P-40
Summer Of `42 by Shaw
During 1941, as the cruel cloud of Axis tyranny spread throughout the East, the brave men and women of the American Volunteer Group, under the command of Claire Lee Chennault, were the first Americans to successfully resist Japanese aggressors over China. Nickname the Flying Tigers, and armed with little else than a batch of Curtiss P-40 fighters rerouted from lend-lease delivery to Britain, the ACG was divided into three squadrons known as the Adam and Eves, Panda Bears and Hell's Angels. Living and playing hard, they swung into first action in the skies over Burma and China about 2 weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and immediately began a series of aerial victories which would become the stuff of legend. By the summer of 1942, the U.S. Army Air Corps had established a base at historic and exotic Kweilin, China and planned to induct as many of the AVG as possible back into official U.S. service. John D. Shaw's Summer of '42 depicts the ancient beauty of the Li River, where for centuries, Chinese fishermen would use trained cormorants in their efforts. During these times, the serenity would routinely be disturbed as AVG fighter returned to their nearby Kweilin base, in this case, an assortment of P-40C "Tomahawks" and P-40Es, bearing the familiar shark-mouthed motif the unit was famous for. After achieving a remarkable combat record, the AVG was disbanded July 4, 1942, to be succeeded by the USAAC's 23rd Fighter Group, who also served with distinction through the end of the war. The 23rd remains active to this day as the USAF's 23rd Fighter Wing, its aircraft still carrying on the tradition of the Flying Tiger's shark teeth.
Each print is signed by the artist and 16 AVG Flying Tigers (a combination of the listed below):
Frank A. Anderson (crew chief)
Charles N. Baisden (armorer)
Charles R. Bond (vice squadron leader)
Keith J. Christensen (armorer)
L. Paul Clouthier (operations clerk)
Paul J. Greene (flight leader)
Emma Jane Hanks (AVG nurse)
David Lee "Tex" Hill (squadron leader)
Edwin A. Janski (propeller specialist)
Ken A. Jernstedt (flight leader)
Robert B. Keeton (flight leader)
Robert F. Layher (flight leader)
Frank S. Losonsky (crew chief)
Charles D. Mott (flight leader)
Joseph A. Poshefko (chief armorer)
C. Joseph Rosbert (flight leader)
John R. Rossi (flight leader)
Leo J. Schramm (crew chief)
Edward L. Stiles (crew chief)
Morgan H. Vaux (communications)
Peter Wright (flight leader)
Print size: 39½" w x 21" h
Edition size: 850 signed and numbered
