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James Dietz
Born in San Francisco, Jim graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1969. He had a successful illustration career in Los Angeles and New York, with a steady flow of work ranging from automobile ads, movie posters, and romantic and historical/action book covers. By 1978, Jim and his wife had moved to Seattle, where Jim's work gradually shifted away from commercial illustration to primarily historical aviation, automotive and military art. Today his work is internationally known and collected, and his style, with its emphasis on depth of story, is recognized by collectors of historical art. His list of clients includes Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Federal Express, Allison, Cessna, Flying Tigers, the Indianapolis 500, BMW, US Air Force Documentary Art Program, Wingnut Studios, Meadowbrook and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the National Guard and many U.S. Army organizations and associations to include: the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army Rangers, Special Forces, 1st Division, 2nd Division 3rd Division, 4th Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Regiment, the Command General Staff College, and the United States Army War College. Awards include: Best in Show, EAA Aviation Art Show, three successive years, 1989-91 Named Master Artist, EAA, 1992 People's Choice Award, American Society of Aviation Artists, 1988 Best in Show, Franklin Mint Artists Show, 1992 Best in Show & three Best of Era Awards, San Antonio Military Art Show, 1992 Honorable Mention, American Society of Aviation Artists Show, 1994 Best in Show, Flying Magazine/Simuflite Art Show, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001 Award of Merit, Flying Magazine/Simuflite Art Show, 1995, 2000 Best in Show, Naval Aviation Museum Art Show, 1994, 2000 First Place, Naval Aviation Museum Art Show, 1995 R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art, National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL, 1997 Best in Show, Women in Aviation Show, C.R. Smith Museum, Dallas, TX, 1997 Stanley Wanlass Award, for excellence in strength of design and composition, echoing the spirit of the automobile, Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, 1997 Featured Artist, Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, 1999 Award of Excellence, Automotive Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 1999, 2000 Peter Helck Award, Automotive Fine Artists of America show at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 1999, 2000 League of WWI Aviation Historians, four Silver Cups Jim Dietz from san Francisco graduated in 1969 from the Art centre College of Designed. and many of his military paintings hang in regimental collections. including the 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne Division and the us Army Rangers. |
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Strike on Karbala by James Dietz. After completing a Relief-In-Place (RIP) with the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) in An Najef, Iraq at 040700L April 2003, the 2nd BCT 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (The STRIKE Brigade) went into an abbreviated planning process for an attack on Karbala to destroy remnant Saddam Fedayeen and paramilitary forces. Following the RIP, select members of the Brigade staff and the Assistant Division Commander for Operations flew to and conducted a battle handover briefing for the mission to Karbala with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Upon return, 2nd BCT executed a hasty mission planning sequence as the 101st Division Main Effort and issued a Fragmentary Order (FRAGO) at 041800L April 2003. That evening at 2100L, the Brigade TAC departed the Al Kifl base of operations and linked-up in a Position Area for Artillery (PAA) with 1-320 FA TOP GUNS in preparation for the next mornings attack. In addition to its organic elements, the Brigade was augmented with 2-70 AR, 1st Armored Division; C/1-41 IN (M) 3-101 Attack Aviation; and 2-17 CAV. Artillery support included 1-320 FA, 3-320 FA and C/1-377 FA, including a battery of MLRS from C/2-37 FA. Total artillery assets consisted of 36 guns, 2 launchers, and 3 radars. In total 2nd BCT consisted of 10 battalions. The plan required a Ground Assault Convoy (GAC) move up Highway 9 with a simultaneous air assault from a series of PZs around Al Kifl into three LZs around the city. For the operation Karbala was divided into 4 zones and then sub-divided into 30 separate sectors sequentially lettered from A through DD. The Brigade Main Effort, 3-502 Infantry, departed from PZ BIRCH and landed to the northwest of Karbala on LZ SPARROW and was tasked to destroy a company plus of Fedayeen fighters. Supporting the brigade main effort was 1-502 Infantry, which departed from PZ PINE and landed to the southeast on LZ FINCH. Also in support was 2-502 Infantry, which departed from PZ MAPLE and landed to the southwest on LZ ROBIN. The plan called for the infantry to clear its assigned sectors with 2-70 AR, positioned to the east of the city, responsible for tightening the noose along the key re-supply routes to Baghdad; aviation and artillery units were in support. H-hour was set for 051100L April 2003 and began with a half-dozen airstrikes using satellite-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs against paramilitary arsenals. 23 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and 5 twin-rotor CH-47 Chinooks shuttled three 502nd Infantry battalions (a total of 731 soldiers) into their respective landing zones around the city. Then, in swirling dust and over 102 degree heat, 28 M1 Abrams tanks and 16 M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles roared in from the east and northeast along Route Venezuela -- a hammer against the infantry anvil. Resistance was heavy. The infantry battalions soon found themselves immersed in street clearance against a determined, but unstructured enemy, armed with an array of militia weapons. 3-502 IN (ME) bore the brunt of it. Its companies had entered the city after an unexpectedly long approach march from LZ Sparrow and, once inside, became embroiled in a series of skirmishes that demanded junior leadership of the highest standards. Further south, 2-502 IN moved in similarly methodical fashion, street-by-street, building-by-building. Stockpiles of arms were found in schools and homes. 1-502 IN, pressing in from the southeast of the city, denied the enemy access to multiple caches. 2-17 CAV provided brave and unquestioning support in destroying targets hindering the infantrys advance by either independent action or by marking targets for artillery and Close Air Support (CAS) to engage. By nightfall, 2nd BCT had cleared and secured 13 of their 30 sectors. It had secured a frightening amount of weaponry, including 2 ZPUs, 5 S60s, 14 mortar systems and 36 RPG launchers. It found a possible terrorist training camp, replete with bunkers, obstacle courses and planning tables. Artillery batteries fired more than 100 smoke canisters to screen infantrymen moving onto the streets. Through the next day 2nd BCT infantry units cleared the remainder of their sectors, at times still encountering resistance. Each and every school system was found to contain some sort of weapons cache, Saddam Hussein propaganda, and evidence of foreign insurgent assistance. Baath Party Headquarters were stocked with Oil for Food, rice and flour bags, as well as audio/video and Pro-Hussein political paraphernalia. Karbala was considered cleared of any subversive elements and deemed secure by 061700L April 2003. At aproximately 061730 April 2003, the 20 foot steel molded statue of Saddam Hussein was symbollically torn from its pedestal by elements of the 2-70 Armor battalion and the Iraqi people. Though the Brigade departed Karbala on 071600 APR, 1-502 IN battalion remained in the city until 10 April to conduct a RIP with the 2nd Brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division. The STRIKE Brigade suffered multiple casualties including the death of SPC Larry Brown of C/1-41 IN (M), who died when an RPG hit his Bradley. Hundreds of enemy, mostly Syrians and militia fighters, had been killed. Scores of caches had been discovered and consolidated at the Brigade Supply Area (BSA) resulting in a large international media presence in the city on 7 April. The Battle for Karbala was a successful execution of joint warfare using a combined-arms capability in an urban environment. It was the premier battle of the war for the 2nd BCT. The actions of the 2nd BCT eliminated Iraqi attacks on V Corps Lines of Communication (LOC) and allowed the attack toward Baghdad to continue unhindered. |
High Ground at Easy Red by James Dietz. Commemorating the Sixtieth Anniversary of D-Day, 6th June 1944. Omaha beach is four miles long and bordered on each end by two cliffs over 100 feet high. At low tide, wide, hard-packed tidal flats lead upwards from the beach towards commanding bluffs. It was at these bluffs that the men of the US 1st Army would consolidate prior to moving inland into France. But first, the beaches had to be traversed. This scene, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, depicts the 743rd Tank Battalion leaving the beaches the evening of June 6th. Their ordeal began over 12 hours earlier. At H-50, the 741st Tank Battalion, scheduled to land in the 16th Infantry's sector suffered a terrible disaster. Of the thirty-two Sherman tanks that debarked 6,000 yards off the eastern half of Omaha beach only six tanks made it to shore. The remainder sank to the bottom of the English Channel due to heavy seas. Someone in the 741st used a tank radio to contact the 743rd Tank Battalion to inform them of their fate, saving the lives and tanks of the 743rd and allowing them to get to shore to protect the infantry. The 743rd Tank Battalion was able to successfully land most of their Sherman's in the initial wave on Omaha's western beaches. They provided invaluable support to both the 116th Infantry and the 16th Infantry on the eastern beaches. The 743rd Tank Battalion left Omaha Beach through both the D-3 exit road and E-1 exit road at St. Laurent-sur-Mer. As one soldier observed, Standing out there on the water beyond all this wreckage was the greatest armada man has ever seen. You simply could not believe the gigantic collection of ships that lay out there waiting to unload. Looking from the bluff, it lay thick and clear to the far horizon of the sea and on beyond, and it spread out to the sides and was miles wide. Its utter enormity would move the hardest man. The landings at Omaha Beach had incurred significant casualties and in fact, the enemy defenses were stronger than expected. Very little progress had been made in the push to the interior and this caused significant backups on the beach. Of the 2,400 tons that were planned to arrive on the beach on D-Day, only 100 tons were delivered. Operations on the 7th and 8th of June would be spent deepening the bridgehead. As the Tankers entered combat to expand the beachhead, few would forecast the hardships that lay ahead in the Norman hedgerows of the Bocage. Though thousands of Americans were spilled onto Omaha beach, the high ground was won by a handful of men who on that day burned with a flame bright beyond common understanding. For its action on June 6th, the 743rd Tank Battalion, commanded by Colonel John Upham, was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, French Croix de Guerre and a Bronze Arrowhead in recognition of their participation in the Assault Landing. |
Though I be the Lone Survivor by James Dietz. Darbys Rangers - Battle of Cisterna. 22 January, 1944, 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions spearhead the Anzio landing in Operation Shingle. This was one of the most effective and least costly of all Allied amphibious landings, but the least exploited. It was ten days after the landing before General Lucas ordered his forces to advance on Rome. The mission of Task Force Ranger was to use their special training for a night infiltration behind German lines to set up two major blocking positions. This would relieve the pressure on the beachhead and possibly start the 30-mile drive on to Rome. 0100, on 30 January, 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions moved out into the night hoping to reach the town of Cisterna and its vital road junction. The terrain between the departure point and Cisterna was flat farmland with little or no cover. Stealthily moving toward the objective, 1st and 3rd Battalions continued to avoid detection. Though they passed close by German positions and enemy patrols crossed in front and on both sides, the Ranger presence seemed to go unnoticed as daylight approached. Moving in the file formation, as they had used several tines successfully before, is one of the more risky behaviors of the Ranger advance. As night gave way, the Rangers could see the town of Cisterna, only five hundred yards away. The two battalions surged forward as one trying to enter the town, and find cover before the sun and the Germans found them. As night ended so did the elements of Task Force Ranger. The single enemy machine gun that once blocked 4th Ranger Division soon became a dozen. The Germans quickly counterattacked stopping them dead in their tracks, even cutting them off as Colonel Darby urged them forward towards their brother Rangers. No Rangers, Infantry of Sherman tanks would force their way up that road that day or in 100 days. 4th Ranger Battalion bled themselves white for eight hours trying to reach 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions, but they were left on their own. As the Rangers sprinted forward with Garands, BARs and Thompson machine guns in their hands, covering the last two hundred yards; the end of a long journey seemed near and so it was. Somewhere along the last mile the Germans detected the Ranger infiltration. The unit that got to the town first was not the Ranger, but elements of the 4th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, the elite of the German Paratroopers. A sheet of flame and steel ripped into the Rangers in mid stride causing them to collapse in a nearby farmer's open field. Going into semi-circular defensive position, which measured 300 yards by 100 yards, the Rangers returned fire. As the Rangers, lying in the open field, devoid of cover, fired, the German Paratroopers closed in on them with heavier and heavier weapons systems. The Rangers fought bravely through that night and into the day, but without heavy organic weapons, the battle was lost as soon as they were caught in the open. In just under eight hours, the battle was over. No more shooting was heard just the moaning of the the dead and dying, and the shuffling of the captured. Only six men returned to report to Colonel Darby, only six out of the 767 that began the missions. |
The Battle for An Najaf by James Dietz. The actions in and around An Najaf, Iraq in the early days of the war would prove to be an historic step for US forces in the war against Saddam Hussein. The myth that referred to the inability of US Forces to succeed in the urban centers of Iraq would be crushed in the streets of An Najaf. More importantly, the fight for An Najaf set the standard and precedence for actions in all the major Iraqi cities, including Baghdad. Over the course of two weeks, the 1st BCT demonstrated the soundness of our Army Doctrine and the agility of the American Soldier. Fighting as a member of a joint and combined arms team the Bastogne soldiers utilized the full range of precision combat power from the rifleman and artillery to the employment of armor, army aviation and coalition air force assets. The BCT synchronized conventional, special operations, and Iraqi forces to gain a foothold, clear the city, and initiate civil military operations. The result was the destruction of enemy forces in An Najaf, the protection of critical religious and infrastructure sites, and the initiation of humanitarian aid for the people of Iraq. The balance of these diverse missions set the tone for the 101st Divisions remaining ten months in Iraqi and set the precedence for future Army operations. The 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) attacked to seize the city of An Najaf, Iraq from 29 March 2003 to 8 April 2003. By succeeding in this mission, the BCT destroyed hundreds of Saddam Fedayeen fighters, protected the supply lines of the 3d Infantry Division and V Corps, and liberated the 840,000 residents of An Najaf. Following a 40hr Ground Assault Convoy, 1st BCT attacked the southern and western sides of the city. On 29 March, members of Task Force 1-327 attacked the Agricultural College on the southern side of the city and TF 2-327 conducted mounted, armed reconnaissance west of the city. Here the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for fighting in an urban environment were first put to the test. On 30 March, TF 1-327 continued the fight in the south to the military compound, TF 3-327 attacked to seize the airfield, and TF 2-327 fired 41 anti-tank missiles in the area around the Golden Mosque of Ali destroying multiple Fedayeen strongholds without damaging this key religious site. By the end of the third day of fighting, the success of the BCT was obvious. By 1 April, TF 2-327 had seized the southwestern portion of the city and TF 3-327 had cleared the eastern part of the city, the village of Al Kufa and the bridge over the Euphrates River. In an effort to break the enemys morale, a plan was devised to fight M1 tanks from 2-70 Armor through the main streets of An Najaf. In the early morning hours, a platoon of tanks executed this Thunder Run under intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire. On 2 April, a second Thunder Run was conducted with HMMWVs. The withering enemy fire did little to the US vehicles as they demonstrated both the might of the US Army and the futility of the Iraqi resistance. 2 April again proved to be historic. On this fifth day of the fight in An Najaf, TF 2-327 had coordinated to meet with The Grand Ayatollah Sayyad Ali Al Husayni, hoping to prevail upon him to publicly encourage the people of An Najaf to cooperate with US forces and Coalition Troops. The Task Forces movement to the meeting was disrupted as B/2-327 turned toward the Golden Mosque. Here the Battalion Commander, LTC Christopher Hughes, moved with the company. Instantly idle chatter and curiosity turned to rage, shaking fists, and throwing rocks. The crowd perceived that the U.S Soldiers were trying to enter the mosque. The battalion commander recognized the potential for violence and acted decisively to defuse the situation. In a moment captured by the media from all over the world and transmitted repeatedly on news networks for weeks afterwards, LTC Hughes ordered his soldiers to take a knee, smile and to keep their weapons held in a non-aggressive posture. Speaking words of reconciliation and respect, LTC Hughes directed the disciplined movement of his unit to an area away from the Golden Mosque. The crowd which until that moment showed every indication of forcing the soldiers to shoot in self-defense, instantly recognized the goodwill gesture. As fast as the murderous, rioting sentiment had erupted in the mob, it was replaced by cheers and an indescribable release of tension. Again, the discipline and judgment of the American soldier was displayed as combat operations continued in the city. The city of An Najaf was important both politically and strategically. Due to its location along the Euphrates River and the bridges across it, the city had to be liberated. In addition to this, the citys population consisted of primarily Shiites Muslims. It was calculated that by liberating An Najaf, the Shiites would rise up and assist the Coalition in the battle. The process by which the 1st Brigade Combat Team liberated An Najaf became the template for all coalition forces during the remainder of combat hostilities. The V Corps Commander, LTG Wallace, spoke of An Najaf as the first major city liberated and the scene of the first Saddam statue to be toppled. |
Chosin Fires by James Dietz. US Army and Marine Field Artillery. In the history of warfare, many battles have made manifest the fact that when forces join on the field of battle, Field Artillery firepower is the element of combat that makes a difference. Such was the case in late November and early December 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir, in the Republic of Korea. This epic conflict, characterized by misery, cold, exhaustion, and sacrifice, portrays an epic 17-day struggle between primarily U.S. and Chinese Communist Forces. To say the conditions were tough is an understatement. The bitter cold cut so deeply that the men became numb and the equipment ceased operating. When the opportunity arose to change boots, soldiers could see the ice crystals that had formed between their toes; some died while advancing, merely from the shock of the coldness. The fluid in the howitzers recoil systems became more like glue, and at night, the only way to keep the men and the guns warm was to keep them firing. That worked out well, as there was no shortage of targets. The Chinese military had sent 10 Divisions, 120,000 of its very best troops south that November with orders to annihilate the US and its allies to the last man. These were not farmers or conscripts; most of the Chinese troops were veterans of the victorious campaigns against Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces. They came to Chosin looking for a fight, and that's just what they got. The battle at Chosin was ripe for heavy firepower, but the sea was 70 miles away, thus no naval gunfire; and the weather was often unfit for flying, thus affecting air support. Just as so many times before, consistent firepower was in the able hands of the King of Battle - the Field Artillery. The Chinese Communist Forces didn't count on the ferocity or the tenacity of American soldiers and marines, nor did they anticipate the shocking blow they would be dealt by the Redlegs sent to keep watch over them. Outnumbered six to one, the Allied forces chose retrograde operations, and began the long march through narrow, mountainous defiles south to Hagaru-Ri. Field Artillery of every kind supported the U.S. forces: Army and Marine Corps, light and heavy cannons; towed and self-Propelled howitzers; Active and Reserve Forces destroying enemy targets with direct and indirect fires. Many redlegs alternated between fighting as artillerymen or as infantry, whatever the battle required, while leapfrogging their way back to relative safety. This vast mix of fire support came together to create effects so devastating to the enemy that when it was over, the nearly impossible had happened: seven of the ten Chinese Communist divisions were destroyed, and would never see combat again during the Korean War. America sacrificed many lives during those 17 days in the winter 1950, but in the end, what should statistically have been an irrefutable annihilation of American troops, was a lesson in Field Artillery and Firepower for our foes. Determined forces of freedom lived to tell the story of those 17 days: of the unbearable cold, of the impossible odds, of the loss of comrades, and of the times when the effects of Field Artillery made the impossible suddenly seem possible, the hopeless seem attainable. These men, these heroes, will never forget the extraordinary role that they and their Chosin Fires played in an unforgettable chapter of our Field Artillery heritage. |
Jungleers by James Dietz. The 41st Infantry Division, composed of National Guard units from Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho, was ordered into federal service 16 September 1940. Originally assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington, it trained there until ordered overseas in early 1942. It was one of the first divisions to go overseas. Sailing from San Francisco, California in March 1942, it arrived in Australia in April. Training took place 60 miles north of Melbourne and after July, in the tropical Rockhampton, Queensland. The first unit to be ordered north, the 163rd Infantry Regiment arrived in New Guinea at Port Moresby on 26 December 1942. The regiment was attached to the Australian 7th Division, helping to destroy the Japanese Forces along the Sananada Trail then moving into the Bunz-Gona area to close the Papuan Campaign. It was there that the 41st Division became known as the Jungleers. By the early part of February 1943, the Division was in New Guinea to stay for a long time. The New Guinea Campaign took the Division through Salamaua, Aitape, Hollandia, Nassua Bay, Wadke-Arare-Toem to the Biak. In late 1944, the Philippine Islands were attacked. In February 1945, the 41st Division, now part of the 6th Army, invaded Palawan. The Division was active in the southern Philippines Campaign with participation in the battles of Basilan, Jolo and Mindinao. In September, the Division left Zamboango to take up occupation duties in Japan. In October, they moved into southern Honshu, as the occupational force. The 41st Division was deactivated in Japan on 31 December 1945. Fourth in the National Guard Division Series Commemorating the 41st Divisions Service in World War II. |
Stopped Dead in Their Tracks by James Dietz. (AP) The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Seizes Goronne, Belgium, Battle of the Bulge 7 January 1945. Few men in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) paid much attention to the distant artillery fire on December 16, 1944. Things had been relatively quiet along the front for the last four weeks while the Regiment rested and refitted at Camp Suippes, France, but their rapidly crumbling Allied front. Unbeknownst to the Allies, Adolph Hitler had deployed four German Armies for a bold counteroffensive through the Ardennes Forest. This German attack had to be stopped before it gained momentum. The 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions, the only reserves available to the Allies, were immediately committed to blunt this German penetration. The 82nd Airborne Division was initially deployed to the northern flank on the German attack, to counter the German main effort. The 505th PIR was assigned and occupied a 4.5 mile defensive line along the Salm River stretching from the Belgian towns of Trois-Ponts to Rencheux on 19 December 1944 and engaged in heavy fighting with elements of two German Panzer Divisions over the next four days. 2/505 occupied the Belgian town of Trois-Ponts on December 19, 1944. They immediately blew all remaining bridges, established defensive positions, and waited for a German attack that finally came on 21 December 1944. Using mortars, machine guns, bazookas and captured German Panzerfausts, the Panthers inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans, stopping repeated frontal attacks by the 1st SS Panzer Division. 3/505 fought a similar action at Grand Halleux when elements of the 9th Panzer Division attempted to cross the River Salm on December 22. Although 3/505 suffered heavy casualties, they stopped the German attack. During both battles not a single German soldier penetrated the Panther's defense. Their defense of the Salm River Line delayed the German advance and decisively disrupted their timetable, two factors which led to their eventual defeat. Most significantly, the Panther's defense of the Salm River Line sealed the fate of Battlegroup Peiper, the most powerful element of the 1st Panzer Division. The Germans were trying to breakthrough the Panther defense to rescue Peiper and his trapped Battlegroup. This rescue attempt, however, was stopped dead in its tracks by the 505th PIR and led to the destruction of Battlegroup Peiper two days later. On December 24th the 82nd Airborne Division withdrew from the Salm River and established a new defensive position several thousand meters to the rear. The new Division front was relatively quiet until January 2, 1945 when it was pulled off the line to participate in an allied offensive scheduled for January 3, 1945. The Division mission was to advance to the Salm River and reoccupy the positions vacated one week earlier. During this attack the Panthers would face two determined foes, weather and the 62nd Volksgrenadier (VG) Division. The weather was extraordinarily cold with snow piled two feet deep throughout the Ardennes; and the 62nd VG Division was a good unit well supported by a significant amount of artillery and armor. On January 3, 1945, the Panthers attacked and sustained more casualties than on any other day in its history. German artillery inflicted significant casualties in both 1/505 and 3/505 during their successful attacks on Reharmont and Fosse respectively. The Panters resumed their attack on January 4th seizing the high ground above Abrefontaine where they dug for a miserable night without overcoats or sleeping bags. Abrefontaine was occupied on January 5 and the men's overcoats, packs an sleeping bags finally caught up with them, enabling the Panthers to get their first real sleep in over 60 hours. The Panthers attack resumed on January 7, 1954. 2/505, supported by elements of the 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion, attacked across open ground to seize Goronne, Belgium from a company of the 62nd VG Division and four King Tiger tanks of the 501st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. 2/505 suffered heavy casualties losing two tanks and two destroyers, but the remaining tank destroyers managed to knock out two German tanks with flank shots. The two remaining German tanks withdrew and the Panthers overran the town, capturing 100 prisoners. The day was a disaster for the battalion however, as their Battalion Commander, LTC Vandervoort, was seriously wounded and evacuated. His loss stunned the Regiment, as he was the longest serving Battalion Commander and the men considered him invincible. The fight for Goronne marked the end of the Battle of the Bulge for the Panters. During the night of the 10-11 January 1945 they were relieved by the 75th Infantry Division, boarded trucks and redeployed to Theux, Belgium where they were placed in XVIII Airborne Corps reserve. Although not as glamorous as the 101st Airborne Division's defense of Bastogme and largely ignored by historians, the battles fought over the last three weeks had cost the Panters dearly. The Regiment that boarded the trucks on 11 January 1945 was a mere shadow of the unit that left Camp Suippes on 18 December. Approximately 50% of the Panters were casualties; the enemy caused half of these casualties and the other half were non-battle losses. The past had finally caught up wit many of the old veterans. Exposure caused old wounds to flare up and triggered many relapses of malaria that had been contracted during the regiment's service in the Mediterranean theater. Some of the veterans were able to return after short stays in the hospital but most were gone for good with frozen limbs and wounds. The 505th continued to serve until the end of the war but the unit was never the same after the loss of so any of its' veterans during the Battle of the Bulge. This limited edition print is dedicated to the World War II veterans of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. We will never forget your valor and sacrifice made under the most trying of conditions. |
Souvenirs by James Dietz. American Paratroopers. |
Opposite Numbers by James Dietz. German Paratroopers. |
Overlord, Utah Beach 6th June 1944 by James Dietz. No text for this item |
The 28th Division in the Defence of Hosingen, Luxemburg by James Dietz. No text for this item |
Huertgen Forest Patrol by James Dietz. SOLD OUT |
Rangers Lead The Way by James Dietz. SOLD OUT |
Making it Happen by James Dietz. Gavins paratroopers capture the grave bridge - Operation Market garden 17th Sept 1944. |
We Have Returned by James Dietz. 37th Divisions liberation of Manila March 3rd 1945. This remarkable print is taken from an original oil painting which was unveiled during the 117th General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States which convened in Cleveland, Ohio, in September of 1995. The painting was commissioned by the Ohio National Guard to commemorate the role of the 37th Infantry Division in the liberation of Manila in March of 1945. The 37th Buckeye Division was organized during World War I and fought in the Meuse-Argonne offensive as well as in Flanders, earning three campaign streamers (Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, and Ypres-Lys). During the postwar years, this National Guard Division remained a pure Ohio unit. On 15 October 1940, the 37th was mobilized by President Roosevelt to train during the period of emergency brought on by the war in Europe. Within weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Division was alerted for possible deployment to Europe, but the orders were changed, and the Ohioans found themselves moving by train to San Francisco where they sailed in May of 1942 for the Fiji Islands. Their training continued until they were transported to Guadalcanal in April of 1943. In July, 1943, the 129th Infantry Regiment from Illinois joined the Division as they began offensive operations in New Georgia, followed by Bougainville Island in November. On 9 January, the Division arrived at its moment in history, going ashore at Lingayen Gulf on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They moved to the outskirts of Manila, and for the next month fought house-to-house to liberate the city. In freeing Bilibid Prison, they found members of the Battling Bastards of Bataan, from the 200th Coast Artillery of the New Mexico National Guard, who earned the reputation as the first unit to fight in World War II. On 3 March 1945, the 37th had liberated Manila and fulfilled the words of General Douglas MacArthur. The fighting had taken its toll on the city and one official stated, Manila is dead! The Buckeye Division continued its offensive into the Cagayan Valley of northern Luzon and rested only briefly before beginning preparations for the invasion of Japan. It was many a relieved Buckeye when the news of the Japanese surrender reached the Division and their families anxiously waiting at home. |
Against All Odds by James Dietz. Ridgeays Troopers save the La Fiere Causeway Normandy June 9th 1944. |
Decisive Point by James Dietz. (AP) Tuckers Paratroopers Capture Nijmegen Bridge, Operation market Garden, Holland 20th Sept. 1944. |
Guns from Heaven By James Dietz. (AP) Operation Market Garden, Airborne Gunners arrive by Glider 17th - 18th Sept. 1944. The title Guns From Heaven was chosen by the 319th AFAR Association as the official Print title after soliciting suggestions from the troopers of the Regiment. LTC Robert A. Dow Jr. submitted the winning title. Guns From Heaven depicts the actions of the 319th and 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalions, and the 376th and 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalions at LZs N and T in Holland. According to the historical data available, gliders with the men from these battalions delivered 51 howitzers, 117 jeeps, and 106 trailers despite the intense barrage of German artillery fire, flak, and small arms fire over the LZs. While the landings were taking place, the Luftwaffe also managed to strafe the LZs. The 376th FA, which landed by parachute assault, provided counterbattery fires against German positions. |
Find the Bastards, then pile in By James Dietz. Vietnam Counter ambush along Highway 13 in the Republic of South Vietnam. |
The Bomber Boys by James Dietz. On the night of 16 / 17 May 1943, in one of the most daring low-level missions of the war, the men of newly-formed 617 Squadron, under the command of Guy Gibson, attacked the great dams of the Ruhr. The story of their audacious raid gained the squadron immediate fame and thereafter they would be known simply as the 'Dambusters'. But for the hundreds of airmen who followed in their footsteps, the destruction of the great dams was merely the beginning for this new squadron of low-flying, precision-bombing experts. Over the next two years their courageous exploits would earn the respect of the world. They did so under the command of some of Bomber Command's greatest leaders. Following in Gibson's footsteps were men such as the inspirational Leonard Cheshire VC, described by the London Gazette as having 'a reputation second to none in Bomber Command', and who helped pioneer precision target marking and the accurate delivery of Barnes Wallis's new deep-penetration 'earthquake' Tallboy bombs, especially in the operations against V-weapon sites in northern France. Cheshire's worthy successor was James Tait, who led the raids against the Tirpitz and whose Tallboy bomb eventually sank the mighty German battleship. In December 1944, having completed over 100 operations, Tait handed over the reins to Canadian Jimmy Farquier - described as probably the finest bomber pilot in the RCAF - and the man who would lead 617 Squadron until the last raid of the war. Under his stewardship the airmen of 617 Squadron were to reach new heights of fame, delivering Tallboy's massive big brother - the Grand Slam - Barnes Wallis's piéce-de-résistance, a 22,000lb bomb whose warhead contained over 9,000lbs of explosive, making it the most powerful conventional bomb of World War II. In the capable hands of 617 Squadron's specially modified Lancasters, they destroyed targets such as the great Arnsberg and Bielefeld viaducts, and the seemingly indestructible Valentin U-boat pens on the banks of the River Weser, whose huge 15ft walls supported a roof that in places was 23ft thick. The squadron flew their last mission of the war on 25 April 1945, their Tallboys helping to destroy much of Hitler's once-fabled mountain retreat at Obersalzberg. This highly detailed and carefully researched painting fittingly depicts this famous unit to represent all those who served with Bomber Command during World War II. The crews have just returned safely to RAF Scampton after a long, hazardous raid over enemy territory. Tired, weary and thankful to have made it back in one piece, they can at last stretch their legs and enjoy some welcome refreshments before heading off to de-brief and a much-needed rest. |
29 Lets Go by James Dietz. For over three years, since induction into active service on February 3, 1941, the National Guardsmen of the 29th Blue and Gray Division had been preparing for this moment. They were a long way from the families they had left behind in Maryland and Virginia, and about to take their place in history. It was 0630, June 6, 1944, shortly after low tide, when the first units of the Division landed on Omaha Beach on the Normandy Coast of France. Facing well prepared German positions and making their way through the extensive obstacles known as Rommels asparagus, four companies of the 116th Regional Combat Team (RCT) led the way, followed by wave after wave of determined Twenty-Niners. The going was slow and difficult, with heavy casualties in the early morning hours. The Division battle cry which had become popular during training exercises, 29 Let's Go, could be heard across the beach as leaders urged the Guardsmen forward. First a foothold, then penetration, break through, and move inland. The liberation of Europe had begun. The price was heavy though; more than 500 of the Guardsmen had lost their lives, with many times that number wounded. The 29th Division would continue to distinguish itself in the sweep across Europe, and after V-E Day, their motto became 29 Lets Go Home! Mission accomplished, the Guardsmen returned to inactive status on January 11, 1945. Today the 29th Infantry Division remains an integral part of our force structure, still a National Guard Division based in Maryland and Virginia, prepared if ever again America calls out, 29 Lets Go!. |
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