This week we start with a request for help from Andrew Green, a print
and radio journalist who is anxious to make contact with anyone who
has memories of being in any way involved in Operation Cycle or
Operation Aerial in 1940. All memories, of whatever kind will interest
him. Andrew's interest is in how troops did, or didn't, get home after
Dunkirk.
His phone number is: 01494 881871
email: gardengreen...@yahoo.co.uk
We then start a series of articles looking at the D-Day landings,
Operation Overlord and the campaign in Normandy, beginning with the
landing on Utah Beach. Next we look at the controversial Martin B-26
Marauder, and we conclude with six biographies of USAAF generals of
the Second World War, including 'Hap' Arnold.
D-DAY: UTAH BEACH, Gambit and Landing Craft
The landings on Utah Beach (6 June 1944) were the most westerly and
perhaps the easiest of the D-Day landings, due in part to the actions
of the American airborne divisions operating inland from the beach and
partly to a strong tide which swept the landing craft a kilometre to
the south of their intended landing point
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_utah_beach.html
Operation Gambit (2-6 June 1944) was one of the smaller operations
that made up the D-Day landings and saw ten men in two British mini-
submarines spend three days on the sea-floor off the Normandy beaches
so that they could transmit a sonar signal to guide the DD tanks onto
the right part of the beach
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_gambit.html
The Landing Craft, Personnel (Large) (LCP(L)) was the first purpose-
build landing craft to be acquired by the US Marine Corps, and was the
first in a series of designs that culminated in the LCVP, one of the
most important Allied weapons of the Second World War
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_landing_craft_personnel_...
The Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramp) (LCP(R)) was developed during 1941
by Andrew Higgins to solve the biggest problem with the basic LCP(L) –
the difficulties encountered in disembarking over the sides of the
craft, and was the first version of the Higgins Boat to feature a bow
ramp.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_landing_craft_personnel_...
The sight of a row of Landing Craft, Vehicle Personnels (LCVP) coming
in to land on a hostile beach is one of the most familiar images of
the Second World War.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_landing_craft_vehicle_pe...
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
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_Pacific.html
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.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_mediterranean.html
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
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_RAF.html
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
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_ETO.html
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.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_Free_French.html
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
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_SAAF.html
MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER DEVELOPMENT AND VARIANTS
The Martin B-26 Marauder was one of the more controversial American
aircraft of the Second World War, earning an early reputation as a
killer aircraft before going on to suffer the lowest loss rate of any
American bomber in the European theatre
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_intro.html
The Martin B-26 Marauder was the designation given to the first 201
Marauders, ordered straight off the drawing board in 1940 and
delivered during 1941.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26.html
The Martin B-26A Marauder was the second production version of the
aircraft. It differed from the B-26 in having the 0.30in nose and tail
guns replaced with more powerful 0.50in guns, and by having the
fittings for an auxiliary fuel tank in the aft bomb bay.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26A.html
The Martin B-26B was the most numerous version of the Marauder. At
first it differed from earlier versions in having more powerful
engines and increased armament, but starting with the 642nd aircraft
it was also given longer wings and larger tail fin in an attempt to
make it easier for inexperienced pilots to fly
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26B.html
The Martin B-26C Marauder was the designation given to those B-26s
built at Martin's factory in Omaha, Nebraska
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26C.html
The Martin XB-26D Marauder was the designation given to a single B-26
that was modified to test a wing de-icing system that used ducts to
direct hot air from the engines onto the wings
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_XB-26D.html
The designation Martin B-26E Marauder was associated with two
different projects, involved either an adjustment of the angle of
incidence of the wings or the movement of the aircraft's dorsal
turret.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26E.html
The Martin B-26F saw the last major change to the design of the
Marauder medium bomber, a 3.5 degrees increase in the angle of
incidence of the wing, which was introduced to improve the aircraft's
poor take-off performance
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26F.html
The Martin B-26G was the final production version of the Marauder
bomber and was part of an effort to increase the number of parts that
Army and Navy aircraft had in common.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26G.html
The Martin XB-26H Marauder was the designation given to a single
TB-26G trainer that was modified to test out a new arrangement of
landing gear that was being designed for the new generation of jet
bombers.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_XB-26H.html
The Martin AT-23 was the first designation given to a number of
Marauder bombers converted to act as target tugs.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_AT-23_Marauder.html
The Martin TB-26 was the second designation given to a number of
Marauder bombers converted to act as target tugs, replacing AT-23
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_TB-26.html
The Martin JM was the US Navy designation for a number of B-26
Marauders acquired for use as trainers and target tugs
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_Martin_JM.html
USAAF GENERALS
General Henry Harley 'Hap' Arnold (1886-1950) was the most senior
American airman of the Second World War, and a dedicated believer in
the power of strategic bombing.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_arnold_hap.html
Millard F. Harmon (1888-1945) was a senior American airman of the
Second World War who spent most of the war serving in the Pacific,
taking part in the fighting in the Solomon Islands before holding a
number of overlapping and sometimes contradictory positions under
Nimitz in the central Pacific.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_harmon_MF.html
George Howard Brett (1886-1963) was a senior USAAF officer who was on
a tour of the Middle East and China at the time of the Pearl Harbor
attack, and in the aftermath took command of all American forces in
Australia in December 1941, holding that post through some of the
disastrous early fighting in the Pacific.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_brett_GH.html
Frank Maxwell Andrews (1884-1943) was a pioneer of strategic air power
and a senior USAAF officer who served in the Caribbean, the
Mediterranean and briefly as commander of the European Theatre of
Operations, US Army (ETOUSA) while Eisenhower was in North Africa
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_andrews_FM.html
Major General Frederick Anderson (1905-1969) was an American pioneer
of strategic air warfare. First as commander of VIII Bomber Command
and then as deputy commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in
Europe he played a major role in the American bombing campaign against
Germany
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_anderson_f.html
General John K. Cannon (1895-1955) was a senior USAAF officer who by
the end of the Second World War had risen to command the Mediterranean
Allied Air Force, having spent most of the war in that theatre.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_cannon_jk.html
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