Back to U.S. Army-Desert Storm Art
"ARTILLERY RAID TO THE EUPHRATES"
Air Assault Artillery in Desert Storm
by U.S. Army Combat Artist Frank M. Thomas
Original 48"x 60" Acrylic/Canvas Painting
found in Collection of U.S. Army Center of Military History, Washington, D.C.
Background:
The mission of Air Assault Artillery is to provide close and continuous fire support for division operations in any theater of action. The basic air assault artillery weapon used by the 101st Division Artillery (Divarty) during Desert Storm was the lightweight M-102 howitzer. The "one-o-deuce"(M-102) howitzer fires a variety of fuzed 105mm exploding projectiles...out to a range of 11,000 meters (approximately seven miles).
On 24 February 1991, our coalition of forces commenced an attack upon the Iraqi Army. Thus began Operation Desert Storm...the Persian Gulf War. On that date the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) launched the largest combat helicopter operation in history; a 300-kilometer attack across the Saudi Arabian-Iraqi border into the Euphrates River Valley. That air assault strike went deep into the enemy's rear, near the Iraqi city of An Nasiriyah.
In this painting, the artillery raid was accomplished using Chinook CH-47D helicopters to transport the M-102 howitzers (attached to HMMWV prime movers) into a hasty fire support base near a four-lane freeway coming south from the city of An Samawah. The artillery mission was to support ground operations and interdict (block) any possible reinforcing Iraqi Army units attempting to come to the aid of their allies.
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Canvas Art Print Offerings:
24" x 30" (signed by artist/rolled - ready to stretch)..........................$264.00
tube shipped.......................+$13.50
28" x 35" (signed by artist/rolled - ready to stretch)..........................$300.00
tube shipped.......................+$14.50
(NOTE: The rolled print may be stretched in most frame shops before framing.
*Please note*: Artist Frank Thomas' studio lithographic art print and giclee' canvas art print sales have now been resumed as of November 1st, 2008. He and his wife, Patreecia, have completed an eighteen month mission in the Ohio-Cleveland Mission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Kirtland Historic Village Sites, Kirtland, Ohio. He was asked by LDS Church General Authorities to paint early Church history scenes of 1830's Kirtland.
He has now returned home to his art studio at 206 North 100 East, Holden, Utah 84636 and is producing LDS historical paintings and Old West paintings at that site. His art prints may be purchased online by credit card or by personal check.
Call Frank at his Studio" (435) 795-2206 or (435) 406-9526, or contact directly by email wildgoose@crystalpeaks.com.