Second World War aviation art prints of the Warhawk aircraft. Our collection of prints and original paintings of the Warhawk aircraft of World War Two.
On August 5, 1944, following a successful attack on Japanese forces just north of Changsha, P-40 Warhawks of the75th and 16th Fighter Squadrons, 23rd F.G., are attacked by enemy Nakajima fighters and a massive dog-fight has developed over the Hsiang Chiang river with aircraft wheeling and turning in all directions. The action is set against the distinctive, haunting landscape of Southern China, Roberts panoramic canvas capturing all the atmosphere of a crucial aerial campaign fought in the skies above a distant land so many years ago.
Item Code : DHM2465
Fighting Tigers by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
Before the pilots of the legendary American Volunteer Group could take to the skies against the enemy, the all-important task of Bore Sighting the .30 caliber wing guns of their P-40s had to take place! The ingenious armourers of the AVG were often forced to improvise, but as the Tigers incredible combat record can attest, these great Americans got the job done!
Item Code : DHM1838
Shark Sighting by John D Shaw. - Editions Available
The first USAAF fighters to engage the Japanese in World War 2, a handful of P-40s rose to defend Pearl Harbor from attack on the morning of 7 December 1941. Warhawk units were also heavily involved in the ill-fated fight to stem invading Japanese forces in the Philippines and Java between December 1941 and April 1942 and again in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands between January 1943 and March 1944. This book examines The Warhawks wartime exploits and all of its aces including aces-in-a-day Mel Wheadon and Joe Lesika.
Item Code : OSAA0055
P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific. - Editions Available
On the morning of Sunday 7th December 1941 the Japanese launched their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Surprise was complete - within a few terrifying minutes, bombs and torpedoes had damaged or destroyed much of the US Pacific Fleet peacefully at anchor, and almost all of the fighters on the ground. But as Aichi D-3A dive bombers target the Fleet's flagship, the battleship California, a lone P-40 has managed to get airborne in the chaos to engage the enemy. Seventy years ago the world stood open-mouthed in shock as it learnt of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. This dramatic new edition is released in tribute to all those that took part in the actions on December 7 1941.
Item Code : DHM6111
Day of Infamy by Anthony Saunders. - Editions Available ***New Release !*** (November 2011)
Thrown into action following the Torch landings of late 1942, the green American pilots flying the obsolescent P-40F suffered cruelly at the hands of seasoned German fighter pilots flying superior machines. Those that survived learnt quickly, and a handful of Warhawk pilots succeeded in making ace by the time the Axis forces surrendered in North Africa. The action then shifted to Sicily and Italy, and the P-40 remained in service until mid-1944. This book charts the careers of the 23 men who succeeded in making ace during that time, despite the advent of much better P-47 and P-51 fighters.
This book details the colourful experiences of the elite pilots of the AAFs Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces in the forgotten China-Burma-India theatre during WW2. Inheriting the legacy of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) units such as the 23rd FG held the line against overwhelming Japanese forces until the arrival of the first P-38s and P-51s in 1944. The Warhawk became synonymous with the efforts of the AAF in the CBI, being used by some 40 aces to claim five or more kills between 1942-45.
Item Code : OSAA0035
P-40 Warhawk Aces of the CBI. - Editions Available
(AVG) Financially backed by China to defend against Japanese attack, prior to American entering the war. Pilots awarded $500 bounty for each aircraft destroyed.
After combat training with the Army Air Corps in 1943, Wiltz Segura joined the Flying Tigers in China, serving with the 75th Fighter Squadron/ 23rd Fighter Group. Glying over 102 combat missions he was twice shot down by ground fire but managed to parachute from his disabled P-40 and evade capture by the Japanese. He finished the war with 6 air victories. General Segura was born in 1921 in New Iberia, La., where he graduated from New Iberia High School in January 1940 and attended Louisiana State University and the University of Southwestern Louisiana prior to entering the Army Air Corps in 1942 as an aviation cadet. He received his flying training in the Southeastern Training Command and graduated at Craig Field, Ala., with a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps and his pilot wings in April 1943. He then attended a three month fighter transition training at Sarasota, Fla. Sadly, he died on 9th April 1999.
Brown was born in 1917 in Michigan, and joined the Navy in 1939. He was assigned to a torpedo squadron and served aboard the carrier Saratoga. During this time, he joined the AVG, which proved providential, as his entire squadron was lost shortly thereafter at Midway. Assigned to the Adam and Eves squadron, Brown was one of the few who volunteered to fly night patrol shortly after tlie attack on Pearl Harbor. Carl recounts this as a "rather heart-pounding. experience; we'd never employed the P-40 at night, and they had no (exhaust stack) flame suppressors or flame guards. When you went to take off all of a sudden it was like looking into a blast furnace-you couldnt see a damn thing ...like flying into the Sun." Carl was involved in the AVGs first combat experience in December 41, and flew in many notable missions, including the harrowing experience stopping the Japanese in the Salween Gorge, when he recalls pilot Bob Littles plane tragically exploding just 40 feet from his wing. After his
AVG days, Carl flew for CNAC until 1945. After the war, he entered pre-med in Los Angeles, and flew for the newly-formed Flying Tiger Air Line. Carl then began a successful medical career, specializing in neurology and anesthetics. Throughout the 90s, Dr. Brown had the unique distinction of being the doctor at the Corcoran State Penitentiary in California, the state which he's called home for many years.
Chuck Baisden was born in 1920 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1939, and by late 1940 he found himself working with aircraft such as the P-36, P-40, YP-37 and Bell Airacuda. When he joined the AVG in 1941, he had his reasons.... "I went from making $72 a month in the Army to $350 a month with the Flying Tigers. That was a lot of money in those days." The new job also provided him an opportunity to travel and work in his field as an ordnance expert and he was assigned to the Hells Angles squadron, to put his talents to good use. One of the youngest to join the AVG, he remembers "I had just turned twenty-one in March before leaving for China in May of 1941.. just bought my first beer." After the AVG, Chuck re-enlisted. He entered pilot training school and it was back to China, now part of the famed 1st Air Commando Group. He eventually flew 58 missions as Engineer / Turret gunner of a B-25 squadron, one of whose pilots was R T Smith, a close friend from his AVG days. After WWII, he flew as a B-29 gunner in the Korean War. By 1960 he had completed some 815 refuelling missions, and in 1964 he retired from the Air Force.
Charles McGee graduated from flight school and shipped out to Italy in December 1943 as a flight Lieutenant in the 302nd fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. He flew missions in North Africa, Italy and Germany, and got his first victory on 24th August flying escort in the Ploesti oil field raid. After the war this outstanding flyer commanded fighter squadrons throughout the United States, Italy, the Philippines and Germany, logging up more than 6,100 hours in 409 combat missions spanning World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Serving in the armed forces for 30 years he holds the record of flying more combat missions than any other USAF pilot in history. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1919, Charles MeGee, who was to become a Command Aviator who would fly combat missions in three different military conflicts, spent his childhood in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa. Following two years attending the University of Illinois, WW 11 began, and McGee was sworn into the US Army enlisted reserves on October 26, 1942. He was accepted for pilot training in November and entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Training Program. McGee earned his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in June 1943, as a member of Class 43-F at Tuskegee Army Air Field. He was assigned along with many of the other black pilots who had earned their wings at Tuskegee to the 332 nd Fighter Group in Italy. With the 302nd Fighter Squadron McGee trained in the P-40 and would later fly more than 82 tactical missions in the P-39. His fighter group was then transferred into the Fifteenth Air Force and he first flew the P-47 and several weeks later the P-51 Mustang. In this duty, along with other "Tuskegee Airmen," McGee performed admirably surmounting many of the unfortunate hurdles placed in their path. The Tuskegee Ainnen became known for their superlative effort at protecting allied bombers from attacking German fighters. McGee is credited with downing one Fw- 190, and the destruction or damage of many others on the ground. He became a flight leader, was promoted to Captain, and after flying 54 more combat missions, returned to Alabama as a twin engine flight instructor. In 1950 McGee flew 100 more combat missions with the 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the 18th Fighter Group. He was then made Commander of the 44th Bomber Squadron flying out of Clark Field in the Philippines. Later he would serve with an F-89 Interceptor Squadron, and following a number of interesting operational and staff assignments he would serve as Commander of the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron deployed in Vietnam. In his year in Vietnam, McGee would fly another 173 missions. Later assignments included Air Liason Officer for USAEUR and 7th Army, Chief of Maintenance for the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Director of Maintenance Engineering for AF Communication Service, and Commander of Richards-Gebaur AFB, and the 1840 Air Base Wing. He retired from the USAF in 1973 with 6,300 flying hours, including 1,100 hours flown on fighter combat missions. Col. McGee earned a BA Degree in Business Administration and worked for many years in the real estate business with ISC Financial Corporation. He also served as Director of Administration forthe city of Prairie Village, Kanasas, and as Manager of the downtown Kansas City Airport. Now fully retired Charles lives with his wife, the former Frances Nelson of Champaign, Illinois. The McGees have three children, ten grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. His numerous decorations include the Legion of Merit with one cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 25 clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one cluster, a Presidential Unit Citation, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, to name only a few.
Charles Herman Older, born on 29 September 1917 in Hanford, California, graduated from the University of California in 1939 with a degree in political science. No the 1st April 1940 Charles Herman Older joined the Marine Corps for flight training, he received his wings and commission at Pensacola. Resigning from the Marine Corps in 1941 to join the A.V.G., Chuck Older took part in the great 'Christmas' air battles over Rangoon shooting down 5 Japanese aircraft. With 10.25 victories to his credit he joined the 23rd F G when the A.V.G. was disbanded, flying P-51s. He led the first strike against Shanghai resulting in the destruction of 77 Japanese aircraft. He completed the war with 18.25 air victories. After leaving the Air Force Colonel Chuck Older obtained a law degree from the University of Southern California and subsequently became a superior court judge in Los Angeles, California. He gained prominence as the presiding judge in the Charles Manson mass murder trial in 1970-71. Charles Older died on the 17th June 2006.
Born 28th September 1916, Ed Rector originally flew dive bombers off carriers before being recruited into the A.V.G. flying with the 2nd Squadron. Ed Rector was one of the five pilots who volunteered for continuous service in China after 4th July, 1942 and joined the 23rd Fighter Group. He returned to China later for a 2nd tour of duty. He had a total of 10.5 air victories. He died on 26th April 2001.
Col. Joseph "Joe" Zannet Matte was born on the 23rd July 1920 in Port Arthur, Texas and graduated from North Texas State University. Joe Matte joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, and flew the P-40 and P-47 in training before arriving in England and being assigned to the 362nd Fighter Group - one of the four original Fighter Groups making up the 9th Air Force in England. After flying 75 high altitude bomber escort and ground support missions over the entire European battle front, on August 20th, 1944, he scored his first air victory. Leading a flight of 8 aircraft on a German convoy strike, they were attacked by 12 Me109s. In the ensuing battle Joe Matte downed no fewer than four of the enemy aircraft. On November 8th, Matte was credited with another 3 aircraft, Fw190s, when leading 16 P-47s on a low-level dive bombing mission in support of General Pattons 3rd Army. To add to his air victories he was also credited with numerous aircraft destroyed on the ground by gunfire and bombs. Matte became senior advisor to the Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) in Taipei, Taiwan. His final assignment was as Chief of Maintenance, Air Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas where he retired after 31 years of distinguished service to his country. His numerous decorations, medals, and citations include the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross w/OLC, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal w/18OLC, Air Force Commendation Medal w/OLC, Presidential Unit citation w/OLC, European Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and a special award of Chinese Pilots Wings presented to him by the Taiwanese Government. Matte lived in San Antonio where where he had a successful career in oil and gas exploration and residential home construction. Joe Matte was an active member of the American Fighter Aces Association, the 362nd Fighter Group Association, the 9th Air Force Association, the Air Force Association, and the Order of the Daedalions. Sadly Colonel Joe Matte, at the age of 83, passed away on February 10th 2004 in Fredericksburg.
Robert Baldwin was born on October 19, 1917, in Los Angeles, California. He entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Corps on September 28th, 1939, and was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his pilot wings at Kelly Field, Texas, on June 22, 1940. Bob Baldwin took part in 75 combat missions in World War II flying P-38s and P-40s in Europe between 1943-45. After the second World War Col Robert Baldwin in 1948 served as a military observer in Palestine, and then served as Assistant Deputy for Maintenance and Chief of Flight Operations with Headquarters Oklahoma City Air Material Area at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, from December 1948 to July 1949. He attended Air Command & Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, from July to December 1949, and then served as Commander of the 56th Maintenance and Support Group at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, from December 1949 to March 1950. Col Baldwin was Deputy for Operations of the 56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Selfridge from March 1950 to June 1951, and then served on the staff of Headquarters Air Defense Command at Ent AFB, Colorado, from June 1951 to February 1953. Robert Baldwin joined the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea and was promoted to Commander after 3 missions. He flew a total of 85 combat missions, and has 800 hours on the F-86 achieving 5 arial victories plus 3 damaged in the Korean conflict. He was Base Commander of Kisarazu AB, Japan, from September 1953 to June 1955, followed by service as Commander of the 4750th Air Defense Group at Vincent AFB, Arizona, from June 1955 to November 1958. Col Baldwin next served with Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Pentagon from November 1958 to June 1962, and then served on the staff of Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe from June 1962 to July 1965. His final assignment was as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans with Headquarters Air Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas, from July 1965 He flew many other jet fighters of the era and retired from the Service in June 1966. Robert Baldwin passed away on April 7th, 1994.
R T Smith was a flight instructor in the US Army Air Corps when he resigned his commission in July 1941 to join the AVG. Flying first as a wingman and then as a Flight Leader he took part in the great air battles over Rangoon on 23rd and 25th December 1941, and was credited with 8.66 air victories with the Flying Tigers. Recommissioned into the USAAF he flew a further combat tour in P-51s and commanded a squadron of B-52s. After the war he became Vice-President of the Flying Tigers Line in the Far East. Robert T Smith passed away on 21st August 1995.
Tex Hill was born in Korea on 13th July 1915. Tex Hill graduated as a Naval Aviator in 1939, and after serving as a Navy Pilot, Tex Hill volunteered for the A.V.G., becoming Squadron Leader in the 2nd Sqn (Panda Bears) until disbandment in 1942, by which time he had 12.25 air victories, making him the second highest ranking Ace in the American Volunteer Group. He remained in China, as the first squadron commander of the 75th F S /23rd F G before returning to the U.S. He went back to China to command the 23rd F G, increasing his total to 18.25 victories. In late 1943 he led a group of 30 aircraft on the first strike against Formosa. During this mission, 42 enemy aircraft were confirmed destroyed, with a possible 12 more, while all 30 aircraft under Tex Hill's command returned safely. Returning to the US, he commanded the 412th Fighter Group, the first jet aircraft group. Here, he flew P-80 Shooting Stars and YP-59 Airacomets. His decorations include a Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 2 Air Medals, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, 6 decorations awarded by China, and a Distinguished Flying Cross from the UK. Sadly, Tex Hill died on 11th October 2007.
