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The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured
by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II,
as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.
The B-25 was named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. The B-25
is the only American military aircraft named after a specific person. By the end of its production,
nearly 10,000 B-25s in numerous models had been built. These included a few limited variations,
such as the United States Navy's and Marine Corps' PBJ-1 patrol bomber and the United States
Army Air Forces' F-10 photo reconnaissance aircraft.
The B-25 first gained fame as the bomber used in the 18 April 1942 Doolittle Raid, in which sixteen
B-25Bs led by the legendary Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, attacked mainland Japan four
months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The mission gave a much-needed lift in spirits to the
Americans, and alarmed the Japanese who had believed their home islands were inviolable by
enemy troops. While the amount of actual damage done was relatively minor, it forced the
Japanese to divert troops for the home defense for the remainder of the war. The raiders took off
from the carrier USS Hornet and successfully bombed Tokyo and four other Japanese cities
without loss. However, 15 subsequently crash-landed en route to recovery fields in Eastern China.
These losses were the result of the task force being spotted by Japanese fishing vessels forcing
the bombers to take off 170 mi (270 km) early, fuel exhaustion, stormy nighttime conditions with
zero visibility, and lack of electronic homing aids at the recovery bases. Only one landed intact; it
came down in the Soviet Union, where its five-man crew was interned and the aircraft confiscated.
Of the 80 aircrew, 69 survived their historic mission and eventually made it back to American lines.
Following a number of additional modifications, including the addition of Plexiglas windows for the
navigator and radio operator, heavier nose armament, and deicing and anti-icing equipment, the
B-25C was released to the Army. This was the second mass-produced version of the Mitchell, the
first being the lightly-armed B-25B used by the Doolittle Raiders. The B-25C and B-25D differed
only in location of manufacture: -Cs at Inglewood, California, -Ds at Kansas City, Kansas. A total of
3,915 B-25Cs and -Ds were built by North American during World War II.
Although the B-25 was originally designed to bomb from medium altitudes in level flight, it was
used frequently in the Southwest Pacific theater (SWPA) on treetop-level strafing and parafrag
(parachute-retarded fragmentation bombs) missions against Japanese airfields in New Guinea
and the Philippines. These heavily-armed Mitchells, field-modified at Townsville, Australia, by
Major Paul I. "Pappy" Gunn and North American tech rep Jack Fox, were also used on strafing and
skip-bombing missions against Japanese shipping trying to re-supply their land-based armies.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant General George C. Kenney, B-25s of the Fifth and Thirteenth Air
Forces devastated Japanese targets in the SWPA from 1942 to 1945, and played a significant role
in pushing the Japanese back to their home islands. B-25s were also used with devastating effect
in the Central Pacific, Alaska, North Africa, Mediterranean and China-Burma-India (CBI) theaters.
Because of the urgent need for hard-hitting strafer aircraft, a version dubbed the B-25G was
developed, in which the standard-length transparent nose and the bombardier were replaced by a
shorter solid nose containing two fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and a 75 mm (2.95 in) M4
cannon, one of the largest weapons fitted to an aircraft, similar to the experimental British Mosquito
Mk. XVIII, and German Ju 88P heavy cannon carrying aircraft. The cannon was manually loaded
and serviced by the navigator, who was able to perform these operations without leaving his crew
station just behind the pilot. This was possible due to the shorter nose of the G-model and the
length of the M4, which allowed the breech to extend into the navigator's compartment.
The B-25G's successor, the B-25H, had even more firepower. The M4 gun was replaced by the
lighter T13E1, designed specifically for the aircraft. The 75 mm (2.95 in) gun fired at a muzzle
velocity of 2,362 ft/s (about 720 m/s). Due to its low rate of fire (approximately four rounds could be
fired in a single strafing run) and relative ineffectiveness against ground targets, as well as
substantial recoil, the 75 mm (2.95 in) gun was sometimes removed from both G and H models
and replaced with two additional .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns as a field modification.The -H
also mounted four fixed forward-firing .50 (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose, four more fixed
ones in forward-firing cheek blisters, two more in the top turret, one each in a pair of new waist
positions, and a final pair in a new tail gunner's position. Company promotional material bragged
the B-25H could "bring to bear 10 machine guns coming and four going, in addition to the 75 mm
cannon, a brace of eight rockets and 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) of bombs."
The B-25H also featured a redesigned cockpit area, with the top turret moved forward to the
navigator's compartment (thus requiring the addition of the waist and tail gun positions), and a
heavily modified cockpit designed to be operated by a single pilot, the co-pilot's station and
controls deleted, and the seat cut down and used by the navigator/cannoneer, the radio operator
being moved to the aft compartment, operating the waist guns. A total of 1,400 B-25Gs and B-25Hs
were built.
The final version of the Mitchell, the B-25J, looked much like the earlier B, C and D, having reverted
to the longer nose. The less-than-successful 75 mm (2.95 in) cannon was deleted on the J model.
Instead, 800 of this version were built with a solid nose containing eight .50 (12.7 mm) machine
guns, while other J-models featured the earlier "greenhouse" style nose containing the
bombardier's position. Regardless of the nose style used, all J-models also included two .50 in
(12.7 mm) guns in a "fuselage package" located directly under the pilot's station, and two more
such guns in an identical package just under the co-pilot's compartment. The solid-nose B-25J
variant carried an impressive total of 18 .50 in (12.7 mm) guns: eight in the nose, four in
under-cockpit packages, two in an upper turret, two in the waist, and a pair in the tail. No other
bomber of World War II carried as many guns. However, the first 555 B-25Js (the B-25J-1-NC
production block) were delivered without the fuselage package guns, because it was discovered
muzzle blast from these guns was causing severe stress in the fuselage;this was cured with
heavier fuselage skin patches, while later production runs returned these guns, they were often
removed as a field modification for the same reason. In all, 4,318 B-25Js were built.
The B-25 was a safe and forgiving aircraft to fly. With an engine out, 60° banking turns into the
dead engine were possible, and control could be easily maintained down to 145 mph (230 km/h).
However, the pilot had to remember to maintain engine-out directional control at low speeds after
take off with rudder - if this was attempted with ailerons, the aircraft would snap out of control. The
tricycle landing gear made for excellent visibility while taxiing. The only significant complaint about
the B-25 was the extremely high noise level produced by its engines; as a result, many pilots
eventually suffered from various degrees of hearing loss.
The Mitchell was also an amazingly sturdy aircraft and could withstand tremendous punishment.
One well-known B-25C of the 321st Bomb Group was nicknamed "Patches" because its crew chief
painted all the aircraft's flak hole patches with high-visibility zinc chromate paint. By the end of the
war, this aircraft had completed over 300 missions, was belly-landed six times and sported over
400 patched holes. The airframe was so bent, straight-and-level flight required 8° of left aileron
trim and 6° of right rudder, causing the aircraft to "crab" sideways across the sky.
An interesting characteristic of the B-25 was its ability to extend range by using one-quarter wing
flap settings. Since the aircraft normally cruised in a slightly nose-high attitude, about 40 gal (150 l)
of fuel was below the fuel pickup point and thus unavailable for use. The flaps-down setting gave
the aircraft a more level flight attitude, which resulted in this fuel becoming available, thus slightly
extending the aircraft's range.
By the time a separate United States Air Force was established in 1947, most B-25s had been
consigned to long-term storage. However, a select number continued in service through the late
1940s and 1950s in a variety of training, reconnaissance and support roles. Its principal use
during this period was for undergraduate training of multi-engine aircraft pilots slated for
reciprocating engine or turboprop cargo, aerial refueling or reconnaissance aircraft. Still others
were assigned to units of the Air National Guard in training roles in support of F-89 Scorpion and
F-94 Starfire operations. TB-25J-25-NC Mitchell, 44-30854, the last B-25 in the USAF inventory,
assigned at March AFB, California as of March 1960[6], was flown to Eglin AFB, Florida, from
Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, on 21 May 1960, the last flight by a USAF B-25, and presented by
Brig. Gen. A. J. Russell, Commander of SAC's 822nd Air Division at Turner AFB, to the Air Proving
Ground Center Commander, Brig. Gen. Robert H. Warren, who in turn presented the bomber to
Valparaiso, Florida Mayor Randall Roberts on behalf of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of
Commerce. Four of the original Tokyo Raiders were present for the ceremony, Col. Davy Jones,
Col. Jack Simms, Lt. Col. Joseph Manske, and retired Master Sgt. Edwin W. Horton. Donated back
to the Air Force Armament Museum circa 1974 and marked as Doolittle's 40-2344.
course of their official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the media is in the public
domain.
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured
by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II,
as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.
The B-25 was named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. The B-25
is the only American military aircraft named after a specific person. By the end of its production,
nearly 10,000 B-25s in numerous models had been built. These included a few limited variations,
such as the United States Navy's and Marine Corps' PBJ-1 patrol bomber and the United States
Army Air Forces' F-10 photo reconnaissance aircraft.
The B-25 first gained fame as the bomber used in the 18 April 1942 Doolittle Raid, in which sixteen
B-25Bs led by the legendary Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, attacked mainland Japan four
months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The mission gave a much-needed lift in spirits to the
Americans, and alarmed the Japanese who had believed their home islands were inviolable by
enemy troops. While the amount of actual damage done was relatively minor, it forced the
Japanese to divert troops for the home defense for the remainder of the war. The raiders took off
from the carrier USS Hornet and successfully bombed Tokyo and four other Japanese cities
without loss. However, 15 subsequently crash-landed en route to recovery fields in Eastern China.
These losses were the result of the task force being spotted by Japanese fishing vessels forcing
the bombers to take off 170 mi (270 km) early, fuel exhaustion, stormy nighttime conditions with
zero visibility, and lack of electronic homing aids at the recovery bases. Only one landed intact; it
came down in the Soviet Union, where its five-man crew was interned and the aircraft confiscated.
Of the 80 aircrew, 69 survived their historic mission and eventually made it back to American lines.
Following a number of additional modifications, including the addition of Plexiglas windows for the
navigator and radio operator, heavier nose armament, and deicing and anti-icing equipment, the
B-25C was released to the Army. This was the second mass-produced version of the Mitchell, the
first being the lightly-armed B-25B used by the Doolittle Raiders. The B-25C and B-25D differed
only in location of manufacture: -Cs at Inglewood, California, -Ds at Kansas City, Kansas. A total of
3,915 B-25Cs and -Ds were built by North American during World War II.
Although the B-25 was originally designed to bomb from medium altitudes in level flight, it was
used frequently in the Southwest Pacific theater (SWPA) on treetop-level strafing and parafrag
(parachute-retarded fragmentation bombs) missions against Japanese airfields in New Guinea
and the Philippines. These heavily-armed Mitchells, field-modified at Townsville, Australia, by
Major Paul I. "Pappy" Gunn and North American tech rep Jack Fox, were also used on strafing and
skip-bombing missions against Japanese shipping trying to re-supply their land-based armies.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant General George C. Kenney, B-25s of the Fifth and Thirteenth Air
Forces devastated Japanese targets in the SWPA from 1942 to 1945, and played a significant role
in pushing the Japanese back to their home islands. B-25s were also used with devastating effect
in the Central Pacific, Alaska, North Africa, Mediterranean and China-Burma-India (CBI) theaters.
Because of the urgent need for hard-hitting strafer aircraft, a version dubbed the B-25G was
developed, in which the standard-length transparent nose and the bombardier were replaced by a
shorter solid nose containing two fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and a 75 mm (2.95 in) M4
cannon, one of the largest weapons fitted to an aircraft, similar to the experimental British Mosquito
Mk. XVIII, and German Ju 88P heavy cannon carrying aircraft. The cannon was manually loaded
and serviced by the navigator, who was able to perform these operations without leaving his crew
station just behind the pilot. This was possible due to the shorter nose of the G-model and the
length of the M4, which allowed the breech to extend into the navigator's compartment.
The B-25G's successor, the B-25H, had even more firepower. The M4 gun was replaced by the
lighter T13E1, designed specifically for the aircraft. The 75 mm (2.95 in) gun fired at a muzzle
velocity of 2,362 ft/s (about 720 m/s). Due to its low rate of fire (approximately four rounds could be
fired in a single strafing run) and relative ineffectiveness against ground targets, as well as
substantial recoil, the 75 mm (2.95 in) gun was sometimes removed from both G and H models
and replaced with two additional .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns as a field modification.The -H
also mounted four fixed forward-firing .50 (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose, four more fixed
ones in forward-firing cheek blisters, two more in the top turret, one each in a pair of new waist
positions, and a final pair in a new tail gunner's position. Company promotional material bragged
the B-25H could "bring to bear 10 machine guns coming and four going, in addition to the 75 mm
cannon, a brace of eight rockets and 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) of bombs."
The B-25H also featured a redesigned cockpit area, with the top turret moved forward to the
navigator's compartment (thus requiring the addition of the waist and tail gun positions), and a
heavily modified cockpit designed to be operated by a single pilot, the co-pilot's station and
controls deleted, and the seat cut down and used by the navigator/cannoneer, the radio operator
being moved to the aft compartment, operating the waist guns. A total of 1,400 B-25Gs and B-25Hs
were built.
The final version of the Mitchell, the B-25J, looked much like the earlier B, C and D, having reverted
to the longer nose. The less-than-successful 75 mm (2.95 in) cannon was deleted on the J model.
Instead, 800 of this version were built with a solid nose containing eight .50 (12.7 mm) machine
guns, while other J-models featured the earlier "greenhouse" style nose containing the
bombardier's position. Regardless of the nose style used, all J-models also included two .50 in
(12.7 mm) guns in a "fuselage package" located directly under the pilot's station, and two more
such guns in an identical package just under the co-pilot's compartment. The solid-nose B-25J
variant carried an impressive total of 18 .50 in (12.7 mm) guns: eight in the nose, four in
under-cockpit packages, two in an upper turret, two in the waist, and a pair in the tail. No other
bomber of World War II carried as many guns. However, the first 555 B-25Js (the B-25J-1-NC
production block) were delivered without the fuselage package guns, because it was discovered
muzzle blast from these guns was causing severe stress in the fuselage;this was cured with
heavier fuselage skin patches, while later production runs returned these guns, they were often
removed as a field modification for the same reason. In all, 4,318 B-25Js were built.
The B-25 was a safe and forgiving aircraft to fly. With an engine out, 60° banking turns into the
dead engine were possible, and control could be easily maintained down to 145 mph (230 km/h).
However, the pilot had to remember to maintain engine-out directional control at low speeds after
take off with rudder - if this was attempted with ailerons, the aircraft would snap out of control. The
tricycle landing gear made for excellent visibility while taxiing. The only significant complaint about
the B-25 was the extremely high noise level produced by its engines; as a result, many pilots
eventually suffered from various degrees of hearing loss.
The Mitchell was also an amazingly sturdy aircraft and could withstand tremendous punishment.
One well-known B-25C of the 321st Bomb Group was nicknamed "Patches" because its crew chief
painted all the aircraft's flak hole patches with high-visibility zinc chromate paint. By the end of the
war, this aircraft had completed over 300 missions, was belly-landed six times and sported over
400 patched holes. The airframe was so bent, straight-and-level flight required 8° of left aileron
trim and 6° of right rudder, causing the aircraft to "crab" sideways across the sky.
An interesting characteristic of the B-25 was its ability to extend range by using one-quarter wing
flap settings. Since the aircraft normally cruised in a slightly nose-high attitude, about 40 gal (150 l)
of fuel was below the fuel pickup point and thus unavailable for use. The flaps-down setting gave
the aircraft a more level flight attitude, which resulted in this fuel becoming available, thus slightly
extending the aircraft's range.
By the time a separate United States Air Force was established in 1947, most B-25s had been
consigned to long-term storage. However, a select number continued in service through the late
1940s and 1950s in a variety of training, reconnaissance and support roles. Its principal use
during this period was for undergraduate training of multi-engine aircraft pilots slated for
reciprocating engine or turboprop cargo, aerial refueling or reconnaissance aircraft. Still others
were assigned to units of the Air National Guard in training roles in support of F-89 Scorpion and
F-94 Starfire operations. TB-25J-25-NC Mitchell, 44-30854, the last B-25 in the USAF inventory,
assigned at March AFB, California as of March 1960[6], was flown to Eglin AFB, Florida, from
Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, on 21 May 1960, the last flight by a USAF B-25, and presented by
Brig. Gen. A. J. Russell, Commander of SAC's 822nd Air Division at Turner AFB, to the Air Proving
Ground Center Commander, Brig. Gen. Robert H. Warren, who in turn presented the bomber to
Valparaiso, Florida Mayor Randall Roberts on behalf of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of
Commerce. Four of the original Tokyo Raiders were present for the ceremony, Col. Davy Jones,
Col. Jack Simms, Lt. Col. Joseph Manske, and retired Master Sgt. Edwin W. Horton. Donated back
to the Air Force Armament Museum circa 1974 and marked as Doolittle's 40-2344.
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