'Mission of Mercy' 5th AF B-25D painting (+ pics)

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 4:02 pm

Here's a few shots from the album of a client of mine - I'm currently working on his commission:

USN Catalina pilot Nathan Gordon was awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless multiple-exposure of his aircraft to Japanese shore batteries, including shutting down his engines several times to enable more rapid reeling in of liferafts, on 15th Feb 44 rescuing several B-25 crews who ditched after a strike on Kavieng. One of the rescued crews, along with 345th BG "Air Apaches" crews, was from the 38th BG/71st BS "Wolfpack". Lt. Smith, my client's dad, was copilot on the ditched 38th BG Mitchell - note the 71st's Disney Big Bad Wolf art:

More on Gordon:
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/vet ... ordon.html

71st BS B-25D airborne. The tails are yellow:

A view rearward from Lt. Smith's album as they execute the LGTHOH maneuver as they go feet wet:

My client's dad, still alive, told his son about what he considered his most important mission - and this rough sketch was my interpretation of the event. It has since been approved by the client. To be entitled "Mission of Mercy", the final 24 x 36 inch canvas will depict Lt. William J. "Smitty" Smith (copilot) as he drops critically-needed supplies to Australian coastwatchers on New Britain in Jan 1944:

---------------

Just finished up the large pencil study - linen panel's primed and ready, and I'm itching to mix paint!

"Mission of Mercy" (study)
20 x 30 inches, pencil on vellum
Collection of Mr. Justin Layton

While playing with the clouds, I got the idea to have the B-25 'whooshing' through the smoke Lt. Smith said he saw ...

Wade

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 4:33 pm

Amazing tuff. So why did he shut his engines down?

lestweforget · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 5:08 pm

Amazing stuff. Can only think the pilot would shut down his engines as the propwash from a Catalina would tend to push the rafts away from the plane.

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 7:13 pm

That's correct - IIRC shutting down the engines made reeling in the rafts faster/easier. Larry Hickey's excellent book on the Air Apaches has some more info, I believe. Gordon deserved his MoH in triplicate!

Wade

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 8:50 pm

Well done Wade as always. Nice attention to the details........ :wink:

Lynn

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Tue May 05, 2009 8:55 pm

Wow! That is an amazing story

Django · **Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 3:59 pm

Awesome. Can't wait to see the final product, as always.

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Sat May 16, 2009 11:52 am

An update ...

I spent so much time on the large pencil study (see above) that I felt confident skipping a small color study and diving right in on the final 24 x 36 inch canvas. Here's the background underway ...

Wade

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:59 am

Finished this one in late June - finally had a chance to get it posted:

Mission of Mercy
24 x 36. Oil on linen
Completed 2009
Collection of Steve Smith

The client's father, Lt. William J. "Smitty" Smith, a 5th Air Force B-25 pilot with the 71st Bomb Squadron "Wolfpack", a squadron of the 38th Bomb Group "Sunsetters", drops desperately needed supplies to Australian coastwatchers on New Britain in Jan 1944. Due to bad weather several previous drop attempts had failed with other crews. The Smith crew volunteered to go in low level and do all they could to find the DZ. The coastwatchers built several signal fires to help mark their location - the release was to take place on the third one, where the men were gathered. The drop was successful and the grateful coastwatchers could be seen madly waving their arms by their fire. While discussing this painting project with the artist to honor his father's service, "Smitty" told his son he regarded this as his most important mission. No further discussion was necessary, and the choice of title was obvious.

Combat photography to this day remains a crucial part of documenting military activities, but sometimes the only way to "Get the Image" or to bring fading memories back to life is through the hands of the artist.

Steve Birdsall · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:27 pm

That's an excellent and evocative piece of work - thanks for sharing it.

Django · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:48 pm

Looks great completed!

Russell Smith · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:09 pm

Wade, nice job on this one. The warm tones of the B-25 really pop out against that ultramarine Violet.

Russ

ZeamerB17 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:00 am

Beautiful job! :supz:

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:30 am

Looking really good Wade.....

Lynn

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:41 am

Thanks, guys! The painting should be appearing in a couple of WWII magazines in the future as a sidebar item. My client is writing an article or two on the Kavieng mission, with the Medal of Honor tie-in to the rescue by Nathan Gordon's PBY.

Now ... just gotta steal time to go upstairs and varnish the painting. We're now in the "happy zone" between summer camp being over and school starting. :shock:

And, when school begins ...

:drink3:

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'Mission of Mercy' 5th AF B-25D painting (+ pics)

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