Attack on the Hiei
by
Robert Taylor
As dawn broke on the morning of Friday, November 13, 1942, a lone F4F Wildcat climbed out of Henderson Field on the island of Guadalcanal. The Marine pilot, Captain Joe Foss was to assess damage to US naval ships following the previous night's bitter naval engagement.
As the morning sun streaked across the sound between Savo and Guadalcanal, Foss viewed the wreckage of one of the most furious close combat naval actions of the war. But what caught the young pilot's particular attention was a badly damaged Japanese battleship. Protected by three destroyers, the Hiei, offered the Cactus flyers a prize they would not allow to escape.
The Cactus Air Force quickly scrambled their fighters to join TBF and SBD torpedo and dive-bombers, their collective mission to sink the enemy battleship. Foss, having refueled, climbed his eight F4F Wildcats to 12,000 feet to make a diversionary attack while the torpedo bombers made their perilous fun at the heavily defended warship. From high above Foss brought his F4F's screaming vertically down, leveling out as they hurtled towards the Hiei through a massive barrage of defensive flak, spraying .50 caliber lead into the mighty warship.
The print depicts the action fought in Savo sound, against the backdrop of the spectacular mountains of Guadalcanal. Joe Foss's F4F Wildcats are viewed braving the fearsome hail of defensive fire as they distract enemy gunfire away from the vital torpedo attacks, their explosions throwing huge plumes of water skywards presenting an additional hazard to the F4F pilots.

The Signatures
BG.Joseph J. Foss USMC arriving in Guadalcanal on 9 Oct., 1942 with VMF-121. He quickly demonstrated great skills flying the F4F in Combat. He became the first American to break Rickenbacker's WW I record of 25 enemy enemy aircraft destroyed. Joe Foss is the top-scoring living US Marine Corps Ace with 26 victories, just two short of Papy Boyington's total. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his outstanding feats in the South Pacific.	Brig. General Joseph J. Foss USMC
Lt. Colonel Roger Haberman USMC he flew at Guadalcanal from 9 Oct., 1943 to Jan., 1943, becoming an Ace with 7 victories. Lt. Colonel William B. Freeman USMC flew over 200 combat missions in the Pacific theater, 1942 - 1945, becoming an Ace with 5 victories. Colonel T. W. 'Boot' Furlow USMC downed his first Zero on the Hiei Mission, he served in all the major South West Pacific theaters.

Millennium Proofs
Corsair Recovery 50 prints are published in this special Millennium Proof edition. Each print, from Robert Taylor's superb pencil drawing, is individually signed by two Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Aces and issued with a matching numbered copy of Attack On the Hiei. Depicted is the Royal Navy carrier Hms Formidable, recovering F4U Corsairs of 1841 Squadron following as attack against Japanese airfields and coastal shipping in July, 1945. Formidable formed part of Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet in the Pacific. The main Corsair in the drawing is that of Lt. Robert Gray who later sank the Japanese destroyer Amalasa and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Lt. Colonel Ronnie Hay Royal Marines DSO DSC joined the Royal Marines in 1935 and volunteered to fly with the Fleet Air Arm. In 1944 he became Wing Leader of 47 Naval Wing flying Corsairs, his final score was 13 victories.	Lt. Colonel Ronnie Hay
Commander Don Sheppard RCNVR joined the RNVR Fleet Air Arm in December 1941, in June of 1944 flew Corsairs under Ronnie Hay RM, becoming an Ace.

Edition Size:    450 S/N, 25 Artist's Proofs, 50 Millennium Proofs
Image Size: 27 1/4" x 16"

S/N Price:295.00 [Order] [Checkout]
Artist Proof Price:500.00 [Order] [Checkout]
Millennium Proof Price:550.00 [Order] [Checkout]

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