LOOKING FOR NAGUMO
$725.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
A hush of late light makes these Avengers feel both heroic and fragile — like a small band holding steady against an immense sky. The painting presents a tight flight formation of Grumman TBF Avengers, their gun turrets and cockpit canopies rendered with calm clarity, while low sunlight gilds metal surfaces and washes the cloud layer in warm gold and mauve. That warm backlight softens the scene even as the presence of a lone damaged or diving fighter below and an enemy zero above quietly suggests the danger just beyond the frame. Craig Kodera balances stillness and motion: propellers are implied rather than frozen, the planes’ steady geometry contrasting with the cloud’s painterly sweep. For viewers drawn to aviation history, the work carries a sober dignity — it honors a narrow, solitary survival within a larger, tumultuous moment — and the light leaves an impression of resilience more than spectacle.
The Artwork
About ONLY ONE SURVIVED
ONLY ONE SURVIVED - World War II's Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific, leading to eventual Allied victory. At the very start of that fateful conflict came this ominous confrontation. At 7:00 a.m. on June 4, 1942, Grumman TBF Avengers of the VT-8 squadron on their maiden combat flight were attacked by Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters. 8-T-1 was the only Avenger to return from the encounter and pilot Bert Earnest and tunnel gunner Harry Ferrier were the only two men on that aircraft to survive.
The seventy-two hours following the incident saw the turning of the tide in the Pacific: In sinking four of the most powerful Japanese aircraft carriers and thereby eliminating Japan's most experienced pilots, the U.S. Navy set the stage for eventual victory.
Countersigned by Pilot Albert K. "Bert" Earnest and Tunnel Gunner/Radioman Harry H. Ferrier
Collector Details
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About the Collection
Craig Kodera is a renowned aviation artist, celebrated for his realistic aircraft paintings and historical flight artwork. With a background as both a pilot and illustrator, his work captures the precision, power, and beauty of aviation from a uniquely informed perspective. Specializing in military aviation art, commercial airliner illustrations, and vintage aviation scenes, Kodera’s fine art aviation prints are sought after by pilots, collectors, and aerospace enthusiasts. His ability to blend technical accuracy with artistic storytelling makes his work a stunning tribute to the world of flight.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Craig Kodera.
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Authenticity & Documentation
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Aviation is this artist s living. Painting is a joy and a choice; not his career. Craig Kodera career is as an airline pilot, so each of his paintings reflect an intimate knowledge of how it feels to fly and what it looks like out the cockpit. "I paint what I see," he says,"and my office window is at 35,000 feet." An appreciation of aviation came easy, since Kodera was raised in what he terms an "aviation family," which included an uncle who flew with the famous Doolittle Raiders during World War II. At an age when most teens were trying to ace the driver s test, Kodera had earned his private pilot s license. A love of painting also came early. Kodera started seriously studying it at fourteen. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in mass communications and spent a year as a commercial artist before joining the Air Force Reserve, where he was assigned to the Air Rescue Service and then the Strategic Air Command. There his knowledge of air war history grew while he logged literally thousands of hours flying. Eventually Kodera left the service and joined American Airlines. When he isn t flying, he s usually painting. His artwork is part of the Smithsonian Institution s National Air and Space Museum permanent collection and hangs in many museums. He is also the charter vice president of the American Society of Aviation Artists, a member of the Air Force Art Program and serves with the Los Angeles Society of Illustrators.
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