The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company from their DC-2, to replace the Martin B-10.[2]
After competing at bomber trials held at Wright Field in 1935, against the Martin 146[N 1] and the Boeing Model 299,[N 2] 133 examples of the B-18 were ordered by the Army General Staff in January 1936, as opposed to only 13 of the more expensive YB-17s.[3]
By 1940 standards, it was slow, had an inadequate defensive armament, and carried too small a bomb load. By 1942, surviving B-18s were relegated to antisubmarine, training and transport duties. A B-18 was one of the first USAAF aircraft to sink a German U-boat, U-654 on 22 August 1942 in the Caribbean.[2]
Notes[]
- ↑ An improved version of the B-10
- ↑ Forerunner of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Sources[]
- ↑ World War 2 Planes
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wikipedia entry
- ↑ Crosby, Francis. Bombers of World Wars I and II. Southwater (Anness Publishing). 2005. ISBN 1 84476 207 6 Page 60