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Reversed negative. Look at the wings on the crew's uniforms.Yves, check this out, is it me or does this look like the single fixed machine gun is mounted on the pilot side in the nose instead of on the co-pilot side?
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Ahh thanks Greg, missed thatReversed negative. Look at the wings on the crew's uniforms.
Just playing with the idea here.Found this one on Facebook, note that the side blister package is removed and the ammo feed to the blister packs are patched. Other than that don't know much about this one.
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Great proof! Thanks, Hornet!Yes 'Helen Mae' was a 42BG B-25J
Paul, I found the first photo just 2 days ago - what a coincidence!Morning, while looking for some info for Andy I found this in the 321st Aug to Sept 1943 document. Yves has talked quite a bit about Mediterranean Mitchell modifications in thread 312 and a few other posts in this thread but this is the best I have seen as far as some one in the tail position in the first photo and a clearer look on how it was. Second photo I believe posted before but gives us a clearer view between the two.
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That is funny that we both seen it within days. Great follow up of info. You hiding filing cabinets worth of info up there. May have to visit/move in LOL. I cant keep upPaul, I found the first photo just 2 days ago - what a coincidence!
There is an interesting difference between the 2 photos: the first modification is the original one (for the 321-st BG.) performed in Warner Robins Mod Center (or Logistic Center) in Georgia. These were only 68 planes or so and were the first B-25 mods, following the needs of the war in the MTO. The tail gun looks like this from the inside:
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And this is the tail from outside (you posted the same photo earlier in this thread):
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Note the characteristic box on top of the tail (I personally believe this is an ammunition storage for the cartridges; some authors say it's an additional support for the tail). Please note that this particular modification has 1 vertical and 1 horizontal frame through the new glazing.
The waist gun positions of the above modification are with a horizontal brace over the new opening:
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Warner Robins couldn't deliver more modified a/c in a short time. For this reason the modification center in Sidi Ahmed airbase in Bizerte (Tunisia) did the bigger job, modifying in a similar way ca. 300 B-25 from different models and blocks. Your second photo shows the tail of one of those modifications. Here is a photo of the tail from outside:
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Note that there are no frames in the glazed area and the glazing does not go as deep as of the WR-modification. I believe the cartridge-belt remains below (on one side of the gunner) and not on top. Those planes were distributed through the other groups in the MTO, we see most of them with the 340-th BG. and with the 310-th BG..
The biggest difference is the waist windows being smaller and without a brace on the top:
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Those are my 2 favorite modifications!
Cheers!
The funniest part is that I was preparing a "surprise" for you and the "gang" with the above photos and the one from the war diary of the 445-th BS./321-st BG. was my latest acquisition!That is funny that we both seen it within days. Great follow up of info. You hiding filing cabinets worth of info up there. May have to visit/move in LOL. I cant keep up
A B-25H over Burma spraying DDT (this is still during WWII, not post-war).
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IMHO the spraying mechanism is not the same as in your manual.
Hi Paul! I had the feeling I've seen a B-25 with the strange pipe already. Didn't remember where and when. Thanks for the reminder.!Morning Yves, its a M33 Smoke tank installation. See thread 227 of thread I have not seen this picture before. Attached is part of smoke tank document. Only part I put here was the part that deals with the B-25 Mitchell.