This mission was called tow 9 in the official records. For this reason, the 38 b 23s built were never used in combat overseas, although for a brief period, they were employed as patrol aircraft stationed on the west coast of. The 38th bomb groups first station was in langley, va. Firstlieutenant robert nathan smith of the 387th bomb group. The 344th bombardment group was made up of four bomb squadrons 494th, 495th, 496th, 497th the following is a list of planes thanks to mark styling it was cross checked with a list derived from an original list created by carl m christ for the 344 th bg association, from the university of akron b26 archives courtesy of paul clouting. Both the japanese and army air forces pilots quickly learned that the rugged b26 could take antiaircraft fire. B26, 17th bomb group, 34th squadron, wwii, frisco, texas. While flipping through the pages i came across a picture of ishtakhaba, a b26 marauder of the 384th bomb group.
The struggle of testing the highly advanced aircraft, produced without a prototype, and training up the crews to the standards of the newest generation of medium bomber is fully covered. B26 marauder in action sc squadron signal books ss10210. After the united states entered world war ii on december 7, 1941, the 22nd bombardment group flew the b26 against the japanese in new guinea and rabaul in 1942. However the b26 marauder was shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire near seffern, germany. Martin b26 marauder 1941 344th bomb group, martin b26c45mo marauder sn 42107574 in england 1944 martin b26g25ma marauder bomber 4468154 crashed b26b marauder bomber of the 391st bomb group 575th bs 9th air force the cockpit interior of a b26 marauder bomber. On 31st january 1942 the ground echelons embarked from san francisco. Feb 27, 2010 15 years ago i purchased a book about wwii nose art. Media related to 323d bombardment group at wikimedia commons. The b26 nicknamed flak bait was the only american bomber to accomplish more than. Set up, printed and bound in australia by halstead press pty ltd, 919 nickson street, sydney. Military first lieutenant navigator b26 marauder 323rd bomb group lt. The following bombardment groups flew the b26 marauder with the 9th af in the european theatre. From drawing board to widow maker vindicated the ultiimate look wolf, william on.
At barksdale field, we also read about the first b26 group that arrived in england. The 323rd bombardment group, usaaf, was a b26 marauder unit that formed part of the eighth and then ninth air forces and took part in the campaign against german positions in occupied france before dday and supported the allied armies after the invasion. Follow the exploits of the men of the 397th bomb group, who flew the martin b26 marauder in missions throughout world war ii. The b26 marauder historical society group is a place for members and enthusiasts of the b26 to share and learn. This book covers the groups formation and training in the states as a b26 marauder unit in the hurried buildup of american air power. The 38th bomb group was assigned primarily b 25 aircraft, but also flew b 26, a20, and b 18 medium bombers.
The 344th bombardment group was made up of four bomb squadrons 494th, 495th, 496th, 497th the following is a list of planes thanks to mark styling it was cross checked with a list derived from an original list created by carl m christ for the 344 th bg association, from the university of akron b 26 archives courtesy of paul clouting. The norden bomb sight had been removed to the bomb sight vault for storage on this base. Many senior pilots of the 22nd bomb group in australia, the outfit that pioneered the marauder. The tipe my model presents was the b26 b50 of 344th bomb group, 9th air force, that became operational on 6th of march 1944 at stansted air base in uk. The b 26 marauder historical society group is a place for members and enthusiasts of the b 26 to share and learn. The 38th bomb group s first station was in langley, va. B 26 marauder clarks little pill flickr photo sharing. Missing airmen of a b26 marauder finally accounted for. Flying and fighting in the b26 marauder defense media. Inventory of the b26 marauder archives, 17th bombardment. The group formed there and trained with the new b26 medium bomber produced by the glenn l. Flew b 26 s in the 9th air force, 322nd group, 449th bomb squadron. Com 2008 guest book dedicated to martin b26 marauder men.
Squadron commanders and guidons 319th bomb group in formation to receive awards. Bomb bay view of martin b26 marauder bombers of the 323rd and 394th bomb groups drop 122 tons of bombs in an effort to take down the railroad bridge across the moselle river at trier, germany, 24 dec 1944. Martin b26 marauder home of the 38th bomb group association. He flew 106 combat missions in the marauder in one continuous tour of duty. The 323rd bombardment group, usaaf, was a b 26 marauder unit that formed part of the eighth and then ninth air forces and took part in the campaign against german positions in occupied france before dday and supported the allied armies after the invasion. In 1939, the martin b 26 marauder was built in parallel with north american b 25 mitchell, however while the b 25 was a docile handling airplane, the b 26 was nothing of the kind. With a page count of 640 pages of high quality and acid free paper, the book is covered in 10 chapters. A third bomb wing crew had removed all of the bombs from the early morning b 26 crash site, at 1630 this group began gathering up all of the b 26 wreckage for salvage. The treacherous journey was accomplished by island hopping over long stretches of the pacific ocean. Nov, 2014 the tipe my model presents was the b26 b50 of 344th bomb group, 9th air force, that became operational on 6th of march 1944 at stansted air base in uk.
B26 martin marauder 323rd bomb group 454th bomb squadron association home page. The following information is from roger marks excellent book called queensland airfields ww2 50 years on. The main user of the martin b26 marauder was the united states army air forces usaaf. The marauder, a book of the 22nd bomb group martin b26. This website by carl carrozza is meant to provide information for those interested in the history of our wwii flying men and the b26 marauder. B26 marauder with the 73rd bomb squadron armed with a mark xiii aerial torpedo at fort randall army airfield, cold bay, alaska, 11 may 1942, us army air.
If you look at the photos of war time marauders, you would see how rugged they usually looked, with chipped and discolored paint see colour photos in r. Wolf again brings the same degree of meticulous research to describe this unappreciated and misunderstood b 26 medium bomber. B26 marauder units of the eighth and ninth air forces. B 26 martin marauder 323rd bomb group 454th bomb squadron association home page. Rehr, a squadron commander with the 323rd bombardment group, earned 12 air medals, five battle. Baltimore, maryland, and omaha, nebraska, by the glenn l. In 1939, the martin b26 marauder was built in parallel with north american b25 mitchell, however while the b25 was a docile handling airplane, the b26 was nothing of the kind. B26 marauder units of the mto is a historical must for the collector of refernces on ww ii air war in the med. On its 101st mission, ishtakhaba struck and sheared off a telephone pole. Date spring 1944 bfd sn named clarks little pill from the bomb squadron, bomb group. What follows is an exact copy of a report written during world war 2 by a ssg robert a. The martin b 26 marauder was an american twinengined medium bomber that saw extensive service during world war ii. This website by carl carrozza is meant to provide information for those interested in the history of our wwii flying men and the b 26 marauder.
The 38th bomb group was assigned primarily b25 aircraft, but also flew b26, a20, and b18 medium bombers. After the united states entered world war ii on december 7, 1941, the 22nd bombardment group flew the b 26 against the japanese in new guinea and rabaul in 1942. You know you have the last word in this subject in your hand when you pick it up. B26 marauder, p rivate collection of b26 navigator 2nd lt. A group of tiger tail b 26 marauders of the 387th bomb group encounter a fierce attack by messerschmitt bf 109g14s over their intended target a railroad bridge at mayen, germany during the battle of the bulge on dec. Beall, 21, a pilot on a b 26 marauder bomber, has previously been awarded the air medal with nine oak leaf clusters. Busy day put guns back in p40, 4 martin b 26 marauders of 22nd bomb group arrived and a nice looking aircraft they are. This facebook page is to try to connect with members of the. East coast just after the start of the second world war, training with a mix of b 18 bolos and b 26 marauders. Transferred to the 323rd bombardment group by the raf on july 14, 1943, the 323rd flew its first combat mission from this airfield to the abbeville marshalling yard on july 16, 1943.
While significantly faster and better armed than the b18, the b23 was not comparable to newer medium bombers like the north american b25 mitchell and martin b26 marauder. Dixie was one of eleven b26 marauders of the 22nd bomb group that departed townsville on 8 june 1942 and raided lae on 9 june 1942. Flying and fighting in the b26 marauder defense media network. This site is the official website of the 344th bomb group. On december 23, 1944, a b26g marauder from the 559th bomber squadron, 397th bomber group, took off from saint quentin, france, on a mission to bomb an enemyheld bridge in eller, germany. Flew b26s in the 9th air force, 322nd group, 449th bomb squadron. Soon after ve day, some b 26 groups were demobilized, but others moved to germany to serve with the occupation forces. By fall of 1944 when the marauder was no longer being manufactured and parts were becoming scarce, the unit began training in the b25 while continuing to fly missions in the b26.
Nov 28, 2014 this is an amazing book on this subject and could be argued that it is the definitive book on the b26 marauder. The b 26 marauder archives at the university of akron archival services, a division of university libraries, consists of approximately 250 cubic feet of historic materials that document the important contribution made by the b 26 marauder and the men who flew them in world war ii. The 22nd bomb group was the first air group to receive the new b26 marauder medium bomber when it began rolling off the martin production line in early 1941. The following bombardment groups flew the b 26 marauder with the 9th af in the european theatre.
On 8th march 1944 two b26 marauder aircraft of the 344th bomb group, 494th bomb squadron, usaaf, 9th airforce based at stanstead, essex, collided in midair over the village of theydon mount, epping, essex, with the tragic loss of all onboard the two aircraft. The book is a most complete description and narration of the use of the marauder in a variety of combat situations where a heavy bomb load and speed got the job done. A group of tiger tail b26 marauders of the 387th bomb group encounter a fierce attack by messerschmitt bf 109g14s over their intended target a railroad bridge at mayen, germany during the battle of the bulge on dec. Inventory of the b26 marauder archives, 319th bombardment. B26 marauder of the 555th bomb squadron returning to england after a raid over germany. The 22nd bomb group was the first air group to receive the new b 26 marauder medium bomber when it began rolling off the martin production line in early 1941. The 387th bombardment group medium was constituted on november 25, 1942, and activated on december 1 at macdill field in tampa bay, florida. B26, 17th bomb group, 34th squadron, wwii home facebook. Photograph from the b26 marauder archives, 319th bombardment group reunion association, archival services, university libraries, the university of akron. The marauder, a book of the 22nd bomb group a souvenir of historic days spent in the southwest pacific the marauder. This is a welcoming and helpful place for people to find friends, learn about family. Wade commemorating the 100th mission of the b26 bomber hell s belle. B26 marauder clarks little pill flickr photo sharing. For this reason, the 38 b23s built were never used in combat overseas, although for a brief period, they were employed as patrol aircraft stationed on the west coast of.
The 38th bomb group was awarded four distinguished unit citations, and one philippine presidential citation. While significantly faster and better armed than the b 18, the b 23 was not comparable to newer medium bombers like the north american b 25 mitchell and martin b 26 marauder. B 26 s took off with full bomb loads under adverse conditions, and flew over mountain ranges and hundreds of miles out to sea in all kinds of weatherthe first medium bombers to patrol the west coast after the outbreak of war. Researched and written by members of the 397th bomb group association, this book is a collection of numerous documents and stories written by men who served with the 397th from the time of its inception in 1943 through the end of the war. B26 marauder historical society group public group facebook. Both the japanese and army air forces pilots quickly learned that the rugged b 26 could take antiaircraft fire and stay aloft. It was built for speed and was a highly strung, unforgiving airplane, that needed to be tamed by the most experienced pilots. B26 marauder bomber flak bait and another aircraft of same model in flight, 1945. B26 marauder rosie obrady of 344th bomb group imodeler. Edwards asn 17016481 was a radio operator and gunner on the martin b26 marauder unbearable ii. Martin b26g1ma marauder,sn 4334165 573rd bs, 391st bg, 9th af. Martin marauder of the medium bomb group at raf andrews field, on the perimeter track prior to takeoff.
I was a member of the 323rd bomb group, which first was assigned to the eighth air force, and later transferred a paper shuffle only to the ninth air force. Holdings include the international archive of the martin b 26 marauder, the 22nd bomb squadron of the 341st bomb group, 40th bomb group, 315th bomb wing, 330th bomb wing, 376th heavy bombardment group, 406th fighter group, and 446th bomb group. The b26 marauder archives at the university of akron archival services, a division of university libraries, consists of approximately 250 cubic feet of historic materials that document the important contribution made by the b26 marauder and the men who flew them in world war ii. B26 marauder bomber 386th bomb group 555th bs 9th air. Bomb group and their first mission was to attack the velsen generating station at ijmuiden, holland. Soon after ve day, some b26 groups were demobilized, but others moved to germany to serve with the occupation forces. The b26, nicknamed flak bait, was the only us bomber to accomplish more than. Robert nathan smith american air museum in britain. Jun 08, 2012 b26 marauder units of the mto is a historical must for the collector of refernces on ww ii air war in the med. This plane was assigned to the 37th bomb squadron, 17th bomb group, 12th air force. Flying the b26 marauder over europe and millions of other books are available for. He was an air gunner, and was promoted to navigator as he had some college education. During this period, the nk air force was destroyed and played no further part in war.
Martin b 26g1ma marauder,sn 4334165 573rd bs, 391st bg, 9th af. During this period the martin marauder was also operated by the us navy, free french air force, the south african air force and the royal air force. B26 of the 397th bomb group conducting pre dday strikes over normandy 397th bombardment group, included the 596th, 597th, 598th and 599th bomb squadrons based in european theater. World war ii in the crucial but little known b 26 marauder medium bomber. The main user of the martin b 26 marauder was the united states army air forces usaaf. History books aircraft time line commanders main bases component units assigned to history. B 26 materials include photographs, diaries, squadron and group records, personal narratives. The picture above is of the aircraft named in this account. Martin b 26 marauder air vanguard book 4 by martyn chorlton, adam tooby, et al.
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