9th Air Force
41-31773
B-26 Marauder
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A B-26 Marauder (serial number 41-31773) nicknamed "Flak Bait" of the 322nd Bomb Group. Image via Clarence Lunnemann. Written on slide casing: '"Flak Bait" 200 mission plane, 322nd BG.' Written on duplicate slide: '322BG, Flak Bait Germany, 5/45.'
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A bomber crew of the 322nd Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder (serial number 41-31773) nicknamed "Flak Bait" celebrate their aircraft's 200th mission. Image via Peter Dole From left to right, standing Col. John S Samuel (322nd BG CO) - co-pilot Capt. William G Fort - pilot T/Sgt. William J Hess - tail gunner sitting 1st Lt. William D Brearly - bombardier T/Sgt. Cecil Fisher - radio operator/gunner T/Sgt. Kenneth Locke - engineer/gunner 1st Lt. Arthur D Perkins
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"First allied bomber in ETO to complete 200 missions, 'Flak Bait,' leads other Martin B-26 Marauders of the 332nd Bombardment Group to Magdeburg, Germany on 17-Apr-45, On Its 200th Sortie it participated in the pre-invasion aerial offensive, flew two D-day missions and later blasted enemy strong points in front of allied ground forces. 'Flak Bait' has consumed 157,580 gallons of gas and had flown 177,460 miles. Of its total flying hours, 717 have been in combat. It has been punctured by 1000 plus flak holes. " L-R: PN-X 43-34371, 41-31773 'Flak Bait', PN-D 41-31822, PN-A 42-107664 'Je Reviens' NARA Ref 342-FH-3A45754-57532AC.
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Lt. Col. John L. Egan in front of a B-26 Marauder....
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War photos of Lt. Col. John L. Egan
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Lt. Col. John L. Egan, 322nd Bomb Group, 450th Bomb Squadron
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The nose of a B-26 Marauder ('PN') nicknamed "Flak Bait" of the 449th Bomb Squadron, 322nd Bomb Group with two airmen. Handwritten caption on reverse: '322BG, 449BS.'
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A B-26 Marauders, (serial number 41-31773) nicknamed "Flak Bait" and (PN-X, serial number 43-34371) of the 322nd Bomb Group in flight. Caption from “The Martin B-26 Marauder” by J.K.Havener, p7 – ‘Flak Bait leading the 322nd Bomb Group on her 200th mission, 17 April 1945. (Photo No. A-42346 courtesy Smithsonian Institute)'
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A B-26 Marauder (serial number 41-31773) nicknamed "Flak Bait" of the 322nd Bomb Group. Image via Clarence Lunnemann. Written on slide casing: '"Flak Bait" 200 mission plane, 322nd BG.' Written on duplicate slide: '322BG, Flak Bait Germany, 5/45.'
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A Flight of B-26 Marauders of the 322nd Bomb Group fly in formation. The aircraft, left to right, are: B-26 (PN-X, serial number 43-34371), B-26 (PN-O serial number 41-31773) nicknamed "Flak Bait", B-26 (PN-D, serial number 41-31822) and B-26 (PN-A, serial number 42-107664) nicknamed Je Reviens( Slug)". Image via Jeremy C Scutts. Printed caption on reverse: '57532 USAF - First Allied bomber in the ETO to complete 200 missions. "Flak Bait" leads other Martin B-26 Marauders of the 322d Bombardment Group to Magdeburg Germany on 17 April 1945, on its 200th sortie. It participated in the pre-invasion aerial offensive, flew 2 missions D-Day and later blasted enemy strong points in front of the Allied ground forces. "Flak Bait" has consumed 157,850 gallons of gasoline and has flown 177,460 miles. Of its total flying hours all have been in combat. It has been punctured by 1,000-odd flak holes. U.S.Air Force Photo.'
Assigned to 449BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. During the course of its service life of 207 missions, with bombing runs over France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, it was perforated with over 1000 holes, twice returned with only one engine operating, once with an engine on fire and twice with the complete loss of its electrical and hydraulic systems. Having survived the war in Europe, Flak Bait was selected to be returned to the US. On 18-Mar-46, Major John Egan and Captain Norman Schloesser flew Flak-Bait one last time, to an air depot at Oberpfaffenhofen in Bavaria to be broken down to component parts and shipped in crates back home. Currently being restored at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA part of the National Air and Space Museum - Smithsonian Institution.
Service
Units
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322nd Bomb Group
Group
The 322nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium) was activated on 19-Jun-1942 at MacDill Field, Florida with B-26B Marauder aircraft. In late September 1942 the unit moved to Drane Field, Florida. The Ground echelon sailed for the UK aboard the Queen Elizabeth... -
449th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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William Brearly
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombadier | 322nd Bomb Group
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John Egan
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot, 322nd Bomb Group, Commander, 450th Bomb Squadron | 322nd Bomb Group
John Lloyd retired from the Air Force, having served in World War II as Commanding Officer of the 450th Bomb Group and as a Commander of the 95th Bomb Squadron during the Korean War. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross Awards. -
James Farrell
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
James J. Farrell, original pilot of Flak Bait. Flew 72 combat missions as a member of the 322nd / 449th. After WW II he flew for American Airlines, then became a corporate pilot for General Electric Corporation -
Cecil Fisher
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator/Gunner | 322nd Bomb Group
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Clare Goodrich
Military | Staff Sergeant | Crew chief | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 449BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew chief of B-26 41-31773 'Flak Bait'. -
William Hess
Military | Technical Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Assigned to 364BS, 305BG, 8AF USAAF. Completed tour of duty. Returned to ETO with the 449BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF until July 1945 [Documents accompany database form] Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), GC, WWII Victory, EAME, DUC. -
Kenneth Locke
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Engineer/Gunner | 322nd Bomb Group
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Arthur Perkins
Military | First Lieutenant
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John Samuel
Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer
Places
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Andrews Field
Military site : airfield
The base was known as Great Saling when construction – by US Army engineers – began in 1942 but was renamed Andrews Field in honour of the memory of Gen. Frank M. Andrews, who was killed when the B-24 he was travelling in crash-landed in Iceland on 3...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Manufactured | Middle River, MD, USA | April 1943 |
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Built at Martin's. |
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| Delivered | Joint Base Andrews, MD, USA | April 1943 |
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Delivered to USAAF. |
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| Assigned | Andrewsfield Aviation Ltd, Saling Airfield Stebbing Great Dunmow Essex CM6 3TH, United Kingdom | May 1943 |
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Assigned to 449BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. |
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| Selected for display in US | Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Weßling, Germany | 18 March 1946 |
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Flown to air depot to be crated back to the US. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 05 June 2017 11:47:59 | Al_Skiff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations, place associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-maraude... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 January 2015 21:46:10 | Tanks | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM Photo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 January 2015 21:45:22 | Tanks | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames and media associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM Photos |
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