North American B-25 Mitchell
This was the versatile and most common
medium bomber in the 5th Air Force. "C" through "J" Models saw
service. Earlier models had a bombardier and navigator in the
nose.
Straffer Versions
Later modifications removed these crew positions and
instead included an additional eight forward firing .50 caliber
machine guns mounted in the nose, plus and additional four more
guns bolted to the side of the nose. More than 9,800 were built
during the war.
PBJ in service with USMC and USN
B-25's in service with the Navy or Marine Corps were
known as "PBJ". Over 700 Mitchells were delivered to the U.S.
Navy and Marines, including
eight
squadrons
that
served
in the
Pacific.
These were C, D, G, H and J model Mitchells. These USMC groups
were trained to drop torpedoes, which required flying with the
bomb bays open, although they never used this tactic in combat.
They also trained with “Tiny Tim” rockets, and H
models with 75mm nose cannons. Some were equipped with radar
domes.
In service with other Nations
Many Allied nations also used the B-25, in the Pacific,
the NEIAF. Some countries around the world continuing to use
B-25's until the 1960's!
