|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All Kriegsmarine Art Originals Offers German Naval Art |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Text for the above items : |
Swordfish Strike on U-451 by Jason Askew. (P) U-451 was sunk on 21st December 1941 near Tangiers, in position 35.55N, 06.08W, by depth charges from a British Swordfish aircraft (Sqdn. 812/A). There was just one survivor from the crew of 45. |
The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman. In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command. These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy. On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck. At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles. The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship. The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape. As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941. Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions. |
Operation Drumbeat by Anthony Saunders. The entry of the United States into the war opened up vast new hunting grounds for the German u-boat fleet. Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat in English) began in January 1942, bringing the U-boats their easiest pickings of the war. Over 300 allied vessels were sunk during the Paukenschlag along the US coastline, ranging from New York harbor, to the Straits of Florida. This period, also known as the second Happy Times to the men of the U-boats, was only brought to an end in mid 1942 by the formation of allied convoy systems. On the evening of April 5th 1942, U552, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Erich Topp, sealed the fate of the British tanker MV British Splendour east of Cape Hatteras. The U-boat was part of the fourth wave of boats of Operation Paukenschlag, she returned to Saint Nazaire on April 27th 1942 having sunk seven ships during the patrol. |
Tribute to the U-Boat Commanders by Jason Askew. (P) A U-Boat is shown under attack from depth charges. The portrait shows U-Boat commander Erich Topp with the Swordfish emblem of the 11th Flotilla. |
U-47 by Ivan Berryman. Under the command of Günther Prien, the deadly U-47 became the 10th most successful U-Boat of World War Two in terms of tonnage sunk. However, on 8th October 1939 she sank the British battleship HMS Royak Oak within Scapa Flow, the main British naval base of the war, despite the anti-submarine measures in place. The submarine was presumed lost with all hands when she failed to return from her 10th patrol in March 1941, although no definitive explanation for her loss exists. |
HMS Norfolk at the Battle of the North Cape by Ivan Berryman. HMS Norfolk and HMS Belfast of Force I are shown engaging the Scharnhorst which has already been hit and disabled by both HMS Duke of York and the cruiser HMS Jamaica. Scharnhorst was never to escape the clutches of the British and Norwegian forces for, having been slowed to just a few knots by numerous hits, fell victim to repeated torpedo attacks by the allied cruisers and destroyers that had trapped the German marauder. |
SMS Seydlitz 1916 by Randall Wilson. Down by the bows, the battered Seydlitz returns to the Jade after being heavily involved in the gun line action at Jutland. |
SMS Derfflinger By Randall Wilson. SMS Derfflinger at anchor at Kiel, 1918. Astern is SMS Hindenburg. |
Bismarck Replies to HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman. The mighty Bismarck returns fire to the fast-approaching HMS Hood at the start of a battle that would see both adversaries tragically sunk. The Bismarck would later be attacked by Swordfish aircraft from HMS Ark Royal, damaging her stearing and allowing her to be caught by the British battleships Rodney and King George V. The once proud German battleship would be ruthlessly pounded into a twisted and burning wreck and finally finished by HMS Dorsetshire with torpedoes at around 10:30 hours on the morning of May 27th 1941. HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori combed the area of the sinking for survivors, between them picking up a total of 110 out of an original complement of 2,300. |
The Kaiser's Ship by Randall Wilson. Emerging from a smokescreen SMS Baden surges ahead of her sister ship SMS Bayern to resume battle speed in these fleet manoeuvres in the Baltic, during 1917 |
Emden and Blucher by Randall Wilson. Emden and Blucher arriving at Schweinamund to depart the next day for Oslo. |
Dawn Departure by Ivan Berryman. A Type VIIC U-Boat slips quietly toward the open sea from her pen at Lorient, France in 1942. |
Knight's Move - Admiral Hipper Weighing Anchor by Randall Wilson. Admiral Hipper Weighing Anchor in Alta Fjord with Admiral Scheer. They sortied to engage convoy PQ17. |
The Element of Surprise by Robert Barbour. On 20th October 1943, Wildcat and Avenger aircraft from the Carrier US Core, on patrol north of the Azores, surprised U378, a type VIIC U-boat which had been active in that area. The element of surprise was so complete that the submarines guns remained unmanned throughout the action. |
Bismarck Survivor by Jason Askew. (P) Captured in portrait is one of the survivors of the sinking of the mighty German battleship Bismarck, Bruno Rzonca, set against the scene of a Swordfish aircraft attacking the ship. |
Scourge of the Atlantic by Ivan Berryman. The ten German U-Boats of the Type VIIA class operating in the seas around the United Kingdom and Ireland were so deadly in the first part of the war, they were the scourge of the Atlantic. Sinking much Allied merchant shipping in the first months of World War Two, they continued through the 'Happy Time' of the Battle of the Atlantic, where the tally of shipping claimed by U-boats reached a peak, and the crews were regarded as heroes. Famously, U-29 sunk the Royal Navy carrier HMS Courageous on 17th September, the first British warship sunk by German forces in World War Two. By the end of 1940 though, 6 of the boats had been sunk and the remaining 4 were used only for training. In total they had accounted for around 100 vessels sunk, damaged, or captured. |
Bismarck - The Final Voyage by Anthony Saunders. One of the finest battleships of all time, Bismarck was built by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in Hamburg and launched in February 1939. Her first duty was for commerce raiding in the north Atlantic. Together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the destroyers Z10, Z16 and Z23 and a minesweeper. The Bismarck, commanded by Vice Admiral Gunther Lutjens, left her last anchorage at Grimstadt Fjord in Norway. Once Bismarcks departure was confirmed all available British forces were deployed to meet the threat. On the 24th of May 1941 the Bismarck sailed into naval history - sinking the battlescruiser and pride of the British fleet - HMS Hood. But Bismarck would have little time to celebrate, she was sunk by a scorned British fleet three days later. Here Bismarck is depicted on the evening of the 21st May 1941 entering the open sea on her fateful final voyage. |
HMS Dorsetshire by Ivan Berryman. The heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire is brought up to sink the blazing wreck of the Bismarck with torpedoes at around 10:30 hours on the morning of May 27th 1941. The once proud German ship had been ruthlessly pounded into a twisted and burning wreck by the British battleships Rodney and King George V. HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori combed the area of the sinking for survivors, between them picking up a total of 110 out of an original complement of 2,300. |
U-201 Deadly Chase by Anthony Saunders. 17th February 1943, U-201 with U-69 were ordered to intercept the westbound convoy ONS165. With fuel low U-201 was eventually forced to surface following a depth charge attack and rammed by the Destroyer HMS Fame. |
North Atlantic Predator by Ivan Berryman. U-99 was commanded by Otto Kretschmer from launch in 1940 until being sunk in March 1941, less than a year later. However, during this time U-99 became one of the most successful submarines of the war, claiming almost 40 ships sunk. Attached to each side of the coning tower is a horseshoe, dredged up by the anchor, painted gold and positioned here for luck. This luck ran out on 17th March 1941 when the destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc discovered and successfully attacked U-99. Forced to the surface by severe damage, the submarine was then scuttled while forty of the crew including Kretschmer were rescued to become prisoners of war. |
Catalina Attack by John Wynne Hopkins. D for Donald of 270 squadron, Royal Air Force, out of Freetown, West Africa operating in the Atlantic Ocean. It was during routine operation search that D for Donald surprised U515 on the surface and immediately attacked the submarine. U515 in putting up stiff resistance blew a large hole in the hull of D for Donald and the magazine of the starboard side 0.5 twin Browning was hit and the subsequent shrapnel wounded both blister gunners. U515 escaped but was sunk by an American naval hunter group a year later. D for Donald limped back to base and managed to make the beach before it would sink completely. |
|
Contact Details |
|
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
|
|
