Battle for Britain by Robert Taylor

With the Battle of Britain in its early stages, on the morning of Wednesday, 10 July 1940, a convoy of slow-moving cargo ships heading along the south coast came under attack from a formidable force of Dornier Do17 bombers, escorted by five squadrons of fighters. RAF Fighter Command scrambled several squadrons to meet the oncoming force in an effort to protect the ships, and a massive dogfight involving more than a hundred planes developed in the region of Dover.

Robert Taylor's new painting captures a head-on attack between two seasoned pilots high over the port of Dover in the late morning of 10 July. A Spitfire from 610 Squadron, flown by Squadron Leader Andrew Smith, has taken on a Me109 from I./JG3, the two aircraft having flashed past each other at a closing speed nearing 800 mph. Smith was forced to crash-land his damaged aircraft at Hawkinge following this encounter, but the gallant squadron commander was to lose his life following combat with Me109s just two weeks later.

Signatures:

THE FIGHTER EDITION:

Wing Commander TERENCE KANE

Group Captain TOM DALTON MORGAN DSO DFC* OBE

Flight Lieutenant RICHARD L JONES

Squadron Leader J G MILLARD

THE KNIGHTS CROSS EDITION - All the above signatures plus: :

Generalleutnant GÜNTHER RALL

Oberleutnant GÛNTHER SEEGER

THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN PROOFS - All the above six signatures plus:

Major HANS-EKKEHARD BOB

Oberleutnant ERWIN LEYKAUF

Wing Commander GEORGE ‘GRUMPY’UNWIN DSO DFM*

Wing Commander GEORGE W SWANWICK

Group Captain GEORGE H WESTLAKE DSO DFC

Wing Commander WILFRED M SIZER DFC*

Flight Lieutenant MICHAEL E CROSKELL

Squadron Leader JOCELYN G P MILLARD

Wing Commander PADDY BARTHROPP DFC