November 25, 1940 - The Martin B-26 Marauder (right) first flies. Designed by team led by Peyton Magruder, the B-26 was created in response to a 1939 US Army Air Corps request for a new medium bomber. Ordered into production straight from the drawing board, the aircraft entered service in 1941. As the US Army Air Forces expanded to meet the demands of World War II, the B-26's accident rate skyrocketed due to its abnormally high landing and stall speeds. This led inexperienced crews to dub the Marauder the "Widowmaker" and "Martin Murderer." Though Martin worked to solve the problem, these speeds remained high throughout the aircraft's service career. Those crews that gained experience on the B-26 found it to be a superior aircraft that possessed excellent crew survivability. Though initially serving in the Pacific, the B-26 made its mark in the skies over Europe. The aircraft performed well during the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Northwest Europe. A highly accurate bomber, the Marauder remained in service until the end of the war and was flown by several Allied nations. During the conflict, B-26s flew more than 110,000 sorties and dropped over 150,000 tons of bombs.
Photograph Courtesy of the US Air Force
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