Berlin Boar Fight | Anthony Saunders
On the night of August 23–24, 1943, a lone Fw 190 from the Luftwaffe’s elite JG300 Wilde Sau unit bravely engages a formation of RAF Lancasters in the flak-filled skies over Berlin. Illuminated by bursts of anti-aircraft fire and the glow of flames from the burning city below, the German pilot closes in on his target—one of over 700 long-range bombers dispatched by RAF Bomber Command in a daring assault.
This raid marked the opening salvo of the Battle of Berlin, a grueling aerial campaign aimed at Hitler’s stronghold that would rage through the winter months. Between November 1943 and March 1944, RAF Bomber Command conducted 16 massive attacks on the city. By the end of the battle, Berlin lay in ruins, a shattered symbol of the Third Reich. However, the cost to the RAF was staggering—492 bombers were lost, and countless airmen paid the ultimate price.
Anthony Saunders’ evocative painting, Berlin Boar Fight, powerfully captures the tension and chaos of that dramatic night. Released as part of the Night Skies over the Reich Portfolio alongside Night Hunters, the artwork draws on first hand accounts from those who experienced the raid, delivering an authentic and stirring tribute to one of the most pivotal episodes of the air war over Europe.
The Signatures: Each print in all of the editions has been individually signed by the artist and a further two RAF Bomber Command veterans who flew Lancasters on night time bombing raids over Germany along with one of the Luftwaffe’s most respected night fighter Aces:
- Warrant Officer Reg White
- Flight Lieutenant Eric Hookings
- Oberleutnant Rolf Ebhardt
Dimensions: 26.5 x 19.625 inches
Release Date: 2012
