"Steadfast Against All Odds" by Domenic DeNardo
On a patrol mission over France on June 14, 1944, Lt. George L.
Sutcliffe's P-47 from the 397th Fighter Squadron of the 368th Fighter
Group came under heavy attack.
After an exhaustive dogfight, and extensive damage to his aileron,
elevator trim tab, and rudder, Sutcliffe is seen, hanging on the prop
and about to stall. An Me-109 in the encounter pulled up no less
than 30 feet to him to bid farewell, as he flew into the clouds.
Co-signed by Lt. George L. Sutcliffe.
950 Limited Edition prints.
Print size 26" x 21"
Sutcliffe's P-47 from the 397th Fighter Squadron of the 368th Fighter
Group came under heavy attack.
After an exhaustive dogfight, and extensive damage to his aileron,
elevator trim tab, and rudder, Sutcliffe is seen, hanging on the prop
and about to stall. An Me-109 in the encounter pulled up no less
than 30 feet to him to bid farewell, as he flew into the clouds.
Co-signed by Lt. George L. Sutcliffe.
950 Limited Edition prints.
Print size 26" x 21"
On a patrol mission over France on June 14, 1944, Lt. George L. Sutcliffe's P-47 flight from
the 397th Fighter Squadron of the 368th Fighter Group came under attack. Sutcliffe was
flying wingman in a flight of four under the command of Lt. Col. John Haesler when he
sighted thirty plus Me 109s diving down. "Break Left," Sutcluffe warned and the P-47s broke
left and upwards. The left turn put the enemy fighters in front. Sutcliffe fired bursts at two,
turning with them. Two Me 109s broke downward and two pulled upwards on Haesler's tail.
The action was very fast and Sutcliffe didn't see any strikes but saw a couple of holes in his
left wing. Haesler made it into the clouds but no. 4 was hit and went down. Sutcliffe put his
Thunderbolt into a climbing spiral in an attempt to reach the clouds but couldn't get there
before being swarmed by the Me 109s. The Messerschmitts were all over him, boxing him in
and taking turns shooting at him. At one point Sutcliffe broke into them and almost rammed
one. With full throttle and water injection, Sutcliffe racked his plane around, skidded,
banked, dove and swooped at top speed, always with an attacker coming in. At one point,
two Me109s got on his tail and scored cannon strikes that tore holes in his aileron, cut his
elevator trim tab, and tore a hole in the rudder. One 20mm shell exploded against the armor
at his back. Sutcliffe kept trying to reach the safety of the clouds as a Messerschmitt
zoomed right in on his right wing. The German pilot just stared at him and Sutcliffe stared
right back. Sutcliffe knew it was now or never. Hanging on the prop, and about to stall, he
staggered into the clouds. The German, less than 30 feet off his wing tip, rolled away. After
breaking out of the clouds, some 20 miles northwest, Sutcliffe spotted two planes. They
were the No. 3 Thunderbolt and Col. Haesler.
The oil painting was commissioned by the World War II pilot, Lt George L. Sutcliffe.
Above Text and Image may not be reproduced
copyright 1997 2006 Domenic DeNardo
the 397th Fighter Squadron of the 368th Fighter Group came under attack. Sutcliffe was
flying wingman in a flight of four under the command of Lt. Col. John Haesler when he
sighted thirty plus Me 109s diving down. "Break Left," Sutcluffe warned and the P-47s broke
left and upwards. The left turn put the enemy fighters in front. Sutcliffe fired bursts at two,
turning with them. Two Me 109s broke downward and two pulled upwards on Haesler's tail.
The action was very fast and Sutcliffe didn't see any strikes but saw a couple of holes in his
left wing. Haesler made it into the clouds but no. 4 was hit and went down. Sutcliffe put his
Thunderbolt into a climbing spiral in an attempt to reach the clouds but couldn't get there
before being swarmed by the Me 109s. The Messerschmitts were all over him, boxing him in
and taking turns shooting at him. At one point Sutcliffe broke into them and almost rammed
one. With full throttle and water injection, Sutcliffe racked his plane around, skidded,
banked, dove and swooped at top speed, always with an attacker coming in. At one point,
two Me109s got on his tail and scored cannon strikes that tore holes in his aileron, cut his
elevator trim tab, and tore a hole in the rudder. One 20mm shell exploded against the armor
at his back. Sutcliffe kept trying to reach the safety of the clouds as a Messerschmitt
zoomed right in on his right wing. The German pilot just stared at him and Sutcliffe stared
right back. Sutcliffe knew it was now or never. Hanging on the prop, and about to stall, he
staggered into the clouds. The German, less than 30 feet off his wing tip, rolled away. After
breaking out of the clouds, some 20 miles northwest, Sutcliffe spotted two planes. They
were the No. 3 Thunderbolt and Col. Haesler.
The oil painting was commissioned by the World War II pilot, Lt George L. Sutcliffe.
Above Text and Image may not be reproduced
copyright 1997 2006 Domenic DeNardo
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