Bellica S-Boat Attack (1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle)

S-Boat Attack (1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle)

S-Boats are strafed by an RAF Coastal Command Beaufighter Mk X in the English Channel. The S-Boat (or E-Boat/Enemy Boat as named by the allies) was a formidable weapon in the German Kreigsmarine arsenal. Regarded as an elite branch of the German navy, these boats and their crews were fast, heavily armed and deadly. During World War II, E-Boats took a heavy toll on allied shipping; 101 merchant ships, 12 destroyers, 11 minesweepers, eight landing ships, six MTBs, one torpedo boat, one minelayer and one submarine. They also damaged two cruisers, five destroyers, three landing ships, one repair ship, one naval tug and numerous merchant vessels. Sea mines laid by E-Boats also claimed 37 merchant ships, a destroyer, two minesweepers and four landing ships. In recognition of their service, members of E-Boat crews were awarded 23 Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross and 112 of the German Cross in Gold.

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.