Battle of The Brenner | Anthony Saunders

The Germans had only one viable route to resupply their embattled forces in Italy as the Allies relentlessly pushed north—the Brenner Pass in the Alps. This vital network of heavily defended roads and rail bridges was the lifeline of the German army. The Allies knew that if they could destroy these strategic arteries, the enemy would face either surrender or annihilation.

For the men of the U.S. Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces, the mission to destroy the pass was fraught with danger. Flying heavily-laden bombers through the narrow, rugged Alpine peaks, they faced not only the pounding of anti-aircraft fire from the well-defended pass but also the threat of enemy fighters and treacherous weather conditions over the mountains.

On April 10, 1945, B-25 bombers of the 340th Bomb Group struck a decisive blow, successfully destroying a vital rail bridge in the Brenner Pass. The last remaining units of the fascist Italian Air Force attempted to intercept the bombers, deploying their Me 109s to engage. However, the timely arrival of P-51 Mustangs from the 325th Fighter Group quickly turned the tide, routing the enemy fighters and ensuring the bombers' success in this critical operation.

The Signature: In addition to being signed by the artist and hand numbered, each print in every edition has been personally signed by a B-25 Pilot that flew bombing missions in Southern Italy:

• Second Lieutenant Gene Koscinski

Dimensions: 21.375 x 14.125 inches

Release Date: 2010