Home Run by Robert Taylor

A pair of P-51Bs return to their base in eastern France, shattering the tranquility of the beautiful German village below which has so far avoided the ravages of war.

When P-51 Mustangs first appeared in the skies over Berlin, Hermann Goering later announced that he knew then that the war was lost. He was right; the P-51s proved themselves the best all-round fighter of the Second World War. Their ability to escort the heavy bombers of the USAAF all the way to Berlin and back signified to the Luftwaffe High Command the death knell of the Third Reich.

P-51s are often portrayed by artists “in action,” but Robert Taylor chose a very different format for this painting, setting the scene in the beautiful countryside of the Rhineland, a far cry from the air-to-air combat duels normally associated with fighters.

No doubt the peaceful scene was one of the reasons that accounted for the popularity of the piece when it was published in 1990. That, and the fact that the prints were signed by four of the top P-51 Aces of World War II including Don Blakeslee who was described by Major General Chesley Peterson as “the best fighter leader the war produced.”

Signed by these P-51 aces:

Colonel Don BLAKESLEE

Brigadier General Robin OLDS

Colonel James GOODSON

Major “Kit” CARSON