Courage in the Skies - "Blitz Week" - P-47D Thunderbolt
This Fine Art Print by Artist Craig Tinder depicts P-47D Thunderbolt 42-22459 of the 78th Fighter Group during Little Blitz Week, a turning point in the air war over Europe. This Limited Edition Canvas Print includes an actual fragment of P-47D 42-22459 which crashed in the Ardennes Forest in 1944.
P-47D Thunderbolt fragments recovered from the Ardennes Forest
Details About the RELIC:
On December 27, 1944, P-47D-2-RA (Serial No. 42-22459) was on a ground attack mission near Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, assigned to the 406th Fighter Group. The Thunderbolt was struck by heavy enemy flak, causing it to lose control, roll, and crash into the Ardennes Forest. Although the larger parts of the airframe were removed in the post-war years, smaller relic fragments remained at the crash site. These fragments were eventually recovered in the 1980s by Belgian aviation archaeologist W. Jacobs.
This event highlighted the crucial role of air support during one of the most pivotal battles of World War II, where the 406th Fighter Group provided vital air cover and close air support to ground forces fighting against the German offensive.
P-47D-2-RA No. 42-22459 fragment
P-47D relic with manufacturer stamp
The Story Behind the Print:
30 July 1943 - P-47D-2-RA (Serial No. 42-22459) of the 78th Fighter Group, piloted by George Hartman, provides bomber escort on the mission to Kassel, Germany, to attack the Focke-Wulf factory. Outnumbered by 3-to-1, the 78th FG encountered over 100 German fighters attacking the bomber formations. Seven P-47s were lost this day to the Luftwaffe's loss of 16 aircraft. This period marked the end of "Blitz Week", the beginning of the Combined Bomber Offensive that initiated the continual aerial bombardment that stretched into Fortress Europe to strike targets at the heart of Germany.
P-47D Razorback - 78th Fighter Group
Commissioned by Museums, Treasured by Collectors
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