"The Mighty Eighth - Outward Bound"
By Robert Taylor

The USAAF arrived in England in 1942 to join the RAF with one aim: The destruction of Nazi Germany. With a doctrine of high altitude daylight bombing, initially with sparse fighter protection, the Eighth Air Force went forth into battle. But the determined fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe, together with the fearsome anti-aircraft guns of the ground defences, took a heavy toll. It quickly became obvious that fighters would be required to play a decisive role in the campaign. And this they did.

Under the Flight Commanders such as Hub Zemke and Don Blakeslee, the Eighth continually developed and honed their tactics, and it was only a matter of time before this mighty force achieved priceless domination of the skies over Europe. It is on record that the fighters probably made the biggest single contribution to the ultimate victory in the war over Europe.

Seen here are fighters of the Eighth in a busy scene on a wartime airfield in England, as the fighter squadrons prepare for a mission to Germany. The redoubtable P-47 Thunderbolts start-up and taxi out for take-off, while overhead P-51s climb out to join the bomber force, already enroute to the target. The scene is set in 1944, and the early model P-47s and P-51s have already seen two years of hard combat.

Robert's spectacular painting conveys vividly the noisy, exhilarating activity that always accompanied the build-up to a raid over enemy territory, the scene recreated to perfection.

Adding great significance to this historic edition commemorating the Mighty Eighth, each print is signed by six famous fighter Aces: 'Hub' Zemke, Don Blakeslee, 'Gabby' Gabreski, Robert Johnson, Richard Peterson and Bud Mahuran. Six of the most outstanding fighter Aces in the history of American combat aviation.