B-25D Junior Bat 41-29697

[Micdrow]

Yves, if you ever need anything on the B-25 let me know. These for now are sitting on my work bench down stairs as you know its what I am currently researching but this is only some that I have on the B-25. A few are still upstairs

 

[fubar57]

Great stuff guys

 

[CATCH 22]

No problem Yves, you may find this interesting, found this on accident one day. It shows some of the modifications done on PBJ-1's (Marine B-25's) in the Pacific for 613 squadron

Aircraft Modifications

All the best
Paul

Oh, ya, I remember this list! One of the changes in the list I like a lot, BTW very interesting for modelers is:
Removed paint from leading edge of wings, center section, empennage, engine cowling, & nose;
Only VMB 613 had this interesting appearance of their PBJs (mostly in the last months of the war):

And below are two significant mods:
Removed waist gun windows; Installed spoilers to waist window openings;

BTW the sites of the Marine Bomber Squadrons (not all of them) are also a very very good source for mods, history and "other stuff".
Cheers!
P.S. Paul, If you want I can send you my list with personal B-25 sources. Many of them are hard copies (same as yours on the photo), but some of them I obtained as pdf-copies. If you find something interesting you don't possess, just say!

 

[Micdrow]

Thank you sir, by the way not sure if you know this or not but this book has been release. My copy is on order but figure it will be a while yet as shipping from Netherlands. It is amazing how many different configurations of the Mitchell where really done.

 

[Micdrow]

He is the same author that wrote this book as I already have this one.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Juanita]

Wonderful collection of B-25 books you have there Micdrow!
And I couldn't agree more with you Catch 22, regarding the PBJs. Great looking aircraft. I was very impress they were fitted with radar range finders late in the war. Apparently allow the cannon to be fired from a greater distance with more accuracy.
Here is a profile of '8 Ball' from VMB-613.

I'm currently working on the TB-25N and I'm looking for photos of those at Randolph AFB around the mid 1950s.
There were a few great TB-25 photos posted on replicainscale.blogspot.com.au but none were from Randolph AFB

Juanita

 

[Juanita]

Morning guys, thought a few of you might be interested in this. I have been researching B-25's for a while now and have been finding a few with the 20mm cannon but this was the first I found both a documented statement in a combat log of the 90th bomb squadron and a picture. Picture is from B-25 Mitchell at war by Jerry Scutts.

View attachment 383325 View attachment 383326

Micdrow,
Please excuse me if I'm being a bit thick...but where is the 20mm cannon in the photo of 'Junior Bat'?
Juanita

 

[bowfin]

Very interesting. I wonder if they had any reliability issues with the guns.

By the way, this aircraft is missing the nose wheel well door spring loaded strut clearance flap/door*. Most gun nose B-25s in the Pacific, including essentially all of the 345th BG aircraft, had them removed leaving an external opening in the nose wheel well when the gear was retracted. I've talked to a ton of people (B-25 owners, operators and restorers) and no one had even noticed the doors had ever been removed by anyone in the first place let alone know why. I'm very curious about it. For example, there are pictures of the Air Apache's Tondelayo (WW2) with the door removed then pictures of it later after it was retired from combat and renamed Chow Hound that show the flap/door was reinstalled. It must be related to the guns in the nose.

*It allows the door to close with the gear down.

My great uncle was a top turret gunner on the Tondelayo. He was SSgt. John (Jack) Murphy. We brought the Collins Foundation B-25 into town here in Columbus, Nebraska in 2003. Jack Murphy had passed away by then, but 2nd Lt. Lynn Daker came and "there was a rumor" that he was able to do a fly by. We had four veterans that were guests and were given free flights. Jack always had a sense of guilt about that mission of October 18, 1943.

 

[Ronald Tredway]

Morning guys, thought a few of you might be interested in this. I have been researching B-25's for a while now and have been finding a few with the 20mm cannon but this was the first I found both a documented statement in a combat log of the 90th bomb squadron and a picture. Picture is from B-25 Mitchell at war by Jerry Scutts.

View attachment 383325 View attachment 383326

 

[Ronald Tredway]

Micdrow,
Please excuse me if I'm being a bit thick...but where is the 20mm cannon in the photo of 'Junior Bat'?
Juanita

Yes, I couldn't pick out a 20mm either. Also, do you suppose the gear door might be left off to keep gun some out of the cockpit..act as a draft?

 

[Micdrow]

Micdrow,
Please excuse me if I'm being a bit thick...but where is the 20mm cannon in the photo of 'Junior Bat'?
Juanita

Here you go Juanita and Ronald, you can see it inside the black circle.

You can see a better view on the gun arrangement in this picture of Johnny Pom Pom. The lower right is the 20mm cannon.

 

[Micdrow]

Wonderful collection of B-25 books you have there Micdrow!
And I couldn't agree more with you Catch 22, regarding the PBJs. Great looking aircraft. I was very impress they were fitted with radar range finders late in the war. Apparently allow the cannon to be fired from a greater distance with more accuracy.
Here is a profile of '8 Ball' from VMB-613.

I'm currently working on the TB-25N and I'm looking for photos of those at Randolph AFB around the mid 1950s.
There were a few great TB-25 photos posted on replicainscale.blogspot.com.au but none were from Randolph AFB

Juanita

Great profiles there Juanita, did you create them? I will look when I get home and see if I can find any pictures there.

 

[Micdrow]

My great uncle was a top turret gunner on the Tondelayo. He was SSgt. John (Jack) Murphy. We brought the Collins Foundation B-25 into town here in Columbus, Nebraska in 2003. Jack Murphy had passed away by then, but 2nd Lt. Lynn Daker came and "there was a rumor" that he was able to do a fly by. We had four veterans that were guests and were given free flights. Jack always had a sense of guilt about that mission of October 18, 1943.

Very cool, on my wish list is to some day fly in a B-25 if I can ever hit the lottery LOL. RIP to your great uncle. I have great respect for that generation and what they accomplished.

All the best
Paul

 

[Wurger]

Nice stuff here guys.

 

[Micdrow]

Bowfin you might this one interesting then From the book B-25 by combat machines #2

 

[Juanita]

Thanks for pointing that out, Paul (Micdrow).
With the covers over the guns its hard to spot. The barrel isn't much bigger than the cooling jackets of the .50 Brownings.
So its a 20 mm Oerlikon, or similar?

B-25 profiles: Yes, that's my work. Was first asked to draw some early variants a few years ago and bit by bit I have had opportunity to draw most models - its only the very late models, like the TB-25, B-25K and civil version that I've yet to do.
And bit by bit my knowledge and understanding of the type has increased.

The type has particular interest because it was prevalent in my part of the world (Australia) during WW2, including the early desperate days when the Japanese had the upper hand.

I wrote a story on 'Fat Cat' a few years ago, and read through the squadron diary...its heartbreaking, you get to know the folks in the unit, then suddenly 'bam' someone is gone.

Juanita

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Micdrow]

Thanks for pointing that out, Paul (Micdrow).
With the covers over the guns its hard to spot. The barrel isn't much bigger than the cooling jackets of the .50 Brownings.
So its a 20 mm Oerlikon, or similar?

B-25 profiles: Yes, that's my work. Was first asked to draw some early variants a few years ago and bit by bit I have had opportunity to draw most models - its only the very late models, like the TB-25, B-25K and civil version that I've yet to do.
And bit by bit my knowledge and understanding of the type has increased.

The type has particular interest because it was prevalent in my part of the world (Australia) during WW2, including the early desperate days when the Japanese had the upper hand.

I wrote a story on 'Fat Cat' a few years ago, and read through the squadron diary...its heartbreaking, you get to know the folks in the unit, then suddenly 'bam' someone is gone.

Juanita

Very cool Juanita on the profiles and the article on Fat Cat

As for the 20mm cannon my understanding was they used the Hispano 20mm cannon's taken from the bone yards or junk yards of wrecked P-38 lightning's that were laying around. I have found 4 or 5 so far with it installed. So far it looks like it was mainly used by the 13th and 90th bomb squadron though one was transferred over to the 345th bomb group. Still digging when I get a chance so that's what I have found so far with them.

It doesn't seem to be a too common item. Reading through the 90th bomb squadron reports some of them tell how much ammunition was used on a mission including those for 20mm cannon. So far I have found nothing to tell me how much ammo each plane can carry for the 20mm cannon.

All the best
Paul

 

[Juanita]

Fascinating Paul. There are so many interesting details that go with the story of the B-25!

Despite my close study of the Strafer nose I missed/misinterpreted the 20 mm cannon installation...confused it for a different installation of the .5 guns.