Martin B-26 Marauder Combat Record

The Martin B-26 Marauder had a short combat career in the Pacific. After playing a part in the early fighting on New Guinea, at Guadalcanal and even at Midway the type was withdraw from the Pacific during 1943, but this early combat experience did help overcome the aircraft's early poor reputation
The Martin B-26 Marauder played an important part in the fighting in North Africa and Italy, first arriving in the theatre at the end of 1942 and remaining in service in large numbers until the start of 1945.
Although the RAF received a sizable number of B-26 Marauders, only two squadrons were ever equipped with the type, both in the Desert Air Force, and only one Marauder squadron was ever active at any one time
The controversial Martin B-26 Marauder saw most service with the Ninth Air Force, operating with eight Bombardment Groups. After a terrible introduction into the European Theatre as a low-level bomber the B-26 found its niche as a medium bomber, and ended the war with the best loss ratio of any bomber in the Ninth Air Force
The Martin B-26 Marauder was used in large numbers by the revived French Armée de l'Air from 1943, and was used during the fighting in Italy and southern France. The South Africa Air Force received 100 Marauders IIs, using them to equip five squadrons of the Desert Air Force, although by the time the Marauders began to arrive all five squadrons had moved to Italy, where they remained until the end of the war