Library Reference Number: 230
The 100th Operation
With casualty rates extremely high in both aircraft and men during World War Two, it was unusual for a plane to reach the recorded number of one hundred operations. It was even more remarkable that a Glenn Martin B26 Marauder aircraft should aspire to this figure considering its disastrous introduction to wartime aviation.
To begin with, war fever caused the US Air Corps to forego a prototype test stage, and bombers went from the drawing board straight into production. The outcome was deadly for initial aircrews flying the Martin bomber. In May 1943, the USAAF operated eleven Marauders unescorted from Southern England, lost all eleven in an unsuitable raid over Jjmuiden, Holland, this leading to a change in policy. The USAAF threatened to withdraw the aircraft from combat, but Marauder crews stuck with their airplane.
No.24 Squadron SAAF was the first of five South African Squadrons to be equipped with B26 Marauder medium bombers, which they accepted in December 1943. Previously, the Squadron had flown Bostons.
Marauders were vulnerable over heavily defended targets as bombs had to be dropped at around 10,000 feet and no higher. In two raids in March 1944 over Suda Bay in Crete, the Squadron unescorted, was attacked constantly by groups of German aircraft (ME109s and FW190s) and eight Marauders out of twelve were shot down, the remainder suffering severe damage. Further losses became known in Squadron lore as the "Marauder Massacre" and confirmed that the Marauder targets had to be carefully chosen to suit the aircraft's capabilities. One good point made was that the Marauders could not operate properly without fighter escorts. With some reluctance by High Command these were eventually provided.
How then, was it ever possible for a B26 Marauder to survive long enough to complete over 100 operations? The answer came in the shape of an aircraft allocated to our Squadron and designated the letter 'W.
In May 1944 whilst the Squadron was stationed at RAF Gambut (situated in Libya halfway between Bardia and Tobruk) aircraft B26 F-6 MA serial No.HD588 arrived to join the Squadron, it was given the letter 'W' after alc of similar letter had been shot down over Santorini Island (North of Crete) in March 1944.
After crewing up on the Squadron, the first crew to fly 'W re-named it 'We6' (the '6' being Pilot, 2nd Pilot, Navigator/Bomb Aimer, W/Op/AG and two Air Gunners). The aircraft's first operation was in early June 1944 attacking enemy shipping. Shortly afterwards, the Squadron was moved to Italy, initially to Pescara on the Adriatic coast, and later in 1944 to Lesi inland from Ancona.
From July 1944 to February 1945 (when reaching 100th operation) aircraft 'We6’ had bombed various targets in Northern Italy, Yugoslavia, Southern Austria and despite numerous encounters with severe flak and enemy fighters managed to remain intact to proceed on its 100th operation. This was the first Marauder in the SAAF to reach its 100th raid. This operation took place on 21st February 1945, the target being a large sugar refinery at Sermide. Eight Marauders in two boxes of four led by Major Liddell DFC attacked the target successfully.
My crew were selected by the South African magazine 'Outspan' (on the CO’s recommendation) to do a photo-shoot and interview; this although the crew had only flown 'W' on 24 operations. Aircraft 'W' flew on to the end of the war in Italy completing a total of 115 operations. This was a remarkable and totally unexpected achievement for any B26 Marauder taking into account its previous record under heavy fire.
My personal flying experience with the Marauder ended in late March 1945. I was called to the CO’s office to be told that I was tour-expired after 69 operations. The length of operational time was at the CO's discretion, there being no set rules about grounding etc as existed in UK.
The B26 Marauder technical details were: -
- Engine - Two Pratt & Whitney eighteen cylinder air-cooled radials
- Wingspan - 71 ft.
- Take-off speed -140 mph.
- Landing speed -130 mph (high!)
- Armour - Eleven 0.5 Browning machine guns.
- Bomb Load - 4,000 Ib (max).
- Max Speed - (with bomb load) 283 mph at 5,OOOft. 274 mph at 15,000ft (max)
- Range - 1,000 miles.
- Endurance - 5hrs (Approx) Heavy protection in crew cabin.
- Number Produced – 5157
- Designed by Peyton M. Magruder, Glenn L. Martin Company, USA.
Several modifications to the original' design helped the B26 survive. Flown by 13 very large USAAF Bomb Groups; 2 RAF Squadrons (14 and 39); 5 SAAF Squadrons and 3 Free French Squadrons. There is a large Marauder Museum and Library situated in Tucson, Arizona, and a thriving Marauder Historical Society.