Photos Military Art

1918 10 27 Sopwith Snipe William Barker by Russell Smith

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On October 27, 1918 Maj. William Barker, one of the highest scoring Allied aces of WW1, took off from Beugnatre on what would become one of the controversial flights of the war. Flying a new type of aircraft, the Sopwith Snipe, Barker crossed over the lines in an attempt to score another victory before returning to England. He found what he was looking for near the town of Valenciennes, scoring a high altitude victory over a two seat reconnaissance aircraft high above the Mormal Forest. In the process, however, Barker himself was attacked from below by Fokker DVIIs from an unknown German Jasta. Wounded and disoriented, Barker lapsed in and out of consciousness as his plane fell from the sky. As he fought for his life among an unknown number of German aircraft he even attempted to ram one of the Germans. In the end, Barker managed to bring his Snipe down inside of the Allied lines. William Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions that day
 
1918 11 04 Snipe Fury by Russell Smith

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Introduced into service during the final weeks of the war, the Snipe was last Sopwith production aircraft to see service during the war. Featuring a 220 hp Bentley BR.2 rotary engine, cutout upper wing center section and double bay wings, the Snipe was a rugged aircraft that performed well in combat.This particular aircraft, E8050, was flown by Capt. E.R. King of No. 4 Sq. AFC. King scored his final 8 victories of the war in this aircraft.

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1917 04 L'asso ferrarese by Russell Smith

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L'Asso Ferrarese features the Italian Ace Michele Allasia. Allasia was born in Ferrara, Italy, and served with 80 Squadriglia and Sezione. He claimed 6 victories, 5 of which were confirmed, but sadly he lost his life in a flying accident in July of 1918. The piece is simply meant to be an aircraft portrait, but the 3 enemy aircraft in the background are based on a combat in which Allasia described taking on 3 Austrians.The fuselage of Allasia’s Nieuport 11 was marked carried the image of Fortunello, a cartoon character poplar during that period. Each aircraft on his unit, 80 Squadriglia, carried a variation of the figure.
 
The Battle of the Java Sea, 27th February 1942 by Maarten Platje.

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From left to right;- USS Houston, HMS Exeter, HNLMS De Ruyter & HMS Electra.
De Ruyter & Electra were sunk that day. Exeter damaged and Houston escaped both only to be lost in seperate battles on 1st March 1942
 
1917 11 23 Godwin Brumowski by Russell Smith

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Godwin von Brumowski was the most successful fighter ace of the Austro-Hungarian Air Force during World War I. Inspired by Manfred von Richthofen’s all-red Albatros, Brumowski painted his Oeffag-built Albatrosses red and marked them with a skull emblem. This particular Albatros, 153.45, was red with ochre swirls.
The painting depicts one of two claims by Brumowski which took place on Nov. 23, 1917. Both occurred near Cortellazzo, Italy, at the mouth of the Piave River where it empties into the Adriatic Sea. Brumowski shared both victories that day with Frank Linke-Crawford, with both victories listed as “Nieuport scouts”. Both claims also describe the victim as “forced to land”.
 

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