“Marauders Always Attack! The Army Air Forces… And the Enemy… Rate Them A-1” Vintage Wwii Poster, 1943

Presented is a vintage WWII U.S. Army poster of a Martin B-26 Marauder bomber plane. The poster was published by the Recruiting Publicity Bureau in 1943. The poster depicts a B-26 from above, dramatically hovering over a red-hued cityscape. The poster text reads, “Marauders Always Attack!” at top in red and black and “The Army Air Forces… and the enemy… rate them A-1” at bottom in white block letters.

The B-26 Marauder was a twin-engined medium bomber that was designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. The bomber was assembled at plants in Baltimore, Maryland and Omaha, Nebraska and between 1941 and 1945, a total of 5,288 Marauders were built. Although notoriously tricky to maneuver and fly, the B-26 saw extensive service during World War II. It served well in short-range, medium-altitude operations with heavy fighter escort.

The Marauder was an important weapon in the war against the Axis powers. The plane was first used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942. Marauders also played a significant role in the Italian campaign and in bombing bridges and rail yards in preparation for the D-Day landings of the Normandy Invasion. B-26 crews dropped approximately 150,000 tons of bombs, primarily against Nazi Germany. The AAF lost fewer Marauders than any Allied bomber it flew—less than one-half of one percent. Besides the United States, the air forces of Great Britain and France operated Marauders in combat.

CONDITION:
Color lithograph. Light toning to outer margins, color still very vibrant. Crease at centerfold and small creases throughout in the outer margins. U.S. Army logo printed in black at bottom left. “P-X-6-RPB-10-11-43-7500″ and the United States Army Recruiting Publicity Bureau logo at bottom right. Poster Dimensions: 42 1/2” H x 31″W.

Poster has been archivally framed in a custom-built black wooden frame with UV Plexiglas and acid-free backing. Framed Dimensions: 45 5/8″ H x 35 1/4″ W x 1 1/4″ D.