| Re: FM- a Pacific theater B-26 idea
That Pacific Theatre B-26 belonged to the 22nd Bomb Group, one of the pioneer B-26 units. It was deployed to the South Pacific in early 1942, and the Group staged out of Port Moresby in strikes against the Lae based Tainan Wing. Saburu Sakai mentioned flying against them, and many pilots preferred the Marauder to the B-25 when it came to flying un-escorted missions. The Marauder's greater speed meant greater survivability, especially when compare to the B-25. However, the Europe First policy and the effectiveness of the B-26 in the ETO resulted in the majority of Marauder deliveries being sent to the UK. The B-26 pictured was part of the 22nd Group's 19th Bomb Squadron, which was the final unit of the 22nd to fly the B-26. The planes were stripped of paint, and served as a sort of Silver Bullet squadron for its parent group and the 5th Air Force. These B-26s soldiered on until January 1944, when the B-25 was standardized as the standard medium bomber of the South Pacific theatre.
Another B-26 I'd like to see is a Midway one, as Aviation History did a good story on a B-26 that buzzed the Japanese flagship Akagi.
Skysurfer808 |