RAF Martin "Twins"

[leyreynolds]

I have just started on my "RAF Martin Twins" project - Marauder, Maryland and Baltimore - and while I have found more than enough reference for the Marauder, I have found very little in English on the other two apart from an old Profile. Any suggestions please?

 

Ley

[Work In Progress]

There are decent Polish monographs on the Maryland from 2005, no longer available new but you might find one second hand somewhere: 

https://www.largescaleplanes.com/reference/details.php?title=3426

reviewed here https://www.modelingmadness.com/others/books/poimaryland.htm

... and on the Baltimore, same year:

https://www.largescaleplanes.com/reference/details.php?title=3420

 

also check out this article, partly for itself but also for its bibliography at the end 

https://militarymatters.online/forgotten-aircraft/martin-maryland-167-a3-overlooked-stalwart/

Edited September 29, 2024 by Work In Progress

[leyreynolds]

Thanks that's great. The last site gives all the history  I couldn't find elsewhere.

 

Ley

[Duggy]

Martin Model 167 Maryland - Link - http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?id=18807

 

Martin 187 Baltimore - Link - http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?id=18843

 

Martin B-26 Marauder - Link - http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?p=1&id=11745#post-11745

[leyreynolds]

Thanks Duggy.

 

Ley

[Work In Progress]

3 hours ago, Duggy said:

Martin Model 167 Maryland - Link

Pretty good site you have there!

[tempestfan]

On 9/29/2024 at 6:26 AM, leyreynolds said:

I have just started on my "RAF Martin Twins" project - Marauder, Maryland and Baltimore - and while I have found more than enough reference for the Marauder, I have found very little in English on the other two apart from an old Profile. Any suggestions please?

 

Ley

The ML on the Baltimore is still available from a seller in Poland on a certain auction platform, for a very reasonable € 15 (though shipping to Oz may be a killer, if he ships there at all). Before that, there was a very useful publication in Greek, Squadron in action style - have to check the author's correct name but I think Mikhail Sollanakos, or similar.

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Some notes,

France reports importing large numbers of SC3G engines from United Aircraft Corporation (Pratt and Whitney) during 1939 and 1940 for fitting to Maryland and Hawk,  The RAF reports its Maryland 167F(3) had Twin Wasp SC3-G (and 7.5mm machine gun, 4 in forward wings, 1 in dorsal position, 2 fixed and 1 free ventral, 292 mph at 13,000 feet) while its Curtiss Mohawk had Cyclone G205A as they came from the fourth batch of P-36 for France which had switched from Twin Wasp to Cyclone.  The 4 Maryland orders were all made by France, the third ended up split between Britain and France, the fourth taken over by Britain.

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235145237-martin-maryland/

 

Total production 1 XA-22, 115 167F1, 100 167F2, 130 167F3/B3/Mark I, 150 167B4/Mark II, total 496, 1 US, 257 France, 238 Britain.  Official production probably began in September 1939, continued until July 1940 then the final batch December 1940 to April 1941.

As of end June 1944 the RAF reported it was down to 7 Maryland I in the Mediterranean, 10 had been lost in Britain, 45 overseas, 14 lost in transit, 3 to Admiralty, 1 to Free French, 2 unknown, 13 transferred, 139 Maryland II had been lost overseas and 11 transferred.  All lost in transit were between Britain and Africa.

 

Baltimore, first order was joint Britain/France for 400 split 233/167.

 

Marauder. B-26A R-2600-5 engines, B-26A-1 R-2800-39 engines, the B-26A are the first 21, the final 7 and 2 others in the block 41-7345 to 41-7483.  Next came the B-26B then the B-26B-2

 

AT-23A, Serials wise the first 99 within the B-26B-40 block, the final 109 between the B-40 and B-45 blocks.  Two hundred and eight B-26B became the trainer version AT-23A, the first ninety nine are reported as AT-23A bombers, that is they are in the official medium bomber totals, the remaining one hundred and nine were reported as AT-23A trainers and are in the trainer totals.  The August 1943 production report was revised from originally reporting all production as B-26B to a mixture of B-26B and AT-23.  All the 375 B-26C accepted as AT-26B, including those that became USN JM’s, are reported under medium bombers.  Similarly the fifty seven TB-26G are reported as medium bombers, not trainers.  Explains some of the confusion.  The USN received 200 AT-23B as JM-1 plus 25 B-26C-45 also designated JM-1.  The TB-26G started production within the B-26G-15 block, the 150 B-26G-25 block in serial order were 117 BG-26, 32 TB-26G, 1 B-26G, first 10 TB-26G to USAAF (G-15), remaining 47 (15 G-20, 32 G-25) to USN.

 

USAAF B-26 Groups in Mediterranean 17th, 319th, 320th, in Northern Europe, 322nd, 323rd, 344th, 386th, 387th, 391st, 394th, 397th.

 

RAF Marauder squadrons
14 from Aug-42 to Sep-44
39 from Dec-44 to Sep-46
231 from Sep-44 to Apr-45
SAAF Squadrons
12 from Dec-43 on
21 from Jul-44 on
24 from Jul-44 on
25 from Oct-44 on
30 from Aug-44 on, ex Baltimore equipped RAF 223 Sqn

 

Deliveries in USA, for Britain 17 B-26A, 54 B-26A-1, 100 B-26C, 200 B-26F, 150 B-26G, for France 57 B-26C, 114 B-26G.  Of the 450 B-26C, F and G meant for Britain 230 had been lost by 30 August 1945.

 

USAAF Marauder orders
20-Sep-39,    201    Baltimore
16-Sep-40,    139    Baltimore
28-Sep-40,    791    Baltimore
26-Jun-41,    500    Baltimore
28-Jun-41,    1200    Omaha
7-Mar-42,    200    Baltimore
29-Sep-42,    900    Baltimore
16-Mar-43,    500    Baltimore
20-Jul-43,    385    Omaha
21-Jun-44,    450    Baltimore

[rossm]

Model Aircraft Monthly did a 2 part feature by Tony O'Toole - PM me for a scan.

[leyreynolds]

Thanks Geoffery.

Marylands in the FAA. Now that's definitely interesting - any details of colours/markings or photo's please?

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

No, I can supply numbers but nothing on appearances.

[Graham Boak]

AR717/28/20/23/24/36/40, but three were only briefly in FAA hands before returning to the RAF.  The most interesting one is AR720 771/W which spotted the Bismarck breakout 22.5.41.  It was later771/T and photographed on Orkney apparently still in TLS.  However, given the variation in the appearance of TSS in  b&w photos, and known TSS on 771's Bostons/Havocs, it is always possible...)  I'd go with TLS.  AR718 (771/X), annotated as (TT) in Sturtivant, also spent some time on Orkney, both operating from late 1940 until mid-1943 at least.  AR740 was with the Station Flight at Donibristle 26/4/43 into 1944, intially alongside AR735 (also TT) whose further fate is unknown.  It appears likely that they were used as target tugs and other duties for fleet co-operation.

[leyreynolds]

Thanks Graham. TLS it is then.

 

Ley

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

RAF Serial Registers

AR717 RNAS Hatson 4 Dec 40, RAE 4 Feb 41.
AR718 Donibristle 26 Oct 40, (unreadable) 26 Feb 41, Stradishall? 26 Jul 41, Middle East 1 Jan 42
AR720 RNAS Donibristle (Admiralty) 28 Dec 40, to RN
AT723 Donibristle 25? Oct 40, Burtonwood 18 Dec 40, Middle East 17 Jul 41
AR724 Donibristle 24 Oct 40, Burtonwood 7 Dec? 40, OADF Kemble 23 Feb 41, Malta 11 Mar 41, SOC 28 May 41
AR736 AMCU? Kemble 30 Jan 41, to RN
AR740 AMCU? Kemble 30 Jan 41, to RN

 

AR728 Middle East 3 ?? 1941
AR735 Malta 24 Dec 40, SOC 19 May 41

[leyreynolds]

Thanks Geoff.