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Cranston Fine Arts  Naval Art and Artists World War Two  Print List |
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Schnell Boats Operating in the Baltic by Randall Wilson. German Schnell Boats were heavily armed coastal craft often referred to by the Royal Navy as E-boats. Fast, and better armed than the Royal navy MTBs and PT-boats, they became the most effective inshore attack craft of World War Two. Lurssen built the first German MTB in 1930, originally called UZ16 it would later become W1 and finally S1 in 1932. All German Schnell Boats would carry two seperate torpedo tubes. In total 249 Schnell Boats were built for the Kriegsmarine, with a total of 157 being lost or scuttled. The last 92 were split between the Allies with 30 going to the US, 34 going to United Kingdom and 28 to Russia. |
Scourge of the Atlantic by Ivan Berryman. The ten German U-Boats of the Type VIIA class operating in the seas around the United Kingdom and Ireland were so deadly in the first part of the war, they were the scourge of the Atlantic. Sinking much Allied merchant shipping in the first months of World War Two, they continued through the 'Happy Time' of the Battle of the Atlantic, where the tally of shipping claimed by U-boats reached a peak, and the crews were regarded as heroes. Famously, U-29 sunk the Royal Navy carrier HMS Courageous on 17th September, the first British warship sunk by German forces in World War Two. By the end of 1940 though, 6 of the boats had been sunk and the remaining 4 were used only for training. In total they had accounted for around 100 vessels sunk, damaged, or captured. |
HMS/M Thrasher by John Pettitt. HMS Thrasher was on her 8th patrol when on the 16th June 1942, an unsuccessful torpedo attack was made on the German merchant vessel Arkadia off Crete. Later, at 1155 hours, they spotted a deeply laden merchant vessel of about 3000 tons and turned to attack. The vessel had 5 escorts and aircraft circling overhead. At 1234 hours they fired the first salvo from 2000 yards, and immediately the submarine shook from a muffled explosion - probably a bomb from an aircraft, and machine gun bullets were heard striking the water above soon after. Three minutes later, two distant explosions were heard a few seconds apart - perhaps the torpedoes exploding or it may have been depth charges. Thrasher dived and at 1245 experienced the first of 33 depth charges, an uncomfortable experience with minor damage caused to the submarine. The following day, at 0150 hours, the crew discovered a large hole in the side of the gun platform and an unexploded bomb laying on the casing just forward of the gun. With a protion of its tail still attached, the bomb could not roll off of the casing. At 0240 hours, Thrasher went full astern and lowered into the water to dislodge the bomb. After, it was discovered that a further unexploded bomb was inside the casing and lying on the pressure hull. To remove this meant dragging the device 20 feet through the casing with great danger of it exploding. Lt P S W Roberts and PO T W Gould carried out this task and safely disposed of the bomb over the side at 0330 hours. For this action, they were both awarded the Victoria Cross. The painting depicts HMS Thrasher in her blue liver heading for Alexandria at the end of this patrol. |
Practice Makes Perfect by Stan Stokes. The first successful carrier landing and take off took place on January 18, 1911 in San Francisco Bay. It was performed using a Curtiss biplane, which was flown by Eugene Ely, a demonstration pilot who worked for Curtiss Aircraft. A flying platform was built on the stern of the USS Pennsylvania, and a primitive arresting gear was provided by a series of ropes with sandbags attached to each end. Ely took off from Selfridge Field and made the first trap on the Pennsylvania. Following a pleasant lunch he took off from the deck and returned to Selfridge Field. This event was a watershed in the history of naval aviation. Ely would be followed over the next 9 decades by tens of thousands of naval aviators who would experience both the fear and ecstasy of a carrier landing at sea. By the time America was involved in WW II, carrier-based aviation had matured. Victory in WW II, especially in the Pacific, was influenced more by carrier-based aviation then any other factor. By the end of WW II America had a massive fleet of more than 100 aircraft carriers including the fast Essex Class big carriers and scores of light and escort carriers. During the War many of the pilots who earned their Navy wings did their carrier qualifications on the Great Lakes. Two paddle wheel steamboats were converted by the Navy to serve as training carriers. They were the USS Sable and the USS Wolverine. These ships had small decks which were fairly close to the water. A significant number of aircraft were lost during these practice sessions and as in any military training operation there were casualties. The aircraft shown being waved off in Stan Stokes painting appropriately entitled Practice Makes Perfect is an SNJ. This aircraft was one of the primary trainers of WW II, and was utilized by both the Army Air Corps (AT-6) and the Navy (SNJ), as well as many other countries. Designated the AT-6 by the USAAC this capable aircraft was also known as the Harvard and the Texan. The Australians knew the aircraft as the Whirraway. More than 15,000 of these trainers were produced, and this capable low-wing monoplane remained in service for many years following the War. North American, better known for their production of the P-51 Mustang, evolved the AT-6 from an earlier design known as the BT-9. First production models reached service in 1940. Many pilots received aerial gunnery training in the AT-6. A fair number of these aircraft are still in flying condition and can be seen at many air shows throughout the world. Due a general appearance similar to Japanese fighters and dive bombers of WW II, a few of these aircraft have been modified to look like the latter aircraft. |
Prinz Eugen by Ivan Berryman. The German Heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen is depicted in a quiet moment at Gotenhaven in April 1941 whilst engaged in exercises with her consort, the mighty Bismarck that would eventually lead to Operation Rheinubung,. Bismarck herself is alongside in the distance, where final preparations for their foray into the North sea and beyond are being made. |
Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. Commissioned on August 24, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck was the epitome of naval power. The great ship was 823 feet in length, had a beam of 118 feet, and a displacement of 50,000 tons. After nine months of sea trials the Bismarck embarked on its first mission accompanied by the cruiser Prinz Eugen on May 19, 1941. The Bismarcks mission was to destroy and disrupt convoys carrying war relief supplies to Britain from North America. On May 20th the Bismarck was spotted and reported to British intelligence as it passed through the narrow straits between Denmark and Sweden. The British presumed correctly that the Bismarck was headed for the North Atlantic, but by which route? Dividing its naval forces in an attempt to intercept the mighty German battleship, four ships were sent to patrol the Denmark strait, including the newly commissioned battleship Prince of Wales, and the H.M.S. Hood, a heavily armed battle cruiser, pride of the British fleet. On may 23rd the Bismarck was spotted by the H.M.S. Norfolk and the H.M.S. Suffolk. The Bismarck opened fire on the Norfolk, which was out gunned by the German ship, but fortunately was able to elude the Bismarck because of heavy fog and mist. With its position identified British Naval authorities ordered several other ships to the area including the H.M.S. Ark Royal, one of two aircraft carriers dispatched. On May 24th the Bismarck was engaged again. The H.M.S. Hood took a direct hit and exploded with the loss of all but three of its large crew. The Bismarck took two hits from the Prince of Wales during this battle, one of which had the effect of reducing the huge ships effective fuel capacity, and hence range. Later that evening a torpedo plane attack was launched at the German battleship, which sustained one hit with little damage. On May 25th the Bismarck separated from the Prinz Eugen, and set a course for the French coast in hopes of making repairs. On May 26th the Bismarck was located again by a British reconnaissance aircraft. In an attempt to prevent the ship from reaching the safety of Luftwaffe air cover, a second torpedo plane attack was launched from the Ark Royal. Utilizing Fairy Swordfish bi-plane torpedo bombers, two hits were achieved. The first was amidships and caused virtually no damage. The second hit was astern, and resulted in the jamming of the Bismarcks rudder. Unable to maneuver, the great German battleship had little choice that to continue steaming for the French coast. Four more British warships lay in its path including the H.M.S. Rodney, the H.M.S. King George V, the H.M.S. Dorsetshire, and the H.M.S. Norfolk. On the morning of May 27th an enormous sea battle took place, with the unmaneuverable Bismarck taking more than 1,000 direct hits. After losing its fire control system, the Bismarck became a defenseless target. At approximately 10:00 AM Bismarcks Captain gave the orders to scuttle the enormous ship, and about 40 minutes later the great vessel slipped quietly beneath the surface of the Atlantic. |
Bismarck by Randall Wilson. Under attack by swordfish from HMS ark Royal, Bismarck heels to port as she is struck by a torpedo in the Stbd. Aft. rudder area. |
HMS Repulse with HMS Prince of Wales Under Attack by Ivan Berryman Mitsubishi G4Ms of 27 Kanoya Kokutai begin their devastating attack on Force Z off the north east coast of Malaya on 10th December 1941. Both Repulse and prince of Wales were lost in the attack, while their accompanying destroyers remained to pick up survivors among them HMS Express which can be seen off HMS Repulse starboard quarter. |
HMS Warspite, Shooting from the Hip by Randall Wilson. HMS Warspite is shown in action during the 2nd battle of Narvik, April 1940. |
HMS Celandine by Ivan Berryman. HMS Celandine flower class corvette escorting Atlantic convoy in the middle distance the carrier HMS Biter is shown. |
HMS Bulldog - Operation Primrose by Ivan Berryman. The Spring of 1941 saw the German U.110 damaged from previous attacks and, on 9th May, she was forced to the surface and surrender to HMS Bulldog. U.110 was carrying the top secret Enigma Machine and code book and her capture helped Bletchley Park codebreakers solve Reservehandverfahren, which was a reserve German hand cipher. U.110 was taken in tow but was deliberately sunk to prevent its capture being revealed to the enemy. |
The Mighty Intrepid by Anthony Saunders USS Intrepid was laid down in 1941 and was one of a class of 24 ships of the Essex class. This was the largest fleet of aircraft carriers ever constructed and proved the industrial might of the United States beyond doubt. Carrying 90 aircraft each, they formed the main air strength and striking power of the US Pacific Fleet against the Japanese. The Intrepid saw her first action in January 1944 supporting operations at Kwajalein. While operating in raids on Truk in February 1944 Intrepid was hit by a torpedo which damaged her steering gear, requiring repairs which kept her from the war zone until June. She then took part in operations off the Palaus, the Philippines, Okinawa and Formosa. She was struck twice by kamikazes in late 1944. Returning to action in March 1945, she participated in strikes against the Japanese home islands and Okinawa, suffering another kamikaze hit in April of 1945 - she survived the most hits of any other US carrier in the war. Here the Intrepid is seen in October 1944 whilst with TG38.2 flanked by the cruiser USS Vincennes and the destroyer USS The Sullivans. |
HMS Torbay - Opration Flipper by Ivan Berryman. In foul weather off the coast of North Africa on the night of 14th November 1941, HMS Torbay deploys men of 11 (Scottish) Commando for an audacious attempt to assassinate German General Erwin Rommel. Named Operation Flipper, the attempt saw 26 men from HMS Torbay join just 8 more from HMS Talisman - the rest trapped aboard by the weather - land 250 miles behind enemy lines in Libya, and march to the headquarters for the attack late on 18th November. While the Commandos made it to the target building, their leader, Lt Col Geoffrey Keyes was killed and they discovered Rommel was not there. Retreating to the landing beach to be picked up by HMS Talisman, they were intercepted by Italian forces and captured facing impossible odds, although a few managed to scatter into the desert and escape. Keyes was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, HMS Torbay survived the war and was scrapped soon afterwards. |
Pearl Harbor, USS California, by Anthony Saunders At dawn on the 7th December 1941, 350 Japanese warplanes flew from their carriers and attacked the US pacific fleet at Pearl harbor, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. the attack concentrated on Battleship Row which included USS California (Left) and USS Nevada (Right) which was the only battleship to get underway during the attack. However coming under intense bomb attack she was later beached. For the Japanese the success was not total, as the US carrier fleet was out on manoeuvres on the day of the attack. |
Erich Topp - U-Boat Commander by Jason Askew. (P) A U-Boat is attacked on the surface by a Beaufighter. A portrait of Erich Topp accompanies this scene. |
HMS Valiant and HMS Queen Elizabeth at Alexandria by Ivan Berryman. No text for this item |
Aloha Hawaii by Randall Wilson. Battleship USS Pennsylvania off Diamond Head, Hawaii. |
HMS Javelin at Dunkirk by Ivan Berryman. (PC) HMS Javelin was launched at the John Brown Shipyard at Clydebank on 21st December 1938 and operated with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla under Lord Louis Mountbatten. She distinguished herself during Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk, and saved many lives from the sinking SS Abukir on the same mission. Later that year, Javelin came under attack from German torpedoes and gunfire, losing her bow and stern and over 90ft of her length, but she was rebuilt and served well throughout WWII. Finally scrapped at Troon in Scotland in 1949. |
Bismarck at Hamburg by Ivan Berryman. Bismarck, now complete and newly painted in full Baltic camouflage, returns to Hamburg for the last time as the harsh winter of 1940/41 relents and the pride of the German Kriegsmarine prepares for real action. In the distance, the pre-Dreadnought Schleswig-Holstein awaits her next commission, the old ship alternating between vital ice-breaker and air defence duties at this time. |
Task Force 129 by David Pentland. United States Navy Battleship, USS Nevada (foreground) and cruisers, HMS Glasgow (centre) and USS Quincy assembling in Belfast Lough in preparation for D-Day. |
Midway: The Turning Point by Stan Stokes. The Battle of Midway in June of 1942 marked the turning point in the War in the Pacific, and the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the aircraft which provided the punch in this decisive victory for America. The SBD, which earned the nickname Slow, But Deadly, entered service with the USN and USMC in 1940. Powered by a 1,000 HP, 9-cylinder, Cyclone radial engine the SBD was capable of a maximum speed of 250 MPH. The Dauntless could stay airborne for a long time with its 1,300 mile range and slow cruising speed, and it was capable of delivering a 1,200 pound bomb load. Because of its slow speed the SBD needed armament to discourage attack by enemy fighters. Two forward firing machine guns and either one or two rear firing guns mounted in the gunners cockpit behind the pilot, gave the SBD enough firepower to make it a challenging target for enemy fighters. The Japanese plan for invading Midway, a strategically-located small island about 1,100 miles northwest of Hawaii, involved the use of a decoy fleet which would feign an invasion of the Aleutians, while the main fleet consisting of approximately 100 ships and four aircraft carriers would carryout the invasion. Based on intelligence reports the US Navy was ready for Adm. Yamamoto this time. The American force totaled 25 ships including the carriers Hornet, Enterprise, and Yorktown. Air power was about even, because the U.S. could count on nearly 100 land-based aircraft on Midway itself. About 1/3rd of the U.S. air power was represented by SBDs. During the first exchanges, American attacks on the Japanese invasion fleet with both land-based and carrier-based aircraft were repulsed with substantial losses. These low-level torpedo attacks focused the attention of both Japanese fighter pilots and AA gunners on the horizon. Lacking effective radar, the Japanese fleet would prove to be unprepared for a high altitude attack by swarms of SBDs on June 4, 1942. The timing proved perfect as the Japanese carriers were laden with fully fueled and armed aircraft being readied for a second wave. As depicted in Stan Stokes dramatic painting the 1,000 pounder of Paul Lefty Holmbergs SBD penetrates the carrier deck of the Soryu while Holmberg pulls out of his dive. Right behind Holmberg is another SBD of VB-3 from the USS Yorktown. SBDs from the Yorktown and its sister ship the Enterprise destroyed three Japanese carriers in a matter of minutes during this battle. While the Yorktown was later lost in the Battle, all four Japanese carriers were eventually destroyed including many of Japans most experienced naval aviators. The rugged and effective Dauntless, the only USN aircraft to remain in service through the entire war, was responsible for destroying more enemy shipping than any other aircraft during WW II. |
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