Bellica Convoy Attack (1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle)

Convoy Attack (1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle)

Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the USA, with a purpose of quickly replacing British losses. Constructed in record time using mass production methods, with an impressive three ships being complete every two days, the average time from start to launch was a mere 58 days. American shipyards built over two thousand Liberty ships between 1941 and 1945, making it the most produced design of any vessel. The scene depicted here is of a Town Class Destroyer on escort duty in the North Atlantic, protecting Liberty ships on route from New York. They have just been spotted by a German Fw 200 Condor. Originally designed and used as an airliner, the Fw 200 Condor was a four engine, long range raider adapted for military use. The Fw 200 was a feared weapon in the Battle of the Atlantic, Winston Churchill described the aircraft as the “Scourge Of The Atlantic” due to its contribution to allied shipping losses. It is claimed that Condors were responsible for sinking a remarkable 356,000 tonnes of allied shipping.

Keith Burns is an award winning aviation artist and commercial illustrator. He has illustrated comics for the past decade with Johnny Red being the most recent. In 2012 he joined the Guild of Aviation Artists. In 2015 he won the Messier Dowty award for best acrylic painting in show, in 2016 he was made a full member of the Guild, had his first solo exhibition at the RAF Club in London and won Aviation Painting of the Year. He is currently illustrating the Ladybird WW2 series written by James Holland.