Canadian Aerospace Artists Association (CAAA), Harold A. Skaarup Artwork

CAAA member Major (retired) Harold A. Skaarup graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax in 1974, and earned his Master's Degree in War Studies at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario in 1995. He is a former Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel for 3 Intelligence Company in Halifax, and is currently the President of the York Sunbury Historical Society, and a volunteer with the Fredericton Region Museum, the New Brunswick Aviation Museum and the New Brunswick Military History Museum in Oromocto. He is an Associate RCAF Historian, a proud grandfather to Cole, Ashley, Owen, Auli and Bauer, and enjoys making art and writing Canadian Military History.

Supermarine Stranraer.

McDonnell CF-188 Hornet in D-Day commemorative colours.

Canadair CL-13 Sabre, silver.

Canadair CL-13 Sabre, silver.

Canadian Forces Parachute Team, Sky Hawks, exiting a Boeing CH-147 Chinook helicopter.

Canadian Forces Parachute Team, Sky Hawks, exiting a de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter.

Canadian Forces Parachute Team, Sky Hawks, exiting a Douglas CC-129 Dakota.

Canadian Forces Parachute Team, Sky Hawks, exiting a Lockheed CC-130 Hercules.

Canadian Forces Parachute Team, Sky Hawk Capt Hal Skaarup, exiting a CC-130 Hercules.

Supermarine Spitfire.

Supermarine Spitfire.

Supermarine Spitfire.

Supermarine Spitfire.

Supermarine Seafire.

‍

North American Mustang Mk. IV.

North American Mustang Mk. IV.

North American Mustang Mk. IV, RCAF, and North American P-51D Mustang, USAF.

North American F-82 Twin Mustang.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning, USAF.

Lockheed P-38 Lightining, Colorado.

Grumman F6F Hellcat.

de Havilland (Grumman) TBM-3 Avenger.

Grumman Avenger, Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Fairey Firefly.

Gloster Meteor.

Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, RCAF.

Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, RCAF.

Boulton Paul Defiant.

Vickers Wellington.

Short Stirling.

Short Sunderland.

Westland Whirlwind.

North American Harvard.

Douglas Boston.

Handley Page Hampden.

North American B-25 Mitchell, RCAF.

Fairchild (Bristol) Bolingbroke, RCAF.

Bristol Beaufort.

Bristol Beaufighter.

‍

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, USAAF.

Northrop P-61 Black Widow, USAAF.

Chance Vought F4u Corsair, RCN Lt (N) Hampton Gray, VC.

de Havilland Sea Hornet.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator, RCAF.

Handley Page Halifax.

Handley Page Halifax.

Avro Lancaster.

Avro Lancaster, VR-A.

Avro Lancaster, radial engines.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

German flak defenses were responsible for more than half of all Allied aircraft losses. The official RAF history of the air war estimated that German flak accounted for 37 percent of Bomber Command’s losses between July 1942 and April 1945. Low and medium level flak was even more effective. More American 8^th Air Force aces were shot down by flak than enemy fighters. Flak defences were designed, not to shoot bombers down, but to force them to drop their loads from a higher altitude and thus reduce their accuracy. Aircraft shot down or damaged was a bonus. Flak proved a huge benefit to fighter pilots assigned to attack incoming raids. Flak-damaged bombers were forced out of formation, making them easy prey (for both Allied and Axis fighter forces) for marauding fighters. Flak damaged tens of thousands of bombers. These bombers required repair, causing service rates to fall and thus reducing the number of bombers available for new operations. AA shrapnel also killed and wounded tens of thousands of aircrew, significantly reducing the overall efficiency and morale. (Donald Nijboer)