Martin Maryland

Martin Marylands in North Africa

The Martin Maryland, also known as the Martin Model 167, is a US designed light bomber that saw service with the Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in World War II.

Variants

The Martin Maryland only had one variant, which was the Martin Baltimore. The Baltimore was more successful than the Maryland though, and saw much more service.

History

The Maryland was a response to a USAAF request for a light bomber. First flown as the Xa-22 on 14th March 1939, the Maryland was rejected as the A-20 Havoc won the contract. However, a production order for 115 aircraft came from France, supplemented by an order for an additional 100 Martin 167A-3 aircraft, known by the company designation Model 167F, with 140 Marylands eventually being shipped to France for its service, following the lifting of a US arms embargo in October 1939. With France, the Maryland performed with great skill, having only a 4% loss compared to other light bombers. After the French Armistice of 1940, The British Government took over the remaining 75 Marylands from the French order along with 75 built under a direct RAF contract. These were named the Maryland Mk I. The 75 Maryland Mk Is were followed by an order for 150 Maryland Mk IIs, that had superchargers on their engines..

Initially deployed for target-towing and long range reconnaissance, the Maryland was later used as a light bomber. The first RAF unit to receive the Maryland was the Malta-based 431 flight, which later became 69 Squadron. The type saw service in the Western Desert with 39 and 223 Sqns, while 72 examples were transferred to four squadrons of the SAAF - 12, 20, 21 and 24. Marylands also served with shore based units of the Fleet Air Arm, performing reconnaissance missions prior to the November 1940 Fairey Swordfish attack against the Italian fleet at Taranto, and locating the battleships Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in May 1941.