RAISING HAVOC IN THE ARDENNES
By Nicolas Trudgian
500 Signed and Numbered Prints

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 would their way through the Ardennes.  Flying conditions were not easy, cloud bases were low, and snow was in the air.   Nick 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 calibre machine guns.  In the space of a few minutes the attack is completed and the convoy descimated.   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 Bombadier/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 attach the Lead Pilot Russell Fellers and Bombadier/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 ofthje Bulge and, with each copy signed by so many (8) A-20 Havoc aircrews, the limited edition prints provide collectors with a unique and valuable addition to add to their collection.

Size: 26"  x 20 5/8"