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Air Superiority by Robert Taylor (B) - Cranston Military Prints

Air Superiority by Robert Taylor (B)


Air Superiority by Robert Taylor (B)

It had taken almost six years of continual air fighting for the Allied forces to attain complete and total air superiority over the Luftwaffe. At the outbreak of World War II the mighty German Air Force had appeared invincible but the ensuing Battle of Britain gave the Luftwaffe its first taste of what was to come. When America joined the war, bringing with her to Europe new types of fighters and bombers, the writing must have been clearly chalked on the wall of Hitler's bunker. Unleashing the full power of the Eighth Air Force against the Third Reich by day, and with the RAF Bomber Command's constant attacks by night, production in Germany's aircraft and munitions factories became fatally depleted. In the air the Allied fighter pilots were beginning to dominate the skies, and by the spring of 1945, had achieved complete air superiority. It had been a long and bitter struggle, fought with great courage and sacrifice.
Item Code : DHM2267BAir Superiority by Robert Taylor (B) - Editions Available
DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!		 Image size 16 inches x 29.25 inches (41cm x 75cm)
Conlin, Raymond T

Died : 2012
First Lieutenant Raymond T Conlin (deceased)
'Ted' Conlin joined the service in July 1942, arriving in england in March 1944 to join the 362nd Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, flying P-51s. He flew the first of his combat missions on 13th May 1944, and the next few weeks saw much activity in the build up to D-Day. In September he took part in the air operations in support of Market Garden, the airborne landings in Holland around Arnhem and Nijmegen, and also escort on the 'Russian Shuttle' missions. He finished his combat
Signature Value : £45
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Skara, John

First Lieutenant John Skara
John Skara joined the service in June 1942. After training he was posted to England to join the 357th Fighter Group at Leiston in Suffolk, flying both the P51B and later the P51D. He undertook his first combat mission in March 1944, and took part in the long and hazardous escort missions both to Russia, and to Italy. For most of his combat tour he flew as wingman to Bud Anderson
Signature Value : £40
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Overstreet, William B

Died : 2013
Captain William B. Overstreet (deceased)
Posted to England in November 1943 to join the 363rd fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group at Leiston Bill Overstreet flew his P51 combat mission on 12th February 1944. He commanded nearly 50 combat missions during his tour with the 357th FS, taking part in escorting the big raids to Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzeig and many other city targets as well as participating in escort missions to Russia from Italy. Shot down once he managed to escape to freedom after two days capacity. Returning stateside
Signature Value : £45
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Black, Joseph
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
First Lieutenant Joseph Black
Joe Black joined up in November 1942, arriving in England to join the 357th Fighter Group. Flying with the 362nd Fighter Squadron, he flew the first of his 28 combat missions on 1st February 1945, and participated in a massive escort raid to Berlin escorting B17s for his second. Joe served with the 362nd right up until the end of hostilities in Europe, leaving the service early in 1946.
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Foard, William W
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Lieutenant Colonel William W Foard
27th February 1943 saw Bill Foard join the service and commence his pilot training, gaining his pilots wings, after which he was posted to the Eighth Air Force in England. Joining the 357th Fighter Group flying P51D Mustangs with the 364 Fighter Squadron based at Leiston in Suffolk, East Anglia, Bill flew his first combat mission on 21st February 1945. He took part in all of the Squadrons main escort raids and fighter actions during the final phase of the air war, until the end of hostilities.
Signature Value : £20
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Karger, Dale E
Died : 2008
First Lieutenant Dale E Karger (deceased)
Born in 1925, Dale Karger joined the Army Reserves and was commissioned a 2nd Lt, and rated a pilot in February 1944. He transferred to the 357th Fighter Group on 18th September 1944, scoring his first two victories on 5th December, both against Fw190s north of Berlin, followed by his first Me109 on 24th December. On 20th January he achieved Ace status when he notched up an Me262 jet north of Munich. Dale finished his tour with a tally of 7.5 victories, and was the third youngest American fig
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Kirla, John A
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Died : 2011
John A. Kirla (deceased)
Born in 1922, John Kirla joined the Army reserves and was commissioned a 2nd Lt and rated a pilot in January 1944. He transferred to the 357th Fighter Group on 12th July 1944, scoring his first victories on 13th September against Me109s south of Nordhausen. His victories continued to mount and on 24th December he achieved and passed Ace status when he notched up three Fw190s near Fulda. On 14th January he notched up four victories in a day on a mission northwest of Berlin, the last of his 11.
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Robertson, Arval J
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Died : 2007
Colonel Arval J. Roberson (deceased)
Joining the Army Reserves in 1942, 'Robby' Roberson was commissioned and rated a pilot in May 1943. Transferring to the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, he flew 76 combat missions on P51s, sharing his first victory against an Me110 over Berlin on 6th March 1944. He became an Ace on 19th September, and scored his 6th and final air victory at the same time. During the Korean War he flew an additional 100 combat hours with the 18th FBG, and in Vietnam managed to get in 26 sup
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Anderson, C E Bud

Died : 2024
Colonel C E Bud Anderson (deceased)
Bud Anderson went to England with the 357th Fighter Group in 1943, the first Eighth Air Force Group to be equipped with the P-51 Mustang. He got himself on the score sheet on one of the first Berlin missions, dog fighting with a bunch of Me109s who had set upon a straggling B-17. On 29th June 1944, leading his squadron on a mission to Leipzig, they ran into a formation of Fw190s. In the ensuing battle Anderson shot down the leader, and two more Fw190s. After a short rest in the U.S., Bud ret
Signature Value : £55
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Gailer, Frank L
Brigadier General Frank L. Gailer
General Gailer was born in Bakersfield, Calif., in 1923. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to New York, finally settling in Great Neck, Long Island. He graduated from Staunton Military Academy, Staunton, Va., in 1941, and attended Hofstra College, Hempstead, N.Y., until June 1942. He then entered the aviation cadet program and received pilot training at Parks Air College, Garden City, Kan., and Eagle Pass, Texas, where he earned his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant. Frank Gail
Signature Value : £25
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Schimanski, Robert G
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Schimanski
Born in Spokane, Washington in 1920, Bob Schimanski graduated as a fighter pilot, and was posted to join the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group in England. During his tour of duty on P51s at Leiston, he flew 70 combat missions, getting on the score sheet with the first of his victories on 13th September 1944. He became an Ace on 2 Match 1945 when he downed a Me109 south of Magdeburg. By the end of his tour had achieved 6 air victories, all but one against Me109s, plus a further two o
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Winks, Robert P

Died : 2008
Captain Robert P Winks (deceased)
Robert Winks joined the service in 1943, and after training was posted to England. Flying his first combat mission in July 1944, he served with the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group. His year long tour in Europe took in the heavy fighting over the Battle of the Bulge, the missions to support the Arnhem operations, and the Battle of Berlin, when the 357th destroyed 56 enemy aircraft. During this time he flew some 69 combat missions. His personal P-51D was 'Trusty Rusty'. Hi
Signature Value : £45
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £440		£50 Off!Now : £375.00

Quantity:


Some other related items available from this site.

Lt Hinton Horscroft is depicted getting airborne from Seoul, Korea, in P.51D 369 of the South African Air Force. Lt Horscroft survived the war in Korea and completed 75 missions with No.2 Sqn South African Air Force, known as the 'Flying Cheetahs', before returning safely to his home and family in Durban.

Tribute to the Flying Cheetahs by Ivan Berryman.		 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.		 On August 25th 1944, Ben Drew found himself locked in a stalemate with the Bf109 of an experienced Luftwaffe pilot. Circling each other to try and force an advantage, the two pilots spiraled towards the ground until the German finally broke away from the Lufberry circle to escape the guns of the Mustang. With 5 of his 6 guns jammed from the extreme forces encountered while circling, Ben Drew chased his opponent, raking the fuselage with the one remaining gun. The enemy aircraft started to smoke then nosed into the ground at full throttle. As he flew over the resulting fireball, Ben remembered how his mother always ended her letters - <i>good hunting, son.</i>.

Urban 'Ben' Drew - Good Hunting by Brian Bateman. 		Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series.

P-51 Mustang by Nicolas Trudgian.
Signatures on these products
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature and is for the unmatted version where available. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo




First Lieutenant Raymond T Conlin (deceased)
Died : 2012
*Signature Value : £45

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Conlin, Raymond T
(First Lieutenant Raymond T Conlin (deceased))

'Ted' Conlin joined the service in July 1942, arriving in england in March 1944 to join the 362nd Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, flying P-51s. He flew the first of his combat missions on 13th May 1944, and the next few weeks saw much activity in the build up to D-Day. In September he took part in the air operations in support of Market Garden, the airborne landings in Holland around Arnhem and Nijmegen, and also escort on the 'Russian Shuttle' missions. He finished his combat tour in November 1944. Ted Conlin died on 12th March 2012.




First Lieutenant John Skara
*Signature Value : £40

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Skara, John
(First Lieutenant John Skara)

John Skara joined the service in June 1942. After training he was posted to England to join the 357th Fighter Group at Leiston in Suffolk, flying both the P51B and later the P51D. He undertook his first combat mission in March 1944, and took part in the long and hazardous escort missions both to Russia, and to Italy. For most of his combat tour he flew as wingman to Bud Anderson




Captain William B. Overstreet (deceased)
Died : 2013
*Signature Value : £45

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Overstreet, William B
(Captain William B. Overstreet (deceased))

Posted to England in November 1943 to join the 363rd fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group at Leiston Bill Overstreet flew his P51 combat mission on 12th February 1944. He commanded nearly 50 combat missions during his tour with the 357th FS, taking part in escorting the big raids to Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzeig and many other city targets as well as participating in escort missions to Russia from Italy. Shot down once he managed to escape to freedom after two days capacity. Returning stateside in October 1944. He died on 29th December 2013.
First Lieutenant Joseph Black
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Black, Joseph
(First Lieutenant Joseph Black)

Joe Black joined up in November 1942, arriving in England to join the 357th Fighter Group. Flying with the 362nd Fighter Squadron, he flew the first of his 28 combat missions on 1st February 1945, and participated in a massive escort raid to Berlin escorting B17s for his second. Joe served with the 362nd right up until the end of hostilities in Europe, leaving the service early in 1946.
Lieutenant Colonel William W Foard
*Signature Value : £20

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Foard, William W
(Lieutenant Colonel William W Foard)

27th February 1943 saw Bill Foard join the service and commence his pilot training, gaining his pilots wings, after which he was posted to the Eighth Air Force in England. Joining the 357th Fighter Group flying P51D Mustangs with the 364 Fighter Squadron based at Leiston in Suffolk, East Anglia, Bill flew his first combat mission on 21st February 1945. He took part in all of the Squadrons main escort raids and fighter actions during the final phase of the air war, until the end of hostilities.


First Lieutenant Dale E Karger (deceased)
Died : 2008
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Karger, Dale E
(First Lieutenant Dale E Karger (deceased))

Born in 1925, Dale Karger joined the Army Reserves and was commissioned a 2nd Lt, and rated a pilot in February 1944. He transferred to the 357th Fighter Group on 18th September 1944, scoring his first two victories on 5th December, both against Fw190s north of Berlin, followed by his first Me109 on 24th December. On 20th January he achieved Ace status when he notched up an Me262 jet north of Munich. Dale finished his tour with a tally of 7.5 victories, and was the third youngest American fighter Ace of World War II. Sadly, he passed away on 5th October 2008.
John A. Kirla (deceased)
Died : 2011
*Signature Value : £35

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Kirla, John A
(John A. Kirla (deceased))

Born in 1922, John Kirla joined the Army reserves and was commissioned a 2nd Lt and rated a pilot in January 1944. He transferred to the 357th Fighter Group on 12th July 1944, scoring his first victories on 13th September against Me109s south of Nordhausen. His victories continued to mount and on 24th December he achieved and passed Ace status when he notched up three Fw190s near Fulda. On 14th January he notched up four victories in a day on a mission northwest of Berlin, the last of his 11.5 victories of the war. Sadly, John Kirla passed away on 1st October 2011.
Colonel Arval J. Roberson (deceased)
Died : 2007
*Signature Value : £35

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Robertson, Arval J
(Colonel Arval J. Roberson (deceased))

Joining the Army Reserves in 1942, 'Robby' Roberson was commissioned and rated a pilot in May 1943. Transferring to the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, he flew 76 combat missions on P51s, sharing his first victory against an Me110 over Berlin on 6th March 1944. He became an Ace on 19th September, and scored his 6th and final air victory at the same time. During the Korean War he flew an additional 100 combat hours with the 18th FBG, and in Vietnam managed to get in 26 support missions on C47s. He retired in 1973. Arval Roberson passed away on 7th December 2007.




Colonel C E Bud Anderson (deceased)
Died : 2024
*Signature Value : £55

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Anderson, C E Bud
(Colonel C E Bud Anderson (deceased))

Bud Anderson went to England with the 357th Fighter Group in 1943, the first Eighth Air Force Group to be equipped with the P-51 Mustang. He got himself on the score sheet on one of the first Berlin missions, dog fighting with a bunch of Me109s who had set upon a straggling B-17. On 29th June 1944, leading his squadron on a mission to Leipzig, they ran into a formation of Fw190s. In the ensuing battle Anderson shot down the leader, and two more Fw190s. After a short rest in the U.S., Bud returned for a second tour, just in time for the 357th's big day on 27th November 1944. With the 353rd they took on a huge formation of some 200 enemy fighters, Anderson adding three more to his score. He finished the war with 16 air victories and many more probables. Sadly Bud passed away on the 17th of May 2024.


Brigadier General Frank L. Gailer
*Signature Value : £25

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Gailer, Frank L
(Brigadier General Frank L. Gailer)

General Gailer was born in Bakersfield, Calif., in 1923. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to New York, finally settling in Great Neck, Long Island. He graduated from Staunton Military Academy, Staunton, Va., in 1941, and attended Hofstra College, Hempstead, N.Y., until June 1942. He then entered the aviation cadet program and received pilot training at Parks Air College, Garden City, Kan., and Eagle Pass, Texas, where he earned his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant. Frank Gailer was posted to England, joining the 357th Fighter Group at Leiston. Flying with the 363rd FS he went into combat in august, and in the next few months destroyed 6 enemy aircraft before being shot down in November 1944. Captured by the Germans, he was interned in Stalug I. After the war, in Vietnam, he commanded the 35th TFW at Phan Rang AB, flying over 500 hours combat on F-100s. In 1969 he returned to England once again, to command the 48th TW, and then as Vice-Commander of Third Air Force, USAF Europe.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Schimanski
*Signature Value : £35

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Schimanski, Robert G
(Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Schimanski)

Born in Spokane, Washington in 1920, Bob Schimanski graduated as a fighter pilot, and was posted to join the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group in England. During his tour of duty on P51s at Leiston, he flew 70 combat missions, getting on the score sheet with the first of his victories on 13th September 1944. He became an Ace on 2 Match 1945 when he downed a Me109 south of Magdeburg. By the end of his tour had achieved 6 air victories, all but one against Me109s, plus a further two on the ground.




Captain Robert P Winks (deceased)
Died : 2008
*Signature Value : £45

Editions signed :

Victory in Europe Edition of 400 prints. Includes 12 signatures.


Winks, Robert P
(Captain Robert P Winks (deceased))

Robert Winks joined the service in 1943, and after training was posted to England. Flying his first combat mission in July 1944, he served with the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group. His year long tour in Europe took in the heavy fighting over the Battle of the Bulge, the missions to support the Arnhem operations, and the Battle of Berlin, when the 357th destroyed 56 enemy aircraft. During this time he flew some 69 combat missions. His personal P-51D was 'Trusty Rusty'. His victories included an Me262 jet fighter claimed on 15th January 1945. Sadly, he died on 19th May 2008.
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