Remembering Pearl Harbor-"UP AND AT 'EM!"
December 7, 1941 - "UP AND AT 'EM!" - Wheeler Field
2nd Lt. pilots- George S. Welch & Kenneth M. Taylor, USAAF/47PS-15PG
Curtiss P-40B Tomahawks dogfight Japanese Aichi Type 99 'Val' dive bombers from IJN carrier- KAGA, during the 2nd Attack Wave on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii...
"Only minutes have passed since the First Wave of Japanese raiders made their exit- home base to all Hawaiian Air Force army fighter units is a burning shambles. Not one U.S. pursuit made it airborne to challenge ZUIKAKU's Val dive bombers and SORYU's Zeros. Instead, the ramp's tightly-packed fighters burn like pyres of matchsticks. The lull between attacks is punctuated by delayed explosions and the sharp crackle and pop from a fierce barrage of flak clawing the empty sky above. Suddenly, a pair of P-40s descend through the gauntlet to land. Lts. Welch (flying~'White 160') & Taylor (in~'White 155') have come in from Haliewa Field to the north, hoping to find some .50-cal. ammo for their ships before the enemy returns. 6th & 19th Pursuit Squadron groundcrew scramble to service them, as idle senior officers order Welch & Taylor to disperse and ground their P-40s.
Rearming is cut short, as seven Vals streak in low from Pearl Harbor and Hickam to strafe the field- the Second Wave had arrived! The two pilots pour the coals to their Allison motors for immediate takeoff into the enemy formation, and a hot dogfight over Wheeler & Wahiawa town ensues. Taylor knocks over the ammo dolly and commences firing even before his gear is up. He chandelles- latching onto the tail of one Val, while another locks onto his Curtiss from behind. Welch grabs for altitude while evading heavy fire from behind, and manages to shake off his attacker. Noting Taylor's predicament below, Welch comes to the aid of his brother officer by making a steep dive to engage Taylor's pursuer, whose guns have begun to find their mark..."
Only one of many harrowing and exciting moments during the combat sortie encounters of Welch & Taylor on Dec. 7th, 1941- this is the scene depicted in my painting titled- "UP AND AT 'EM!", which was commissioned by the Alaska Air National Guard Officers' Assn. in Anchorage, to honor retired AKANG retired B/Gen. Kenneth M. Taylor, & to create a special 50th-Anniversary PHA commemorative signed ltd. edition lithographic print.
The project took four intensive years of research to dig up the specific aircraft ID number markings for Welch & Taylor's P-40Bs (which had eluded the efforts PHA historians over the years since), analyze volumes of archive documents & photos to reconstruct sortie sequences & aerial encounters, and try to establish as many contacts w/key living veterans as possible for their first-hand accounts & personal archive material. It was an extremely-daunting endeavour, to say the least, especially w/regards to matching-up U.S. & Japanese aerial combat opponents per specific combat sorties made-that part was only made possible via the kind assistance of eminent PHA historians, first & foremost of all- Mr. David Aiken.
By far the most rewarding aspect of it all, was having the rare privilege and honor of establishing many wonderful friendships & associations w/the veterans themselves & their families. Gen. Taylor's personal letter of endorsement was of great assistance & George Welch's family's cooperation & support was pivotal. The 47th Ftr. Sqdn. Assn. welcomed me w/open arms. I attended their 1991 Indiannapolis Reunion, joined-up w/them (& the 7th Fighter Command Assn.) in Honolulu for the Big 50th, and then made it to one more of the 47th FS reunions held in Dayton, OH.
Today's the 68th Anniversary, and the WW2 veterans' ranks are fading fast, and we should take just a brief moment of silence to not only Remember Pearl Harbor today, but all those truly-amazing folks from that great generation who sacrificed everything to keep us free.
Here's a few photos to share in saluting the U.S.A.'s two most-successful interceptor pilots on The Day of Infamy- Taylor & Welch, and some of the guys who got them into the air that day:
Photos-Top Row (L-R):
1. "UP AND AT 'EM!" - Original 18" x 24" acrylic painting illustration on canvas. Mostly transparent colors were used for a special glazed tinting technique to create a luminous watercolor effect. 3 different sortie depictions were rendered in B&W charcoal & Gen. Taylor chose the Wheeler Field scene for the painting subject (-which utilized a often-reproduced captured Japanese aerial B&W attack photo for a realistic & authentic background). I was shooting for a 1940s-era illustrative soft-edged look for the painting, rather than photo-realism.
2-3. Two U.S. Army Signal Corps photos taken 1/9/42 at Wheeler Field, Oahu of Lts. Welch & Taylor during awards ceremonies for their Distinguished Service Cross medals (-second only to the Medal of Honor).
4. The late & great- B/Gen. Ken Taylor, during the print signing sessions at AKANG Kullis Base- Anchorage, Alaska (-still showing that fiery gleam of a fighter pilot).
5. The artist in his Ketchikan, Alaska studio w/his just-completed painting, before shipping it off for delivery acceptance by AKANGOA-Anchorage & then to the printers.
Photos-Bottom Row (L-R):
1. Gen. Taylor & the artist, pause for a publicity portrait during the Anchorage print-signing of 1,941 regular edition prints w/47-each artist's proofs.
2. Group portrait of those 47th Fighter Squadron Reunion Assn. veterans at Indiannapolis '91, who were original members of the 47th PS stationed w/the unit on December 7, 1941. Only 12/7 pilot attending was Col. Irv Henze (standing 5th fm rt.), -all the others in this photo were enlisted groundcrew.
3. Sun. 12/8/91 - Old Haliewa Field-N. Shore, Oahu is all over-grown w/tropical vegetation when I got a personal tour from three original 47th-PS vets (L-R): Harry Calvert, Ralph Simpson & Ralph Wright, who were on-station here the morning of 12/7/41 & were among those on duty who assisted getting the handful of the sqdn's P-40Bs & P-36As airborne that day to fight the Japanese attackers.
A great website link for info on Ken Taylor:
AND a good one for info on George Welch:
DBD
2nd Lt. pilots- George S. Welch & Kenneth M. Taylor, USAAF/47PS-15PG
Curtiss P-40B Tomahawks dogfight Japanese Aichi Type 99 'Val' dive bombers from IJN carrier- KAGA, during the 2nd Attack Wave on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii...
"Only minutes have passed since the First Wave of Japanese raiders made their exit- home base to all Hawaiian Air Force army fighter units is a burning shambles. Not one U.S. pursuit made it airborne to challenge ZUIKAKU's Val dive bombers and SORYU's Zeros. Instead, the ramp's tightly-packed fighters burn like pyres of matchsticks. The lull between attacks is punctuated by delayed explosions and the sharp crackle and pop from a fierce barrage of flak clawing the empty sky above. Suddenly, a pair of P-40s descend through the gauntlet to land. Lts. Welch (flying~'White 160') & Taylor (in~'White 155') have come in from Haliewa Field to the north, hoping to find some .50-cal. ammo for their ships before the enemy returns. 6th & 19th Pursuit Squadron groundcrew scramble to service them, as idle senior officers order Welch & Taylor to disperse and ground their P-40s.
Rearming is cut short, as seven Vals streak in low from Pearl Harbor and Hickam to strafe the field- the Second Wave had arrived! The two pilots pour the coals to their Allison motors for immediate takeoff into the enemy formation, and a hot dogfight over Wheeler & Wahiawa town ensues. Taylor knocks over the ammo dolly and commences firing even before his gear is up. He chandelles- latching onto the tail of one Val, while another locks onto his Curtiss from behind. Welch grabs for altitude while evading heavy fire from behind, and manages to shake off his attacker. Noting Taylor's predicament below, Welch comes to the aid of his brother officer by making a steep dive to engage Taylor's pursuer, whose guns have begun to find their mark..."
Only one of many harrowing and exciting moments during the combat sortie encounters of Welch & Taylor on Dec. 7th, 1941- this is the scene depicted in my painting titled- "UP AND AT 'EM!", which was commissioned by the Alaska Air National Guard Officers' Assn. in Anchorage, to honor retired AKANG retired B/Gen. Kenneth M. Taylor, & to create a special 50th-Anniversary PHA commemorative signed ltd. edition lithographic print.
The project took four intensive years of research to dig up the specific aircraft ID number markings for Welch & Taylor's P-40Bs (which had eluded the efforts PHA historians over the years since), analyze volumes of archive documents & photos to reconstruct sortie sequences & aerial encounters, and try to establish as many contacts w/key living veterans as possible for their first-hand accounts & personal archive material. It was an extremely-daunting endeavour, to say the least, especially w/regards to matching-up U.S. & Japanese aerial combat opponents per specific combat sorties made-that part was only made possible via the kind assistance of eminent PHA historians, first & foremost of all- Mr. David Aiken.
By far the most rewarding aspect of it all, was having the rare privilege and honor of establishing many wonderful friendships & associations w/the veterans themselves & their families. Gen. Taylor's personal letter of endorsement was of great assistance & George Welch's family's cooperation & support was pivotal. The 47th Ftr. Sqdn. Assn. welcomed me w/open arms. I attended their 1991 Indiannapolis Reunion, joined-up w/them (& the 7th Fighter Command Assn.) in Honolulu for the Big 50th, and then made it to one more of the 47th FS reunions held in Dayton, OH.
Today's the 68th Anniversary, and the WW2 veterans' ranks are fading fast, and we should take just a brief moment of silence to not only Remember Pearl Harbor today, but all those truly-amazing folks from that great generation who sacrificed everything to keep us free.
Here's a few photos to share in saluting the U.S.A.'s two most-successful interceptor pilots on The Day of Infamy- Taylor & Welch, and some of the guys who got them into the air that day:
Photos-Top Row (L-R):
1. "UP AND AT 'EM!" - Original 18" x 24" acrylic painting illustration on canvas. Mostly transparent colors were used for a special glazed tinting technique to create a luminous watercolor effect. 3 different sortie depictions were rendered in B&W charcoal & Gen. Taylor chose the Wheeler Field scene for the painting subject (-which utilized a often-reproduced captured Japanese aerial B&W attack photo for a realistic & authentic background). I was shooting for a 1940s-era illustrative soft-edged look for the painting, rather than photo-realism.
2-3. Two U.S. Army Signal Corps photos taken 1/9/42 at Wheeler Field, Oahu of Lts. Welch & Taylor during awards ceremonies for their Distinguished Service Cross medals (-second only to the Medal of Honor).
4. The late & great- B/Gen. Ken Taylor, during the print signing sessions at AKANG Kullis Base- Anchorage, Alaska (-still showing that fiery gleam of a fighter pilot).
5. The artist in his Ketchikan, Alaska studio w/his just-completed painting, before shipping it off for delivery acceptance by AKANGOA-Anchorage & then to the printers.
Photos-Bottom Row (L-R):
1. Gen. Taylor & the artist, pause for a publicity portrait during the Anchorage print-signing of 1,941 regular edition prints w/47-each artist's proofs.
2. Group portrait of those 47th Fighter Squadron Reunion Assn. veterans at Indiannapolis '91, who were original members of the 47th PS stationed w/the unit on December 7, 1941. Only 12/7 pilot attending was Col. Irv Henze (standing 5th fm rt.), -all the others in this photo were enlisted groundcrew.
3. Sun. 12/8/91 - Old Haliewa Field-N. Shore, Oahu is all over-grown w/tropical vegetation when I got a personal tour from three original 47th-PS vets (L-R): Harry Calvert, Ralph Simpson & Ralph Wright, who were on-station here the morning of 12/7/41 & were among those on duty who assisted getting the handful of the sqdn's P-40Bs & P-36As airborne that day to fight the Japanese attackers.
A great website link for info on Ken Taylor:
AND a good one for info on George Welch:
DBD
Attached Files
!!!
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