B-25 weapons thread

[CATCH 22]

Yves, you wouldn't by chance know what these two pictures are of. Top one could be a home made smoke screen or possibly a home made insect sprayer. I had found this quote in a 405th mission report a while back. The bottom one I found on the web as well. Not sure what it would be used for. If I remember right the caption said it was for testing the deicing
system for the B-25 Mitchell.
Thanks Paul

Hi Paul,
I think the second photo shows a spray-system for testing of ice building on the propeller blades, not a de-icing system. I think I have a more detailed description of this system in a book, but need more time to find it.
As for the first photo I think the text says it all: this was spraying with DDT (wrongly described as DTD) against mosquitos (and other insects). AFAIK it's still used to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes in some regions. At that time DDT was promoted as a wonder-chemical and used even in near proximity to people!
The name of the a/c "Smoke OH!" is just a coincidence I guess.
If the text describes some other function in the first part (...but no oil burned...") and the device shown on the photo is e.g. a "smoke screen machine", I don't know more about it.
Cheers!

 

[Micdrow]

Hi Paul,
I think the second photo shows a spray-system for testing of ice building on the propeller blades, not a de-icing system. I think I have a more detailed description of this system in a book, but need more time to find it.
As for the first photo I think the text says it all: this was spraying with DDT (wrongly described as DTD) against mosquitos (and other insects). AFAIK it's still used to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes in some regions. At that time DDT was promoted as a wonder-chemical and used even in near proximity to people!
The name of the a/c "Smoke OH!" is just a coincidence I guess.
If the text describes some other function in the first part (...but no oil burned...") and the device shown on the photo is e.g. a "smoke screen machine", I don't know more about it.
Cheers!

Many thanks for your input Yves, If I find more info I will add it. Just love finding all of these unusual aspects of the B-25.

 

[CATCH 22]

Many thanks for your input Yves, If I find more info I will add it. Just love finding all of these unusual aspects of the B-25.

You are welcome! I love the many different faces of the "Mitchell" too.
I went through all my books today, but couldn't find the photo with the ice-building "sprayers". Then I checked my photo-collection and found the back of the same photo, describing the exact purpose of the test installation - I'll post it here:

There is a fun factor around these photos too - they have been posted earlier this year! Check here: North American B-25 Mitchell, post # 46.
This proves two things:
1. I have a good memory for what's on the photo.
2. I have a terrible memory where did I see it before.
Cheers!
P.S. And a small addition to the modification of G-model with 4+ guns in the nose. One can easily determine if this is a B-25G or a B-25H (if no other important details are to be seen on the photo) by the positioning of the 4 guns: the modified G-models have the 4 guns in one row as shown before:

The H-models have the 4 guns in 2 rows (the middle 2 are higher):

The blister guns are always different too.

 

[Micdrow]

Thanks for the info Yves, I noticed that as well when you mentioned the difference in your first thread. I wonder why the center two where slightly here then the outside two like they did on the modified G model. I found this a couple of days back that you might find interesting.

 

[CATCH 22]

Thanks for the info Yves, I noticed that as well when you mentioned the difference in your first thread. I wonder why the center two where slightly here then the outside two like they did on the modified G model. I found this a couple of days back that you might find interesting.

View attachment 565533

Yep, I believe these are the original USAAF photos showing the design of the rocket installation for a B-25. Somewhere in the forum I remember posting a scheme with the sequence of firing the rockets.
Meanwhile I found a nice poster showing the above discussed device for propeller ice-building testing:

 

[Micdrow]

Yep, I believe these are the original USAAF photos showing the design of the rocket installation for a B-25. Somewhere in the forum I remember posting a scheme with the sequence of firing the rockets.
Meanwhile I found a nice poster showing the above discussed device for propeller ice-building testing:

Page 6 thread 104 shows on this subject shows a picture of the firing order of the rockets. Nice poster on the propeller ice building testing.

 

[CATCH 22]

Page 6 thread 104 shows on this subject shows a picture of the firing order of the rockets.

Oh, this was your earlier post - I was thinking of mine in a different thread:
North American B-25 Mitchell, post#106. These nice details always come to light again (sooner or later).
BTW I found a funny description in a B-25-book about the rocket arrangement, see below:

Does anybody see six rockets?
I spy...2 more HVARs.

 

[Micdrow]

I prefer this rocket layout LOL

 

[Micdrow]

Few real pictures of it in action. Pictures from web.

 

[Micdrow]

I have read several accounts of B-25's dropping supplies to troops in the jungle in the Pacific. Does anyone have pictures of a B-25 dropping supplies or having it loaded into a B-25.

Thanks Paul

 

[Micdrow]

Not the best pictures but interesting none the less. 50 caliber being installed in tail of B-25, possibly Tunisia. Found on Facebook.

 

[MIflyer]

My next door neighbor flew B-25's in WWII in the Med. They had C and D models but some pictures from the Med show B-25's with tail gun installations rather similar to (but not identical) those used on the B-25J and H models, even though they have the top turret in the aft position. My neighbor told me that his unit had a field modification that added the guns and a small gunner's canopy to the tail. I would guess that lacking a belly turret they wanted some way to clear their low six-o'clock area.

 

[Micdrow]

My next door neighbor flew B-25's in WWII in the Med. They had C and D models but some pictures from the Med show B-25's with tail gun installations rather similar to (but not identical) those used on the B-25J and H models, even though they have the top turret in the aft position. My neighbor told me that his unit had a field modification that added the guns and a small gunner's canopy to the tail. I would guess that lacking a belly turret they wanted some way to clear their low six-o'clock area.

Very cool and many thanks for sharing the story

 

[MIflyer]

In the Squadron "B-25 In Action" book there is a picture of such B-25's in formation with a caption noting the tail gun positions and speculating what they were.

 

[Micdrow]

In the Squadron "B-25 In Action" book there is a picture of such B-25's in formation with a caption noting the tail gun positions and speculating what they were.

Yep seen it if you go to page 11 of this thread you will find more tail modifications for the B-25 that are unusual

 

[varsity07840]

Not the best pictures but interesting none the less. 50 caliber being installed in tail of B-25, possibly Tunisia. Found on Facebook.

View attachment 582668View attachment 582669View attachment 582670

The second photo is an interior shot of the B-25A tail gun. Photo below shows waist gun position added as well as tail gun. No bottom turret.

 

[CATCH 22]

*WWII photo- B 25 Mitchell Bomber plane Nose Art - TIGER HEAD* | eBay

View attachment 595325

This is one of those modified B-25Gs, but take a look at the strange attachment under the wing. I believe this is a blister gun mounted far back over the bomb bay. Note the protection/anti-blast plate mounted in front of the gun. I think I've seen this configuration only one time so far. And check the guns coming out of the canon's port. They look too small compared with the .50 cals above. I believe those are 0.30 cal.

 

[Micdrow]

This is one of those modified B-25Gs, but take a look at the strange attachment under the wing. I believe this is a blister gun mounted far back over the bomb bay. Note the protection/anti-blast plate mounted in front of the gun. I think I've seen this configuration only one time so far. And check the guns coming out of the canon's port. They look too small compared with the .50 cals above. I believe those are 0.30 cal.

Interesting layout to say the least, Here is the one I saw a while back that may have the same layout. Found on the web but don't remember where. Lower left hand side looks to be something under the wing. Guessing a different aircraft as there is no blood on the teeth of this aircraft's mouth compared to the one above

 

[Wurger]

 

[CATCH 22]

Interesting layout to say the least, Here is the one I saw a while back that may have the same layout. Found on the web but don't remember where. Lower left hand side looks to be something under the wing. Guessing a different aircraft as there is no blood on the teeth of this aircraft's mouth compared to the one aboveView attachment 595528

Yep, it's definitely a different a/c - the form of the teeth is not the same as in the first photo.
Looking at your photo and going back to the first one I see now that the middle two guns (the added ones) are of smaller calibre too.
These are "Mitchells" from the 823-rd BS./38-th BG. with a great probability in New Guinea. Here is an interesting description I found in the War Diaries of the 823-rd BS. for Jan.9 1944:

I'm not sure if the description is accurate - I've never seen a G-model with 8 guns in the nose (6 at the maximum). The other 4 are for the 2 packs with blister guns. There might be a more detailed description of the armament but I never had the time to check all the Diaries. The latter could be downloaded from the 38-th BG. Association page here:
823rd AFHRA Documents
BTW the same configuration can be seen on a B-25G from the 822-nd BS. too. The blister gun looks like a single one to me. The 6 guns in the nose are all 0.50 cal.

Photo copied from here:
Photo Gallery # 10