Picture of the Day - Miscellaneous

[MIflyer]

Are those gun barrels in the wing inboard of the landing light?

I believe so. I recall that the Baltimore/A-31 had four fixed forward firing guns.

I recall reading that the Baltimores saved the day more than once in the Western Desert. Rommel would do a breakthrough and then the Baltimores would come in and tear up his tank formations. I also recall German pilots marveling how the Baltimores came over every day at noon and blasted their airfield with seeming impunity.

The Maryland was another that the RAF liked. I guess that since the USAAF had the Havoc, A-20, the B-25, and the B-26, the other Martin twins did not measure up. At the start of the war our fighters may have been second string but our light and medium twins were at least as good or better than anyone else.

 

[Glider]

Martin Baltimore at Bolling Field. The RAF seems to have like the airplane quite well. Probably much better than a Blenheim.

View attachment 799565

Isn't that a Maryland, not a Baltimore

 

[MIflyer]

Isn't that a Maryland, not a Baltimore

Yes, it is a Maryland. Listed in my pictures as a Baltimore. Baltimore did not first fly until 14 June 1941, by which time 75 Marylands had been delivered to France and the later airplane was actually a few mph slower. Both had about the same internal bombload.

Here are a couple more Maryland pictures.

 

[MIflyer]

A5M's CLAUDE

 

[Viking1066]

Junkers Ju 87B Picchiatelli '208' RA 96 Gruppo 208a Squadriglia 1941 ASBIZ

 

[Viking1066]

IJN Hosho 1922 WIWA

 

[Viking1066]

Fiesler Fi 156C Storch of Regia Aeronautica Libya September 1940 IMPE