As dawn broke on the morning of Friday, November 13, 1942, a lone F4F Wildcat climbed out of Henderson Field on the island of Guadalcanal. The Marine pilot, Captain Joe Foss was to assess damage to US naval ships following the previous night's bitter naval engagement.

As the morning sun streaked across the sound between Savo and Guadalcanal, Foss viewed the wreckage of one of the most furious close combat naval actions of the war. But what caught the young pilot's particular attention was a badly damaged Japanese battleship. Protected by three destroyers, the Hiei offered the Cactus flyers a prize they would not allow to escape.

The Cactus Air Force quickly scrambled their fighters to join TBF and SBD torpedo and dive-bombers, their collective mission to sink the enemy battleship. Foss, having refueled, climbed his eight F4F Wildcats to 12,000 feet to make a diversionary attack while the torpedo bombers made their perilous run at the heavily defended warship. From high above Foss brought his F4F's screaming vertically down, leveling out as they hurtled towards the Hiei through a massive barrage of defensive flak, spraying .50 caliber lead into the mighty warship.

Robert Taylor's masterpiece of reconstruction depicts a snapshot of this memorable action fought in Savo sound, against the backdrop of the spectacular mountains of Guadalcanal. Joe Foss's F4F Wildcats are viewed braving the fearsome hail of defensive fire as they distract enemy gunfire away from the vital torpedo attacks, their explosions throwing huge plumes of water skywards presenting an additional hazard to the F4F pilots.

With the 30,000-ton battleship's steering gear crippled, her fate was sealed, yet her gunners fought gallantly throughout the day, but by sunset she was lying sinking off Savo. She had absorbed over 80 shell hits, five bombs, and ten torpedoes. With her captain slain, the battered ship was scuttled to add her huge bulk to those already lying on the bed of Ironbottom Bay. Hiei, the first battleship to be sunk by Americans in World War II, fell to the small but courageous group of Marine and Navy flyers.

Overall Print Size: 33 3/4" Wide x 23 1/2" High.

Image Size: 27 1/4" Wide x 16" High.

A Limited Edition Recording The Sinking Of The Japanese Battleship 'Hiei' By U.S. Marine Corps & Navy Flyers, November 13, 1942.

Attack On The Hiei by Robert Taylor
450 s/n prints w/Four signatures. (We have a few of these in stock with limited damage, call for damage report, price listed reflects damage.)	US $150
	Call
25 Artist's Proofs w/Four signatures.	US $500
THE MILLENIUM PROOFS Individually numbered 1 - 50. Issued with matching numbered companion print Corsair Recovery signed by 2 additional signatories.
50 s/n proofs w/Six signatures.	SOLD OUT
25 Remarques w/Six signatures.	SOLD OUT

Joining artist Robert Taylor, each print of Attack on the Hiei is individually signed by Medal of Honor recipient Joe Foss and three of his U.S. Marine Corps pilots who flew on the 'Hiei' mission. Prints in this important limited edition are restricted to just 550 copies world wide, virtually guaranteeing their lasting value to collectors.

Brig. General Joseph Foss - USMC
Arriving in Guadalcanal on 9 October 1942 with VMF-121, Joe Foss quickly demonstrated great skills flying the F4F in combat. By the middle of his first month in action his victories were coming at the rate of one a day. On 23rd of the month he accounted for 4 Zeros and two days later another 5 Zeros, the last of which he caught performing a victory role after having downed an F4F. He became the first American to break Rickenbacker's WWI record of 25 enemy aircraft destroyed. Joe Foss is the top-scoring living US Marine Corps Ace with 26 victories, just two short of Pappy Boyington's total. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his outstanding feats in the South Pacific. Following the war Joe Foss became Governor of South Dakota, and President of the American Football League.

Lt. Colonel William B Freeman - USMC
Serving with VMF-121, later VMF-115, William Freeman flew over 200 combat missions in the Pacific theater, 1942-1945. A highly skilled pilot, he became an Ace with 5 victories.

Colonel T. W. 'Boot' Furlow- USMC
Flying the F4F on his first combat mission with VMF-121 in October 1942, 'Boot" Furlow soon downed his first Zero on the Hiei mission. He served in all the major South West Pacific theatres and later flew the F4U Corsair.

Lt. Colonel Roger Haberman - USMC
Roger Haberman served with VMV-121, later VMF-211. He flew at Guadalcanal from 9 October 1942 to January 1943. Later he flew the F4U Corsair, becoming an Ace with 7 victories.

Lt. Colonel Ronnie Hay - Royal Marines DSO DSC*
Ronnie Hay joined the Royal Marines in 1935 and volunteered to fly with the Fleet Air Arm. In 1940 he joined 801 Squadron flying Skuas on HMS Ark Royal for the Norwegian Campaign, claiming his first victory on his first operational sortie. He took part in the operations covering the Dunkirk beaches and flew Fulmars with 808 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. By the time Ark Royal was sunk in 1941, he had a further 7 victories. In 1944 he became Wing Leader of 47 Naval Wing flying Corsairs aboard HMS Victorious in the Far East where his tally climbed. His final score was 13 victories.

Commander Don Sheppard RCNVR
Canadian Don Sheppard joined the RNVR Fleet Air Arm in December 1941. Joining the carrier HMS Victorious he flew with 1836 Squadron on the first successful strike against the German battleship Tirpitz on 3 April 1944. Remaining with 1836 Squadron he transferred to the RCNVR at this time. In June Victorious sailed for the Indian Ocean, where he flew Corsairs under Ronnie Hay RM, becoming an Ace. Later he flew in the Pacific off Okinawa.