August 1944, RAF HawkerTyphoons of 247 Squadron, armed with rockets and 20mm cannon launch a series of devastating attacks against the German Seventh Army and Fifth Panzer Army in the Falaise Gap. The German units had been almost completely surrounded by advancing allied ground forces, and contained within an area bounded by the four towns of Trun, Argentan, Vimoutiers and Chambois near Falaise. The Germans began their retreat by the only remaining route, through the Falaise Gap, whereupon the allies began a sustained air assault in an attempt to prevent their escape, and with deadly results. On a single day the Typhoons would destroy 175 German tanks.
I think that Robert Taylor is my favorite aviation artist. I don’t know if he’s still alive/painting but he always tells the story beautifully on canvas.
Interesting aircraft. Didn’t work well for the original task (high altitude interceptor) but was a tremendous close support and ground attack aircraft.
Beautiful. Thank you!
LL- I think he’s still alive and working in England.
WSF- That it was, as usual, the military ‘repurposes’ things once they find something they are good at… LOL
Kinda looks like a Warthog if you squint right 🙂
Great War Birds
Nothing finer than low-level attack planes.
Ed- Or a forerunner! 🙂
Rick- Yep!
Murph- Agreed!
What’s interesting is that during the battle of the Falaise Gap, the Russians were destroying Army Group Center on the Eastern Front. You’d think that there would be comparable aviation art from that theater (especially given how the Soviets produced tons of propaganda posters) but there doesn’t look to be much at all.
IIRC the Germans escaped through a gap in the allies lines that was supposed to be closed but was somehow left open.