The A-29 was the American military designation for the Lockheed Hudson Mark IIIA, a variant primarily procured under the Lend-Lease Act. While many were delivered to Allied forces as the Mark IIIA, a significant number were retained or repossessed by United States forces for patrol and training duties.

Engine and Performance

The A-29 was powered by two Wright Cyclone R-1820-87 nine-cylinder radial engines, each producing 1,200 horsepower at takeoff. This variant had a gross weight of approximately 21,700 lb. It featured a maximum speed of 253 mph at 15,000 feet and an operational range of 2,800 miles.

Sub-Variants and Configurations

The A-29 series was produced in several distinct configurations based on mission requirements:

• A-29: The basic variant, often used by the USAAF for training purposes. In these training roles, the Boulton Paul dorsal turret was frequently removed.
• A-29A: This sub-variant (384 produced) was unique because it was convertible for troop transport duties while still retaining its defensive armament. The RAF took 289 of these as Hudson Mk IIIAs.
• A-29B: A specialized photographic survey version. Twenty-four of these were retained by the USAAF, and two were used for aerial mapping in British Columbia and Alaska before being turned over to Soviet pilots.
• PBO-1: Twenty A-29s were diverted to the United States Navy and reclassified as PBO-1s to equip patrol squadrons like VP-82.

Armament and Equipment

In its combat configuration, the A-29 was typically equipped with a Boulton Paul dorsal turret housing two machine guns and two fixed forward-firing guns in the nose. Some American-operated A-29s used for anti-submarine patrols also featured additional 0.50-inch Browning machine guns in the nose and beam positions to provide extra firepower against surfaced U-boats.

Operational History

The A-29 achieved a major milestone in American military history on July 7, 1942, when an A-29 (serial 41-23392) from the 396th Bombardment Squadron successfully attacked and sank the German U-boat U-701 off Cape Hatteras. Aside from US service, A-29s and A-29As were widely distributed to the RAAF, RNZAF, and RCAF, and 23 were assigned to the Chinese Nationalist Air Force.