Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Twin-engine medium bomber

Power Plant:

Two 1,194 kw (1,600 hp) Wright R-2600-19 eighteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

Armament:

Seven 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns; up to 908 kg (2,000 lb) of bombs carried internally in bomb-bay

History:

The Baltimore was a development by Glenn L Martin Co of the Martin 167, which saw service with the RAF and SAAF as the Maryland. Known as the Model 187, it was designed to meet a British specification for a light bomber and 400 were ordered by Britain in May 1940, a further 575 ordered in June 1941 under the Lend-Lease Act, and another 600 in July 1942. The prototype Model 187B was flown on 14 June 1941, the first examples arriving in the United Kingdom in October 1941, becoming known as Mk Is (AG685 to AG734) and mainly being used by Operational Training Units. These had a single Vickers K machine-gun in the dorsal position, whereas the Mk II had twin Vickers machine-guns.

The second batch became known as the Mk II (AG735 to AG834); but after that further deliveries became the Mk III (AG835 to AH184) with a Boulton Paul dorsal turret with four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning machine guns. Some were lost during delivery due to the vessels conveying them being sunk. The Mk IIIA had a Martin dorsal turret with two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Browning machine guns and 281 were delivered (FA100 to FA380). There followed 294 Mk IVs (FA381 to FA674) and 600 Mk Vs (FW281 to FW886). The Mk IV had 1,268 kw (1,700 hp) engines and, when production concluded in May 1944, 1,575 examples had been completed, all being destined for the RAF.

The Baltimore was not a large aircraft and had a crew of four, consisting of a pilot, a navigator/bomb-aimer, a radio operator who also operated the ventral gun, and a dorsal turret gunner. It was considered to be over-powered, thus giving it a very good performance and if both engines were not opened-up in unison on take-off it was known to “ground-loop” violently. It initially entered service with Nos 55 and 223 Squadrons, RAF, and saw service during the retreat to El Alamein in June 1942. A number of SAAF units were equipped with the type in Egypt and took part in the Battle of El Alamein against the Afrika Korps.

No 454 Squadron RAAF was founded at Williamtown on 23 May 1941 and was destined for service in the European Theatre with the RAF but was disbanded on 1 July 1941, personnel being dispersed amongst Nos 456, 457 and 458 Squadrons. It was reformed as a light bomber squadron at Aqir in Palestine on 30 September 1942 and equipped with Bristol Blenheims, moving to Iran where it was expected to counter German forces in the Caucusus. However, no operations were flown and the units crews were posted to RAF Squadrons.

In January 1943 it returned to Palestine and joined No 201 Group, RAF Middle East Command, and re-equipped with Martin Baltimores, receiving Mk IIIs in February 1943 and beginning to fly anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols from bases in Egypt. It also served in the long-range reconnaissance role and carried out strikes on Crete, Southern Greece and the Greek Islands. On 10 July 1943 FA390 (flown by Flg Off D W Lewis) was attacked by two Messerschmitt Bf 109Fs from Crete, both enemy aircraft being claimed as destroyed. No 454 Squadron also operated on bombing missions against enemy targets in Crete, particularly on 23 July 1943 in Operation Thesis, when a large formation of Hurricanes, Beaufighters, Spitfires and Baltimores attacked enemy forces. Although no enemy fighters were encountered, accurate anti-aircraft fire caused the loss of 18 aircraft, this figure including five of the eight Australian Baltimores involved, this being the largest loss of Baltimores in a single operation in the war.

In November that year No 454 Squadron was involved in reconnaissance operations over the Aegean, and on 3 March 1944 it lost two Baltimores to enemy fighters during reconnaissance missions over Crete. The unit moved to Pescara in Italy in July 1944 where it became part of No 253 Wing. In November some operations were flown over Yugoslavia, Greece and the Aegean Islands, making attacks on troop
concentrations and other targets. After some night interdiction sorties the unit disbanded at Villaoiba, Italy on 14 August 1945. As far as can be ascertained, no Baltimore ever came to Australia and no examples survive.

No 459 Squadron RAAF was formed at Burg-el-Arab in Egypt in February 1942 and operated in the maritime reconnaissance role with Lockheed Hudsons. In September 1943 its role was changed to light bombing, carrying out day and night strikes on targets in Greece and Crete. It then operated Lockheed Venturas from December 1943 until, in July 1944, it was re-equipped with Baltimore Mk IVs and Mk Vs and continued operating these aircraft in bombing, anti-submarine and armed reconnaissance operations from Berka 3 in Cyrenaica, Libya. On 16 February 1945 the unit moved to Almaza in Egypt. It was expected thereafter to move to the United Kingdom and re-equip with the Vickers Wellington but the decision was reversed and the unit was officially disbanded on 10 April 1945.

One fascinating part of the operation of the Baltimore in North Africa was, due to the rudimentary nature of the airfields from which they operated, and the dust created by each aircraft as it took off, mass take-offs were regularly used during squadron operations, with as many as 18 Baltimores in line abreast taking off at the same time.