The B-26 Marauder was a US twin-engine bomber used by the US Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force in the Pacific and European theaters of operation during the Second World War. This medium-size bomber was designed by Peyton Magruder and manufactured by Glenn L. Martin Company, who had won the Army Air Corps contract for 200 bombers. The B-26 was introduced in 1941 and built until 1945. 5,300 units were built in this four-year period. As its first models had a high rate of accident, espcially during take off, it was nicknamed "the Widowmaker". In flight it was unstable and had a tendency to yaw.

The B-26 G was powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 radial engines (1,900 hp each). It had a range of 2,800 miles, a service ceiling of 21,000 feet, and could fly at the maximum speed of 287 mph. It was armed with twelve 12 mm Browning machine guns and could carry 4,000 lb of bombs. During the first missions in Europe, the B-26 Marauder suffered heavy losses, despite the fact that it bristled with machine guns. It needed escorts to protect it against the German fighters. In May 1945, the B-26 flew its last mission; then it was phased out.