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MALTA – THE TURNING POINT
by Anthony Saunders
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For two years following the Italian
Declaration of War against Britain in the
summer of 1940, the tiny island of Malta
became one of the most heavily bombed places
on earth as the Axis air forces fought to
force it into surrender. They hadn’t
reckoned on the island’s resolve.
German High Command had long recognised that
control of Malta, with its naval dockyards
and RAF airfields, was pivotal to
safeguarding Rommel’s entire North African
campaign. Control of the island was
essential to protect the convoys that
supplied Rommel’s desert forces and the
Germans and Italians decided to bomb the
island into oblivion, starve it, and force
it to surrender.
They almost succeeded: by April 1942 the
dockyards had been devastated and the RAF
reduced to a mere half dozen Spitfires and
ageing Hurricanes. So dire was the situation
that on 10 May the Axis Commander, Field
Marshal Albert Kesselring, brazenly told
Hitler that the island’s defences had been
neutralised.
But he was wrong, and just as the Luftwaffe
had underestimated British resolve in the
Battle of Britain, so too did they misjudge
the resolve of the Maltese people and her
defenders.
On 20 April 1942 the American carrier USS
Wasp flew in 46 Spitfires, but such
was the intensity of air fighting that
almost all were destroyed within a few days.
But it was a start: on Saturday 9 May
another 60 Spitfires flew to the island’s
airfields, again from the Wasp and
the British carrier HMS Eagle. The
next day, just as Kesselring was bragging to
the Führer of the island’s parlous state,
most of those Spitfires were in action
against a large force of Luftwaffe raiders,
lavishly equipped with Ju87s, Ju88s and
Bf109s. The German pilots were stunned by
the ferocity of the opposition as, heavily
outnumbered, the RAF fighter pilots,
including volunteers from America, put up a
tenacious defence.
The air battles that took place over Malta
that day were the largest ever witnessed
over the diminutive island and the
unexpected Allied victory marked a turning
point in the Mediterranean theatre. At the
end of the day 57 enemy aircraft had been
destroyed or damaged by RAF fighters and
another eight had been shot down by flak.
Never again would the Luftwaffe return with
such force.
Overall print size: 26 ½" wide x 19 ¼" high Image Size: 20 ¾" wide x 12 ¾" high
Already noted as one of the most gifted aviation artists of his generation, Anthony Saunders depicts a glimpse of events that day in this eye-catching piece. In the foreground Sergeant Paul Brennan of 249 Squadron destroys a Ju87 in some of the fighting over Grand Harbour, Valetta whilst in the background the island’s anti-aircraft guns, boosted by a recent and much needed supply of ammunition, put up a huge barrage of flak.
The Limited Edition & Artist Proofs
Each print is exclusively hand-numbered and personally signed by the artist Anthony Saunders.
The Remarque Editions
Widely considered as some of the best and largest in the industry, Anthony’s unique pencil remarques are individually created in the lower margin of the print. The first edition, consisting of 25 single sized remarques, are a perfect way to collect original art.
The Double Remarques
Created specially for the serious collector, these dramatic pieces are much bigger than a standard remarque and exclusively restricted to just 10 copies worldwide. The demand for these superb creations is such that we urge collectors to reserve their remarques early to avoid disappointment.
Giclée Studio Proofs
Using the most sophisticated digital Giclée technology, each Studio Proof is printed directly on to fine canvas creating a stunning piece which has all the look and feel of an original painting. Fully authorised, stamped on the back, hand numbered and titled, each canvas proof is supplied pre-stretched ready to simply drop into a frame of your choice.
Overall stretched canvas size: 36" wide x 24" high
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THE LIMITED EDITION
US $105.00 UK £75.00
Edition Size - 275
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In Stock |
THE ARTIST PROOFS
US $160.00 UK £115.00
Edition Size - 25
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In Stock |
THE REMARQUES
US $545.00 UK £395.00
Edition Size - 25
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In Stock |
THE GICLEE STUDIO PROOFS
US $595.00 UK £395.00
Edition Size - 75
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In Stock |
THE DOUBLE REMARQUES
US $875.00 UK £625.00
Edition Size - 10
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In Stock |
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