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Description

Something I conceived of months back, a pair of Argentine B-51B bombers flying over water, which I finally committed to by utilizing normal colored pencils alongside watercolor pencils and paints. While the British response to the Argentine invasion of Falkland Island was certainly a surprise to the ruling junta, preparations were hastily made in response with additional troops were ferried to the occupied islands and both the Air Force and Navy conducting patrols, ready to catch the British fleet making the long trek from Plymouth harbor. One example was the gearing up of Argentina's bomber fleet, comprised mostly of American B-51s, Japanese Ki-133s, and French Farman-Hanriot FH.471s and which had cut their teeth in the Borja Canal War with Chile three years prior. From airbases around Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavia, bombers of several groups were ready to strike the coming British fleet once recon identified its position out on the ocean, with crews on standby 24/7. Patrol aircraft would soon spot the fleet and battle stations were raised as aircraft and ships alike sortied out to attack the British, with initially disastrous results due to British radar and defenses and the Air Force and Navy sought to come up with new battle plans to counter the enemy defenses.

Multiple sorties were made as the British approached the islands and began landing troops and the Pantera stood out for its armament and agility, the crews flying low in their attacks on the British ships despite the faulty munitions used. B-51s played a role in the sinking of destroyers Sheffield, Coventry, and Devonshire as well as the supply ship RFA Regent and damaged many other Royal Navy vessels, even attacking British troops on the Falkland beachheads and inflicting damage and casualties upon the infantry and armor. One particular attack reached infamy; in the early morning hours of May 30, 1982, a pair of Panteras (B-106 and B-107) took off from Trelew and headed southeast toward the British aircraft carriers, which were being screened by the submarine San Luis. The British were unable to detect the bombers until it was too late, when the payloads were delivered and the planes fled the scene; HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes were both aflame. While the fires aboard Invincible were contained, Hermes keeled over and sank, taking 700 crewsars with her; the attack was a major blow to the fleet and shocked both the ground troops and the public back home. Despite the ultimate surrender of Argentine troops in the South Atlantic Islands a week later, the sinking of Hermes was as traumatizing to the Royal Navy as the loss of Royal Oak, Rodney, Hood, Repulse, and Prince of Rockall during the Second World War, a testament to the strength of the B-51 and the training and experience of the crews who flew the aircraft. Of the twenty-five B-51s which participated in the war, eleven were lost to SAMs, anti-aircraft fire, and enemy fighters.

Description

Something I conceived of months back, a pair of Argentine B-51B bombers flying over water, which I finally committed to by utilizing normal colored pencils alongside watercolor pencils and paints. While the British response to the Argentine invasion of Falkland Island was certainly a surprise to the ruling junta, preparations were hastily made in response with additional troops were ferried to the occupied islands and both the Air Force and Navy conducting patrols, ready to catch the British fleet making the long trek from Plymouth harbor. One example was the gearing up of Argentina's bomber fleet, comprised mostly of American B-51s, Japanese Ki-133s, and French Farman-Hanriot FH.471s and which had cut their teeth in the Borja Canal War with Chile three years prior. From airbases around Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavia, bombers of several groups were ready to strike the coming British fleet once recon identified its position out on the ocean, with crews on standby 24/7. Patrol aircraft would soon spot the fleet and battle stations were raised as aircraft and ships alike sortied out to attack the British, with initially disastrous results due to British radar and defenses and the Air Force and Navy sought to come up with new battle plans to counter the enemy defenses.

Multiple sorties were made as the British approached the islands and began landing troops and the Pantera stood out for its armament and agility, the crews flying low in their attacks on the British ships despite the faulty munitions used. B-51s played a role in the sinking of destroyers Sheffield, Coventry, and Devonshire as well as the supply ship RFA Regent and damaged many other Royal Navy vessels, even attacking British troops on the Falkland beachheads and inflicting damage and casualties upon the infantry and armor. One particular attack reached infamy; in the early morning hours of May 30, 1982, a pair of Panteras (B-106 and B-107) took off from Trelew and headed southeast toward the British aircraft carriers, which were being screened by the submarine San Luis. The British were unable to detect the bombers until it was too late, when the payloads were delivered and the planes fled the scene; HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes were both aflame. While the fires aboard Invincible were contained, Hermes keeled over and sank, taking 700 crewsars with her; the attack was a major blow to the fleet and shocked both the ground troops and the public back home. Despite the ultimate surrender of Argentine troops in the South Atlantic Islands a week later, the sinking of Hermes was as traumatizing to the Royal Navy as the loss of Royal Oak, Rodney, Hood, Repulse, and Prince of Rockall during the Second World War, a testament to the strength of the B-51 and the training and experience of the crews who flew the aircraft. Of the twenty-five B-51s which participated in the war, eleven were lost to SAMs, anti-aircraft fire, and enemy fighters.