Existing comment:
North American B-25B Mitchell
The B-25 medium bomber was one of America's most famous airplanes of World War II. It was the type used by General Doolittle for the Tokyo Raid on April 18, 1942. Subsequently, it saw duty in every combat area being flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russians and Australians in addition to U.S. forces. Although the airplane was originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific area for bombing Japanese airfields from treetop level and for strafing and skip bombing enemy shipping.
The B model design eliminated the tail gunner position of the B-25 and B-25A and added a dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) turret. These turrets each had a pair of .50-cal. machine guns. The ventral turret was retractable, but the increased drag caused by the turrets reduced the top speed of the B-25B by about 30 mph at cruise speed.
The museum has B-25D-30-NC (S/N 42-3374) on display. This aircraft was modified to B-25B configuration by North American Aviation for the 10th anniversary of the Tokyo Raid. It is painted as Col. Doolittle's aircraft (S/N 40-2344).
The B-25 medium bomber was one of America's most famous airplanes of World War II. It was the type used by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle for the Tokyo Raid on April 18, 1942.
Subsequently, B-25s saw duty in every combat area being flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russians and Australians in addition to U.S. forces. Although the airplane was originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific Theater for bombing Japanese airfields and beach emplacements from treetop level, and for strafing and skip bombing enemy shipping.
Built by North American Aviation, the B-25 first flew on Aug. 19, 1940, and the U.S. Army Air Corps accepted the first five B-25s in February 1941. By the end of the war, North American Aviation had built a total of 9,816 B-25s at its California and Kansas plants.
During its long career, the B-25 experienced a number of modifications. The first major change occurred with the G model that included a 75mm cannon and two fixed .50-cal. guns in the nose. The H model was the first to add additional forward firing .50-cal. guns in cheek blisters. In the J version, the most numerous variant, the aircraft returned to its initial arrangement as a level bomber, reverting to a transparent nose that included one flexible and two fixed .50-cal. guns.
Driven by requirements in the Pacific, however, field-modified Js and finally production versions once again featured a solid nose that housed eight fixed .50-cal. guns for low-level attack. In this configuration, the J model could devastate vehicles and shipping with up to 14 forward firing heavy machine guns.
The airplane on display, actually a RB-25D (S/N 43-3374), was removed from storage at Tucson, Ariz., and rebuilt by North American Aviation at Inglewood, Calif., to the configuration of the lead B-25B flown by Lt. Col. Doolittle on the Tokyo Raid. It was then flown to the museum, arriving in April 1958.
Doolittle Tokyo Raiders:
In the spring of 1942, America's morale slumped from numerous Japanese successes, and the country desperately needed a victory. Capt. Francis S. Low, a U.S. Navy submariner, suggested an attack against the heart of Japan using U.S. Army Air Forces medium bombers flown from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The difficult task of training for and leading the raid went to Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, a brilliant aviator and compelling leader. The top secret plan called for the B-25s to take off about 450 miles from Japan, bomb selected targets at such locations as Yokohama and Tokyo, and then fly another 1,600 miles to friendly airfields in mainland China. The operation was risky -- medium bombers had never been flown from a carrier, and sailing so far into enemy territory endangered the U.S. Navy task force.
At dawn on April 18, 1942, the task force, commanded by Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, was steaming west through rough Pacific seas, about 650 miles away from Japan. On the deck of the USS Hornet sat 16 B-25s. Unfortunately, the task force encountered an enemy patrol boat, and no one knew if it had radioed a warning to Japan before being sunk. Col. Doolittle and Admiral Halsey discussed their difficult choice -- cancel the raid or launch earlier than planned and risk running out of fuel. Doolittle chose to attack, and all 16 aircraft took to the air. Upon reaching the Japanese homeland, the Raiders dropped their bombs on oil storage facilities, factory areas and military installations, and then headed out across the East China Sea.
As their fuel gauges dropped, the Raiders knew they could not reach their designated airfields. One by one, they ditched at sea, bailed out, or crash-landed in China (one crew diverted to the Soviet Union). Fortunately, with the help of the Chinese people, most of the Doolittle Raiders safely reached friendly forces (Japanese forces later executed as many as a quarter million Chinese citizens in retaliation for this assistance).
When authorities released news of the attack, American morale zoomed from the depths to which it plunged following Japan's many early victories. Although the brilliant strike caused relatively little physical damage, it stunned the Japanese population -- their embarrassed leaders had promised the mainland would never be attacked. The Japanese transferred four fighter groups from the front lines to defend mainland Japan. To prevent future American attacks on the homeland, Admiral Yamamoto ordered the disastrous attack on Midway Island, which became the turning point in the war in the Pacific.
Doolittle Raid: The Mission and the Man:
In January 1942, General Henry Hap Arnold selected Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle to lead Special Aviation Project No. 1, the bombing of Japan. Doolittle, who enlisted in the Army in 1917, became a flying cadet, and received his commission in 1918. In the late 1920s and earl 1930s, he won the prestigious Schneider, Bendix, and Thompson aviation trophies. He made the first blind flight in 1929 during which he took off, flew, and landed while being completely dependent on aircraft instruments. Lt. Col. Doolittle left the Army Air Corps in 1930, but when the war appeared imminent, in 1940, he returned to active duty. Although the Doolittle Raid of April 19, 1942 caused only minor damage, it forced the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense, raised fears among the Japanese civilians, and boosted morale among Americans and our Allies abroad.
Doolittle Raid: The Training:
The crews selected for the mission received their training at Eglin Field, Florida. Lieutenant Henry L. Miller, a Navy pilot from Pensacola Naval Station, provided assistance on how to take off with 300 feet, the available distance on the carrier USS Hornet. The crews also practiced cross-country and night flying, navigating without radio references or landmarks, low level bombing, and aerial gunnery. They completed their training in mid-March, and later flew to San Francisco to board the carrier.
Doolittle Raid: The Bomb Sight:
Instead of the Norden Bomb Sight, which was ineffective at low altitudes, Captain C. Ross Greening, pilot and armament officer for Doolittle's group, designed a replacement bomb sight (seen in the nose of the aircraft). This bomb sight was connected to the cockpit through the pilot direction indicator, allowing the bombardier to give the pilot aircraft turn directions without relying on voice communication. Using materials costing 20 cents, the metal working shops at Eglin Field, Florida, manufactured the bomb sights.
Doolittle Raid: The Aircraft Carrier:
The newly built aircraft carrier USS Hornet was chosen to carry Doolittle's B-25s toward Japan. In March, it sailed to Alamdea Naval Air Station near San Francisco to load the Army Air Forces aircraft, 72 officers and 64 enlisted men. On 2 April 1942, not wanting to sail at night because of the inexperienced crew, the Hornet's Captain, Marc A. Mitscher, left the secret mission in broad daylight. |