Chris Calle (American, B. 1961) "Battle of the Bulge" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the U.S. 29c Battle of the Bulge stamp issued June 6, 1994.

On the morning of December 16, 1944, secretly massed German artillery opened fire on the thinly spread American defenders in the Ardennes. Operation WATCH ON THE RHINE, the Third Reich's last desperate gamble to save itself by forcing the Western Allies to make peace had begun. When the four-hour bombardment ended, German infantry and tanks, led by SS General Josef Dietrich, began advancing through the woods and hills of the Ardennes to seize bridges across the Meuse river between Lige and Namur. The German advance against the badly outnumbered Americans, fighting in mud, snow and bitter cold, was rapid at first. By late December, a 50-mile "bulge" had been created in the Allied lines. With St. Vith taken and Bastogne surrounded, it looked like Hitler's final gamble might pay off. Capturing Bastogne would give the Germans access to many roads leading in all directions, allowing them to move almost at will. But the men of the 101st Airborne Division, under Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe, fought back doggedly. McAuliffe's famous response to the German commander demanding his surrender was "Nuts!" Helped out by General George S. Patton's tanks and infantry, Bastogne held and McAuliffe was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. By early January the fight had turned against the Germans. By the end of that month German forces had been all but destroyed and the "bulge" squeezed out.

Image Size: 16.75 x 13 in.
Overall Size: 23.25 x 18.5 in.
Unframed.
(B14763)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.

- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.