The Fab Four — American World War II Medium Bombers
Please excuse the play on words. These days, the phrase “The Fab Four” refers to the British pop/rock group The Beatles and how their appearance on the scene in the early 1960’s changed the musical and popular culture landscape forever. Their music — adaptable and engaging in so many idioms beyond its original form — and their long-lasting societal impact is indeed fabulous.
However, we’re talking about World War II aviation here, and in that vein, there was another quartet of standout players, whose performance and versatility were so far above their contemporaries that it demands to be called out.
Those aircraft were the American Martin B-26 Marauder, the North American B-25 Mitchell, the Douglas A-20 Havoc, and the Douglas A-26 Invader.
The World War II twin-engine medium bomber/attack plane was an interesting category of aircraft. Designed primarily for tactical missions, these aircraft would hit railroad marshalling yards, troop concentrations, command/control/communications centers, enemy airfields, shipping/docks/staging areas, any target that had an immediate relation to the front lines of battle. The longer-range four-engine heavy bombers would be tasked with striking the strategic targets deep in enemy territory like the Schweinfurt ball bearings works, the German fighter plane factory at Regensburg, or the oil refineries at Ploesti in Romania. (Interestingly, the long-range four-engine heavy bomber was strictly an Allied — American and British — weapon. The Germans and Japanese never deployed a successful equivalent. Read more here.)
So, while the more dramatic high-visibility targets might go to the “heavies” and the daring, glamorous dogfights took place between each side’s fighter aircraft, the tough, vital, day-in/day-out responsibility of providing direct support to the soldiers and sailors on the front lines fell to the medium bombers/attack planes.
And this American quartet was unmatched by those from any other country:
B-25 Mitchell
Probably the best medium bomber of the war, the Mitchell (named for the 1920s bombing pioneer General Billy Mitchell) provided excellent service on every front where the U.S was engaged. From the famed Doolittle Raid against Tokyo in April 1942, to wrecking Japanese shipping in the Pacific to hitting vital targets in Europe and Italy, the heavily armed, easy-to-fly Mitchell was a standout aircraft by any measure.
B-26 Marauder
The high-performance B-26 achieved one of the lowest (best) loss rates of any American warplane of the war. Operating from Great Britain over heavily defended targets in France and Germany, the B-26 posted a loss rate of just 0.5% per sortie, even lower than the sturdy P-47 Thunderbolt. Early on, it was plagued with a high landing speed and some tricky handling characteristics, which led it to being nicknamed “The Widow Maker” for its numerous crashes and accidents. It was also sarcastically referred to as “The Flying Prostitute,” because its relatively short wingspan caused one airman to say that the plane had “no visible means of support.” But once its early troubles were ironed out, the Marauder became a highly effective bomber, rugged, tough and fast.
A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc was classified as an Attack plane (hence the designation A) rather than a bomber. It’s a subtle distinction, at best. The Havoc was a typical American twin-engine attack/bomber aircraft: tough, fast, highly maneuverable and easy to fly. Like the B-26 and B-25, the A-20 was a success everywhere it was deployed. It also served successfully as a night fighter because of its outstanding overall performance. It was also supplied in large numbers to Britain and Russia, since neither of those countries produced a plane with its wide-ranging capabilities.
A-26 Invader
The Invader was the ultimate development of the twin-piston-engine attack/bomber aircraft configuration. Using two powerful Pratt and Whitney 18-cylinder radial engines, the A-26 achieved fighter-like speeds in excess of 350 mph. Like the other three, its inherent versatility enabled it to be configured in both a clear plexiglass nose version with a bombardier and the highly accurate Norden bombsite, or with a “solid” nose with multiple automatic weapons for ground attack. Introduced very late in World War II, it was such a successful design that it was used well into the 1960s, by many air forces around the world.
In stark contrast, the twin-engine medium bombers of the other major combatants (Britain, Germany, and Japan) were for the most part under-armed, slow, ponderous machines, lacking the rugged adaptability and near fighter-like speed and maneuverability of their American counterparts.
Why didn't others produce a twin-engine bomber?
Considering that the British produced two truly excellent four-engine heavy bombers in the Avro Lancaster and Hanley Page Halifax, their inability to deliver a similarly capable twin engine bomber is perplexing. The Vickers Wellington, Bristol Blenheim, Hanley Page Hampden, and Armstrong Whitworth-Whitley were all remarkably unremarkable machines, characterized by their limited range, inadequate defensive armament, and glaring inability to perform other roles such as ground attack, night-fighting or anti-shipping duties. While some historical aviation scholars might be quick to chime in, “Bristol Beaufighter! De Havilland Mosquito!” as examples of successful British twin-engine attack planes, honest observers would be quick to point out that those two types were more “heavy fighter” than they were “medium bomber,” and thus aren’t central to this discussion.
The Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” and Nakajima Ki-21 “Sally” were typical of all Japanese wartime bombers: particularly vulnerable to enemy fire, not well-armed and not easily adaptable to other roles. A G4M Betty bomber carrying famed Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (mastermind of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941) was shot down by American fighters in April 1943, sending Yamamoto to his death. A few quick bursts from the intercepting P-38 was all that was necessary to destroy the plodding, fragile Japanese plane.
The German Heinkel He-111 and Dornier Do-17 followed in the same fashion as the British and Japanese twin-engine bombers. Poorly armed and easy prey for opposing fighter aircraft, these planes faltered badly at the hands of British Hurricane and Spitfire fighters during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940.
The sole exception to this collection of forgettable British/German/Japanese also-rans was the outstanding Junkers Ju-88. Produced in huge numbers (over 15,000, more than any other twin-engine bomber from any country in World War II), the fast, rugged Ju-88 was easily able to perform many functions, and left its mark as a medium bomber, heavy day fighter, maritime raider and as a particularly effective radar-equipped night fighter.
But aside from the Junkers, no other country had anything even remotely competitive with this quartet (B-25, B-26, A-20, A-26) of outstanding twin-engine bombers. Although perhaps not as heroic as the B-17 Flying Fortress, not as glamorous as the P-51 Mustang, and not as famous as the “Sweetheart of Okinawa,” the F4U Corsair, American medium bombers/attack planes were head and shoulders above the rest of their ilk during the war.
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