William Phillips Ploesti: Into the Fire and the Fury - S/N Litho - Signed

Description: Adolf Hitler was obsessed with the war economy in general and liquid fuel in particular. The petroleum wells and refineries at Ploesti, Rumania, which supplied approximately one third of all the Nazis fuel oil, therefore became more than just a military target. A raid on Ploesti became a way to strike at Hitler himself. "On the first day of August, 1943, then-Colonel Leon Johnsons aircraft, a B-24D, of the 67th bomb squadron, 44th bomb group, flew over target Ploesti, code-named Tidal Wave," says aviation artist William S. Phillips. "For his action that day, Colonel Johnson received the Medal of Honor." In all, 179 B-24 Liberators of the American 9th Air Force took off that day on "Operation Soapsuds" to pound the Ploesti installations. The results were promising but the price was high. The Americans lost fifty-three aircraft in the attack but the door was then open for subsequent bombings which yielded higher dividends. Within six months, the amount of oil that Germany was taking from Rumania was cut by eighty percent. "What interested me from an art standpoint was that they went in low-level," says Phillips. "This raid took place right on the ground. Its the kind of thing that lends itself well to the kind of work I do. The sun is high in the blue sky and Johnsons B-24D is coming right at you." Phillips appreciation of Johnsons accomplishment is shown in this limited edition fine art print, made from the original that was signed by Johnson himself. Brand-New in Mint Condition Hand-Signed by William Phillips Paper Lithograph Edition Size: 850 S/N Image Size: 18 5/8 X 28 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ArtUSA is One of the World's Largest Fine Art Dealers Authorized Dealer for all Major Art Publishers All Works are Guaranteed Authentic New Releases & Rare Sold-Out Editions Contact us with any questions -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Price: 220 USD

Location: Painesville, Ohio

End Time: 2024-02-24T19:31:22.000Z

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