eBay: North American B-25 Mitchell (1 Viewer)

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B-25D-20 41-30594 Arkansas Traveler

Foto of crash see source #2
B-25D "Arkansas Traveler" 41-30594 crashing into Hansa Bay beyond a Japanese ship
This photograph was taken from B-25D "Herky" 41-30069 piloted by Captain Henry L. Knoll flying on its right wing. The Japanese ship was hit on the starboard midship by a skip bomb dropped by B-25D "Quitch" 41-30518 piloted by 1st Lt. Milford M. Symens and was credited with sinking the vessel. In the background is 75mm anti-aircraft fire from guns commanded by Japanese Army Captain Umanosake Mitatera that hit "Arkansas Traveler" causing it to crash.
Credit: John B. Nusbaum collection via Warpath Across The Pacific page 117 Date: January 30, 1944



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Snautzer01 said:
B-25D-20 41-30594 Arkansas Traveler

View attachment 827049

  1. USAF Serial Number Search Results
  2. Pacific Wrecks
  3. Org photo P-38 Lightnings 80th FS escorting B-25 Mitchell bomber | eBay
Click to expand...
Maybe it's worth mentioning that this particular a/c is a typical "commerce strafer" or a field modification known as B-25D1 (no space or dash between D and 1). The modified armament was:
1. 4 fixed 0.50 guns in the nose
2. 2x2 fixed 0.50 blister guns (2 each side of nose)
3. no belly turret
4. 2 flexible 0.30 guns in the photographer's windows
5. 1 fixed 0.50 gun in the tail (observer's cone removed), without fairing or canopy above it
6. fixed camera in the rear of fuselage, mounted in the original camera window
Photos of sister-ships from the same squadron as the above a/c (501st BS, 345th BG.) show all those mods:


Cheers!
 
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When the waist guns were added either in the field mods or in the D2's from the factory, was an additional gunner added to the crew? It would seem that the existing radioman/turret gunner would have been a bit busy to man those even if it did get crowded back there in the smaller fuselage.
 
As per some memoirs I have read the D1 strafers had from 4 to 6 men crews. The minimum of four was with pilot, co-pilot in the front and 2 gunners in the back (radio-gunner and gunner). The 6-men crew for a strafer had usually 3 gunners in the back. I remember reading that with the addition of the nose blisters a 3rd gunner and a tail gun was a welcomed counter-weight. The usual crew for a bomber with waist guns (D-models 25/30/35) consisted of 5-7 airmen: pilot, co-pilot, bombardier/navigator (or+additional navigator sometimes) and 3 gunners in the back: tail, turret and waist. 3 gunners in the back was the standard in all theaters for modified and late models.
In the MTO the modifications with waist windows and a tail gun came much earlier and 6-men crews flew during the whole African campain. USMC flew sometimes 7-men crews with 4 gunners on their PBY-1J models where the turret gunner was in the front and the other 3 in the back.
As an example check this crew list from the 381st BS, 310th BG. in the MTO - these are modified B-25Cs with 7-men crews: they have 2 pilots, navigator and bombardier in the front and 3 gunners in the back
 
CREW ROSTER
41-13085-0 (1)
1st Lt. McLaughlin, R.A.P
Capt. Evans, G.N. CP
2nd Lt. Kienitz, R.C. N
1st Lt. Leasure, O.B. B
T/Sgt. Biebighauser R
S/Sgt. Leist, J.F. G
Sgt. Myers, K.L. TG

42-64662-C (4)
1st Lt. Schwindle, A.C. P
2nd Lt. Kefer, R.L. CP
2nd Lt. Moore, J. N
2nd Lt. Vlahon, A. B
T/Sgt. Keller, R.S. R
Pvt. Parmelee, W.J. G
S/Sgt. Clement, S. TG
 
B-25C-15 Mitchell 42-32404

The B-25C was the first principal production version and had a length of 52', 15.85 m and R-2600-13 engines. 1620 were built
and most were supplied to the RAF, RAAF and RCAF as Mitchell II. The serials were 41-12434/13296, 42-32233/32532,
42-53332/53493 and 42-64502/64801. The first flight was on 9 November 1941. On 10 June 1948 those B-25Cs remaining in
service were redesignated as ZB-25C.
In 1945 some AT-24Cs remaining in service were redesignated as TB-25C (including serial 41-13233). Other aircraft identified
as TB-25C include 41-12532, 41-12686, 41-12779, 41-12781, 41-12841, 41-12844, 41-12942, 41-13105, 41-13229, 41-13249,
41-13250, 42-32256, 42-32324, 42-32356, 42-32362, 42-32364, 42-32375, 42-32383, 42-32401, 42-32404, 42-32494, 42-
32509, 42-53362, 42-53384, 42-53397, 42-53477, 42-53484, 42-64784 and 42-64780. These may have been designated AT-
24C before 1945.






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  3. WWII b&w Photos (2) US Recon Sqdrn B-25 Mitchell Medium Bomber Maintenance | eBay
 
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