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Blenheim


Cranston Military Prints By Subject Aviation Art World War Two Blenheim

[UP] - Aichi - Airacobra - Albacore - Anson - Ar196 - Ar234 - Avenger - Barracuda - Battle - Beaufighter - Betty - Black Widow - Blenheim - Boston - BRE693 - Breda 65 - Buffalo - Bv222 - Bv238 - Catalina - Corsair - D520 - Dakota - Dauntless - Defiant - Devastator - Do17 - Do24 - Do435 - Do525 - Dominator - Duck - Fiat CR42 - Flying Fortress - Fury - Fw190 - Fw200 - Gladiator - Halifax - Hamilcar - Hampden - Havoc - He111 - He115 - He162 - He219 - Hellcat - Helldiver - Hind - Horsa - Hudson - Hurricane - IAR - Intruder - Invader - Jenny - Ju52 - Ju87 - Ju88 - Kate - Ki44 - Ki64 - Kittyhawk - La-7 - Lagg-5 - Lancaster - Liberator - Lightning - Lysander - Manchester - Marauder - Mavis - MB210 - Me109 - Me110 - Me163 - Me262 - MiG3 - Mistel - Mitchell - Mosquito - Mustang - Nakajima - Nate - Nick - P-11C - Pete - Petlyako - Sally - Sea Otter - Seafire - Shiden-Kai - Skua - SM81 - Spitfire - Stirling - Stratofortress - Sturmovik - Sunderland - Superfortress - Swordfish - Tempest - Thunderbolt - Tomahawk - Twin Mustang - Typhoon - Val - Vega - Veltro - Ventura - Vindicator - Waco - Warhawk - Wellington - Wildcat - Yak-3 - Zero - World War Two Aviation Print List
Second World War aviation art prints of the Blenheim aircraft. Our collection of prints and original paintings of the Blenheim aircraft of World War Two.
The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WWII began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. On the day that war was declared on Germany, a Blenheim piloted by Flying Officer Andrew McPherson was the first British aircraft to cross the German coast and the following morning 15 Blenheims from three squadrons set off on one of the first bombing missions The Blenheim units operated throughout the battle, often taking heavy casualties, although they were never accorded the publicity of the fighter squadrons. The Blenheim units raided German occupied airfields throughout July to December 1940, both during daylight hours and at night. Although most of these raids were unproductive, there were some successes; on 1 August five out of 12 Blenheims sent to attack Haamstede and Evere (Brussels) were able to bomb, destroying or heavily damaging three Bf 109s of II./JG 27 and apparently killing a Staffelkapitän identified as Hauptmann Albrecht von Ankum-Frank. Two other 109s were claimed by Blenheim gunners. Another successful raid on Haamstede was made by a single Blenheim on 7 August which destroyed one 109 of 4./JG 54, heavily damaged another and caused lighter damage to four more. There were also some missions which produced an almost 100% casualty rate amongst the Blenheims. One such operation was mounted on 13 August 1940 against a Luftwaffe airfield near Aalborg in north-western Denmark by 12 aircraft of 82 Squadron. One Blenheim returned early (the pilot was later charged and due to appear before a court martial, but was killed on another operation); the other 11, which reached Denmark, were shot down, five by flak and six by Bf 109s. Blenheim-equipped units had been formed to carry out long-range strategic reconnaissance missions over Germany and German-occupied territories, as well as bombing operations. In this role, the Blenheims once again proved to be too slow and vulnerable against Luftwaffe fighters and they took constant casualties While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire. In the German night-bombing raid on London on 18 June 1940, Blenheims accounted for five German bombers, thus proving that they were better-suited for night fighting. In July, No. 600 Squadron, by then based at RAF Manston, had some of its Mk IFs equipped with AI Mk III radar. With this radar equipment, a Blenheim from the Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) at RAF Ford achieved the first success on the night of 2–3 July 1940, accounting for a Dornier Do 17 bomber. More successes came, and before long the Blenheim proved itself invaluable as a night fighter. One Blenheim pilot, Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on Singora, Thailand, on 9 December 1941. Another bomber of No. 60 Squadron RAF was credited with shooting down Lt Col Tateo Katō's Nakajima Ki-43 fighter and badly damaging two others in a single engagement on 22 May 1942, over the Bay of Bengal. Katō's death was a severe blow to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.

The Sinking of U533 by Ivan Berryman.


The Sinking of U533 by Ivan Berryman.
8 editions.
£2.70 - £1100.00

Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.


Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.
3 editions.
2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature.
£35.00 - £120.00

Bristol Blenheim by Tim Fisher.


Bristol Blenheim by Tim Fisher.
3 editions.
£90.00 - £250.00


Escorting Blenheims to Le Trait - Spitfire W3455 of No.610 Squadron by Ivan Berryman. (P)


Escorting Blenheims to Le Trait - Spitfire W3455 of No.610 Squadron by Ivan Berryman. (P)
One edition.
The edition features 4 additional signature(s).
£660.00

Bristol Blenheim by Robert Taylor.


Bristol Blenheim by Robert Taylor.
One edition.
£60.00

Ltn. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of JG21 Becomes an Ace by Ivan Berryman.


Ltn. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of JG21 Becomes an Ace by Ivan Berryman.
11 editions.
5 of the 11 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £3400.00


Tribute to the Blenheim Crews by Ivan Berryman.


Tribute to the Blenheim Crews by Ivan Berryman.
3 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£60.00 - £400.00

Blenheim Mk.IVF of No.68 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.


Blenheim Mk.IVF of No.68 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.
5 editions.
2 of the 5 editions feature an additional signature.
£2.70 - £700.00

Ready for the Off - Blenheim of No.25 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.


Ready for the Off - Blenheim of No.25 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.
4 editions.
2 of the 4 editions feature an additional signature.
£60.00 - £400.00


Mk.I Blenheims of No.141 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.


Mk.I Blenheims of No.141 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s).
£60.00 - £440.00

Escort by Keith Woodcock.


Escort by Keith Woodcock.
2 editions.
One edition features an additional signature.
£24.00 - £55.00

Fear Nothing by Anthony Saunders.


Fear Nothing by Anthony Saunders.
3 editions.
All 3 editions feature up to 2 additional signature(s).
£95.00 - £300.00


Most Memorable Day by Robert Taylor.


Most Memorable Day by Robert Taylor.
One of 2 editions available.
Both editions feature 4 additional signatures.
£495.00

Climbout from Plivot by Ivan Berryman.


Climbout from Plivot by Ivan Berryman.
8 editions.
£2.70 - £1100.00

Blenheims Over Norfolk by Stephen Brown.

Blenheims Over Norfolk by Stephen Brown.
2 of 3 editions available.
£95.00 - £120.00


The First Blow by Gerald Coulson.


The First Blow by Gerald Coulson.
This single edition is sold out.
The edition features an additional signature.



Text for the above items :

The Sinking of U533 by Ivan Berryman.

U533 began its first patrol in April 1943, coming under repeated attack from Allied aircraft in 40 days at sea. The U-boat set off from Lorient in France for a second patrol, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean. In the Gulf of Oman on 16th October, the submarine was spotted and attacked by a British Bisley bomber of No.244 Sqn, piloted by Lewis William Chapman. The Bisley was the name originally given to the Mk.V Blenheim aircraft. Already entering a desperate dive to escape, the depth charges immediately caused the submarine to sink nose first, leaving little chance of escape. Of the 53 crew, an officer in the conning tower managed to open the hatch as the submarine passed 50 metres depth, the pressure propelling Günther Schmidt and the unnamed officer to the surface. Schmidt kept the unconscious officer afloat but he died an hour later, while Schmidt kept himself afloat without aid for more than 24 hours before being picked up and taken prisoner - the only survivor of the sinking.


Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.

Some of those most dangerous missions of WW II were the low level shipping attacks by Bristol Blenheims carried out against Axis shipping. These missions were important in the early stages of the War in the Mediterranean in terms of disrupting supply lines to Rommels troops fighting in North Africa. It was not uncommon for the RAF to lose 10-30% of the aircraft it sent on such missions. One of the most successful of the RAFs Blenheim pilots was Sir Ivor Broom, who rose from the rank of Sergeant Pilot, completing three combat tours, including thirty-one low level attacks while based on the island of Malta. With all the officer pilots in his squadron either killed or missing in action, Broom received his commission. Allied interdiction efforts had become so successful that in October and November of 1941 only 25% of the supplies destined to supply Rommels armies in North Africa were getting through. The Germans decided to reroute their supply ships, opting for taking a longer route, but one which made Allied attacks much less likely. The Blenheimss of Brooms 107 Squadron had sufficient range to reach shipping targets off the Greek coast, but this necessitated a long over water flight and precise navigation. Brooms 43rd combat mission involved the attack on German ships at anchor in the harbor at Argostoli which was on the island of Cephalonia off the west coast of Greece. The ships there were forming a convoy which would make the dash to Benghazi. Six Blenheims from 107 and 18 Squadrons took part in the raid. With Broom in the lead the six attackers avoided the heavily armed coastal defenses by approaching the harbor from an inland direction. This required some highly skilled low level flying as they followed a road through a saddle in the hills. With the advantage of surprise on their side the six attackers swept down on the ships at anchor in the harbor at mast height. After releasing their bomb load the group executed a sharp turn to starboard and a fast climb up and over the hills to the west of the harbor. A-A fire greeted the Blenheims as they made their escape, and two of the six aircraft fell victim. This attack on December 13, 1941 is depicted in Stan Stokes painting appropriately entitled Dangerous Duty. The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WW II began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire.


Bristol Blenheim by Tim Fisher.

No text for this item


Escorting Blenheims to Le Trait - Spitfire W3455 of No.610 Squadron by Ivan Berryman. (P)

Spitfire DW-U (W3455) of 610 Squadron escorting Blenheims to Le Trait on 21st August 1941. This aircraft was shot down by enemy fighters on this mission.


Bristol Blenheim by Robert Taylor.

No text for this item


Ltn. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of JG21 Becomes an Ace by Ivan Berryman.

Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob is shown claiming his 5th victory - a Blenheim - 60km west of Rotterdam on 26th June 1940. Bob went on to serve with JG.54, JG.51, JG.3, EJG2.2 and JV.44, scoring a total of 60 confirmed victories in the course of his Luftwaffe service. The Blenheim claimed as his 5th victory is likely to have been R3776 of No.110 Squadron, which was the only Blenheim recorded to have been lost participating in Operation Soest on that day - while another returned to base damaged and crash landed. The three crew of the Blenheim were all missing in action - P/O Cyril Ray Worboys, Sgt Gerald Patterson Gainsford and Sgt Kenneth Cooper.


Tribute to the Blenheim Crews by Ivan Berryman.

Blenheim IVs of No 21 Squadron, here being attacked by Adolf Gallands Bf 109 on 21st June 1940. Galland claimed two Blenheims and a Spitfire that day before he, too, was shot down by the defending Spitfires of 303 Sqn.


Blenheim Mk.IVF of No.68 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IVF of No.68 Squadron. The night-fighter squadron flew Blenheims from mid1941 to early 1942 before converting to Beaufighters. Aircraft WM-Z is shown in combat with a marauding Dornier Do17.


Ready for the Off - Blenheim of No.25 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.

A Royal Air Force Blenheim of No.25 Sqn is prepared for take-off as the crew get ready to board their aircraft.


Mk.I Blenheims of No.141 Sqn by Ivan Berryman.

Royal Air Force Blenheim Mk.I aircraft of No.141 Squadron.


Escort by Keith Woodcock.

Royal Air Force Spitfires of No.616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron escort returning Bristol Blenheims of No.21 Squadron from a bombing mission over France.


Fear Nothing by Anthony Saunders.

The Battle of Britian - 28th August 1940. The Battle of Britain is at its height but the threat of invasion is still a deadly reality. As the country waited, grim and expectant, for Hitlers Operation Sealion to be put into action, Blenheims of 105 Squadron make another strike against German troop barges assembling in the northern French port of Boulogne. Overhead, escorting Hurricanes of 501 Squadron engage in a savage tussle with Me109s of JG3 as the Luftwaffe pilots attempt to disperse the attacking British bombers. During the encounter three Me109s of JG3 were shot down for no British loss.


Most Memorable Day by Robert Taylor.

Adolf Galland and his wingman Bruno Hegenauer break through the fighter escort of No. 303 Squadrons Spitfires to attack Blenheim bombers of No. 21 Squadron over northern France, 21 June 1941. In two missions that day Galland claimed two Blenheims and one Spitfire, survived a forced crash-landing, and later a parachute escape from his blazing Me109. That evening he learned he was to become the first recipient of the Knights Cross with oak leaves and swords - Germanys highest award for heroism.


Climbout from Plivot by Ivan Berryman.

Bristol Blenheim IV N6215 of 139 Sqn is depicted departing the squadron's base at Plivot, France, on 12th May 1940. Sadly, it was a mission from which neither the aircraft, nor the crew would return, XD-Q being lost in a crash at Lanaken, Limburg in Belgium that same day with the loss of three crew.


Blenheims Over Norfolk by Stephen Brown.

Bristol Blenheim IVs of 105 squadron returning at low level over Norfolk, after one of many anti-shipping sorties carried out over the North Sea in 1941. At the outbreak of the Second World War the Bristol Blenheim was Bomber Commands fastest and most effective aircraft and formed the mainstay of its offensive operations. Pressed into numerous different roles the Blenheim had many successes, including pioneering the first airborne interception radar for night fighting. Even so, compared with the powerful machines of the Luftwaffe, it was highly vulnerable and only achieved what it did as a result of the extraordinary bravery and determination of its aircrews.


The First Blow by Gerald Coulson.

Published to mark the 50th anniversary of the first RAF bombing raid of the second world war, on the 4th of September 1939 by the Blenheims of 107, 110 and 139 squadrons.

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