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10-18-2007, 10:22 AM
| #1 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Queensland
Posts: 4,543
| Martin Baltimore Gents, the Martin Baltimore to me, is one of the great unknown aircraft of WWII. It served successfully in the MTO with 5 different airforces with 1575 a/c being produced. Questions, How come it was never used as a light bomber or recce a/c over continental Europe? Was it deemed incapable of operating in that theatre, if the similar Boston could, surely the Baltimore would have been able to. Was there simply no need for another light bomber, taking into account the multitude of a/c already fulfilling that role (Boston, mossie plus all the fighter bombers etc). Why no interest from the USAAF? Sorry lots of questions, but after reading a couple of books about RAAF squadrons that flew the type in the desert, I've had a bit of interest in this a/c which doesn't seem to get talked about much. Some pics of 454 sqn RAAF Baltimores. pics 1,2 and 3 from Australian War Memorial: One of the world's great museums rest unknown
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10-18-2007, 10:24 AM
| #2 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Queensland
Posts: 4,543
| Sorry didn't know those two pics were so freakin HUGE!!!
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10-18-2007, 11:36 AM
| #3 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Missouri
Posts: 375
| Sorry that I don't have an answer to your question, but the pics are cool. Any info on the one above the harbor? Curious to where that is..... I see in your avatar that you show the Vultee Vengeance. For the most part I heard that they weren't very good aircraft but that your fellow countryman made good use of them in Burma. |
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10-18-2007, 01:50 PM
| #4 | ||
| Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Queensland
Posts: 4,543
| Quote:
Quote:
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10-18-2007, 09:30 PM
| #5 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 265
| The Baltimore was derived from the Maryland, which was a fast bomber for it's generation, but was cramped and inadequately armed. The Baltimore had a deeper fuselage, more powerful engines, and somewhat more armament. It was still cramped due to the very narrow fuselage. The Baltimore certainly performed a valuable service to the allied cause, principally in the MTO. Their exploits are overshadowed in part because few, if any were used by the U.S. However, they were in the thick of the fighting from Tunisia and Sicily to Italy and the Balkans. tom
__________________ The First Amendment is indefensible without the Second Amendment. |
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10-19-2007, 04:40 AM
| #6 |
| Senior Member Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 239
| Baltimore not in Europe? I believe that was a way to simplfy logistics. I believe the same reason for USAAF did not use B-25 in UK. Probably another model of twin engine bomber was not needed along with Blenheim, Mitchell, Boston, Mosquito, Ventura, B-26, A-20... I read once tha PBM Mariner was liked by RAF but for the same reason it was not used in UK and not acquired by RAF in bigger numbers. Baltimore used by 5 Air Forces: RAF, RAAF, SAAF and who else? Max |
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10-19-2007, 06:39 AM
| #7 | |
| Senior Member Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,076
| Quote:
('Combat Aircraft of World War Two' by Weal and Barker) Very nice photos Wildcat. Last edited by Graeme; 10-19-2007 at 07:48 AM. Reason: question already answered | |
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10-19-2007, 06:42 AM
| #8 |
| Senior Member Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 239
| You are so right! Thanks |
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