Summary The Martin PBM Mariner, a forgotten WWII aircraft, played a significant role, even being ordered as a replacement for the PBY. Though overshadowed by the Catalina, the Mariner was larger and had a longer operational range in military missions. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Mariner during the Bermuda Triangle incident endures.
When the typical military aviation history buff thinks of Allied amphibious aircraft of the Second World War (and the period shortly after the war's end), they probably think of big flying boats such as the American-made Consolidated PBY Catalina and the British Short Sunderland—maybe even smaller floatplanes like the Vought OS2U Kingfisher . In October, the HARS Aviation Museum is featuring maritime surveillance during its October Tarmac Days weekend. Learn more about the Short Sunderland and four other famous flying boats.
However, one Allied flying boat from the era that tends to get lost in the shuffle is the Martin PBM Mariner. Indeed, I got the inspiration to write about it after receiving an email from The Armory Life featuring an article with a blurb referring to that waterborne warbird as "WWII's Forgotten Gigantic Amphibious Bomber." That recalled memories of my childhood fascination with the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
Pity the poor PBM because it's also the comparatively forgotten aircraft in the most famous Bermuda Triangle disappearance incident of them all: the Flight 19 mystery. On December 5, 1945 (a mere four.