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Lt Colonel J Duane Wethe Signed Naval Art
Lt Colonel J Duane Wethe
Pilot with the 646th Sqn. 65 mission pilot over occupied Europe. Awarded the Silver Star for heroism in action.
Lt Col Jay Duane Wethe was born on 21st May 1921 and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He entered the army in July 1940 and trained to become an A-20 Havoc bomber pilot with the 646th Squadron of the 410th Bomb Group, flying 65 missions as pilot over occupied Europe. Awarded the Silver Star for heroism in action, he was at the controls of his plane when the twin-engine aircraft of the 410th Bombardment Group struck at a vital enemy railhead at Ahutte, Germany, a key link in the German communications network supplying the front. Spearheading ground assaults, the 'Raiders' winged over Ahutte through a wall of flak and Capt. Wethe's right engine was disabled. Although stability and control were difficult, Wethe kept on the bombing run and strike attack photos showed 'excellent' results after the raid. Winging over the target, Capt. Wethe was hit again by flak, this time being wounded by a flak splinter. He kept control however, and piloted his crew home to a successful emergency landing. Lt Col Jay Duane Wethe died in California on 2nd October 2004 aged 83.
| Lt Colonel J Duane Wethe - Signed Naval Art Naval Crew Signatures |
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Raising Havoc in the Ardennes by Nicolas Trudgian. It is January 1945, and its cold. The German advance in the Ardennes is nearly over, but the Panzer Army is desperately throwing more troops into the breach who try to keep their momentum going in The Battle of the Bulge. Tasked with preventing German reinforcements from reaching the battle front, the Ninth Air Force launched a series of low-level attacks on enemy ground forces as they wind their way through the Ardennes. Flying conditions were not easy, cloud bases were low, and snow was in the air. Nicolas Trudgians new painting recreates an attack on January 23, 1945, by Douglas A-20 Havocs of the 410th Bomb Group. Locating an enemy convoy in open space near the German town of Blankenheim, the Havoc pilots make a swift attack diving from 8000 feet, catching the German force by surprise: Hurtling down the line of vehicles at 320mph they release their parafrag bombs from 300 feet then, dropping just above the roofs of the army trucks continue down the column blasting everything in sight with their forward-firing .50mm caliber machine guns. In the space of a few minutes the attack is completed and the convoy decimated. With ammunition expended and fuel running low the A-20 Havocs climb out of the zone and head for base in France. A 20mm shell has hit the lead aircraft wounding the Bombardier/Navigator Gordon Jones, which will seriously hamper their return through a blizzard, but all aircraft make it safely home - the lead aircraft, on landing, counting over 100 holes of various sizes. For their part in leading the successful attack the Lead Pilot Russell Fellers and Bombardier/Navigator Gordon G. Jones received the Silver Star. Published 2001. Signed by A-20 Havoc combat aircrews, including two Silver Star recipients, from World War Two. |
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