Air Force to Retire A-10's in FY26

[Blizzard]

 

[The Quartermaster]

We can add great for sinking fast attack boats as well, to it's resume.

 

[Blizzard]

More Hawg fun...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036457498538877411

 

[AWP]

We can add great for sinking fast attack boats as well, to it's resume.

When I see stuff like this I'm reminded of the B-25 from WWII. They kept hanging guns on the airframe and refining the weapons until that plane did it all in the South Pacific. Level bombing, CAS, antishipping, airfield raids, special missions, that little plane did something of everything for a bomber. I'd argue it was the A-10 before the P-47 became our WWII version of the Hawg.

 

[The Quartermaster]

When I see stuff like this I'm reminded of the B-25 from WWII. They kept hanging guns on the airframe and refining the weapons until that plane did it all in the South Pacific. Level bombing, CAS, antishipping, airfield raids, special missions, that little plane did something of everything for a bomber. I'd argue it was the A-10 before the P-47 became our WWII version of the Hawg.

The more I had read about the B-25, the more I was in awe of the little bomber that was such a powerhouse and was way ahead of it's time with those other roles.

That 75mm must have been impressive both on the sending and the unexpected receiving end.

 

[AWP]

The more I had read about the B-25, the more I was in awe of the little bomber that was such a powerhouse and was way ahead of it's time with those other roles.

That 75mm must have been impressive both on the sending and the unexpected receiving end.

I've read accounts that it was a mixed bag. When it worked, it was great but it had other issues. Weight, reloads, other stuff I've forgotten. That led to the "strafer nose" with 8 .50 cals, plus 4 in cheek/ mounts. Numbers differ slightly, but crews would boresight all of those to converge at a known distance and could "cut a ship in two." As a kid I thought that was cool but too good to be true. Later there are indeed accounts of B-25's doing just that to smaller shipping. Hyperbole from the aircrews? I don't know.

12 .50 cals plus 2 in the upper turret for 14 total is a lot of freaking lead. With parafrags and skip bombing, B-25's and A-20's plowed through the south Pacific with the 5th (?) Air Force. They and B-24's almost exclusively pinned Rabaul in place and allowed it to be bypassed.

 

[The Quartermaster]

I've read accounts that it was a mixed bag. When it worked, it was great but it had other issues. Weight, reloads, other stuff I've forgotten. That led to the "strafer nose" with 8 .50 cals, plus 4 in cheek/ mounts. Numbers differ slightly, but crews would boresight all of those to converge at a known distance and could "cut a ship in two." As a kid I thought that was cool but too good to be true. Later there are indeed accounts of B-25's doing just that to smaller shipping. Hyperbole from the aircrews? I don't know.

12 .50 cals plus 2 in the upper turret for 14 total is a lot of freaking lead. With parafrags and skip bombing, B-25's and A-20's plowed through the south Pacific with the 5th (?) Air Force. They and B-24's almost exclusively pinned Rabaul in place and allowed it to be bypassed.

Now we're talking. I love history. As a teenage kid I used to love watching Discovery Channel Wings.

 

[Kraut783]

always thought the B-26 Marauder was a great medium bomber...but, you don't hear much about it. My step-father was a bombardier and nose gunner for it during WW2, he always had a fondness for it.

 

[Marauder06]

always thought the B-26 Marauder was a great medium bomber...but, you don't hear much about it. My step-father was a bombardier and nose gunner for it during WW2, he always had a fondness for it.

The Marauder. What a great name.

 

[The Quartermaster]

always thought the B-26 Marauder was a great medium bomber...but, you don't hear much about it. My step-father was a bombardier and nose gunner for it during WW2, he always had a fondness for it.

Probably because the USAF renamed the A-26 Invader to the B-26 Invader and it's been causing some confusion with the B-26 Marauder ever since then and long after retirement from services.

 

[DA SWO]

always thought the B-26 Marauder was a great medium bomber...but, you don't hear much about it. My step-father was a bombardier and nose gunner for it during WW2, he always had a fondness for it.

Lowest combat loss rate of the war.

 

[AWP]

always thought the B-26 Marauder was a great medium bomber...but, you don't hear much about it. My step-father was a bombardier and nose gunner for it during WW2, he always had a fondness for it.

TLDR: Several reasons

One fun fact, their combat debut was in the Pacific and they later fought at Midway in June 1942(I knew about Midway, but thought that was the first. I love these posts.). Another? The US a/c from WWII with the most combat missions flown was Flak Bait, a B-26 undergoing restoration by the Smithsonian.
Flak-Bait - Wikipedia

Anyway, I think it gets a bad rep because it was the "Lieutenant killer" of its day until some wing loading issues were worked out. It had some of the highest loss rates until changes were made and then became as DA SWO brought up, the a/c with the lowest loss rate. Quite a turnaround.

It's also unknown because the B-25 was produced around 2 to 1 over the B-26 and the little know A-20 7,500-ish both pre-war and during the war to the B-26's 5k-ish. The -25 also gave us the Doolittle Raid and was THE go to medium bomber in the Pacific. Something I didn't think of until I looked it up, it also served quite a bit in foreign air forces, so that 5k-ish number weren't exclusively American and numbers drive press.

And then history drove home the final nail as QM pointed out when the great aircraft designation changes took place in the 50's.

I agree though, great airplane but under recognized.

 

[Box]

The Marauder. What a great name.

Admittedly - that is a pretty happy coincidence.

But try this on for size:


That's right !!!
...the flying BOX car





just sayin'