Bellica Convoy Duty (1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle)

Convoy Duty (1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle)

The Arctic route was a treacherous path of battles, not only against the enemy but the unforgiving sub-zero elements. The British would supply arms and munitions to the Soviet Union, via Iceland, to the Ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, it was a route that cost the allies dearly. On June 27th 1942 a convoy (code named PQ17), consisting of 35 merchant ships plus escorts, set sail for what was to be a terrifying ordeal. Of the 34 merchant ships, 24 were lost from daylight raids from U-Boats (German submarines) and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). This scene depicts Flower Class Corvettes escorting Liberty ships to Murmansk in the Arctic Ocean, they have come under attack by Luftwaffe Ju 88s. The survivors in the boats stood little to no chance of survival. The British Merchant Navy lost 30,248 seamen during World War II, a death rate that was higher proportionally than in any of the armed forces.

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.