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BATTLE FOR THE SOLOMONS

from $175.00

Task Force 50 to Rabaul

Overall size: 33” x 24.75” • Image size: 26”.75 x 17.5”

All editions include informative Certificate of Authenticity & Historical profile

November 11, 1943…

As Task Force 50.3 steamed toward the island fortress of Rabaul, enormous Japanese aerial forces launched a major assault on the carriers Bunker Hill, Essex, Independence and support vessels. Hellcat and Corsair units from these carriers and nearby land bases flew into action against the enemy fighters & torpedo planes, resulting in one of the most dramatic sea battles in the Solomons.

Inspired by narratives from pilots from VF-17’s ‘Jolly Rogers’ and other squadrons, this carefully-researched painting features F6F and F4U aces teaming up to down Japanese torpedo bombers as they make their runs on the USS Bunker Hill and her sister carriers.

First displayed at EAA’s 2023 event at Oshkosh, this long-awaited painting is now available as a limited edition print, signed by legendary Hellcat and Corsair Aces who made history in the Pacific during World War II. More info to follow….

LIMITED EDITION $295

(75 signed/numbered prints)

2 veteran signatures: Col. James Swett, USMC(MOH) & Lt. Lester Gray, USN

COLLECTOR’S EDITION $345

(110 signed/numbered prints)

3 signatures- Col. James Swett, USMC (MOH) , Col. Bruce Porter (USMC) Lt. Lester Gray, USN

ARTIST PROOFS $395    SOLD OUT! 

(85 in edition)

4 signatures- Col. James Swett, USMC (MOH) , Col. Bruce Porter (USMC) Lt. Lester Gray, USNEnsign Donald McPherson, USN

ARCHIVAL PAPER GICLEE. $175

(200 in edition)

Signed by the Artist only.

CANVAS GICLEE EDITION- The next best thing to owning the original painting! 

(100 in edition)

These beautiful Canvas Giclées are individually printed, and are hand-varnished, signed & numbered by the artist. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery, as these custom items require special ordering. Canvases are shipped rolled & ready for stretching.

36" x 22” Canvas Giclee $695

42" x 25” Canvas Giclee $895

50" x 30” Canvas Giclee $1,095

60" x 36 “ Canvas Giclee $1,295

Custom sizes are also available! Please contact us for pricing on custom sizes not listed above. Please feel free to call with questions 407-718-8187


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MORE INFORMATION BELOW

About the Painting:

November 1943...During the major Allied campaign against Rabaul, Task Group 50.3 of the US 5th Fleet entered the scene on the 7th, consisting of carriers Bunker Hill, Essex, Independence, several destroyers and other support vessels. During the opening weeks of November, the Japanese launched extensive air offenses, with the 11th, ironically Armistice Day, marking an especially maximum effort from both sides. On this day, over 100 enemy fighters, bombers and torpedo planes attacked the task force, and were met with stunning opposition from the American Corsairs & Hellcats from the carriers and nearby land-based squadrons. During this epic encounter, the carriers and their escorts fired a devastating antiaircraft barrage that accounted for the destruction of an estimated 40 enemy planes for the loss of 11. Hellcats and Corsairs splashed an entire attack group of 14 “Kates”, and then landed on the carriers to refuel and rearm before returning to the fierce fighting. The combination of the radar, fighters, and gunfire ensured that the enemy failed to hit a single ship.

This scene was inspired by dramatic narratives from pilots of VF-17 “Jolly Rogers”, from the book written by its famed C.O. Tom Blackburn. The artist’s plan was to capture a ‘snapshot in time’ during the battle in which a VF-17 Corsair and VF-9 Hellcat combine efforts to down a Nakajima ‘Kate’attempting its torpedo run through a hail of anti- aircraft fire from Bunker Hill.

Artist’s Note:

Although this scene depicts a specific day in November ’43, I also intend this painting to be a tribute to ALL the great Corsair and Hellcat units who helped win the War in the Pacific, indisputably the two best Navy fighters of World War II. Hellcat pilots achieved an amazing 19:1 kill ratio, downing 5,156 enemy aircraft in just two years, accounting for 75 percent of the Navy's aerial victories during the war. By the end of the war, the Corsair flew over 64,000 sorties, shot down over 2,000 enemy aircraft, and only lost 189 planes in action to the enemy, the lowest loss rate in the Pacific War for an aircraft.