TOKYO BOUND - The Doolittle Mission
by Nicholas Trudgian
600 Signed and Numbered Prints

On April 18, 1942, under the leadership of Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, a small force of B-25 Mitchell light  bombers set forth on one of the most audacious air raids of WWII.  Launching in a rough sea from the heaving deck of the carrier USS HORNET, the crews knew that even if they achieved success, they were not to return.  Their mission to bomb Tokyo and other industrial targets some 800 miles distant would leave them barely enough fuel to fly on to crash-land in China.   Nine aircraft were attacked by enemy fighters, everyone made it to the target, all but one aircraft were lost.  But the raid was a triumph.  The Japanese High Command were so alarmed by the American's ability to strike at their homeland they atempted to expand the perimeter of activity in the central and southern Pacific - with disastrous results.   Lt. Colonel Doolittle was  awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in recognition of the extraordinary feat he and his gallant crews performed.  Miraculously most survived to fly and fight again later in the war, Jimmy Doolittle going on to command the 8th Air Force in Europe at the time of the Normandy invasion.  Nick's stunning portrayal of Jimmy Doolittle's B-25, depicted moments after leaving the deck of the Hornet, will be viewed by many as one of the finest interpretations of the war in the Pacific.  With Admiral Halsey's task force steaming purposefully through the heavy swell, this panoramic vista of air and sea power is a timely reminder of the determination of those that  fought the awesome war in the Pacific, and a tribute to that small band of airmen whose deeds on that day in April 60 years  ago, have made every one of them legends.  Four Doolittle's Raiders, each of whom played a vital role in this historic event, have joined Nicolas Trudgian in signing each print in this valuable collectors edition, and connoisseurs of the finest works of art of the era will immediately recognize the importance of this desirable piece of history.

Size:34 1/2"  x  23 1/2"

$175.00