This is a follow up of a post in the North American B-25 Mitchell - thread - see posts #599-601.
Earlier in this thread we've been discussing a not very common nose armament of a B-25 (in bomber configuration, not a strafer!) in the SWPA - check posts #482-488, consisting of one flexible 0.50 gun in the center and 2 flexible (hand held) 0.30 on both sides of the nose. This is not a standard armament and my explanation was that some early B-25C/D having the standard 0.30 nose armament in 3 positions were modified in the field and received more guns. Very interesting and rare but nothing unusual (as I thought firstly) - older airplanes have been modified, based on newer standards or variants.
Thanks to Snautzer
a photo of a similarly modified B-25D surfaced today in the other B-25 thread - check post # 599. I'll re-post some of the details here to illustrate the whole idea better.
This is the nose of "Blonde Bomber", having a flexible 0.50 and 2 ball-socket mounts for 0.30 guns - please compare with the photo in post #486. The second socket is obscured by the framing but still recognizable on the other side.
I knew from a photo I already had, that this is a B-25 D from the 22-nd BG. in New Guinea (a group mostly using B-26 and later B-24 but nevertheless one of the USAAF bomber groups equipped with B-25 at some point).
One can see the demarcation line between the OD and NG having the smaller "scallops", typical for the D-model and not for the C. What we don't see here is the complete cowling.
Snautzer's photo does show it:
Wait a sec - it has individual "Clayton" S-stacks (exhaust flame dampeners)! Early "Mitchells" didn't have them, right?
Maybe this a/c had its engines changed - wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe the serial I have is wrong?
In fact we can see the serial number in this photo:
It's 41-30768 - at least the first 5 digits are recognizable and they put the a/c in the D-20 block. BTW I have the serial and the description of "Blonde Bomber" from a site about the 22-nd BG.
As already quoted in post # 482 and in other earlier posts, 0.30 caliber guns have been used in many field modifications, even on later B-25 models. In this particular case the ball and socket mounts of "Blonde Bomber" are not factory installed as on earlier models. They have been added to increase the firing power in the nose, obviously with guns they had at the time. This is the first time I see them on a newer B-25 block.
Note that this a/c has not any additional blister guns as seen on many SWPA modifications but I believe it has 2x0.30 in the observer windows (photographer station) and in the tail, as seen in some of the earlier posts.
I guess this thread becomes more and more complex, dealing with similar questions but in development. One must go back and forth (like in a real book) to find the answers to some of the many questions.
The complete truth is still out there!
Cheers!
Earlier in this thread we've been discussing a not very common nose armament of a B-25 (in bomber configuration, not a strafer!) in the SWPA - check posts #482-488, consisting of one flexible 0.50 gun in the center and 2 flexible (hand held) 0.30 on both sides of the nose. This is not a standard armament and my explanation was that some early B-25C/D having the standard 0.30 nose armament in 3 positions were modified in the field and received more guns. Very interesting and rare but nothing unusual (as I thought firstly) - older airplanes have been modified, based on newer standards or variants.
Thanks to Snautzer
a photo of a similarly modified B-25D surfaced today in the other B-25 thread - check post # 599. I'll re-post some of the details here to illustrate the whole idea better.This is the nose of "Blonde Bomber", having a flexible 0.50 and 2 ball-socket mounts for 0.30 guns - please compare with the photo in post #486. The second socket is obscured by the framing but still recognizable on the other side.
I knew from a photo I already had, that this is a B-25 D from the 22-nd BG. in New Guinea (a group mostly using B-26 and later B-24 but nevertheless one of the USAAF bomber groups equipped with B-25 at some point).
One can see the demarcation line between the OD and NG having the smaller "scallops", typical for the D-model and not for the C. What we don't see here is the complete cowling.
Snautzer's photo does show it:
Wait a sec - it has individual "Clayton" S-stacks (exhaust flame dampeners)! Early "Mitchells" didn't have them, right?Maybe this a/c had its engines changed - wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe the serial I have is wrong?
In fact we can see the serial number in this photo:
It's 41-30768 - at least the first 5 digits are recognizable and they put the a/c in the D-20 block. BTW I have the serial and the description of "Blonde Bomber" from a site about the 22-nd BG.
As already quoted in post # 482 and in other earlier posts, 0.30 caliber guns have been used in many field modifications, even on later B-25 models. In this particular case the ball and socket mounts of "Blonde Bomber" are not factory installed as on earlier models. They have been added to increase the firing power in the nose, obviously with guns they had at the time. This is the first time I see them on a newer B-25 block.
Note that this a/c has not any additional blister guns as seen on many SWPA modifications but I believe it has 2x0.30 in the observer windows (photographer station) and in the tail, as seen in some of the earlier posts.
I guess this thread becomes more and more complex, dealing with similar questions but in development. One must go back and forth (like in a real book) to find the answers to some of the many questions.
The complete truth is still out there!
Cheers!
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