu. Each carrier had a compliment of 54 aircraft. With two addit.........
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.........
