"Mustang Menace"
Sheet Size: 23" x 33-1/4"
35 Artist's Proofs
SOLD OUT
With SIX co-signatures.
__________________________________________________________
200 Group Edition
SOLD OUT
With TWENTY-EIGHT co-signatures.
__________________________________________________________
SOLD OUT
With SIX co-signatures.
__________________________________________________________
200 Group Edition
SOLD OUT
With TWENTY-EIGHT co-signatures.
__________________________________________________________
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Ozark Airfield Artworks |
This Scenario
Late August 1944. A German tank
column moving to the front has had
the unfortunate luck to cross paths
with a Kriegslok train carrying petrol
chemicals. Alerted by a Forward Air
Controller, fighters of the 357th
Fighter Group attack with a
vengeance at the target-rich
environment. The ensuing
conflagration is just another day on
the job for the 357th.
Lead airplane is 'Passion Wagon,'
flown by 1st Lieutenant Arval
Roberson.
Late August 1944. A German tank
column moving to the front has had
the unfortunate luck to cross paths
with a Kriegslok train carrying petrol
chemicals. Alerted by a Forward Air
Controller, fighters of the 357th
Fighter Group attack with a
vengeance at the target-rich
environment. The ensuing
conflagration is just another day on
the job for the 357th.
Lead airplane is 'Passion Wagon,'
flown by 1st Lieutenant Arval
Roberson.
Signatures
1st Lieutenant Arval 'Robie' Roberson was born in Crown Point, Indiana. His
service career began as an Aviation Cadet in 1942 in the Army Air Corps and
lasted for 31 years. He held various staff and command positions and
performed combat duty in three conflicts: World War II (76 missions in ETO -
Passion Wagon, six and a half enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed, and one
probable); Korea: (100 missions - F-51) and Vietnam (26 missions - C-47).
Decorations include DFC with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; Bronze Star, Meritorious
Service Medal with OLC, Air Medal with 15 OLC's, Presidential Citation with
OLC, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Vietnamese Medal of Honor, and the
Russian Medal of the Great Patriotic War. He retired as a Colonel.
1st Lieutenant Bill Dunlop joined the 357th in June, 1944 and flew combat
missions until January 1945 at which time he was shot down. He spent the
last 4 months of his duty in a POW camp. Bill had 4 victories. Decorations
include: DFC, Air Medal with 8 OLC's, the Purple Heart, and the Presidential
Unit Citation.
1st Lieutenant 'Chuck' Weaver joined the 357th Fighter Group as a
replacement pilot in July 1944. For his first combat encounter on September
19th of that year, he flew as Arval Roberson's wingman. When Arval left the
357th, Chuck Weaver took over 'Passion Wagon' and her ground crew.
Chuck finished the war with a tally of 8 victories, with 1 probable and 1
damaged. He had a total of 73 missions and became the Squadron
Operations Officer. He was awarded the DFC with Cluster, Air Medal with 16
OLC's, Presidential Citation and Croix de Guerre.
1st Lieutenant Harve Mace joined 362 Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter
Group, as a 2nd Lieutenant in late June 1943. He flew 69 combat missions,
including the second shuttle mission. Harve downed three Me109's while
flying escort for the bombers. He rose to Captain and was awarded the DFC
and Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters. He served briefly as Operations
Officer for the Squadron before being bumped to 3rd Bomb Division
Headquarters as Fighter Controller. He also flew one combat mission as
observer on a B17 and checked out as PIC on the B17. Harve returned
home to his new war bride in 1945.
1st Lieutenant Raymond 'Ted' Conlin enlisted in the Army Air Corps in July of
1942 and graduated as a fighter pilot in November 1943 at Luke Field,
Arizona. In April 1944 he was assigned to the 357th Fighter Group, 362
Squadron. Ted took part in 71 combat missions, including DDay, Normandy,
the second Russian shuttle from Europe and the massive air and ground
battle known as Market Garden. He later became a flight leader and was
awarded the DFC, Air Medal with 4 OLC's, 4 theatre Battle Stars and the
Russian Medal of the Great Patriotic War.
The 'Yoxford Boys' scored the second most air victories (595) in the 8th Air
Force, had the most enemy aircraft destroyed in air combat in one day (55.5),
most enemy jet aircraft (Me262's) destroyed in air combat (18.5), was the
fastest scoring fighter group during the last year of the war, and had 42 aces!
Special Guest Signature on Artist's Proofs
Captain 'Bud' Anderson was another original pilot from the 357th Fighter
Group who trained at Tonopah, Nevada, before deploying to the ETO and
flying P51's from Leiston. Bud completed two combat tours with the 357th,
and at war's end had 16 1/4 confirmed victories. He became a test pilot and
later served in the Vietnam conflict.
MUSTANG MENACE was signed by as many as 28 pilots of the 357 Fighter
Group.
The Story
With the success of Operation Cobra on July 27, 1944, and the Normandy
breakout in full swing, the German army retreat began in earnest. This had
been accomplished in no small measure by employing the strategic and
tactical air doctrines of the air forces of Britain and the United States with the
allied ground forces. The result was air supremacy and control over the
battlefield of Normandy and France.
The tactical missions of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces supported the
advancing allied armies through a network of FAC's (Forward Air
Controllers), that would work directly with ground echelons on the advance.
Air strikes terrorized the German armor and ground forces, and few
encounters between the fighters and fighter bombers came out in favor of
the Germans. Throughout the daylight hours of August and September of
1944, these attacks hounded and paralyzed the supply lines and logistics of
the enemy. Moving war material and troops at night under the cloak of
darkness offered one of the few opportunities for the Germans to make any
progress. Few targets escaped the punishing attacks of these fighters, who
used their bombs, rockets and .50 caliber machine guns to pulverize the
surprised Germans. The level of intensity of these attacks were such that 56
years later, surviving German soldiers still speak in hushed tones of the
ferocity of fighter attacks and the feelings of hopelesness and fear that
became increasingly an everyday occurrence.
In Robert Bailey's latest painting, MUSTANG MENACE, just such a scenario
unfolds. A German tank column moving to the front has had the unfortunate
luck to cross paths with a Kriegslok train carrying petro chemicals. Alerted
by an FAC, fighters of the 357th Fighter Group attack with a vengeance at the
target-rich environment. The ensuing conflagration is just another day on the
job for the 357th.
1st Lieutenant Arval 'Robie' Roberson was born in Crown Point, Indiana. His
service career began as an Aviation Cadet in 1942 in the Army Air Corps and
lasted for 31 years. He held various staff and command positions and
performed combat duty in three conflicts: World War II (76 missions in ETO -
Passion Wagon, six and a half enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed, and one
probable); Korea: (100 missions - F-51) and Vietnam (26 missions - C-47).
Decorations include DFC with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; Bronze Star, Meritorious
Service Medal with OLC, Air Medal with 15 OLC's, Presidential Citation with
OLC, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Vietnamese Medal of Honor, and the
Russian Medal of the Great Patriotic War. He retired as a Colonel.
1st Lieutenant Bill Dunlop joined the 357th in June, 1944 and flew combat
missions until January 1945 at which time he was shot down. He spent the
last 4 months of his duty in a POW camp. Bill had 4 victories. Decorations
include: DFC, Air Medal with 8 OLC's, the Purple Heart, and the Presidential
Unit Citation.
1st Lieutenant 'Chuck' Weaver joined the 357th Fighter Group as a
replacement pilot in July 1944. For his first combat encounter on September
19th of that year, he flew as Arval Roberson's wingman. When Arval left the
357th, Chuck Weaver took over 'Passion Wagon' and her ground crew.
Chuck finished the war with a tally of 8 victories, with 1 probable and 1
damaged. He had a total of 73 missions and became the Squadron
Operations Officer. He was awarded the DFC with Cluster, Air Medal with 16
OLC's, Presidential Citation and Croix de Guerre.
1st Lieutenant Harve Mace joined 362 Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter
Group, as a 2nd Lieutenant in late June 1943. He flew 69 combat missions,
including the second shuttle mission. Harve downed three Me109's while
flying escort for the bombers. He rose to Captain and was awarded the DFC
and Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters. He served briefly as Operations
Officer for the Squadron before being bumped to 3rd Bomb Division
Headquarters as Fighter Controller. He also flew one combat mission as
observer on a B17 and checked out as PIC on the B17. Harve returned
home to his new war bride in 1945.
1st Lieutenant Raymond 'Ted' Conlin enlisted in the Army Air Corps in July of
1942 and graduated as a fighter pilot in November 1943 at Luke Field,
Arizona. In April 1944 he was assigned to the 357th Fighter Group, 362
Squadron. Ted took part in 71 combat missions, including DDay, Normandy,
the second Russian shuttle from Europe and the massive air and ground
battle known as Market Garden. He later became a flight leader and was
awarded the DFC, Air Medal with 4 OLC's, 4 theatre Battle Stars and the
Russian Medal of the Great Patriotic War.
The 'Yoxford Boys' scored the second most air victories (595) in the 8th Air
Force, had the most enemy aircraft destroyed in air combat in one day (55.5),
most enemy jet aircraft (Me262's) destroyed in air combat (18.5), was the
fastest scoring fighter group during the last year of the war, and had 42 aces!
Special Guest Signature on Artist's Proofs
Captain 'Bud' Anderson was another original pilot from the 357th Fighter
Group who trained at Tonopah, Nevada, before deploying to the ETO and
flying P51's from Leiston. Bud completed two combat tours with the 357th,
and at war's end had 16 1/4 confirmed victories. He became a test pilot and
later served in the Vietnam conflict.
MUSTANG MENACE was signed by as many as 28 pilots of the 357 Fighter
Group.
The Story
With the success of Operation Cobra on July 27, 1944, and the Normandy
breakout in full swing, the German army retreat began in earnest. This had
been accomplished in no small measure by employing the strategic and
tactical air doctrines of the air forces of Britain and the United States with the
allied ground forces. The result was air supremacy and control over the
battlefield of Normandy and France.
The tactical missions of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces supported the
advancing allied armies through a network of FAC's (Forward Air
Controllers), that would work directly with ground echelons on the advance.
Air strikes terrorized the German armor and ground forces, and few
encounters between the fighters and fighter bombers came out in favor of
the Germans. Throughout the daylight hours of August and September of
1944, these attacks hounded and paralyzed the supply lines and logistics of
the enemy. Moving war material and troops at night under the cloak of
darkness offered one of the few opportunities for the Germans to make any
progress. Few targets escaped the punishing attacks of these fighters, who
used their bombs, rockets and .50 caliber machine guns to pulverize the
surprised Germans. The level of intensity of these attacks were such that 56
years later, surviving German soldiers still speak in hushed tones of the
ferocity of fighter attacks and the feelings of hopelesness and fear that
became increasingly an everyday occurrence.
In Robert Bailey's latest painting, MUSTANG MENACE, just such a scenario
unfolds. A German tank column moving to the front has had the unfortunate
luck to cross paths with a Kriegslok train carrying petro chemicals. Alerted
by an FAC, fighters of the 357th Fighter Group attack with a vengeance at the
target-rich environment. The ensuing conflagration is just another day on the
job for the 357th.