COMBAT AIRCRAFT No 2 B-26 MARAUDER UNITS OF THE EIGHTH AND NINTH AIR FORCES

The medium bomber 'workhorse' of the Ninth Air Force, Martin's much-maligned B-26 Marauder recovered from its poor start with the Eighth Air Force to go on and equip no less than eight bomber groups in the ETO. Although initially dubbed 'the widow maker', a change of tactics from low- to medium-level bombing for the Marauder soon improved the crews' chances of survival – indeed, by war's end it boasted a lower loss-per-sortie ratio than any other twin-engined bomber in the USAAF. This volume covers all aspects of Marauder operations in Western Europe, featuring first hand accounts from surviving B-26 crews, plus an analysis of the tactics employed.

Contents

Author's Introduction * A Phoenix Rising * Honing the Technique * The New Ninth * D-Day to the Ardennes * Battle of the bulge * Deadly Adversaries * Appendices