Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Medium range twin-engine bomber

Power Plant:

Two 1,432 kw (1,920 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 eighteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines with two-speed superchargers

Specifications:

Armament:

Two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) fixed forward firing Colt Browning machine guns; 12.7 mm (0.50 in) flexibly mounted machine guns in nose and aft fuselage; two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns each in dorsal and tail turrets. Provision for up to two 908 kg (2,000 lb) bombs.

History:

In July 1939 Glenn L Martin Co submitted its Martin 179 design to the US Army Board and received a contract for 201 examples of a radical new bomber designed by Peyton M Magruder. Featuring a circular cross section, a tricycle undercarriage, and a low aspect ratio wing, it had good performance but at the expense of take-off and landing performance, the wing loading being 2.23 kg/m² (53 lb/sq ft). The prototype (40-1361) first flew at Baltimore, Maryland on 25 November 1940 in the hands of the Company’s chief engineer, Ken Ebel.

In September 1940 contracts were placed for 139 B-26As and 791 B-26Bs. Production continued throughout the war, with improvements being incorporated as production proceeded, and models up to the B-26G were built, the last aircraft, a B-26G flying on 18 April 1945. A total of 5,266 was completed at the two Martin facilities at Baltimore (Maryland) and Omaha (Nebraska).  A total of 521 examples was supplied to the RAF, most going to the Middle East where they were used by RAF and South African units.

In January 1942, following Pearl Harbour, four Squadrons of the 38th Bomber Group, USAAF, equipped with B-26As, fitted with torpedo shackles between the bomb doors, arrived in Australia, having flown across the Pacific. The B-26B saw extensive service in the Pacific, with the rear bomb bay fitted with a fuel tank (946 litres – 208 Imp gals) to extend range, reducing the max bomb load to 907 kg (2,000 lb).

The USAAC 22nd Bombardment Group based at Langley Field, Virginia, received its first B-26s in February 1941 and was combat ready by February 1942 when the Group was sent for operations in the south west Pacific area, 56 aircraft being shipped to Hawaii, and 51 flown to Australia, with two refuelling stops on islands on the way, this necessitating flights of up to ten hours duration. All but three arrived safely, one being badly damaged landing in Brisbane, QLD.

On 5 April 1942 the 22nd BG, now based at Townsville, QLD commenced operations against Japanese targets in Rabaul, New Britain staging through Port Moresby, NG the round trip being some 4,184 km (2,600 miles). The aircraft carried 907 kg (2,000 lb) of bombs and a fuel tank in the bomb bay. By the end of 1942 the Group had flown 52 missions, claiming the destruction of 94 Japanese fighters for the loss of 20 bombers. Attrition was high due to accidents and battle damage and, in January 1943, the unit was withdrawn from operations.

The surviving Marauders were then refurbished and attached to the 19th (Bomber Squadron) BS, whereas the other three Squadrons converted to the B-25 Mitchell. It would seem the old tired and damaged B-26s were not returned to the United States and most were scrapped in situ in Australia. At least one (40-1516) was scrapped at Amberley, QLD in February 1944. Subsequently the B-26s of the 19th BS at Dobodura, NG had their camouflage paint schemes removed and were covered with a coating of wax to increase performance. They flew in natural metal, becoming known as the Silver Fleet, and continued operations until January 1944, one such aircraft being 40-1363, the third B-26 built. In July 1942 twelve B-26s of the 70th Bomber Squadron flew into Nadi, Fiji, beginning operations on 14 November. Whilst the unit was based on Nadi some time was spent on training operations in the area.

As the Japanese were pushed back the B-26s operated from temporary airfields cut out of the bush but, as the B-25 was found to have a shorter take-off requirement, the island hopping campaign was taken over by the B-25. The latter entered production some months after the B-26 and was easier to manufacture. Three of the 22nd Group squadrons changed to the B-25 in 1943 and the B-26s, which by now had been in continuous combat operations for some time, were sent back to Garbutt near Townsville for rebuilding and reconditioning. As the B-25 had by now been chosen for Pacific operations, no more B-26s arrived to replace combat attrition and eventually only one unit was equipped with the B-26. Few spares became available and many were broken up for spares to keep the airworthy aircraft in service. The last mission flown by a B-26 in the south Pacific was flown on 9 January 1944.

On occasions experienced RAAF pilots flew with US B-26 crews as co-pilots and one of these was Sqdn Ldr CR “Bob” Gurney, who was killed when the B-26 in which he was the co-pilot was shot down near Kiriwina, NG he being an ex-Qantas flying boat Captain with Catalina experience and the CO of No 33 Squadron RAAF, having joined the USAAF crew as a navigator/co-pilot for the strike. Later the first airstrip completed at Milne Bay, NG was named Gurney and the first fighter units to be based there were Nos 75 and 76 Squadrons, RAAF.

It was found that the B-26 could outrun the Zero in a high-speed chase and, if the type came across enemy fighters, on occasion the bomb-load was jettisoned and the bombers were dived, making it necessary for the fighters to chase the bombers and come within range of the bombers effective tail and turret guns. However, if the fighters had a height advantage the B-26 had problems against the very effective armament installed in the Zero.

In US Navy service the type was known as the JM-1 and it was used, amongst other things, by anti-aircraft gunnery schools and for towing targets.  A small number of these visited No 1 Flight Air Training Headquarters at Garbutt, Townsville, QLD.  These aircraft were painted yellow overall and two were attached to the Command Group of Marine Utility Squadron Two (VJ-2), this unit being based at Pityilu airfield in the Admiralty Islands.  At one stage Detachment A of this unit operated from Archerfield, QLD from August 1944 to 16 November that year and carried out flights to the Wellington Point Gunnery School. In September 1944 one (BuAer 66607) of this unit crashed landing at Mackay, QLD following a failure of the brakes and it was stripped for parts.

Eventually the decision was made to withdraw the type from the south west Pacific area and B-26s were subsequently mainly used in the European Theatre of Operations. Despite receiving the appellation Widow Maker the B-26 became a formidable tactical aircraft and losses were, proportionately, the lowest of any US combat type.

After World War II a number were converted to high-speed executive transports; and one B-26C (N5546N) was entered in the 1949 Bendix Trophy Air Race but failed to make the starting line in time. A few survive, including: 41-31773 Flak Bait, a B-26B, the forward fuselage of which was on display at the National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC until mid 2016 when it was removed and work commenced on its restoration as a complete aircraft; 43-34581, a B-26G, displayed at the USAF Museum at Dayton, Ohio; 44-68219, a B-26G-25MA, at the Musee de l’Air at Le Bourget Airport, France; and 40-1464 (N4297J) at the Fantasy of Flight Museum at Polk City in Florida.

One B-26C, 41-35071 (N5546N) Carolyn, previously Valley Turtle, was operated for a period by the Confederate Air Force (later Commemorative Air Force) in Texas but was lost in an accident on 28 September 1995.

The wrecks of a few survive on islands in the Pacific. One of these (40-1426) of the 29th Bomber Squadron, 22nd Bomber Group of the 5th Air Force, was badly damaged when over Simpson Harbour on a mission out of Kilakia, Port Moresby. An attempt was made at a wheels down landing on swampy ground and the aircraft overturned. The wreck remains in situ.

A number of B-26s were involved in major accidents in Australia during the war, most being written off, and serials of those lost included: 40-1477, 40-1489, 40-1518, 40-1405, 40-1481, 40-1480 Thunderbird, 40-1522, 40-1409, 40-1401, 40-1389, 40-17553 and 40-17589. Probably the worst loss was 40-1390 Lil de Icer near Reid River, NT on 15 May 1942 with eight killed.

The remains of a B-26 were located in a swamp in 2004. This aircraft had flown from Hickham Field, Hawaii to Australia. On 31 March 1942 piloted by 1st Lt Louis Ford from Anthill Plains strip near Townsville, landed at 7 miles strip at Port Moresby. On 11 April 1942, after dropping its bombs on Rabaul, it was hit by AA fire, losing the right engine and hydraulic pressure, making a crash landing in the swamp where it has remained since.