In March 1939 the United States Army Air Corps issued circular proposal 39-640 with an specification for a medium bomber with a top speed of 350mph (560km/h), a range of 3000milles (4800km) and a payload of 2000lb (910Kg), so, on 5th July 1939 Martin submitted their design made by Peyton M. Magruder, who was a chief designer engineer at Martin. Martins' design was evaluated as the best one, and they were awarded a contract for 201 airplanes, that were designated as B-26. It took approximately two years to materialize the bomber and 930 more of them were ordered in September 1940, still prior to the first flight of the type.
It was a shoulder-wing monoplane of all-metal fitted with a tricycle landing gear. It had a crew of seven and was armed with a 0.30in Browning machine gun in the nose, another two in the tail and another two 0.50in Browning machine guns in a turret placed on the dorsal of the airplane that was the first powered dorsal turret to be fitted into an American bomber.
It began its career with the 22nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field, Virginia replacing the aging Douglas B-18 Bolo. The 38th and 28th soon copied them and received the B-26. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbour, the 22nd Bombardment Group was assigned to the Pacific Theatre and was deployed in the South-West Pacific, operating from Australia. They made their first combat run attacking Rabaul in April 1942.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-26_Marauder
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft in Action 50 - B-26 Marauder in action
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