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Zero


Cranston Military Prints By Subject Aviation Art World War Two Zero

[UP] - Aichi - Airacobra - Albacore - Anson - Ar196 - Ar234 - Avenger - Barracuda - Battle - Beaufighter - Betty - Black Widow - Blenheim - Boston - BRE693 - Breda 65 - Buffalo - Bv222 - Bv238 - Catalina - Corsair - D520 - Dakota - Dauntless - Defiant - Devastator - Do17 - Do24 - Do435 - Do525 - Dominator - Duck - Fiat CR42 - Flying Fortress - Fury - Fw190 - Fw200 - Gladiator - Halifax - Hamilcar - Hampden - Havoc - He111 - He115 - He162 - He219 - Hellcat - Helldiver - Hind - Horsa - Hudson - Hurricane - IAR - Intruder - Invader - Jenny - Ju52 - Ju87 - Ju88 - Kate - Ki44 - Ki64 - Kittyhawk - La-7 - Lagg-5 - Lancaster - Liberator - Lightning - Lysander - Manchester - Marauder - Mavis - MB210 - Me109 - Me110 - Me163 - Me262 - MiG3 - Mistel - Mitchell - Mosquito - Mustang - Nakajima - Nate - Nick - P-11C - Pete - Petlyako - Sally - Sea Otter - Seafire - Shiden-Kai - Skua - SM81 - Spitfire - Stirling - Stratofortress - Sturmovik - Sunderland - Superfortress - Swordfish - Tempest - Thunderbolt - Tomahawk - Twin Mustang - Typhoon - Val - Vega - Veltro - Ventura - Vindicator - Waco - Warhawk - Wellington - Wildcat - Yak-3 - Zero - World War Two Aviation Print List
Second World War aviation art prints of the Zero aircraft. Our collection of prints and original paintings of the Zero aircraft of World War Two.

Hobo Queens by Stan Stokes.


Hobo Queens by Stan Stokes.
4 of 7 editions available.
All 2 editions featuring an additional signature are available.
£35.00 - £145.00

Pacific Glory by Nicolas Trudgian.


Pacific Glory by Nicolas Trudgian.
6 editions.
5 of the 6 editions feature up to 5 additional signatures.
£2.00 - £290.00

Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor.


Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor.
3 editions.
All 3 editions feature up to 7 additional signature(s).
£210.00 - £395.00


Combat Over New Guinea by Nicolas Trudgian.


Combat Over New Guinea by Nicolas Trudgian.
3 editions.
All 3 editions feature an additional signature.
£60.00 - £120.00

Gunfight Over Rabaul by Nicolas Trudgian


Gunfight Over Rabaul by Nicolas Trudgian
3 of 4 editions available.
2 of 3 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.00 - £290.00

Angels of Okinawa by Stan Stokes.


Angels of Okinawa by Stan Stokes.
3 editions.
2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature.
£35.00 - £160.00


Zero Hour by Ivan Berryman.


Zero Hour by Ivan Berryman.
5 editions.
One edition features an additional signature.
£2.70 - £400.00

Birth of a Legend  by Stan Stokes.


Birth of a Legend by Stan Stokes.
6 editions.
4 of the 6 editions feature an additional signature.
£35.00 - £400.00

Legend of Colin Kelly by Robert Taylor.


Legend of Colin Kelly by Robert Taylor.
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£150.00 - £225.00


Zero Encounter by Robert Taylor.


Zero Encounter by Robert Taylor.
This single edition is sold out.
The edition features 4 additional signatures.

Fortress under Attack by Robert Taylor.


Fortress under Attack by Robert Taylor.
This single edition is sold out.
The edition features 2 additional signatures.

Rising Sun by Robert Taylor.


Rising Sun by Robert Taylor.
This single edition is sold out.
The edition features an additional signature.


Ace in a Day by Stan Stokes.

Ace in a Day by Stan Stokes.
This single edition is sold out.
The edition features an additional signature.



Text for the above items :

Hobo Queens by Stan Stokes.

The B-32 Dominator was produced by Consolidated Aircraft in parallel with Boeings development of the B-29 Superfortress. While both of these long-range heavy strategic bomber development programs encountered some difficulties, the B-29 was completed sooner, and was ordered in far larger quantities than the B-32. About one hundred Dominators were ultimately built and the aircraft saw some service very late in WW II. Powered by the same engines as the B-29, the B-32 had a distinctive very tall stabilizer. Four B-32s from the 386th BS of the 312th BG based at Yontan, Okinawa were given a three-day photoreconnaissance mission near the end of the War. On the third day of the mission, August 18, 1945, two aircraft were forced to turn back and only two aircraft, the Hobo Queen and the Hobo Queen II made it to Japan. The mission involved photographing an area north and east of Tokyo. The aircraft were unescorted, as the War was for all practical purposes over. As the two aircraft prepared to head home they were jumped by a large group of Japanese fighters including Imperial Navy A6M2 Zeros and Army Ki44 Tojos. The first attacks occurred at 1:30 PM while the aircraft were at 20,000 feet. The enemy planes made ten passes on the Hobo Queen II with little or no damage. About twenty-five passes were made at the Hobo Queen, which was under the command of Lt. John R. Anderson. Seven passes were made at the tail of the B-32 and one of the attackers blew-up. One fighter pass was made at the ball turret from below with no success, and another six were made at the forward upper turret. About six more were made at the nose turret position, and several more at the upper rear turret. Another enemy fighter blew up, and a third was seen going down smoking. The pilots went to full mix and full throttle and power-dived the B-32 from 20,000 to 10,000 feet. The Hobo Queen absorbed a lot of damage during these attacks. The radioman got the Hobo Queen II to regroup with the badly damaged Hobo Queen to provide some cover. Three men were wounded including Sgt. Anthony J. Marchione, SSgt. Joseph M. Lacharite, and Sgt. John T. Houston. Marchione and Lacharite were at the camera hatch at the rear of the aircraft when that section of the plane was riddled. Both men were hit. Despite his own wounds, SSgt. Lacharite began administering first aid to Marchione, but a second fighter pass wounded Marchione again. Despite the valiant efforts of his crewmates to keep him alive, Marchione passed away at 2:00PM. Sgt. Marchione may have been the last USAAF combat casualty of the War. SSgt. Chevalier administered first aid to SSgt. Lacharite during the long ride home. Despite being unable to bank his aircraft due a feathered prop, Lt. Anderson got the Hobo Queen down successfully.


Pacific Glory by Nicolas Trudgian.

One of the most successful of the P-38 equipped units was the 475th Fighter Group, Satans Angels, and it is the P-38s of this famous unit that Nicolas Trudgian has portrayed in his tribute to the American Air Forces that made Victory in the Pacific possible. It is March 1945 and the P-38s of the 475th FG are involved in a huge dogfight with Japanese Zeros over the coast of Indo-China. Flying Pee Wee V is Lt Ken Hart of the 431st Fighter Squadron, who has fatally damaged a Zero in a blistering head on encounter. The second P-38 - Vickie - belongs to Captain John Rabbit Pietz, who would end the War an Ace with six victories.


Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor.

For their outstanding contribution to the war in the South Pacific, the Black Sheep were awarded one of only two Presidential Unit Citations accorded to Marine Corps squadrons during the war in the Pacific. With typical mastery, Robert Taylor has brought to life an encounter over Rabaul in late December 1943, paying tribute to one of the US Marine Corps most famous fighter squadrons, and its outstanding leader. With the Japanese airbase at Rabaul visible in the distance, Pappy Boyington and his fellow pilots of VMF-214 tear into a large formation of Japanese Zekes and a series of deadly dogfights have started, one Zeke already fallen victim to their guns.


Combat Over New Guinea by Nicolas Trudgian.

Australian Ace Dick Cresswell tangles with a Japanese Zero in the humid air of the tropics over New Guinea during an encounter in 1942. Flying a P-40E Kittyhawk with the insignia of 77 Squadron, RAAF blazoned on his aircraft, Cresswell makes a head-on pass leaving the enemy aircraft streaming smoke. Immortalised by the Flying Tigers, the P-40 was a fine combat aircraft that operated in the Pacific, European and Middle East theaters.


Gunfight Over Rabaul by Nicolas Trudgian

Nicolas Trudgians action packed painting shows an attack on Rabaul during the fall of 1943. B-24 Liberators of the Army Air Force pound the harbor and docks below whilst the Marines Corps pilots of VMF 214 - the famous Black Sheep Squadron - provide top cover in their F4U Corsairs. A fierce dog-fight has developed between the F4U pilots and Japanese Zeros. One Zero, already smoking, begins to roll out of control, while the two F4U pilots turn their attentions on to a second. Below further dog-fights are in progress, the air filled with aerial combat.


Angels of Okinawa by Stan Stokes.

In 1938 Vought won a contract for what was to become one of the last of the great propeller driven fighter aircraft, the F4U Corsair. Designed to incorporate the most powerful air-cooled radial engine available at the time, the Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp, the Corsair was powerful, heavily armed, ruggedly built, and designed from the onset as a carrier based fighter. The Corsair was fast, and became the first military aircraft to obtain 400 MPH in level flight. The Corsair incorporated the largest three-bladed propeller ever utilized on a single engine aircraft, a unique distinctive gull wing design, and its 2804 cubic inch engine developed a whopping 1800 HP, more than twice the horsepower of the Japanese fighters which dominated the early years of the War in the Pacific. Despite its design emphasis the USN was reluctant to utilize the Corsair for carrier-based operations because of the aircrafts poor pilot visibility during landings. As a result, the Corsair initially entered service with land-based USMC Squadrons in February of 1943. VMF-124, the first squadron to be equipped with Corsairs, quickly realized that they had a very special aircraft, and at the end of their tour of duty, VMF-124 had 68 confirmed kills of Japanese planes in air-to-air combat vs. losses of only 11 Corsairs. The Royal Navy, which procured over 2,000 of the 9,441 Corsairs produced, successfully overcame the pilot visibility problem by incorporating a curved angular approach to landings. Influenced by the Royal Navys success, the USN requalified the Corsair for carrier-based operations in early 1945. During the Okinawa campaign U.S. forces encountered a desperate shift in Japanese strategy which incorporated the full fury of the Kamikaze suicide attack. Lacking experienced pilots, and in hopes of slowing American advances, more than 3,000 Kamikaze planes were directed at the U.S. naval forces during the Okinawa campaign. The Corsair was instrumental in the fact the 2,600 Kamikazes did not succeed. In his spectacular painting, aviation artist Stan Stokes shows a F4U Corsair of VMF-451 of the Bunker Hill piloted by Marine Major Archie Donahue in action against an incoming (A6M2 Zero) Kamikaze attack during the Okinawa campaign. In three months during the campaign Navy and Marine pilots based on the Bunker Hill recorded 176 kills. However on April 29, 1944 the Bunker Hills luck ran out. Struck by two Kamikazes within minutes, a four hour conflagration ensued, which killed nearly 400 servicemen, and destroyed the bulk of the ships aircraft. This forced the withdrawal of the Bunker Hill from the campaign. Despite these losses, the Corsairs deservedly earned one of their nicknames, Angels of Okinawa, from the thousands of servicemen who no doubt owed their lives to these last of the great propeller driven fighter aircraft, and the courageous pilots who flew them.


Zero Hour by Ivan Berryman.

As dawn breaks across South Pacific skies, a group of Mitsubishi A6M5 Zeros of the 201st Air Group head outbound from their base at Rabaul on a raiding sortie in November 1944.


Birth of a Legend by Stan Stokes.

Colin P. Kelly, Americas first hero of WW II, was born in Florida in 1915. He was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and following graduation Kelly married the former Marian Wick. Kelly received his primary flight instruction at Randolph Field in San Antonio, and after earning his wings he moved across town to Kelly Field for advanced pilot training. Unlike many would-be fighter pilots, Kelly was not disappointed with being assigned as a bomber pilot. Kelly received a letter of commendation from The Secretary of War when he crash landed a Northrop A-17A he was ferrying to Mitchel field in a vacant street in Brooklyn. In September of 1940 Kelly was promoted to Captain, and was assigned to the 42nd Bomb Squadron as commander of a B-17. Kelly trained in Hawaii, and was later made Operations Officer for the 14th Bomb Squadron. In September of 1941 Kelly and his crew flew from Hawaii to Clark Field in the Philippines. The B-17s were an important addition to the woefully inadequate and obsolete air forces which America had in the Philippines. The Japanese Imperial forces attacked the Philippines only hours following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mitsubishi Zero fighters, flying to maximize their range, were able to accompany Japanese bombers from bases in Formosa. The initial attack on Clark Field damaged or destroyed many American aircraft. Kellys squadron had been moved south to another field and had escaped damage. On December 10, Kellys squadron was ordered to fly north to Clark Field where they would refuel and arm their aircraft for attacks on the Japanese invasion fleet. Kellys regular B-17D was out of service, so his crew was assigned a B-17C. At Clark Field three 600-pound armor piercing bombs were loaded on Kellys B-17 when an air raid hastened their departure. Kelly flew northward to the northern most tip of the island of Luzon. Kelly spotted a number of Japanese ships which were supporting an amphibious landing. The young Captain dropped his three bombs hoping to destroy the largest of the Japanese ships. One bomb struck the vessel, igniting a tremendous blaze. On returning to Clark Field, the B-17 was attacked by a number of Japanese fighters, including a Zero flown by Saburo Sakai. Sakai would become the highest scoring Japanese ace to survive the War with 64 victories. Amazed by the speed of the Flying Fortress, the Zeros needed full throttle to make passes at the B-17. Kellys B-17 was eventually hit and set afire. Captain Kelly ordered his crew to abandon ship. Kelly remained with the aircraft, and he did not survive the crash landing. With America desperate for any good news on the war front, and with Army brass in the Philippines anxious to claim some positive results, Colin Kellys exploits became exaggerated in many news accounts. By the time the story was publicized stateside, many believed he had dived his B-17 down the funnel of a Japanese battleship. While Kelly was indeed an American hero, the unfortunate gross exaggeration of his exploits, should not tarnish the fact that Kelly, like many that would follow him in the years ahead, had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in the line of duty.


Legend of Colin Kelly by Robert Taylor.

December 10th 1941, Just three days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, captain Colin Kellys 19th BG B-17C is heavily outnumbered by Zeros as it returns to Clark Field after completing a successful bombing attack. With his aircraft on fire. Kelly remained at the controls whilst his crew bailed out. Seconds later the B-17 exploded. Colin Kelly gave his life and was posthumously awarded the DFC. A legend was born.


Zero Encounter by Robert Taylor.

A Japanese Zero condenses the air off its wing tips as its pilot hauls his fighter inside a Marine F4F Wildcats determined attack. The two adversaries cavort the air in a desperate duel high over the island of Guadalcanal. The sky is alive with fighting aircraft as F4Fs and Zeros are locked in deadly combat. Below, clearly visible throught the clear tropical air is the prize over which they do battle: A single tiny airstrip on a small hill, humid, almost uninhabitable island - A priceless possession providing the key to air supremacy in the South Pacific.


Fortress under Attack by Robert Taylor.

22nd Bomb group B17s under attack by Mitsubishi Zero fighters over Rebaul November 1942.


Rising Sun by Robert Taylor.

Rising Sun is normally a companion print to The Legend of Colin Kelly.



Ace in a Day by Stan Stokes.

A new U.S. Navy fighter squadron designated VF-11 was organized in August 1942. The new squadron received several combat tested pilots, and many newcomers, including Vernon E. Graham, a Colorado native. After two months of training in San Diego the new squadron deployed to Maui, where, under the command of Charles Fenton, the squadron commenced a comprehensive training program. While in Hawaii several of VF-11s pilots came up with a squadron insignia which depicted two Grumman F4F Wildcats blasting a rising sun into the Pacific. Thus VF- 11 became known as the Sun Downers. The Sun Downers first combat tour would be land-based, flying out of Guadacanal with the Marines. This was a bit upsetting to some member of the squadron as the Marines were flying the state-of-the-art F4U Corsair, while VF-11 was equipped with the older Grumman F4F Wildcat, an aircraft somewhat inferior in dog fighting capability to the Japanese Zero. During the first several weeks of its first combat tour the Sun Downers had more than their share of misfortune. Several aircraft were lost without enemy opposition. This was all to change in a hurry for the young Vern Graham. Graham had flown about thirty missions without incident. Returning from a long escort mission Graham and his formation of sixteen Wildcats responded to a request for help from four Marine Corsairs which had encountered nearly forty Japanese Zeros while on patrol near Russell Island. Only eight of the Wildcats had sufficient fuel to engage the enemy. Disregarding his critical fuel situation, Graham and his wing man got involved in assisting the Marines. Graham bagged his first Zero with a diving attack while his adversary was more preoccupied with the Corsair he was tailing. Minutes later a second Zero succumbed to a high side attack, and a third exploded in mid-air during a head-on pass. Graham bagged two more prior to his engine quitting due to lack of fuel. Without power Graham was a sitting duck, and in no time two Zeros were on his tail. Fortunately, Grahams Marine buddies bagged one and chased the other off. In serious trouble, Grahams only hope was to glide his Wildcat to Russell Island where an emergency airstrip was available. Not knowing that one of his wheels had been shot away during the engagement, Grahams Wildcat flipped over during the emergency landing. Knocked unconscious with a fractured skull, Graham was cut from the wreckage of his F4F, and sent to a military hospital. With five confirmed aerial victories during this single mission, Graham had achieved the unusual distinction of becoming An Ace in a Day. Vern received the Navy Cross and returned to the States to recover. He would later return to active flying after requalifying in the F41J Corsair. During its first combat tour the Sun Downers attained 55 aerial victories. Four of the new squadrons pilots became aces, and five of the squadrons forty pilots (C.G. Boswell, C.G. Cary, L.W. Childs, T.L. Hull, and G.W. Ricker) were killed in action. It is in their memory that this limited edition print is dedicated.

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