Market Garden, Holland 1944.
The first release of Valor Studio’s WII 65th Anniversary series, “Angels from Above” depicts the events of Operation Market-Garden on September 17, 1944. The legend on the bottom of the lithograph reads: “In sun-swept skies, the C-47s of 9th Troop Carrier Command deliver their fighting cargo, the paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions above Holland’s soft drop zones. Deemed “Operation Market Garden,” the finest American, British, and Polish Airborne forces led the charge to enter Germany through Holland and to liberate the Dutch people after four years of Nazi occupation. However, fierce enemy resistance and blunders by high command would see the brave Airborne troops stopped short of the Rhine but, not before they liberated part of Holland and earned the name: “The Angels from Above.”
The Story
The artwork depicts elements of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment dropping onto Drop Zone C, located thirty kilometers behind the front lines and north of Eindhoven, Holland. The Regiment’s mission was to seize the bridge at Son over the Wilhelmina Canal as part of the Allied attempt to punch a hole into the heart of Germany’s industrial center, the Ruhr. The operational plan called for ground forces to make their way through Holland and Germany using a series of bridges secured by three Airborne divisions: the American 82nd and 101st, along with the British 1st who had the mission of seizing the furthest objective at Arnhem. Easy Company was just twenty-five meters from their objective when the Germans blew up the bridge. Engineers eventually paved the way for Allied armor and infantry to continue their mission, but the overall operation ground to a halt at the Rhine River, where the British 1st Airborne was isolated and eventually ordered to withdraw back into the Allied lines.
Named by Easy Company veterans, “Wild Bill” Guarnere and Edward “Babe” Heffron, “Angels from Above” was developed with input from 82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, and 9th Troop Carrier historians and veterans.
Behind the Art
Troop Transports
C-47s of the 436th Troop Carrier Group flew the paratroopers of the 506th PIR to their drop zone dropping them at 1,200 feet, an altitude which was higher than most combat operations in WWII. Escorted by P-38s, which attacked enemy anti-aircraft positions, the armada was largely unmolested as the air drop caught the Germans by surprise, but they recovered quickly and soon mounted an aggressive defense.
Stand in the door
With the distinctive insignia of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment on his helmet, this paratrooper takes up a quick door position before throwing himself out of the C-47. Jumpers had to move rapidly in order to ensure all their comrades exited as close as possible together to form a tight landing pattern on the ground. Organizing swiftly and moving out to the objective are critical components to the success of airborne operations wherein speed and surprise often make up for the smaller numbers of the assaulting force.
Vital Supplies
The artwork also captures the colored chutes of the supply bundles dropped simultaneously with the troops. Color coding varied by operation, but generally the parapacks were coded red for crew served weapons, yellow for ammunition, white for medical supplies and green for demolitions and/or communications equipment. Dropped separately, these heavier weapons and supplies provided much needed firepower to the lightly-armed airborne troops.
Project Details
Faithfully reproduced from the original artwork, Angels from Above by Matt Hall, depicts the 101st Airborne Division jumping into Holland. In addition to the description, the bottom margin of the print includes the insignia of the 9th Troop Carrier Command.
Editions
- Originally printed by Valor Studios:
- 220 Victory Editions
- 190 Artist Proofs
- 170 Publisher’s Proofs
- 100 Gallery Editions
- Each print is hand-signed by the artist
- Each print includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Lithograph
- This limited edition lithograph is printed on acid-free, archival quality, 100 lb. stock
- Print size: 32″ x 22.5″
- All prints are sold unframed
- Print color may vary from screen color
Purchase
Matt has a limited number of Victory and Gallery Editions of this print. Please contact us for availability.