1

JIM GRIFFITHS -U.S. Navy Ships of War, 1898-1991 (Title/Image Size/Framed Size/Price/Painting Detail-Description) Forty Gouache Paintings depicting important vessels and naval actions from the Spanish American War to the first conflict.

“Across the Sea of Storms” 12 ½” x 19”, 21 x 27”, $4,000 , 1943

The painting depicts a well-worn Liberty ship plowing through heavy Atlantic seas headed for Europe (Britain) or with much needed war material. In the distance can be seen several other ships in the . While stormy weather was a peril, a greater danger was the threat of a U-boat attack; not until a ship was safely at anchor in , would this latter threat be put aside but never forgotten.

"Always Pushing Forward" 12 1/2 x 19 ¼”, 21 1/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 BB-40 USS New 1944

This painting depicts the US. Navy WW II U.S.S. (BB-40) at night under a full moon. She is in company with forces that are bound for Mindoro, the , where she will provide bombardment for the upcoming U.S. landings there sometime in mid-December, 1944. The ship is painted in a camouflage pattern called Ms. 32-6D, a pattern considered the best anti- camouflage. It was designed to be used in areas where visibility was good and where it would be impossible to conceal a ship; at long distances this bold-contrast pattern produced low visibility where the pattern blurred to a uniform shade.

Unfortunately, this scheme (and many of the other strong-contrast schemes applied to USN ships in 1944) was meant to counter the Japanese submarine threat, which turned out to be almost non- existent. However, these same schemes, when viewed from the air, had the ship(s) stick out “like sore thumbs” against the dark blue of the Pacific. And as the Japanese were replying on aircraft for most of their attacks in late 1944 and throughout 1945, the US Navy hastily began repainting all their ships in dark Navy Blue to try and offer some concealment against this threat.

The New Mexico earned 6 Battle Stars for her service in the Pacific from 1942 until the end of the war. She was hit twice by suicide planes: once in Jan.,’45, off of , the Philippines, and again in May, ‘45 when approaching her anchorage in Hagushi. She survived both attacks and was present in Tokyo Bay for the formal Japanese surrender in Sept., 1945. With the war over, she and many other gallant , returned to the U.S. to be deactivated, then decommissioned, and eventually sold for scrap.

"Always Ready" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 3/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 CVA-66 USS America Mid-1980's

The painting depicts the U.S. Navy super carrier USS America (DVA-66) at speed under the light of a partially obscured full moon. On her flight deck can be seen some of the dozens of jet aircraft that make up her air . Off to port can be seen another member of the carrier's battle group, an Aegis- class . The aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy perform their important peacekeeping missions all 2 around the globe without much publicity. Whenever there is a need to project power, it is usually one or more of these carriers that is called upon to do the job.

Since her keel laying in 1961, her launching in 1963, and her commissioning in 1964, USS America has made three combat tours to Vietnam and has deployed to the Mediterranean, as well as almost all the oceans of the world. She saw duties in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After 40 years of service the ship was slated for decommissioning sometime in the 2005-06 time period. She was not to be scrapped; rather she was to be a test bed to see just how one of these super carriers would hold up when under attack from a variety of lethal modern weaponry. After 4 weeks of testing, and despite a large protest by former crew members to save the ship and make her a museum memorial, she was scuttled southeast of Cape Hatteras. She is the largest ever to be sunk.

"The Arizona in '38" 12 x 19”, 20 3/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 BB-39 USS Arizona

The painting depicts the U.S.N. battleship ARIZONA (BB-39) in mid to late 1938. She is on fleet manoeuvers in the Pacific. Off her starboard is the carrier U.S.S. SARATOGA (CA-3), distinguished by the vertical black stripe painted on her funnel.

ARIZONA was built in the Brooklyn Naval Yard and launched in 1915 with her commissioning in October, 1917. She was armed with twelve 14-inch guns in 4 turrets; she also had numerous secondary 5-inch and 3-inch guns.

In 1929, ARIZONA underwent a major 2-year overhaul. Her loss came on December 7, 1941, when she was sunk, at anchor, by Japanese carrier aircraft. She remains to this day a memorial to all those who fought in the Pacific in WWII.

"Back from the Hunt" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 3/4"H x 27 13/16"L, $4,000 CVE-21 USS Block Island & TBF Avenger from VC-55 – 1944

The painting depicts VC-55 TBF-1 Avengers returning to their carrier, the USS Block Island (CVE-21), in late April, 1944 the aircraft have been out for many hours flying pre-arranged flight patterns over the Atlantic in search of German U-boats.

The Block Island was the main ship in this particular hunter-killer group. A hunter-killer group usually consisted of 4 escorts and one small escort carrier that carried anywhere from 16 to 21 aircraft that were split between TBF/M Avengers and FM-2 Wildcats. Each hunter-killer group was assigned a particular area of the and spent day and night searching for enemy . The aircraft, (often stripped of weaponry in order to carry more gasoline for longer missions) would head out from the carrier and fly search patterns; should they find a U-boat, they would report back and stay in the area, if fuel permitted, until the DE's arrived. The DE’s would then begin a hunt using sonar to try and locate the submerged sub. If contact was made, then they would attack using depth charges and rockets, called "Hedge Hogs" to try and destroy the U-boat.

"The Barroom Brawl" 9 7/8 x 21 3/8”, 19” x 30”, $4,000 CA-38 USS at 3rd Battle of November, 1942

3 In November, 1942, the war in the Pacific centered around the island of . American and Japanese forces fought desperately for control of this strategic island and the waters around it. In the early morning hours of Friday, November 13, 1942, U.S. and Japanese naval forces ran into each other on the dark waters of Iron bottom Sound. A beefed-up Tokyo Express of 2 Japanese , a cruiser and 14 (on their way to bombard and destroy Henderson Field and all the US Marines there) ran into an American force of 4 and 8 destroyers. The ensuing battle was officially known as: "Guadalcanal-The Third Battle of Savo Island". However, to the American sailors who survived the fight, it was simply known as "The Barroom Brawl because of the desperate nature of the wild, unplanned melee that was fought in the black darkness.

As noted naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison wrote of this fight: "Four bells of this sinister midwatch struck at the height of the battle. An infernal spectacle presented itself to the survivors. Greenish light from flares and star shell dimmed that of the silent stars. Red and white trails of tracer arched and crisscrossed overhead, magazines exploded in blinding bouquets of white flame, oil-fed fires sent up twisted columns of yellow flame and black smoke. Around the horizon smoldering hulks of abandoned ships now glowed dull red, now blazed up when fires reached fresh combustibles. Geyers from shells that missed their targets rose from the surface of the sea, now fouled with oil and flotsam."

The painting depicts the USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA 38), flagship of Callaghan and of Task Force 67.4, illuminated in the beam of a Japanese searchlight. The ship would survive the battle, at times engaging the enemy from both sides of the ship, as depicted here in the painting. On the left side of the painting can be seen the Japanese battleship HIEI burning furiously, to the right of the HIEI, on the horizon is a burning Japanese destroyer, to its right is an American destroyer firing on the HIEI, and to the right of the SAN FRANCISCO is the burning of a US destroyer. Overhead are the descending star shells and stabbing beams of searchlights, some cloaked by the twisted columns of rising smoke. Tracer fire crisscrosses everywhere and plumes of water rise explosively into the night sky. SAN FRANCISCO would suffer from over 45 enemy shell hits and the loss of Admiral Callaghan and all the bridge staff.

The task group would lose 2 light cruisers and 4 destroyers against 2 Japanese destroyers and the battleship HIEI, so seriously damaged that US forces sank it the next day. Though the loss of men and ships was high on our side, the mission to stop the destruction of Henderson Field had been accomplished. As Morison concludes of this action" Let none deny praise to those who fell that bloody night..."

“Battleship Gray” 11 1/2 x 20", 20 3/8"H x 28 1/2"L, $4,000 Battleships USS Iowa (BB-4) and USS Massachusetts (BB-2), in 1911

The painting depicts U.S.N. battleships U.S.S. IOWA (BB-4) AND U.S.S. MASSACHUSSETTS (BB-2) (background) at anchor, 1911. Gone is the attractive white and buff paint scheme of earlier times. Grey is now the new color; very drab, but effective camouflage at sea.

The IOWA was notable for being America’s first seagoing battleship. She saw substantial action in the Spanish-American War (1898-99). While her design had been an improvement over the earlier USN battleships, she became obsolete quickly in the first few decades of the 20th century. Her fate was to be used for target practice. In March, 1923, she was sunk by a salvo of 14-inch shells from the guns of a newer and stronger USN battleship.

4 The MASSACHUSSETTS was the second USN battleship and was very similar to foreign built battleships of the time. Commissioned in 1896, she was small for a battleship, but was heavily armored and gunned. Designed for coastal defense, she was not meant for open ocean and high waves. She saw action in the Spanish-American War. By 1910 she was considered obsolete, but was used for summer midshipmen cruises until 1914, when decommissioned. When WWI started she was recommissioned and used for the last time. In 1921, she was taken out to shallow water off of Pensacola, FL, scuttled and used as a target for experimental artillery. The ship was never scrapped and in 1956 became the declared property of the State of Florida. In 1993, the wreck became an underwater preserve and is now an artificial reef and diving spot.

"The Block Island in '44" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21”H x 27”L, $4,500 CVE-21 USS Block Island with VC-55 Aboard, May, 1944

The painting depicts the WWII escort carrier U.S.S. BLOCK ISLAND (CVE-21) with Air Wing VC-55 aboard, May, 1944. BLOCK ISLAND was a Bogue-class carrier that operated in the Atlantic as part of a hunter-killer group tracking and destroying German U-boats. Commissioned in 1943, her career was brief. In late May, 1944, while tracking a U-boat, she became the hunted. The U-boat had evaded the destroyer escorts pursuing her, was able to double back, and then fire torpedoes at the BLOCK ISLAND. Hit by three torpedoes, she eventually sank, but not before the destroyer escorts regained sonar contact and sank the enemy sub.

“Bound for Lingayan Gulf” 11 ¾” 26 ¾”, 21” x 36”, $6,500 USS Louisville, January, 1945

The painting depicts the WW II American heavy cruiser U.S.S. LOUISVILLE (CA-28) silhouetted against a South Sea sunset a few days after New Year’s, 1945, as she heads for , located on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. She is en route to support Allied landings against the Japanese entrenched there; and though the scene is somewhat idyllic, the ship will soon go into harm’s way in the next day or two when she will be attacked and crashed by several Japanese kamikaze aircraft that will cause extensive damage to her.

The LOUISVILLE was a Northampton class cruiser launched on September 1, 1930, and commissioned on January 15, 1931. She joined the fleet in 1932 and for the next 9 years took part in various “show-the-flag” cruises and fleet exercises. With the advent of war, LOUISVILLE was assigned to the South Pacific and saw quite a bit of combat during 1942-1945. With the end of the war, she returned to the U.S. to be decommissioned and placed in reserve at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. In storage she was occasionally stripped of fittings and weapons, but was otherwise unused along with the rest of the “mothball” fleet. In 1959, she was stricken from the U.S. Navy roster and sold for scrap metal. During her service in WW II, LOUISILLE earned 12 Battle Stars.

"Changing to Peacetime Gray" 8 x 19”, 16 3/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 DD-478 USS Stanley Fall, 1945

The painting depicts the “Fletcher” class destroyer USS STANLEY (DD 478) dockside in the ‘States and partially painted in haze grey, immediately after the end of WW II. The soon-to-be standard peacetime paint scheme, Measure 13 (later to be called Ms. 27) is being put on top of a streaked and weathered Measure 21(Navy Blue). The small dark patches are primer 84D and the hull is splotched 5 with touch ups in a medium grey. The laziness of the day with the clear sky and still waters is most appreciated by the sailors, perhaps with the exception of the four men assigned to painting detail on the hull. The STANLEY was built in Charleston, South Carolina and was commissioned October 15, 1942. She became part of DesRon 23, the famed “Little Beavers” Squadron that saw a lot of action in the Pacific theater and earned her numerous Battle Stars.

"Clear to Port/Clear to Starboard" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21”H x 27”L, $4,000 U.S.N. 'Permit' Class Sub (Circa Mid-1970s)Returning to Port

The painting depicts a Permit-class nuclear submarine in the mid-1970s. The boat is returning to port and there are two crewmen, in safety harnesses, on the diving planes, scanning the surrounding waters for other ships and boats. Originally known as the Thresher-class, the Permit-class subs were a class of nuclear powered, fast attack subs (using the hull classification symbol of SSN) in service with the Navy from the 1960s until 1994. They were primarily used in the 1960s and 1970s, until replaced by the Sturgeon and Los Angeles classes.

"Eldorado in the Pacific" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 1/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 AGC-11 USS Eldorado 1945

I did this picture because this particular amphibious assault ship is bristling with antennae and in its role as commandership for island invasions. Also, the splinter camouflage adorning it (and many other ships at this time) is a most intriguing color scheme and offered a challenge in the composition of the picture.

“Escorting the Olympic” 12 1/2 x 19", 21 3/4"H x 27 13/16"L, $4,000 USN WW I destroyer in anti-sub camouflage scheme escorting troop carrying liner Olympic, Feb., 1918

Life aboard a destroyer can be an arduous one; and life aboard the early "tin cans" was certainly an adventure, to say the least. During WW I the destroyers played an important role in escorting and protecting the large passenger liners, used to carry men & materiel to and from Europe, from the deadly German U-boats that hunted for them. It was no easy task to keep up with the giant liners as their cruising speed often equaled the maximum speed of the destroyers. The painting depicts the ordeal these little escorts suffered through. The Olympic is easily dealing with the rough Atlantic weather and heavy seas, while the destroyers crash trough the heavy seas trying to maintain their escort stations.

"The Fighting Lady" 10 x 19”, 18 3/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 CV-10 U.S.S. Yorktown, March, 1945

This painting is of the well-known WWII fleet carrier U.S.S. YORKTOWN. Known as the "Fighting Lady' to those aboard her, she was the only fleet carrier to finish out the war in her splinter camouflage scheme. Shown here in March 1945, the ship's appearance is weather-beaten from long 6 periods of active duty. The sides of the ship are a mottle of rust and green primer covering the purple-blues of her camouflage pattern.

"First to go into Harm’s Way" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 1/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 LPH-10 USS Tripoli - Mid-1980's

The painting depicts the helicopter assault carrier, USS TRIPOLI (LPH-10) with Marine Air Unit CH- 53 Super Stallion and H-46 Sea Knight helicopters on the flight deck. The time period is the mid- 1970s to the late 1980s. TRIPOLI is an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship commissioned August 6, 1966. She did two tours in Vietnam, where she patrolled the coast of Vietnam near the I CORPS tactical zone just below the DMZ, where she could, if needed, launch her landing contingent whenever they were needed by the Marine Corps. During the 1970s and 1980s, she was kept operationally ready. In December, 1990, TRIPOLI was sent into action again in the first . She was assigned flagship duties for Airborne Mine Counter Measures. On February 18, 1991, she was damaged by a mine that ripped a 16 x 20 ft. hole in the hull; she was also towed off of three unexploded mines by two ships in the task group. She was decommissioned in 1995, but as of 2004 was on loan to the U.S. Army though laid up at Mare Island. As of 2012, she is berthed at Pier 80 in San Francisco.

"Getting Everybody Back Aboard" 11 1/16 x 19 7/16”, 20"H x 27 3/4"L, $4,000 CVL-30 USS San Jacinto 1944

This depicts the light carrier SAN JACINTO recovering A/C from afternoon strikes against Japanese targets in the Philippines in support of the Leute invasion in October, 1944.

"Heading for the Aleutians" 10 x 19”, 18 3/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 CL-11 USS Trenton September, 1944

Jim did this picture, because he really liked the lines of the "Omaha" class cruisers. This particular , the TRENTON, carries a typical multi-purple blue splinter camouflage pattern for the time. She is seen steaming a speed, bound for the Aleutians, to join other U.S.N. ships for a strike at the Japanese held Kurile Islands.

"The Hobson" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 11/16" x 28 7/8"L, $4,000 DD-464 USS Hobson September, 1942

The painting depicts the Gleaves-class destroyer, U.S.S. HOBSON, (DD-464), in the 1st week of September, 1942. The ship is in an experimental camouflage pattern called Measure 15, which used the same colors as Ms. 12 modified (Navy Blue (5-N), Ocean Grey (5-0), and Haze Grey (5-H) with the addition of white). Even the 26 ft. motor whaleboat is camouflaged to match the ship.

The HOBSON was built at the Charleston Navy Yard and commissioned January 22, 1942. After training, the HOBSON joined the carrier RANGER’s group with the job of screening and protecting the RANGER. HOBSON saw action in the Atlantic and Mediterranean for the next two and one-half years. In March, 1945, she was in the Pacific as part of a minesweeping group off Okinawa. In mid- April, she was assigned duty and on April 16th, she and other patrolling ships were attacked by Kamikaze aircraft. She shot down several aircraft, but was hit by a bomb from a plane she downed. She was damaged by fire but continued firing and managed to pick up survivors from 7 another sunk ship. She retired to and eventually the U.S. for repairs, being there when the war ended. She received 6 battle stars for her WW II service.

For the next five years, she was in training and readiness exercises. With the outbreak of the , her schedule of training intensified. She was part of the screen and plane guard for the carrier USS WASP (CV-18). It was during a training exercise at night, with all ships running dark, and the WASP about to recover aircraft, the HOBSON crossed WASP’s bow and was struck amidships. The force of the collision rolled HOBSON over breaking her in two. The carrier and other ships were able to rescue many survivors, but the ship and over a hundred men were lost. The court of inquiry investigation and recommendation led to the Allied Navy Signal Book being changed to allow for special signals to be used by carriers during aircraft operations.

"In the Gulf" 11 x 19”, 18 3/8"H x 25 5/8"L, $4,000 LHA-1 USS Tarawa, 1991

The painting depicts the amphibious assault carrier USS Tarawa (LHA-1) in the Persian Gulf in January, 1991, during the first war with Iraq. It is late afternoon and the sun's setting rays have turned the clouds and ships to dazzling yellow. The beauty of the scene belies the tension and danger present because there is the strong indication that the ship, her crew, and the troops on board will soon be involved in an amphibious landing on the Iraqi-held beaches of Kuwait. Tarawa and her sister ships in class are intended to combine the features of several types of assault vessel: they are able to land troops, they can provide helicopter and observation plane deployment, and they can offer fighter/bomber deployment. Commissioned in 1976, the ship is named after the famous WW II Pacific island battle on Tarawa.

"Instrument of Policy" 19 1/2 x 31”, 28 ½”H x 40”L, $10,000 CVN-75 USS Harry S. Truman – Persian Gulf - December, 2004

The painting depicts the U.S.N. nuclear U.S.S. HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN-75) running in the Persian Gulf in December, 2004. With Carrier Air Wing 3 aboard, the ship launched thousands of combat missions over Iraq as well as maritime security ops before being relieved in March, 2005.

The U.S.S. HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN-75), also known as ‘HST’ within the Navy, was launched in September, 1996 and commissioned in July, 1998. She is the eighth Nimitz-class carrier and is named after the 33rd president. With a length just shy of 1,100 ft. and a 4 ½ acre flight deck, she can accommodate some 80 aircraft; with a combat load TRUMAN can carry some 6,250 crew members.

She has deployed all over the world and has provided air support from the 2nd Iraq war to the current day with operations supporting our troops in Afghanistan.

"Into the Missile Age" 12 1/2 x 19”, 19 5/8"H x 25 5/8"L, $4,000 CAG-1 USS 1964/1965

The painting depicts the USN guided missile cruiser BOSTON (CAG-1) circa 1964 when she was engaged in operations off the U.S. east coast with the Second Fleet. Here the ship is engaged in a live- round launch drill of one of her Terrier missiles. 8

The BOSTON began life as a WWII heavy cruiser (CA-69) of the class being commissioned on June 30, 1943. She spent the next two years in the Pacific participating in many of the campaigns of that theater. With the end of the war, the ship participated in the occupation of the Japanese home islands until January, 1946. The ship was then returned to the U.S. and she was moth-balled at the port facility of Bremerton.

In January, 1952, she was selected as the name ship for a new type of cruiser that would carry guided missiles. The BOSTON and one other cruiser were towed to Philadelphia to begin conversion to missile carrying ships. The conversion process was only a partial one in that the forward third of the ship retained the appearance and qualities of a heavy cruiser, particularly in the retention of both forward triple 8” gun turrets. The most important aspect of the change was the fitting of two extended missile magazines aft, on each of which an M. 10 twin launcher for the Terrier I missile was installed.

Toward the end of BOSTON’s U.S.N. service, in view of the increasing obsolescence of the Terrier I system, the ship was used in the role of fire support off the Vietnamese coast. BOSTON made three Vietnam tours, the last of which ended on October 7, 1969, when she fired her last 8” salvoes. In November, 1969, she returned stateside; on May 5, 1970 she was decommissioned, ending 27 years of service to her country.

"The Leviathan in War Paint" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 14"H x 28 1/2"L, $4,000 USS Leviathan (ex-Vaterland), Spring, 1918

The painting depicts the American liner Leviathan in the summer of 1918 about to depart on one of the many transatlantic voyages she made carrying men and material to Europe during WWI. The ship was camouflaged in an “Admiralty Dazzle” scheme of light grey, sky blue, and black that featured a unique “saw tooth” pattern on the bow. This scheme was a design especially prepared for the ship by British Lt. Norman Wilkerson, RNUR.

The USS Leviathan was actually the German liner “Vaterland” which was interned when hostilities broke out. Commissioned into service on July 2, 1917, the ship was assigned the New York to Liverpool and Brest runs, carrying over 119,000 fighting men to Europe in ten turnaround crossings

"Making Smoke" 12 1/2 x 19”, 20"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 U.S.S. Farenholt (DD-491), Benson Class Destroyer, Summer, 1942

The painting depicts the USN WW II Benson Class destroyer U.S.S. FARENHOLT (DD1491) making smoke as she comes charging over a swell on a blustery Atlantic day in late May, 1942.

FARENHOLT was commissioned in April, 1942, and served in the Atlantic. She wore a unique Ms 12 camouflage pattern. The vertical colors of Navy Blue (5-N), Ocean Grey (5- 0), and Haze Grey (5-H) were standard, but the pattern was not, showing a heavy British influence to those patterns used to camouflage their Western Approaches vessels.

FARENHOLT was decommissioned in April, 1946 and languished for the next 25 years until she was sold for scrap in Oct., 1972.

9 "The Mauretania by Moonlight" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 1/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 Cunard Liner in WWI Camouflage

The painting depicts the Cunard Line MAURETANIA steaming well in heavy seas and illuminated by the light of a full moon. The ship is shown in 1918, and is painted in her unique scheme of checkerboards and abstract shades; this was her scheme during her service years in WWI. Off her port bow can be seen one of her escorting destroyers running hard just to stay even with the great liner.

The MAURETANIA was built by the yard of Sean Hunter and William Richardson, Ltd., at Wallsed- on-Tyne. She was launched in 1906, and went into service in 1907, breaking all existing Atlantic speed records and winning the Blue Ribbon. For more than 22 years MAURETANIA was the fastest North Atlantic liner; at one time she averaged 25.5 knots for 27 consecutive voyages. During WWI she served, at different times, as either an armed cruiser or as a hospital ship. Between 1914 and 1918 MAURETANIA and the other Cunard liners transported nearly 1 million troops and 10 million tons of supplies.

After WWI she returned to express passenger service across the Atlantic; in 1931 she set another record when she crossed the Atlantic 4 times in one month. Her last voyage was in September, 19347. She was retired and then broken up in 1935.

"Midway in '77" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 3/4"H x 27 13/16"L, $4,000 CVA-43 USS Midway – 1977

The painting depicts the U.S.S. MIDWAY making good way on a beautiful Pacific day. Aboard can be seen F-4 Phantoms, A-7 Corsair IIs, an A-6 Intruder, and an EKA-3 Sky Warrior from her air wing.

The MIDWAY was the lead ship of its class. Commissioned a week after the end of WWII, she was the largest ship in the world until 1955, with the arrival of the U.S.S. FORRESTAL, and she was the first U.S. warship too big to transit the . Based on the planned Montana-class battleship, the MIDWAY had a revolutionary hull design that gave her better maneuverability than previous carriers. She served for an unprecedented 47 years, saw action in the Viet Nam war with several combat tours, and was the Persian Gulf flagship in 1991 for Operation Desert Storm. She was decommissioned in 1992 and is now a in , CA. She is the only remaining U.S. aircraft carrier of the WWII era that is not an Essex-class carrier.

"The Missouri in '53" 11 ¼” x 19”, 21” x 26”, $4,000 USS Missouri, BB-63, Summer, 1953

The painting depicts the Iowa-class battleship USS MISSOURI (B8-63) in the Atlantic in late April, 1953, as she heads for Norfolk Navy Base, Virginia, in the company of a Gearing-class destroyer. At this point in her career her of 20 mm guns had long been removed, though almost all her quad 40mm mounts were still place. She had departed Yokosuko, , a month earlier after her last combat tour in (March, 1953). When she docks in Norfolk she will prepare for a cruise in June, 1953.

10 The MISSQURI (also known as "Mighty Moll and "Big Mol”) is a US Navy Iowa-class battleship and was the third USN ship to bear that state’s name. She was also the last battleship built by the and was the site of the Japanese Empire’s surrender to end WW II.

MISSOURI was ordered in 1940 and was commissioned in 1944. In the Pacific theater of operations in WW II she fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where she was struck by a Japanese kamikaze but suffered only superficial damage, she also shelled the Japanese home islands.

She fought in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 making three separate tours. She was decommissioned in 1955 and sent to the reserve where she and her three sister ships were “mothballed” for future service. She was reactivated in 1984 as part of the US Navy's 600-Ship Plan and she fought in the 1991 Gulf War.

MISSOURI received a total of 11 Battle Stars for service in WW II, Korea, and the Persian Gulf. She was finally decommissioned on March 31, 1992 but remained on the Ships' Registry until 1995. In 1996 she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at , .

"New Mexico at Sunset" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 1/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 BB-40 USS New Mexico 1919

The painting depicts the U.S.N. battleship USS New Mexico (BB-40) on a late afternoon in mid-April, 1919. Of note is the Hanriot HD-2 biplane on the take-off platform atop the No. 2 14-inch .

The New Mexico was authorized by Congress in 1914, her keel was laid in Oct., 1915, and she was launched in April, 1917, and was commissioned in May, 1918. By 1919 she was in the Pacific and stayed there until 1931 when she returned to Philadelphia for modernization and overhaul. She returned to her Pacific duties until, June, 1941, when she was assigned to neutrality patrols in the Atlantic. New Mexico was in Casco Bay, Me., when Pearl Harbor was attacked. She returned to the west coast for defensive patrol duties. In Dec., 1942, she got into the with her escorting of to the Islands. In May, 1943, she arrived in the Aleutians for the blockade of . From Oct., 1943 until March, 1945, she participated in U.S. assaults on the , Kwajalein, , , , and the Philippines. It was in Jan., 1945, while part of the Luzon pre-invasion bombardment that she was struck by one of the first Japanese kamikaze aircraft. She underwent repairs and returned to action in March, 1945, off Okinawa. On April 6, 1945, a massive kamikaze attack occurred; she downed 4 attacking planes in 16 minutes. On May 11, 1945, she was attacked by 8 kamikaze boats. She out-maneuvered and destroyed them all. The next day, May 12th, her luck ran out: she was hit and seriously damaged by 2 kamikaze planes. She withdrew and underwent repairs, returning to duty by mid-August to participate in the U.S. occupation of Tokyo Bay and the Japanese surrender. She returned stateside in Oct., 1945, was decommissioned in July, 1946, and was scrapped in Dec., 1947. In all, she was awarded 6 battle stars for gallant service in the Pacific war.

"No Quarter Asked, No Quarter Given" 10 1/2 x 19”, 19"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 B-25's of the 499th B.S. April, 1945

During the war in the Pacific some of the most dangerous missions flown were by the low-level gunship/bomber B-25 Mitchells of the 345th Brigade. This picture depicts a real incident that occurred in early April, 1945, when A/C of the 499th BS and 591 BS caught 2 Japanese corvettes off of 11 Quemoy Island. A/C of the 499th BS (the "Bats out a Hell") strafe and skip bomb the corvette, the striking nose art was partly to try and scare the Japanese. They attacked as well as a most distinctive identifier of the squadron doing the attacking.

“On Her Last Patrol” 13 ½” x 27 ¾”, 22 ¼” x 35 7/8” $6,500 Carrier USS Block Island, May 1944

The painting depicts the WWII American escort carrier U.S.S. BLOCK ISLAND (CVE-21) on the late afternoon of May 25, 1944. The flattop wears the distinctive camouflage paint scheme for Atlantic operating carriers, called Measure 32/4A, where large areas of the light grey vertical surfaces are covered with patterns of Navy Blue paint. Seen on the deck of the carrier are several Avenger /bombers belonging to VC-55, a composite air squadron comprised of 12 Avengers and 9 single seat FM-2 Wildcat fighters. The carrier and her screen of destroyer escorts are steaming in the area of the Madeira Islands heading for a location where German U-boats had been spotted. Off the carrier’s portside is the U.S.S.EUGENE E. ELMORE and astern is the U.S.S BARR. The other two DEs not pictured were the U.S.S. ROBERT I. PAINE and the AHRENS. Together these five ships comprised TG (Task Group) 21.11. Such TGs were known as “Hunter-Killers” for their sole purpose was to track down and destroy the German submarines that preyed on Allied shipping.

It would be in the early evening of May 29th that the hunter would become the hunted. The group had been tracking a U-boat for the last 24 hours, when the sub, U-549, slipped behind the stalking DEs and fired three torpedoes into the BLOCK ISLAND and one torpedo into the stern of the BARR.

The BLOCK ISLAND had been mortally wounded and was sinking deeper by the stern with every passing minute. While men were evacuating the sinking carrier, the remaining undamaged DEs were furiously tracking and attacking the now fleeing U-boat with Hedgehogs, which were rocket-propelled depth bombs. Several underwater explosions were heard followed a few minutes later by a heavy crumbling explosion: the U-boat had been destroyed. Twenty minutes later the BLOCK ISLAND slipped beneath the waves. Remarkably, the loss of life in this disaster was very small. Only six men out of a compliment of almost 950 had lost their lives aboard the carrier and a dozen men had been lost aboard the BARR. However, at the time of the sinking, VC-55 had 6 Wildcat fighters in the air far off on search patterns. When the carrier was torpedoed, the planes were ordered to fly to the nearest land, the Canary Islands. All the planes failed to reach land and made water landings; only two pilots were rescued. The 2538ships then headed to Casa Blanca to disembark all survivors.

"On Her Way Out" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 3/4"H x 27 3/4"L, $4,000 USS – 1916

This is the NEW JERSEY in 1916 departing harbor; it's the eve of WWI and her appearance is altered by the heavy splinter shield padding around the bridge and cookouts.

“One Away” 12 ½ X 19,” Framed Size: 26 ¼”H x 32”L, $4,750 USS Bowfin Gato Class Submarine - Used by USPS for stamp in 2000- Original Painting and Actual Stamp Booklet Framed

12 The painting depicts the WWII USN submarine USS BOWFIN (SS-287) after her November, 1944 refit. BOWFIN as a Bolao-class sub, built in , launched on December 7, 1942, and commissioned on May 1, 1943. BOWFIN made 9 war patrols in the Pacific and sank 16 enemy ships. Her decommissioning in 1947 was short-lived. She was reactivated for duty during the Korean War. In 1953, she was placed out of commission again and placed in reserve. In 1960, she was sent to to serve as the Naval reserve training sub for that base. In 1971, she was finally struck from the Navy list and taken to Pearl Harbor, where she now serves as a memorial with tours available to the general public.

In 1999, this painting was used in the first stamp booklet produced by the U.S. Post Office to commemorate the 100th anniversary in 2000, of the USN’s submarine service. In addition to this painting, the artist did the five paintings of the submarines printed as stamps in this limited run booklet.

"One of the First" 10 1/2 x 15”, 20” x 26”, $4,000 BB-3 USS

The painting depicts a post-Spanish-American War U.S.S OREGON neatly refurbished in white and tan, with her smoke stack height increased and her gun barrels painted white. She has also has an additional foremast stepped into her existing mast to support the new "wireless" antennae. Authorized by Congress in June, 1890, OREGON was one of three "Indiana" class battleships and was built by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco. Her keel was laid in Nov., 1891 and she was commissioned in July of 1896. OREGON was one of the first U.S. battleships to bear a hull number, it being NO.3. Like her sister ships, OREGON was designed to carry the heaviest armament and armor possible for their size, and their ordnance was respectable for its day. Unfortunately, their sea- worthiness was much less than expected and because of their low , their decks were often awash; this greatly hampered the use of the 13 inch gun turrets. When war broke out with Spain OREGON was one of the five ships that composed the U.S.’s entire battleship fleet. OREGON made a 14,000 mile trip from San Francisco, around the Horn, to the and at the start of the hostilities; this was an astonishing performance in the early days of mostly unreliable reciprocating engines and is a great tribute to the quality of both the ship and men crewing her. Well before the end of WW I the Indiana class vessels had become obsolete.

OREGON was decommissioned in 1919. For the next 17 years she was a memorial & museum in Portland, Me. During WW II the Navy reclaimed her and put her put for sale as scrap; however, the press made charges of war profiteering and the OREGON was saved. She went to the Pacific at the end of the war carrying explosives for use by C.B. battalions. She stayed there until 1956 when she was eventually sold to a Japanese steel company and was cut into scrap.

"Ordeal of the Radar Pickets" 14 x 26 ½”, 22 3/4"H x 34 5/8" L, $5,000 DD-570 USS Charles Ausburne June, 1945

The painting depicts the USN WWII “Fletcher” class destroyer USS CHARLES AUSBURNE (DD 570) when she was on radar picket duty off Okinawa during the last week of June, 1945. The ship is firing on and destroying a Japanese kamikaze aircraft. The ship is camouflaged in pattern Ms 32/14d, a pattern of black and haze grey applied to her in Sept., ‘44, and one she remained in throughout the remainder of the war. 13

The AUSBURNE was built by the Consolidated Steel Company of Orange, Texas, at a cost of just over 7 million dollars. Launched on March 16, 1942, commissioned on November 24, 1942, she was ready for her shakedown & workup cruise on December 29, 1942. Her first duty was in April, 1943, as a convoy escort bound for . In May, ‘43 she was assigned the command pennant of ComDesRon 23(and carried it throughout most of the war) and she then headed for the Pacific. In Oct.,’43 AUSBURNE’s new commander became Arleigh Burke, a tough, skilled, dedicated, no- nonsense officer whose career would take him to Chief of Naval Operations after the war. Under his command DesRon 23 was nicknamed “The Little Beavers” and his skills as a commander would earn the squadron many honors.

With the war over the AUSBURNE returned to the USA and was eventually decommissioned and mothballed. Thirteen years later, in April, 1960, the ship was reactivated and loaned to the German Navy to help with NATO naval needs. Known as Z6 (with hull no. 180), her career in the German Federal Navy was her longest period of active duty from April, 1960 until Dec., 1967.

"The Other Enemy was Weather" 16 1/2 x 23”, 27"H x 33"L, $6,000 DE-578 USS Robert I. Paine 1944

The years-long Battle of the Atlantic during World War II was a much a war against the elements as it was a war against German U-boats. The Atlantic was already a deadly enough place from the threat of a torpedo attack; add to this the dangers of heavy, rolling seas, pounding waves, and strong winds and stormy weather for small warships such as these destroyer escorts and escort carrier could often be an ordeal more harrowing than combat.

The sunlit ship in the middle ground of the painting is the destroyer escort ROBERT I. PAIN E (DE- 578). A Buckley-class vessel that was typical of the ship used by the USN sub killer groups from early 1944 until war’s end. Such a hunter-killer group usually consisted of 4 D.E.’s and one small escort carrier that would carry an air group of from 18 to 21 planes.

"The Pennsylvania Under Moonlight" 11 3/4 x 19 ¼”, 20 3/8"H x 27 5/16"L, $4,000 BB-38 USS Pennsylvania Mid-1930's

The painting depicts the American battleship USS PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38) bathed in the glowing light of a Pacific fill moon as she cruises in position with the carrier LEXINGTON off to starboard and a Pensacola class cruiser astern sometime in the mid-to-late 1930’s.

Commissioned in June, 1916, she joined the Atlantic fleet several months later as the flagship of the fleet. During the and 1930s she underwent a cycle of training, maintenance, and readiness exercises. On Dec 7th, 1941 she was in dry dock at Pearl Harbor and was fortunate to escape serious damage during the Japanese sneak attack. After her repair and refit she participated in many battles in the Pacific campaign. It was at Okinawa in mid August. 1945, that her luck ran out as a lone undetected Japanese torpedo plane slipped in and dropped its “fish” which hit the ship on her starboard stern quarter. The ship had to head to Guam for repairs which meant she could not be present in Tokyo Bay for the formal Japanese surrender in September. Her final deployment was as a target ship for the A-bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946. Surviving these tests she was towed to Kwajalein Lagoon and remained there until 1948 when it was decided to tow her out to deep water off the lagoon and scuttle her. This was just one month short of the 33 anniversary of her christening. 14

“Pouring on the Coal” 10 ½” x 15”, 21” x 24 ½” $2,900 The Second Maine, U.S.S. Maine (BB-10), 1907

The painting depicts the American battleship U.S.S. Maine (BB-10) steaming at speed on maneuvers with other Navy ships in the summer of 1907. The MAINE was the first of three ships in the Maine- class, authorized less than three months after the destruction of the first MAINE in Hanava Harbor in February, 1898. The MAINE and her sister ships OHIO and MISSOURI were stretched versions of their predecessors of the Illinois-class, weighing in at a hefty 12,370 tons and using the extra length provided for extra boilers and secondary gun batteries. The main battery guns were of 12 inch diameter; though smaller than the much-used 14 inch gun, these 12 inchers were more powerful because of a more modern design and the use of smokeless powder.

The Maine (and her sisters) was authorized in May of 1898. MAINE's keel was laid in February of 1899; she was launched in July of 1901 and finally commissioned in December of 1902. The MAINE was easily distinguished from the MISSOURI and OHIO by the somewhat larger diameter of her three smokestacks. She was fitted with 24 Niclausse boilers and was notorious as one of the Navy's most greedy coal burners, frequently coming extremely close to exhausting her fuel supply on long voyages. The MAINE participated in the cruise around the world, returning to America in February, 1909. Decommissioned by the Navy, she had her scrollwork removed, lattice masts installed, and her buff white paint scheme replaced by a much drabber coat of battleship grey.

Recommissioned in 1911 there was little for the ship to do During W.W.I the MAINE and her sister ships were stripped of most of their armament. In 1917, the MAINE was a test bed for a gyro stabilizing device developed by the noted inventor Elmer Sperry. Tested further in other ships, this device was never adopted by the Navy.

In 1920 the ship was again decommissioned. In 1921 MAINE and her sisters, by now long obsolete, came under the axe of the Washington Treaty. She was demilitarized of any further equipment and in accordance with Treaty provisions placed on sale. In January of 1922 she was declared "incapable of further warlike service" and sold for scrap.

"Ready for Duty" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 ¾”H x 27 13/16”L $4,000 DD-600 USS Boyle - October, 1942

The painting depicts the Benson-class destroyer USS Boyle (DD-600) departing Boston in Dec., 1944. She has just undergone a maintenance overhaul and is freshly painted in her new camouflage scheme called MS. 22(Measure 22) which consists of Haze Grey and Navy Blue(from the sheer line and below) on the vertical surfaces and Deck Blue on all horizontal surfaces.

The Boyle was commissioned on Aug. 15, 1942, and was the first ship named after Thomas Boyle, a privateer and naval officer who served during the War of 1812. The Boyle joined the Atlantic fleet and sailed in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theaters. She made 6 convoy runs, participated in the Sicilian invasion, patrolled the Gulf of Naples and took part in the bombardment of Anzio (May, 1944).

In May, 1945, she left her duties in the Atlantic and sailed for the Pacific and spent several months cruising between San Diego and Pearl Harbor. In Aug., 1945, she headed for the western Pacific and was ordered to Okinawa. In early September she headed for Tokyo and cruised in Japanese, Chinese, 15 and Okninawan waters until November. She then was sent to Charleston, SC and remained there until being placed out of commission in March, 1946. She was struck from the Naval Register in June, 1971, and was consequently sunk as a target vessel in May, 1973, off Florida. The Boyle received 4 Battle Stars for her WW II service.

"The Tuscaloosa by Moonlight" 10 x 19”, 18 3/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 CA-37 USS Tuscaloosa January, 1945

The painting depicts the '' class heavy cruiser USS TUSCALOOSA (CA-37) in January, 1945, as she heads to join up with other USN ships for the upcoming invasion of the island olio Jima. The ship is in the camouflage scheme known as Measure 33- 13D(which consisted of patterns of Haze Grey(5-H) and Ocean Grey(5-0) on all vertical surfaces and Deck Blue and Ocean Grey on all horizontal surfaces) which was applied when the ship was in for refitting at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the fall of 1944.

The TUSCALOOSA was built by the New York Shipbuilding Co. and was launched in March, 1933, and commissioned in mid-Feb., 1934. Her shakedown cruise was in South American waters; she then went back in for repairs and modifications after which she joined the Pacific Fleet. In 1939 she returned to duty in the Atlantic being based out of Norfolk, Va. When war broke out in Europe she was assigned to Neutrality Patrols along the East Coast of the U.S. In May, 1941, she was called in to help the British in their search for the German battleship BISMARK. When the U.S. entered the war she was stationed at with the British Home Fleet and helped escort convoys to Russia. In 1943 she did convoy duties and also sailed with the USN carrier RANGER on strikes against German installations in . In 1944 she participated in the invasions of Northern (D-day, June, 1944) and Southern France (Operation Anvil-Sept., 1944). In 1945 she went to the Pacific and participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where she provided offshore ground support and air cover against the furious kamikaze attacks. With the Japanese surrender she was ·placed with US forces in Korea. Placed out of commission in 1946, she was eventually stricken from the Navy List in 1959 and sold for scrap. She earned 7 Battle Stars for her actions in WW II.

“Walk Softly, but…” 12 ½” x 19”, 21 ½” x 27 ¼”, $4,000 USS Arizona, c.1930

The painting depicts the U.S.N. battleship U.S.S. ARIZONA (BB-39) in the mid-1930s. She is engaging in gunnery/target practice and is firing her forward turret 14” guns.

Given the hull number BB-39, ARIZONA was built by the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York. Her keel was laid in March, 1914; she was launched in June, 1915, and commissioned on October 17, 1917. Armed with a dozen 14-inch guns, numerous secondary 5-inch and 3-inch guns, ARIZONA and her sister ships were the backbone of the U.S. naval forces. ARIZONA was just over 600 ft. in length and had a beam of 106 ft.

In July, 1929, ARIZONA underwent a major 2 –year overhaul and reconstruction. Her loss came on December 7, 1941, when she was sunk, at anchor, by Japanese carrier aircraft. She remains to this day a memorial to all those who fought in the Pacific in WWII.

16 "With the Fast Carriers" 12 1/2 x 19”, 21 1/4"H x 27 1/4"L, $4,000 CV-10 USS Yorktown March, 1945

This painting is of the U.S.S. YORKTOWN. It is late afternoon (in March, 1945) and the ship is recovering aircraft from afternoon strikes. Above the trap is a TBM "Avenger” ; in the pattern is another TBM. Other carriers of the task force are steaming into the WVII to also recover planes sent over.