B-25 weapons thread

[Micdrow]

Yep, difference in air pressure always works!
There is something interesting on all these 345-th BG.-birds photos. Look at the third (last window) of the greenhouse nose. It' s exactly where the bombardier sits during the flight. They all have an opaque fairing - obviously metal, not plexy. Some are painted, some not. It doesn't look like an armour plate to me but I really don't know what it is. Is it just a shade against the sun or is there something mounted on the back? Does anybody know what is this?
Yves

Humm, just looks like a patch to replace the window off hand but its on other aircraft. I don't think its an armor plate. Here is a better picture of it. Looks riveted in but you can see the armor plate just behind the window. It is a puzzle.

 

[chuter]

Here you go Chuter, the document I was thinking about on landing gear door. Not sure if it answers your question but what I was thinking of.

View attachment 537615

This really is very interesting. If this is why its (flap, or spring, door) removed then its odd that they would re-install it on aircraft without guns. Chow Hound (door re-installed) flew at least as much as when it was Tondelayo (door off) so it doesn't make a lot of sense, especially as it didn't take much to remove or install it, I'd guess less than 10 mins. I haven't found a single example of a removed for combat spring door anywhere but in the Pacific. Post 200 shows it removed on an open nose gear door (forward lower corner) and most other images since your response show it removed as well.

 

[Micdrow]

Some times how I feel when researching the B-25 LOL

 

[Micdrow]

Some interesting differences between other aircraft in Pacific theater and the RAAF aircraft.

 

[fubar57]

Lots of great info

 

[Micdrow]

Found this today.

 

[Micdrow]

Not sure if many people have seen this before. Its of a M-33 smoke tank mounted in the bomb bay of a B-25 Mitchell using the 2000lb bomb rack to hold it in place. They also modified the bomb bay doors as seen so that the discharge pipe could come through to release the smoke.

 

[fubar57]

Interesting. I knew of the Boston laying smoke at Normandy but the first I've seen of the B-25. Good stuff Paul

 

[MIflyer]

I don't think I have posted these before.

 

[Micdrow]

Thanks guys and great shots there MIflyer. Barbie III a classic B-25H model. Seen her many times. Took this at airventure this year. Note if you look carefully you can see the bomb bay doors half open as just came off a simulated bomb run. Of course below it is the original Barbie III in flight. Pic I think I found on web. Been on my hard drive for a long time.

 

[MIflyer]

Here are another couple of shots. One of which I took and the B&W one is from Aviation Magazine.
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[Micdrow]

Here are another couple of shots. One of which I took and the B&W one is from Aviation Magazine.
.View attachment 549245View attachment 549246

If you go to thread 117 on this subject you will find pictures of the rockets loaded in the tubes

 

[Micdrow]

Looks like smoke was used in combat as well. From the 90th bomb squadron recorders of the 345th bomb group which also flew B-25's.

 

[MIflyer]

That Plexiglas window in the nose that was replaced with a metal panel just happens to be exactly next to the Bombardier's Ride Seat. I'd guess that was the reason for the change; for some reason the bombardier probably did not like having that window next to him. Now, on many if not most B-25's the bombardier was also the navigator. He probably was riding in the nose, where he could actually see things outside, rather than in the back at his table. There may have been a problem with glare or other interference with him reading his maps when he sat in the front seat that was corrected by putting a panel over that window.

Supposedly Gen Doolittle said that the biggest problem with the B-24 was that there was no good place for the navigator to see outside and identify landmarks. In the ETO, the Martin B-26's had both a navigators and a bombardier and after takeoff the navigator would have the co-pilot slide back his seat so that he could go down to the nose compartment with the "other" navigator, the bombardier. Not having seats, they would crouch on the floor and spend the flight arguing over where they really were.

By the way, in #227 note that the Bombardier's escape hatch has been removed. I'd guess that was to keep smoke from getting back up in the airplane.

 

[Micdrow]

So I haven't found anything on the nose window but did find this on the pilot armor along with a few examples with it installed. Sources are web for some of the pictures and B-25 parts manual for drawing.

 

[Micdrow]

They say nothing was safe from the strafer pilots and I have to believe that. Even live stock was not safe from the strafer. One of the reasons below from the 90th bomb squadron.

 

[Micdrow]

Supposed to been on a road trip, wife not doing so hot so came home and doing some research. Cut this out of a bigger document as only interested in the study of skip bombing.

Enjoy

 

[Wurger]

 

[Micdrow]

Found this picture here. The Apache Princess layout is said to have been an exact duplicate of the gun installations on the left and made to match for the right. So far I have not found any documentation showing the 50 cal in the center to still be moveable or fixed.

The Modelling News: Zotz 1/32 B-25J Mitchell at War Pt. 1 decal sheet Reviewed and road-tested..

 

[Micdrow]

Among other things that the B-25 did during the war was drop propaganda leaflets. Attached is a quote from the 345th Bomb group, 500th bomb squadron of a mission to drop leaflets. Attached also is a pdf file of a leaflet from the Australian Archive along with the English translation. Attached is a picture of the B-25 that flew this mission. Picture from the book WarPath Across the Pacific by Lawrence J Hickey

Enjoy