"LET’S ADD A LITTLE OIL TO THE FIRE!"

B-24 Liberator GR Mk.VI, BZ987
No. 311 Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron RAF, Coastal Command

size of original 26´ x 12,6´ (66x32 cm), oil on canvas board, signed by the author
original painting in personal collection

based on memories of navigator of No.311 Sqn. P/O Jaroslav Novak


Aircrew:
1st pilot: W/O. Jaroslav Friedl; 2nd pilot: Sgt. Jan Posner; Navigator: P/O. Jaroslav Novák; Telegraphists/ Radar Operators: F/Sgt. Václav J. Kašpar, Sgt. Jaroslav Minx, Sgt. Sukaný, Sgt. Štěpán Barabáš; Rear Gunner: Sgt. Alois Nebesáček, Flight Mechanic: Sgt. Jan Kubíček.

 

On the night of 19th to 20th April 1944, the Liberator crew of Jaroslav Friedl attacked a German U-boat escorted by four surface warships.  It is most likely that this was a U-970 submarine type VIIC, commanded by Captain Ketels. The submarine was on its maiden operation.  Despite heavy defence shelling, the Liberator crew managed to penetrate into the vicinity of the German sub and bombard it with depth charges.  Their contact with the target was evidenced from up close.  According to German sources, the U-970 was only lightly damaged that day.  Of the Czechoslaovak crew, no one was injured or killed.  The U-boat was able to be manoeuvred to port and be repaired.  At the beginning of June, it fell prey to a Sunderland from No. 228 Squadron.  Most of that crew, however, perished.

Excerpt from Jaroslav Novák’s Autobiography 2009:

“In the middle of the Bay of Biscay, shortly after midnight, we spotted firing on the water in the distance.  A little later, the radar operator announced that he could see five blips on his radar screen.  We pressed on, not knowing what to expect.  I, somewhat bravurely, said to Jarda Friedl: “Let’s go and add a little oil to the fire!”   When we had approached to a distance of about 10 miles, I gave the wireless operator our exact position.  He then put it in code and sent it back to base in case of an emergency, such as to report the presence of the enemy craft or if we were shot down.  I darkened my cabin, prepared my bomb sight, switched the depth charges to ‘ready’ and directed the pilot towards the target.  But the night was too dark.  I lay on the bomb sight and when we were quite close, perhaps half a mile away and still descending, I asked the mechanic to drop a flare through the flare chute.  The flare was usually attached to a small parachute and normally started to burn immediately on leaving the plane and brightly lit up the entire scene.  We were at a height of approximately 500 feet, still in descent and apparently directly over our target, when the flare illuminated the space below us.  To our horror, we recognised that we were above four German destroyers accompanying a submarine that was protected in their middle.  The convoy opened up at us with all its armoury.  It was real hell, with tracers flying everywhere and exploding shrapnel drumming on the metal body of the Liberator.  Our only reason for surviving was the fact that by then we were too low, in the middle of the formation and that some of the anti aircraft guns were unable to deflect to such a low angle.‘‘ 





Purchase information:

Giclée reproductions Limited Giclée print edition
Giclée reproduction on Hahnemühle Canvas Artist matte 340 gsm,

80x40 cm


 price ... 70 EUR
                                 place an ORDER

Limited edition of 50,
matting paper 230 gsm,
format A2 (594x420 mm)

price ... 25 EUR



Remarque is possible  + 20 EUR
              place an ORDER

Shipping costs:
prints:    EU -  5 EUR, outside EU - 10 EUR, delivery in around 2-3 weeks
reproductions (without the "blind" frame):    EU -  10 EUR, outside EU - till 20 EUR, delivery in around 2-3 weeks


PAYMENT is supported by:
PAYPAL, Western Union, Eurogiro, wireless bank transfer, money order check, cash



| Home | Gallery | Prints | Giclée | Drawings | Commissions |
Contact:
Vladimir Urbanek, Prague, Czech Republic
tel: +420 607 524 356, email: vladimir.urbanek@kurzy.cz


* Kurzy * Akcie * Práce * Zájezdy * Zájezdy * Meteobox * Auto *