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To commemorate one of the greatest aerial victories of the war in Europe, Nicolas Trudgian has painted the 352nd Fighter Group's 'Bluenosers' earning a place in history for their lightning response to the surprise attack on their airfield at Asch, Belgium at dawn on New Year's Day 1945.
Asch was one of the targets in a German assault, codenamed 'Operation Bodenplatte', on many Allied airfields in the Low Countries that morning. The element of surprise served the Luftwaffe well, except at Asch where the commanding officer, Lt. Col. J. C. Meyer, had the foresight to keep the pilots at readiness for just such an eventuality.
In this spectacular painting the P51 Mustang 'Moonbeam McSwine' of Captain 'Whiz' Whisner leads Red Section of the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, into the teeth of fierce strafing by German fighters of JG II. Whisner was to be responsible for four of the twenty three Luftwaffe planes shot down that morning by the 352nd 'Bluenosers'. So rapid and brave was the American response that the German attack was repelled, and the 487th was subsequently awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.
Each print in Nicolas Trudgian’s Limited Edition, The Battle for New Year's Day, is signed by 352 FG veterans:
Lt. Col. DONALD S. BRYAN DSC. DFC (2 OLC). Air Medal (14 OLC), DUC
Major ALDEN P. RIGBY Silver Star, Air Medal (7 OLC), DUC
Capt. ROBERT H. 'PUNCHY' POWELL DFC (2 OLC). Air Medal (3 OLC). DUC
Col. WALTER E. STARCK DFC (2 OLC), Air Medal (OLC), Purple Heart, DUC, AFCM
Lt.Col.CHESTER V. HARKER DFC(1 OLC), Air Medal (10 OLC),DUC
Lt. Col. RAYMOND R. MITCHELL DFC, Air Medal (5 OLC), DUC.
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