Martin Baltimore

Baltimore
Royal Air Force Martin Baltimore GR.IV/V
General information
Type	Light bomber Reconnaissance
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Glenn L. Martin Company
Primary users	Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Australian Air Force South African Air Force
Number built	1,575
History
Introduction date	1941
First flight	14 June 1941
Retired	1949
Developed from	Martin Maryland

The Martin 187 Baltimore was a twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company in the United States as the A-30. The model was originally ordered by the French in May 1940 as a follow-up to the earlier Martin Maryland, then in service in France. With the fall of France, the production series was diverted to Great Britain and after mid-1941, supplied by the U.S. as Lend Lease equipment.

Development of the Baltimore was hindered by a series of problems, although the type eventually became a versatile combat aircraft. Produced in large numbers, the Baltimore was not used operationally by United States armed forces but eventually served with the British, Canadian, Australian, South African, Hellenic and the Italian air forces.^[1] It was subsequently used almost exclusively in the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II.