"Fortresses Engaged" - Keith Ferris - B-17 Flying Fortress World War II Art

Keith Ferris, the son of a career Air Force Officer who served from 1925-1955 is a freelance aviation artist who has been serving the advertising, editorial, public relations and historical documentation needs of airframe, engine and avionics manufacturers and their advertising agencies, aviation trade publications, aviation museums and the military for 50 years.

Active in the Air Force Art Program for 37 years, Mr. Ferris has 52 major paintings in the Air Force Art Collection. He has traveled worldwide with the Air Force, flown in and documented the missions of most all jet aircraft types in the inventory. He is a life member of the Society of Illustrators, and a founding member and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists.

He has had one man exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Society of Illustrators in New York City, the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO the C.R. Smith Museum, Cavanaugh Museum, and Simuflite Training International, in Fort Worth, TX and the Aerospace Education Center in Little Rock, AR. In addition, there have been numerous exhibitions in art galleries throughout the country.

He is best known for his two large 75 foot murals "Fortresses Under Fire" and "The Evolution of Jet Aviation" at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

He was elected a member of the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey and has received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Daniel Webster College for his service to aviation. Keith has also been selected as an honorary member of many military units including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Flight Demonstration Team and the Order of Daedalians, the national fraternity of military pilots. He received the Air Force Association's Citation of Honor in 1978 for his art and it's Special Award in 1985 for his lifetime of documentation of Air Force History.

Keith's painting "Real Trouble" was selected Best In Show at the annual ASAA Exhibition in Dayton, Ohio in 1995 and "First Trap" won the same award in 1996 in Pensacola, FL.

Keith Ferris Signed Open Edition Print "Fortresses Engaged"

Two German Messerschmitt 109Gs attack head-on through a formation of B-17s from the 100th Bomb Group over Germany. The 6 March 1944 Eighth Air Force inaugural mission to Berlin put 702 bomber and 832 fighter sorties over enemy territory. This was to be the worst day of the war for the 100th Bomb Group which had 14 B-17s destroyed. 69 U.S. bombers and 11 fighters were lost on this mission. More than one hundred German fighters made a series of devastating head-on attacks on the 100th Bomb Group enroute to Berlin.

This painting shows the action around the 351st Bomb Squadron as III./JG 54 Messerschmitt 109 pilots, Feldwebel Friedrich Unger in "6", and Unteroffizier Erwin Muller in "4", pass close aboard Lt. Richard Hemlmick's undamaged B-17, letter "M", and the mortally wounded B-17s of Lt. George Brannon, letter "D", and Lt. Merril Rish, letter "R". Both of these B-17s went down. The two Messerschmitts were also hit and made forced landings below the action. The Germans had put up 528 fighter sorties against the bomber force and lost 68 aircraft destroyed and 16 damaged.

This 19" by 14-1/4" image size print is an "Open" Edition Print and is signed by the artist.

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