
| Big Tailed Beast by Stan Stokes.
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.........
More Text... |
| | Item Code : STK0072 | Big Tailed Beast by Stan Stokes. - Editions Available | |
| | DESCRIPTION | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | PRICE | PURCHASING | PACKS | | Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. | Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) | Artist : Stan Stokes | £15 Off!
 | Now : £35.00 | | | | 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque. | Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) | Brehm, PaulNO PHOTO AVAILABLE
 |
| | Lt Cdr H Paul Flyboy Brehm USNR (deceased) |
| Paul Brehm, infected with a thirst to become a flyer, at an early age read all of the stories regarding the WW 1 flying aces. The ceiling of his room was hung with a myriad of planes engaging in aerial combat. By March of 1942, several months after America's entry into WW 11, Brehm's childhood dream became a reality as he began flight training at USNRAB Kansas City. On the cutting edge of an accelerated program, he earned his wings and a naval commission at NAS Jacksonville in December o |
|
 + Artist : Stan Stokes | £20 Off! | Now : £110.00 | | | | Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. | Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) | Brehm, PaulNO PHOTO AVAILABLE
 |
| | Lt Cdr H Paul Flyboy Brehm USNR (deceased) |
| Paul Brehm, infected with a thirst to become a flyer, at an early age read all of the stories regarding the WW 1 flying aces. The ceiling of his room was hung with a myriad of planes engaging in aerial combat. By March of 1942, several months after America's entry into WW 11, Brehm's childhood dream became a reality as he began flight training at USNRAB Kansas City. On the cutting edge of an accelerated program, he earned his wings and a naval commission at NAS Jacksonville in December o |
|
 + Artist : Stan Stokes | £15 Off!
 | Now : £95.00 | | |
|

| 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. |
| | Item Code : DHM2058 | Mission Beyond Darkness by Robert Taylor - Editions Available | |
| | DESCRIPTION | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | PRICE | PURCHASING | PACKS | | Signed limited edition of 750 prints. | Image size 34 inches x 23 inches (86cm x 58cm) | Vraciu, Alex | | Commander Alex Vraciu USN (deceased) |
| Alexander Vraciu was born in 1918, in East Chicago. Indiana to Romanian immigrant parents, . Alex grew up enthralled by the exploits of aviator Charles Lindbergh and World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Alexander Vraciu won a scholarship to DePauw University. Due to his passion for flying he obtained his private pilots license under the governments Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) program at Muncie, Indiana. Vraciu graduated in 1941, and entered the Navy as pilot candidate just before Pea |
|
 Gordon, Donald | | Captain Donald Gordon USN (deceased) |
| Captain Donald 'Flash' Gordon, USN joined the Navy on July 7, 1941 and was commissioned an Ensign on March 12, 1942. He served with VF-10 'Grim Reapers' flying the F4F Wildcat on his first combat tour aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise and claimed two air victories. He participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz and also served briefly on Guadalcanal with the Marines. His second combat tour was also aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise with VF-10 now flying the F6F Hellcat. He would claim 4 air |
|
 Yaussi, Ralph | | Lieutenant Ralph Yaussi USNR (deceased) |
| Ralph joined the Service in July 1942 and after his commission was soon in action flying anti-sub patrols. In December 1943, flying the SB2C Helldiver, he went aboard the USS Hornet, where his first mission under fire was at Palau Island on March 30, 1943. During the Philippine Sea action he and his gunner James Curry attacked the Japanese carrier fleet in the Mission Beyond Darkness but on the return their Helldiver ran out of fuel as he attempted to land. They were forced to ditch and were res |
|
 Curry, James | | James Curry joined the Navy in August 1942 amd after training as an air gunner was posted to join Ralph Yaussi an VB2 (Air Group 2), operating the Curtis SB2C Helldiver. The first of his combat sorties was made m March 1944 flying off the USS Hornet and he participated in every island strike that the Hornet made during that tour of duty, including Truk, Guam, the Bonin Islands and Iwo Jima amongst many others. James took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea when Yaussi was forced to ditch th |
|
+ Artist : Robert Taylor | £30 Off! | Now : £210.00 | | | | Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. | Image size 34 inches x 23 inches (86cm x 58cm) | Vraciu, Alex | | Commander Alex Vraciu USN (deceased) |
| Alexander Vraciu was born in 1918, in East Chicago. Indiana to Romanian immigrant parents, . Alex grew up enthralled by the exploits of aviator Charles Lindbergh and World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Alexander Vraciu won a scholarship to DePauw University. Due to his passion for flying he obtained his private pilots license under the governments Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) program at Muncie, Indiana. Vraciu graduated in 1941, and entered the Navy as pilot candidate just before Pea |
|
 Gordon, Donald | | Captain Donald Gordon USN (deceased) |
| Captain Donald 'Flash' Gordon, USN joined the Navy on July 7, 1941 and was commissioned an Ensign on March 12, 1942. He served with VF-10 'Grim Reapers' flying the F4F Wildcat on his first combat tour aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise and claimed two air victories. He participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz and also served briefly on Guadalcanal with the Marines. His second combat tour was also aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise with VF-10 now flying the F6F Hellcat. He would claim 4 air |
|
 Yaussi, Ralph | | Lieutenant Ralph Yaussi USNR (deceased) |
| Ralph joined the Service in July 1942 and after his commission was soon in action flying anti-sub patrols. In December 1943, flying the SB2C Helldiver, he went aboard the USS Hornet, where his first mission under fire was at Palau Island on March 30, 1943. During the Philippine Sea action he and his gunner James Curry attacked the Japanese carrier fleet in the Mission Beyond Darkness but on the return their Helldiver ran out of fuel as he attempted to land. They were forced to ditch and were res |
|
 Curry, James | | James Curry joined the Navy in August 1942 amd after training as an air gunner was posted to join Ralph Yaussi an VB2 (Air Group 2), operating the Curtis SB2C Helldiver. The first of his combat sorties was made m March 1944 flying off the USS Hornet and he participated in every island strike that the Hornet made during that tour of duty, including Truk, Guam, the Bonin Islands and Iwo Jima amongst many others. James took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea when Yaussi was forced to ditch th |
|
+ Artist : Robert Taylor | £30 Off! | Now : £325.00 | | |
|
|
|
|