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Gathering Storm by Anthony Saunders (GL) - Cranston Military Prints

Gathering Storm by Anthony Saunders (GL)


Gathering Storm by Anthony Saunders (GL)

Mustangs of 434th Fighter Squadron head across the Channel. On 25th May 1944, pilots of the 434 Fighter Squadron flew their first combat mission. In the early hours of 6 thJune, D-Day, included in the 12,000 aircraft which flew cover, interdiction or other support missions were 434th pilots, some who flew three missions, returning to base long enough to refuel and rearm. Not until 29th July 1944 did the 434 Fighter Squadron down its first aircraft , when 1 Lt Arthur F. Jeffrey, one of the original six pilots assigned to the squadron, bagged an Me-163 Komet, a rocket-propelled interceptor. Over the next nine months squadron members flew bomber escort missions, attacked air fields and flew other missions as required, including support of beleaguered ground forces around Bastogne, Belgium, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. On 25th April 1945, pilots flew their last combat mission and 1 Lt Hilton O. Thomas shot down the last aircraft credited to an Eighth Air Force pilot - an Arado 234 Blitz, a jet-powered bomber. Of the four aces the from the 434th Fighter Squadron, three top aces evolved - Arthur F. Jeffery, Robin Olds and George W. Gleason.
Item Code : AS0001GLGathering Storm by Anthony Saunders (GL) - Editions AvailableExtra....

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Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas artist proofs. Image size 30 inches x 19 inches (76cm x 48cm)Artist : Anthony Saunders
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When War broke out in Europe in 1939 the British Government decided to establish a second source for the Curtis P-40 fighter. The Brits approached North American Aviation of Inglewood, California. North Americans manufacturing division was headed by James Dutch Kindelberger, and the division already was involved with Britain in supplying its AT-6 trainers to the RAF. Kindelberger rejected the British proposal and instead offered a new aircraft to be built using the same engine as the P-40, but with an improved more aerodynamic design. In May of 1940 a contract was signed for 320 of the new aircraft, designated NA-73, and North American put Raymond Rice in charge of the design team. The chief designer was Edgar Schmued who had immigrated to America from Germany in 1930. Incorporating a laminar flow wing, and a streamlined design, the NA-73X took to the air in October of 1940 under the control of Vance Breese, the projects test pilot. As production commenced a pair of aircraft were provided the USAAC for evaluation at Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio. Designated the XP-51 by the USAAC, the Brits coined the name Mustang for this new aircraft. About 1,000 Mustangs were produced utilizing the Allison V- 1710-3 9 engine. The aircrafts performance was somewhat disappointing, and the RAF proposed testing this aircraft with the more powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Testing showed dramatic performance improvements, and the P-51 was some reborn with a Packard-built version of the Merlin. More than 3,700 P-5 1 Bs utilizing the Merlin engine were produced. Equipped with underwing drop tanks these Mustangs were now capable of accompanying US bombers deep into enemy airspace. They also were now the equals of anything the Germans could produce when involved in high altitude dog fighting. A number of Americas top fighter aces of the War flew the Mustang, including Col. Henry W. Brown. Brown, a native of Dallas Texas, flew a P-51B nicknamed the Hun Hunter from Texas. Brown had been assigned to the 355th Fighter Group of the Eighth Air Force in 1943. His first combat tour, flying the P-47 Jug, yielded 4.5 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. On his second combat tour Brown began flying the Mustang. He attained 14.2 confirmed aerial victories, and a total of 28.7, prior to being shot down and captured in October of 1944. Following the War, and his release from prisoner of war camp, Brown remained in the Air Force. He commanded a number of fighter units prior to his retirement in 1974. The Ford Mustang was introduced in April 1964 at the New York Worlds Fair. It was the most successful new car of the 1960s with nearly 700,000 sold between mid-1964 and December 1965. Spearheading this incredible success was Lee A. lacocca, a straight-talking former car salesman, who had risen rapidly in the Ford organization. In many ways the Mustang was similar to the first Ford Thunderbirds of 1955-57, yet this automobile had its own unique identity. Powered by either a 101 HP 170 cu. inch six, or a 164 HP V-8, a long list of options allowed consumers to tailor their Mustang to their own tastes. The original Mustang was a brilliant design and much of the credit goes to Joe Oros, Gale Halderman, and L. David Ash of the Ford Division Styling Studio.

Vintage Mustangs by Stan Stokes. 		Returning to base after an arduous escort mission, Captain Art Fiedler leads a flight of P51 Mustangs from the 325th Fighter Group - the Checkertail Clan - through the Po Valley in northern Italy seeking out targets of opportunity amongst the retreating Axis forces, July 1944. When in December 1943 the 325th Fighter Group, the Checkertail Clan, had moved into south-eastern Italy they were soon escorting American bombers on long range missions deep into occupied Europe. In two years of air combat the Checkertails soon became one of the crack units in the Fifteenth Air Force, destroying a staggering 537 enemy aircraft in the air, and accounting for many more on the ground.

Roam at Will by Anthony Saunders. 		Mustang P51 Nooky Booky IV flown by Captain Leonard Kit Carson of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, giving fighter escort top cover protection to the B17s of 381st Bomb Group, returning after a raid in Germany, January 1944. Kit Carson ended the war as top scorer of the 357th with 18.5 aerial victories in the last 6 months of the war.

Mustang Escort by Graeme Lothian 		The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. In Stan Stokes painting, Russos third victory is depicted over a JU-52 at the Aversano Airfield in Italy. The early USAAF fighter versions of the Mustang were designated as P-51As. About 650 were delivered to the RAF and 350 to the USAAF. With its Allison engine the early P-51s were no match for German Bf-109s or FW-190s. The performance drawbacks of the Mustang were especially apparent at higher altitudes. The RAF equipped some Mustangs with the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. This dramatically enhanced the Mustangs high altitude performance. This new engine was utilized in the P-51B, the first effective fighter version of this aircraft. Also developed were inexpensive wing mounted drop tanks which extended the Mustangs range into the heart of Germany, so it could accompany American bombers on daylight raids. Late in 1943, North American redesigned the top of the rear fuselage of the Mustang, and added a bubble canopy. This variant became the P-51D and proved to be an effective dog fighting aircraft against any of the Luftwaffes propeller driven fighters.

The First Mustang Ace by Stan Stokes.
Squadrons Related to This Print
434th Fighter Squadron
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