One for the Big Friends – Francis S. Gabreski

L/E of 1250
S/N by the Artist & One Pilot
Overall Print Size: 30" x 24"

Plane Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

P-47 Legendary Ace Francis S. “Gabby” Gabreski flew his first twenty missions with the Polish Air Force flying the British Spitfire. February 1943, He was reassigned to the 61st fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group based at Boxted England. During his entire time with the “Wolfpack” Gabby flew the P-47 Thunderbolt. Most of the time escorting and protecting B-17s (Big Friends) on bombing missions into Germany was the priority for the 56th FG. Gabby got his first victory on August 24th 1943 downing a Focke Wulf 190. He became an Ace on November 26, 1943 after destroying two Messerschmitt 110s. On 30 January 1944 leading three squadrons of P-47s to rendezvous B-17s bombing mission to Germany. with Heading east over the North Sea, they climbed to 23,000 feet. At 1320, over Lingen, Germany, Gabreski sighted a formation of Me-210 twin-engine fighters below at 12,000 feet and signaled his section to the attack. As the P-47s bored in on the German formation, the Me-210s dove into a dense cloud bank. Playing cat-and-mouse game with the German fighters, Gabreski and his wingman, Lt. Frank Klibbe, orbited at 10,000 feet, waiting for the Germans to come out of the clouds. Finally, as Gabreski described it, “A lone Me-210 came up through the overcast. Being dead astern 5,000 feet above, I went into my dive with throttle wide open. It was just a matter of seconds before I was within 1,500 yards at 5,000 feet. I commenced firing from dead astern at 1,200 yards. Upon closing to nought feet, the armor piercing ammunition was seen penetrating the fuselage, right wing, and engine. Breaking off over the top of the Me-210, the right engine was seen burning and trailing gray smoke. When last seen, the aircraft entered a cloud going down at a 45-degree angle. Flying his last mission before going home Gabby flew too low while strafing a German airfield and had to crash-land his P-47. He spent the rest of the war as a POW. While flying the P-47, Gabby downed eleven Me109s, ten FW 190s, Six Bf 110s and one Me 210 and ended WWII with a total of 28 victories. The lithograph above depicts the January 30th 1944 mission when Gabby destroyed a Me 109 and the Me 210. Flying the F-86 Sabre in Korea Gabreski shot down 6 MiG 15s and was credited with and additional .5 MiG for a total of 34.5 enemy aircraft destroyed. Additional Pilot "Ace" Signature:
Gabby Gabreski


PLANE JUNKIE - " One for the Big Friends" by Roy Grinnell (P-47 Thunderbolt)