Martin Baltimore (A-30) Light / Medium Bomber (1941)
Though produced in limited numbers and neglected by the USAAF, the Baltimore found new life with the RAF.
Initially designated as the A-23 (from the A-22 design) the Baltimore came about through a need as detailed by the Royal Air Force for a light to medium bomber, with first units arriving towards the latter months of 1941. The A-23 was in fact a Army Air Corps design that was never picked up for production. As such, Great Britain entities considered some uses for it and the system became known as the Baltimore. These units were put to quick use in the Middle East, which by then were being fielded in the Mk I and Mk II forms. The distinct differences between the two lay in the dorsal defensive gun arrangement.
The Mk III would arrive by mid-1942 and feature the addition of a powered Boulton-Paul type dorsal turret which could be arranged with either quad or dual 7.7mm machine gun mounts. The Mk III was also fitted with two Wright Cyclone GR-2600-19 radial piston engines capable of 1,660hp each, propelling the Baltimore to speeds over 300 miles per hour. Fuselage design made the Baltimore Mk appear very tall and narrow with the four crewmembers manning the various positions about the aircraft. The nose assembly was consistent with other America-designed bombers of the time and featured the identifiable greenhouse-type design with the flight deck mounted to the rear and above the nose area. Wings were mid-mounted on the fuselage with a dorsal turret facing rear and before the single-fin tail. Bomb bay doors made up nearly the length of the underside.
Though not a groundbreaking design by any stretch, the Baltimore series was reportedly a very capable bomber in the light-to-medium role. The performance capabilities and 2,000lb internal bombload provided the RAF with a much needed punch in the role it was designed to fill. The Mk III was further followed by the Mk IIIA, Mk IV and the Mk V with the latter model fielded as late as May of 1944.
Though never produced in huge volume, the Baltimore would appear with various British forces and squadrons along with the United States Army Air Force (appearing as the A-30, though for contractual purposes, the A-30 designation was used between the United States and Great Britain for the purposes of Lend-Lease) and with Turkish forces through the Lend-Lease agreement. Additionally, the Baltimore series would be seen with Italian forces and Free French Air Forces by war's end. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Martin Baltimore (A-30)
Light / Medium Bomber
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Glenn L. Martin Company - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1941
Production: 1,575
Focus Model: Martin Baltimore Mk III
Crew: 4
Length: 48.46ft (14.77m)
Width: 61.32ft (18.69m)
Height: 17.75ft (5.41m)
Weight (Empty): 15,201lbs (6,895kg)
Weight (MTOW): 23,001lbs (10,433kg)
Powerplant: 2 x Wright Cyclone GR-2600-19 radial piston engines generating 1,660hp each.
Maximum Speed: 302mph (486kmh; 262kts)
Maximum Range: 951miles (1,530km)
Service Ceiling: 23,999ft (7,315m; 4.5miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 1,250 feet per minute (381m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
4 x 7.7mm Browning Machine Guns (wing-mounted)
2 OR 4 x 7.7mm Browning Machine Guns (dorsal turret)
2 x 7.7mm Browning Machine Guns (ventral gun position)
Maximum ordnance loadout of up to 2,000lbs.
Variants:
Model 187 - Modified Light Bomber platform based on the Martin Maryland design.
Mk I - RAF use; initial production mark; sans power-operated dorsal turret; single 7.7mm machine gun in dorsal mount.
Mk II - RAF use; early production examples sans power-operated Boulton-Paul dorsal turret.
Mk III - RAF use; fitted with power-operated dorsal turret with 2 or 4 x 7.7mm machine guns.
Mk IIIA - RAF use based on the USAAF order of the A-30 Baltimore Light/Medium Bomber; fitted with Martin 250CE-brand turret fielding 2 x 12.7mm machine guns.
Mk IV - Based on the Mk IIIA model.
Mk V - Fitted with uprated Wright-brand GR-2600 powerplants; 12.7mm machine guns in wing mounts as opposed to 7.7mm caliber; appearing in 1944.
A-30 - USAAF Brand
A-30A - USAAF Brand
A-30A-10-MA - USAAF Brand
RA-30 - Reconnaissance Variant
Operators: the United Kingdom, France (Free French forces), Italy (co-belligerent forces), Turkey and the United States of America.
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