200 Combat Missions: How the War's Most Battered Plane Survived | B-26 Marauder
This video tells the story of the legendary American B-26 Marauder bomber and a specific aircraft, the Flak-Bait, which became the most survivable bomber of World War II. The aircraft, ominously nicknamed because of its constant exposure to anti-aircraft fire, survived 207 combat missions and over a thousand hits. The story begins with the creation of the B-26 Marauder in 1939, when young engineer Peyton Magruder designed a revolutionary medium bomber. Despite an early infamy as the Widowmaker and the Flying Coffin due to numerous training accidents, the aircraft became one of the most successful bombers of the war. The Flak-Bait served in every major operation in Europe, from the bombing of France to the Normandy landings and the Battle of the Bulge, proving the incredible survivability of American aviation.
Key moments:
— The creation of the B-26 Marauder in March 1939, based on the designs of twenty-six-year-old engineer Peyton Magruder, and the ordering of the aircraft straight from the drawing board without a prototype.
— The tragic reputation of the Widowmaker and the investigation by Senator Harry Truman in 1942 following a series of disasters in which fifteen aircraft crashed in thirty days at MacDill Air Force Base.
— The introduction of the legendary Flak-Bait in the spring of 1943, named by Lieutenant James Farrell after the family dog, and its first combat mission on August 16, 1943.
— Flak-Bait's participation in major operations: its 100th mission in June 1944, including two on D-Day, supporting the advance through France, and the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.
— Completion of its 200th mission on March 30, 1945, followed by a record of 207 combat sorties, 170 tons bombs dropped and the lowest loss rate among American aircraft in Europe.
Music: "Eyes of Glory" by Aakash Gandhi, "Duty Calls" by Rod Kim. Photos and videos are taken from archive.org and are in the public domain.
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