It is January 1945, and it's cold. The
German advance in the Ardennes is nearly over, but the Panzer
Army is desperately throwing more troops into the breach
who try to keep their momentum going in The Battle of the
Bulge.
Tasked with preventing German reinforcements
from reaching the battle front, the Ninth Air Force launched
a series of low-level attacks on enemy ground forces as they
wind their way through the Ardennes. Flying conditions were
not easy, cloud bases were low, and snow was in the air.
Nicolas Trudgian's painting recreates
an attack on January 23, 1945, by Douglas A-20 Havocs of the
410th Bomb Group. Locating an enemy convoy in open space near
the German town of Blankenheim, the Havoc pilots make a swift
attack diving from 8000 feet, catching the German force by
surprise: Hurtling down the line of vehicles at 320mph they
release their parafrag bombs from 300 feet then, dropping
just above the roofs of the army trucks continue down the
column blasting everything in sight with their forward-firing
.50mm caliber machine guns. In the space of a few minutes
the attack is completed and the convoy decimated.
With ammunition expended and fuel running
low the A-20 Havocs climb out of the zone and head for base
in France. A 20mm shell has hit the lead aircraft wounding
the Bombardier/Navigator Gordon Jones, which will seriously
hamper their return through a blizzard, but all aircraft make
it safely home - the lead aircraft, on landing, counting over
100 holes of various sizes. For their part in leading the
successful attack the Lead Pilot Russell Fellers and Bombardier/Navigator
Gordon G. Jones received the Silver Star.
Nick's fine rendering of the mission pays
tribute to the Ninth Air Force pilots and crews who flew the
tough missions during the Battle of the Bulge and, with each
copy signed by so many A-20 Havoc aircrews, the limited edition
prints provide collectors with a unique and valuable addition
to add to their portfolios. |
|
Overall Print
Size: 26" wide x 20 5/8" high.
Image Size: 20 1/8" wide x 13 1/2"
high.
An important limited edition from the
studio of Nicolas Trudgian, endorsed with the original signatures
of A-20 Havoc combat aircrews, including 2 Silver Star recipients,
from World War II.
| Raising
Havoc In The Ardennes
by Nicolas Trudgian |
The Collectors Edition
(Individually numbered 1 - 500) |
| 500 s/n prints w/EIGHT
signatures. |
US
$150 |
|
| 25 Artist's Proofs w/ELEVEN
signatures. |
SOLD
OUT |
The Portfolio Edition
(Individually numbered
1 - 100) |
Issued w/matching
numbered Companion print
'VE Day - Heading Home' |
| 100 s/n prints w/EIGHTEEN signatures. |
SOLD OUT |
| 25 Portfolio Remarques
w/NINETEEN signatures. |
SOLD OUT |
|
Lt.
Colonel
Lt.
Colonel
First
Lt.
