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In
June 1943 the Mosquitoes of 2 Group Bomber Command were
merged with 8 Bomber Group, already known as the Pathfinder
Force, under the command of Air Commodore Don Bennett.
Part of the unit, starting with 139 Squadron, were scheduled
for night time high level nuisance bombing, known by
the crews as 'spooks' - this was the beginning of the
Light Night Striking Force. Initially using Mosquito
B. Mk IV's and lX's, the force flew operations over
many targets including Berlin, Cologne and Dusseldorf,
dropping incendiaries and 500lb bombs. The speed of
the Mosquito enabled even short breaks in the weather
to be used for bombing, in fact Berlin and back took
only four hours. In
February 1944 the 4000Ib 'cookie' bomb was first used
operationally using modified Mk IV's, however in March
the B. Mk XVl was introduced. With its swollen 'bomb
bay', a pressurized cabin and an operational height
of 35000 feet the Mk XVI arrived only just in time as
the enemy had developed flak that was accurate to nearly
40,000 feet, far too much for the heavy bombers which
attacked at half this height. Flying from such bases
as Downham Market in Norfolk and Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire
they attacked singularly, in pairs or sometimes with
as many as ninety aircraft. The force was so successful
that Don Bennett ordered a fleet of 200 Mk XVI's and
from April 1944 Mosquito's were undertaking constant
nightly attacks on cities in Western Germany. Equipped
with 50 gallon wing tanks the Mk XV could easily reach
cities such as Berlin, often taking longer routes to
mislead the enemy.
One
of the most remarkable things about the Mosquito was
its versatility and the Strike Force turned its attention
to many different duties such as the low level mining
of canals. In the lead up to D-Day. 8 Group undertook
marking operations and bombed railway marshalling yards
and oil refineries and later they were used for the
precision bombing of tunnels and dropping 'window' to
confuse enemy radar before a major attack. Between May
1943 and May 1945 the Light Night Strike Force flew
nearly 27,000 sorties dropped about 10,000 'cookies'
or 26,000 tons of bombs and flew 68 percent of its operations
when heavy bombers were not operating, Due to the speed
and manoeuvrability of the Mosquito they lost only 108
of their number, a truly amazing achievement for a little
unarmed, wooden, two man aircraft.
It
is June 1944 and Mosquito B. Mk XVI's of the Light Night
Strike Force, with their distinctive bomb doors and wing
tanks return from a raid over Berlin having despatched
their 4000Ib'cookie' bombs. The sun is just beginning
to rise and the peaceful tranquillity is shattered as
these majestic aircraft power in from the North Sea and
continue their route, flying at low level over the Norfolk
Marshes.
Gerald
Coulson, one of the worlds most highly regarded Aviation
Artists has captured the scene perfectly with this evocative
painting, proving once again that he is a master in his
field. Limited to a total of lust 370 prints world wide,
each countersigned by prominent aircrew of the Light Night
Strike Force, this is set to be a highly collectable edition.
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PRINT
DETAILS
THE
SIGNED AND NUMBERED EDITION
295 prints with TWO signatures
Air
Marshal Broom, Sir Ivor KCB, CBE, DSO, DFC, AFC
Squadron Leader Broom, TJ "Tommy" DFC
THE
STRIKE FORCE EDITION
75 prints with FIVE signatures. All the above plus.
Wing
Commander Mackie, Norman DSO, DFC
Flight Lieutenant Perks, Geoffrey DFC
Wing Commander Rodley, Ernest DSO, DFC, AFC, AE
To
complement the purchase of your fine art print, we are
now able to offer a professional Picture Framing service.
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PRINT
PRICES
Signed
and Numbered Print
UK £180.00
Edition Size - 295
Strike
Force Edition
UK £295.00
Edition Size - 75
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Prices
listed are per individual aircraft print (unframed).
All prices are in U.K. Pounds Sterling. |
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Helpful
information regarding our Limited Edition Prints
Limited
edition print:
An
edition of identical prints, numbered sequentially and individually
signed by the artist, having a stated limit to the quantity
in the edition. Following publication the printing plates
are destroyed. Almost all the aviation art and aircraft
prints featured on this website are authenticated with the
original signatures of distinguished military personnel.
Artists
Proof:
An
old tradition of reserving a quantity of prints for the
artist's use, usually equal to about 10 % of the edition.
In the early days of printing, these prints were the only
remuneration the poor artist received. Proofs are signed
by the artist and numbered showing the quantity of Artist's
Proofs issued in the edition. Because of their highly restricted
number, Artist's Proofs are sold at a higher value than
the regular prints in the edition.
Publishers
Proof:
A
quantity of prints, not always announced or issued at the
time of publication, usually equal to no more than 10% of
the edition. These are reserved for the publisher's use,
mostly for donation to Museums, Service establishments,
Service Associations, and the like. Quantities of Publishers
Proofs, sometimes issued with a supplementary print, may
be made available to collectors either at the time of publication,
or at a later date, depending upon availability.
Remarqued
print:
A
print issued with an original pencil drawing by the artist
in the margin, each numbered out of the quantity of individually
remarqued prints in the edition. The quantity of remarqued
prints in any one edition generally is between 25 and 50.
Each remarque drawing made by the artist is slightly different,
thus making each print totally unique. Remarqued prints
may be available at the time of publication, or announced
at a later date, depending upon the artist's work load at
the time .Please be aware that Remarque prints can take
up to six weeks for delivery. An artist remarqued print
is the ultimate collector item in terms of reproduced work.
Companion
print:
An
additional print, usually issued with smaller dimensions,
published to compliment a limited edition, and usually issued
at the same time.
Matted
(or mounted) print:
A
print fitted into an acid-free or conservation matt (or
mount), ready for framing.
Original
drawing:
An
original work individually drawn by the artist, completed
in pencil, ink, or other medium, and personally signed by
the artist. Being an original work each drawing is unique
and different.
Certificate
of Authenticity:
A
certificate issued by the publisher stating the total quantity
of prints issued in the edition, confirming authenticity
of the signatures, and in the case of a limited edition,
inscribed with the matching unique number inscribed on the
individual print. Collectors are advised to keep certificates
safely as a future means of provenance. All our aviation
art and aircraft prints are issued with a certificate of
authenticity.
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