eBay: North American B-25 Mitchell

[johnbr]

North American Aviation NA-62, B-25 Mitchell 40-2165, first North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, 40-2165, at Mines Field, August 1940. The constant dihedral wing was used on the first nine airplanes built Wright R-2600-9 Archives - This Day in Aviation

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

#748 WWII Photo ~B-25 Mitchell Bomber ~ | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[CATCH 22]

In this thread (starting with post # 215) we've discussed the GUN GAS VENTS on some B-25s in the SWPA (or elsewhere). Photo #83 shows such vent under the nose of the airplane. Judging by the squadron emblem the above B-25J is from the 490-th BS,341-st BG., 10th AAF, CBI (the Bridge Busters).
Basically the same nose configuration as seen below:

Some of the Bridge Busters have been upgraded to more aggressive configurations:

My personal favorite is this bird (it's a G-model):

No armament is visible so I just guess at that stage this particular a/c was a squadron "hack".
And a bad day for the same bird:

A lot of information about the "Bridge Busters" can be found here:
Front Page
Cheers!

 

[Snautzer01]

Bauer: B-25J-1-NC 43-27747 (321st BG) lost Mar 21, 1945. MACR 13203

Org. Photo: Aerial View 321st BG B-25 Bomber (#43-27747; Shot Down 1945) - (#1)! | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

*WWII photo- B 25 Mitchell Bomber plane Nose Art- "MY GEORGIA PEACH"* | eBay

 

[Snautzer01]

*WWII photo- B 25 Mitchell Bomber plane Nose Art- MRS. " G"* | eBay

 

[Snautzer01]

*WWII photo- B 25 Mitchell Bomber plane Nose Art- MY LITTLE ADMIRAL* | eBay

 

[johnbr]

A B-25 was tested using a double barreled revolver rocket launcher in the nose, it could fire 5" spinner type rockets in salvos of ten. See it here in action at Inyokern Navy Ordnance Station, CAL. This may have been post

-WW2. WWII planes

 

[Snautzer01]

Fantastic B-25 Photo - Z-503 Roger Dodger WWII Attack Bomber Large Photograph | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII B25 Radar Equipped Bomber Kagman Field Saipan catapuled takeoff MAITA photo | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[CATCH 22]

WWII B25 Radar Equipped Bomber Kagman Field Saipan catapuled takeoff MAITA photo | eBay

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The text on the back of the photo is very interesting in the portion describing the take-off procedure on the short airstrip. It is kind of misleading though, because this is a PBJ-1D and it was not with the 7-th AAF but with one of the Marine Bombing Squadrons on Saipan (just a guess here: VMB 612). Characteristic are the "hose nose" - scanner housing of APS-3 radar, deleted upper turret (less weight) and modified side (waist) windows. There is a single tail gun (mod) as well. Note the HVARs. Towards the end of the war some of these a/cs have been repainted in overall dark sea blue as seen above.
Below is a photo of a PBJ-1J in a similar configuration:

P.S. I was right with my guess: it is an a/c from VMB-612. This by the way was the last active PBJ squadron. Below another comparison from Jerry Scutts' book "Marine Mitchells in WWII".

An interesting detail with some of the PBJs - you see them often with open bomb bay doors. It was for a good reason: those planes had long range tanks installed in the bomb bay. The open doors helped to disperse the fumes.

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII B-25 Bomber Radar Equipped Pathfinder Kagman Field Saipan MAITA photo | eBay

 

[CATCH 22]

WWII B-25 Bomber Radar Equipped Pathfinder Kagman Field Saipan MAITA photo | eBay

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I tend to disagree with the description of a "Pathfinder-mission" on the back of the photo. Pathfinders in bombing formations were H2X-radar equipped bombers, used during BTO-missions. In fact the PBJs of the Marines were often used for sole missions over the ocean, searching (and destroying) enemy vessels (as mentioned in the description too). That's the reason not to carry upper defensive armament (no enemy fighters in the air) and save weight for a long and lonely flight - thus the long range tank in the bomb bay.

 

[fubar57]

I've only seen Navy and Marine B-25s in that configuration. Not saying the Air Force didn't have them but must be a rarity. The Navy took 224 B-24Js, re-designated PBJ-1J.