B-25 weapons thread

Micdrow · Jul 21, 2022

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?

Greg Boeser · Jul 21, 2022

Micdrow said:
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?

View attachment 678596

Reversed negative. Look at the wings on the crew's uniforms.

Micdrow · Jul 21, 2022

Greg Boeser said:
Reversed negative. Look at the wings on the crew's uniforms.

Ahh thanks Greg, missed that

Greg Boeser · Jul 21, 2022

Gotta watch out for that stuff.

CATCH 22 · Jul 21, 2022

I think we already had the same a/c No.55 (not 22!) in the thread B-25 Mitchell photos (see post # 490 and the answers #492 and # 493). The photos were mirrored there as well.
If there were no people, uniforms or anything else to help to understand what is left and what is right in the picture, for B-25 the nose wheel strut is very characteristic - the arm holding the wheel is on the right side (from pilot's point of view):

On the other hand the bombardier's escape hatch is on the left side (again from pilots point of view).

Micdrow · Jul 22, 2022

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.

CATCH 22 · Jul 22, 2022

Micdrow said:
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.

View attachment 678720

Just playing with the idea here.
It seems to me that the patch on the pilot's arm is the one of 13-th AAF. 42-nd BG was in the 13-th AAF (don't recall another B-25 equipped group in the 13-th though). This is a solid nose B-25J - 42-nd had plenty of them at the end of the war and with removed package guns too.
The big sheet of metal under the armor plate is of interest - the gun blast shield in this position was usually much smaller.

Hornet133 · Jul 29, 2022

Yes 'Helen Mae' was a 42BG B-25J

CATCH 22 · Jul 29, 2022

Hornet133 said:
Yes 'Helen Mae' was a 42BG B-25J

Great proof! Thanks, Hornet!
IMHO even the pilot in your photo is the same person as in the photo from post #546 (check bracelet , hair etc.).
Cheers!

GTX · Jul 29, 2022

Source

CATCH 22 · Jul 29, 2022

Another photo from the same sequence is this one:

This is a B-25J2, named "Lucky Legs", s/n 43-3981.
Interestingly enough the B-25J-1 in the first photo was named "Luki-Bets":

All photos are from the time of the first aerial/glide torpedo attack over Sasebo Harbour, Kyushu on July 31. 1945.
P.S. And here's a photo showing the balancing of the wing and tail plane of the Mk.13 torpedo:

Micdrow · Aug 7, 2022

Morning, while looking for some info for Andy I found this first picture 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.

CATCH 22 · Aug 7, 2022

Micdrow said:
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.

View attachment 680907 View attachment 680908

Paul, 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 57 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:

And this is the tail from outside (you posted the same photo earlier in this thread):

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:

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:

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:

Those are my 2 favorite modifications!

Cheers!

Micdrow · Aug 7, 2022

CATCH 22 said:
Paul, 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:
View attachment 680968
And this is the tail from outside (you posted the same photo earlier in this thread):
View attachment 680969
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:
View attachment 680970
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:
View attachment 680971
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:
View attachment 680972
View attachment 680973
Those are my 2 favorite modifications!
Cheers!

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

CATCH 22 · Aug 7, 2022

Micdrow said:
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

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!
Now we are both with the same "surprise".
Cheers!
.

Micdrow · Oct 30, 2022

Never seen this before till today. DDT sprayer attached to a B-25. I added the manual below if any one interested.

Snautzer01 · Oct 30, 2022

Interesting.

CATCH 22 · Oct 30, 2022

A B-25H over Burma spraying DDT (this is still during WWII, not post-war).

IMHO the spraying mechanism is not the same as in your manual.

Micdrow · Oct 30, 2022

CATCH 22 said:
A B-25H over Burma spraying DDT (this is still during WWII, not post-war).
View attachment 692478
IMHO the spraying mechanism is not the same as in your manual.

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.

CATCH 22 · Oct 30, 2022

Micdrow said:
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.

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.!
The H in Burma I have from the internet (it's obviously from a book) and it was in my "B-25 in the CBI" collection of photos. And here is an article about spraying DDT over Rockford
with some dark photos but it's a Mitchell for sure.
The tank and spraying nozzle are the same as in your last Bulletin - thank you for that one!

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