Order Helpline (UK) : 01436 820269

You currently have no items in your basket


Buy with confidence and security!
Publishing historical art since 1985

Don't Miss Any Special Deals - Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
Aircraft
Search
Squadron
Search
Signature
Search
Artist
Search
SPECIAL
OFFERS

Product Search         
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF ALL GERALD COULSON PRINTS BY TITLE
ALWAYS GREAT OFFERS :
20% FURTHER PRICE REDUCTIONS ON HUNDREDS OF LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS
BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE ON THOUSANDS OF PAINTINGS AND PRINTS
FOR MORE OFFERS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes. - Gerald Coulson Prints
THIS ITEM IS INCLUDED IN OUR BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE OFFER !
Choose any two prints in this special offer and the lower priced item is half price. (Any free bonus prints already supplied with an item are separate and will also be included !)
Hundreds of items across our websites are included in this offer!

Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.


Please note that our logo is used on our website images only and does not appear on our products.



Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.

Some of those most dangerous missions of WW II were the low level shipping attacks by Bristol Blenheims carried out against Axis shipping. These missions were important in the early stages of the War in the Mediterranean in terms of disrupting supply lines to Rommels troops fighting in North Africa. It was not uncommon for the RAF to lose 10-30% of the aircraft it sent on such missions. One of the most successful of the RAFs Blenheim pilots was Sir Ivor Broom, who rose from the rank of Sergeant Pilot, completing three combat tours, including thirty-one low level attacks while based on the island of Malta. With all the officer pilots in his squadron either killed or missing in action, Broom received his commission. Allied interdiction efforts had become so successful that in October and November of 1941 only 25% of the supplies destined to supply Rommels armies in North Africa were getting through. The Germans decided to reroute their supply ships, opting for taking a longer route, but one which made Allied attacks much less likely. The Blenheimss of Brooms 107 Squadron had sufficient range to reach shipping targets off the Greek coast, but this necessitated a long over water flight and precise navigation. Brooms 43rd combat mission involved the attack on German ships at anchor in the harbor at Argostoli which was on the island of Cephalonia off the west coast of Greece. The ships there were forming a convoy which would make the dash to Benghazi. Six Blenheims from 107 and 18 Squadrons took part in the raid. With Broom in the lead the six attackers avoided the heavily armed coastal defenses by approaching the harbor from an inland direction. This required some highly skilled low level flying as they followed a road through a saddle in the hills. With the advantage of surprise on their side the six attackers swept down on the ships at anchor in the harbor at mast height. After releasing their bomb load the group executed a sharp turn to starboard and a fast climb up and over the hills to the west of the harbor. A-A fire greeted the Blenheims as they made their escape, and two of the six aircraft fell victim. This attack on December 13, 1941 is depicted in Stan Stokes painting appropriately entitled Dangerous Duty. The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WW II began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire.
Item Code : STK0134Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes. - This EditionAdd any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout! Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price!
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.
Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Artist : Stan Stokes£15 Off!Now : £35.00

Quantity:
SAVE MONEY WITH OUR DISCOUNT DOUBLE PRINT PACKS!

Buy With :
Blenheim Mk.IVF of No.68 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.
for £85 -
Save £55

Buy With :
Ltn. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of JG21 Becomes an Ace by Ivan Berryman.
for £110 -
Save £120
SAVE MONEY WITH OUR TRADE DISCOUNT MULTI-PRINT PACKS - AVAILABLE DIRECT TO OUR CUSTOMERS AT THESE PRICES!
Stan Stokes Royal Air Force Limited Editions plus two FREE Gerald Coulson Prints.

Pack price : £160 - Save £130

              
Buy With :
6 other prints in this pack :
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR PURCHASE

Pack price : £160 - Save £130

Titles in this pack :
Battle of Britain by Stan Stokes.  (View This Item)
Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.  (View This Item)
Defiant but Doomed by Stan Stokes.  (View This Item)
Double Trouble by Stan Stokes.  (View This Item)
Faith Hope and Charity by Stan Stokes.  (View This Item)
De Haviland Mosquito by Gerald Coulson.  (View This Item)
Evening Flight by Gerald Coulson.  (View This Item)

All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling



Other editions of this item : Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes. STK0134
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque.Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Broom, Ivor
+ Artist : Stan Stokes


Signature(s) value alone : £50
£20 Off!Now : £120.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINTPrints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Broom, Ivor
+ Artist : Stan Stokes


Signature(s) value alone : £50
£30 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £80.00VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :

Extra Details : Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.
About all editions :


A photo of an edition of the print.

The Aircraft :
NameInfo
BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WWII began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. On the day that war was declared on Germany, a Blenheim piloted by Flying Officer Andrew McPherson was the first British aircraft to cross the German coast and the following morning 15 Blenheims from three squadrons set off on one of the first bombing missions The Blenheim units operated throughout the battle, often taking heavy casualties, although they were never accorded the publicity of the fighter squadrons. The Blenheim units raided German occupied airfields throughout July to December 1940, both during daylight hours and at night. Although most of these raids were unproductive, there were some successes; on 1 August five out of 12 Blenheims sent to attack Haamstede and Evere (Brussels) were able to bomb, destroying or heavily damaging three Bf 109s of II./JG 27 and apparently killing a Staffelkapitän identified as Hauptmann Albrecht von Ankum-Frank. Two other 109s were claimed by Blenheim gunners. Another successful raid on Haamstede was made by a single Blenheim on 7 August which destroyed one 109 of 4./JG 54, heavily damaged another and caused lighter damage to four more. There were also some missions which produced an almost 100% casualty rate amongst the Blenheims. One such operation was mounted on 13 August 1940 against a Luftwaffe airfield near Aalborg in north-western Denmark by 12 aircraft of 82 Squadron. One Blenheim returned early (the pilot was later charged and due to appear before a court martial, but was killed on another operation); the other 11, which reached Denmark, were shot down, five by flak and six by Bf 109s. Blenheim-equipped units had been formed to carry out long-range strategic reconnaissance missions over Germany and German-occupied territories, as well as bombing operations. In this role, the Blenheims once again proved to be too slow and vulnerable against Luftwaffe fighters and they took constant casualties While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire. In the German night-bombing raid on London on 18 June 1940, Blenheims accounted for five German bombers, thus proving that they were better-suited for night fighting. In July, No. 600 Squadron, by then based at RAF Manston, had some of its Mk IFs equipped with AI Mk III radar. With this radar equipment, a Blenheim from the Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) at RAF Ford achieved the first success on the night of 2–3 July 1940, accounting for a Dornier Do 17 bomber. More successes came, and before long the Blenheim proved itself invaluable as a night fighter. One Blenheim pilot, Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on Singora, Thailand, on 9 December 1941. Another bomber of No. 60 Squadron RAF was credited with shooting down Lt Col Tateo Katō's Nakajima Ki-43 fighter and badly damaging two others in a single engagement on 22 May 1942, over the Bay of Bengal. Katō's death was a severe blow to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts.  Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269.  Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com

Return to Home Page