B-25D Junior Bat 41-29697

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Juanita said:
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.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this weekend I will try and find one of the pages talking about the 20mm cannon and how much ammo was expended on a mission just for your reference.

There where a ton of modifications on the B-25 in Australia. Simple stuff to major items but so far I have just concentrated on the 20mm cannons but they also did a bunch of conversations to the tail, waste gunner section, fuel system and such. The list goes on and on LOL
 
Here you go Juanita, a page from the 90th bomb squadron, about half way you can see where it talks about how many rounds of 20mm cannon where used along with other ammunition.

 
Micdrow said:
Here you go Juanita, a page from the 90th bomb squadron, about half way you can see where it talks about how many rounds of 20mm cannon where used along with other ammunition.
Click to expand...

Very interesting Paul.

Yes, they certainly did a lot of work at Brisbane and Townsville.

I only recently came across a photo of the field version (field-fit from a kit?) of the rear gun position. I had read about them but close up photos aren't common.
At a glance it looked the same as the 'H' rear gun position, but it was a very different fit and only carried a single .5mm gun.
I'm sure you're familiar with it.

Juanita
 
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Ive seen quite a few tail modifications but trying to figure out who and where they where done is quite hard at least for finding documantion.

Here is another document showing that the 13th bomber squadron used the 20mm cannon in there B-25's for a while.

 
Micdrow said:
Ive seen quite a few tail modifications but trying to figure out who and where they where done is quite hard at least for finding documantion.
Click to expand...

This is the clearest photo I have seen of a field-installed rear gun position. Interesting that they retained the perspex tail glazing...although obviously trimmed it. I believe RAAF 2 Sqn was still operating B-25D right till the end of the war.

The description: Hughes, NT. 1945-07-19. 433732 Flight Sergeant R. A. McGregor, No. 2 Squadron RAAF of Tamworth, NSW, sits in the tail gun turret of a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft and looks out of his armour plated shielded position

Juanita
 
Micdrow said:
Here is another document showing that the 13th bomber squadron used the 20mm cannon in there B-25's for a while.
Click to expand...

Hi Paul
This extract is from 1943?
50 rounds of 20mm...that doesn't seem much in comparison to the amount of strafing they were doing. Was it a fairly slow firing device?
Juanita
 
Juanita said:
Hi Paul
This extract is from 1943?
50 rounds of 20mm...that doesn't seem much in comparison to the amount of strafing they were doing. Was it a fairly slow firing device?
Juanita
Click to expand...

Correct Juanita that was in 1943. below info on the 20mm cannon which is slower firing than a 50 caliber machine gun which can fire around 750 to 850 rounds per minute compared to the 20mm cannon which is around 600 to 700 rounds per minute. Also you can carry less 20mm rounds due to the size of rounds and why I am trying to find out how many they carried.

 
By the way great shot of the tail above, here are some other field designs used in the Pacific.

 
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I just noticed in your picture Juanita that it looks like the tail is sitting on the ground. Probably on the tail skid but I wonder why?
 
Paul
Many and varied jury-rigged designs going on the those tail gun positions! Most were new to me.
Not sure how the two without gunners position were intended to work...although one of them looks like it might have been controlled remotely.

I also wondered about the orientation of the aircraft in that photo I posted, however I think the photographer was elevated. Is there also something odd about the glazing too, the edge of the glazing (viewer's left) seems to disappear and the reflections are also not visible in that area. I think its only a trick of the light but it crossed my mind that it might be battle damage.

20mm Cannon: Even with that slower rate of fire, 50 rounds expended during a mission involving strafing is pretty low - not much more than needed for a gun check!! (I'm exaggerating slightly)

Juanita
 
Juanita,

Actually the two with the bubble removed with the single and double machine guns where the first modifications done to the tail in the field. The gunner laid on his belly on a pad when shooting. The field of vision and fire where limited causing many designs in the field to be created to improve defensive capabilities of the B-25. As you can see with the twin arrangement it limited mobility even more but some crews sacrificed this for more fire power.

All the best
Paul
 
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