Martin A-30 Baltimore
During the opening months of 1943, the situation grew direr by the minute for the Germans in the Mediterranean; supplies were low, and their transporting routes had been cut off by Allied air superiority in the area. A desperate attempt to supply German troops in Crete was subsequently made on June 1st, when a heavily protected convoy suddenly faced a massive force of 72 bombers that emerged over the horizon escorted by scores of fighters ready to hunt them down. To their astonishment, the bulk of the bombers were American-built Royal Air Force Martin A-30 Baltimores, fearsome aircraft known for their speed and overwhelming flight formations. Over the years, the A-30 Baltimore has slowly drifted out of history books, but by 1943, the aircraft was the Allied bomber in the Mediterranean theater per excellence. The peculiar fish-like warplane had a crucial role in the Allied triumphs in the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and the Middle East, but although the aircraft was built by Americans, the US military would never use it during World War 2.
Credit Dark Skies