#B-25B Mitchell

[usafphantom2]

On this day in 1940, the North American B-25 Mitchell aircraft flew for the first time. The B-25 gained recognition during the famous Doolittle Raid in 1942.

@airandspace via X

[radarsteddybear]

A North American B-25B Mitchell and a British Bristol Beaufighter by the name of Night Mare (along with nose art of a horse to go along with the name).

[bignaz8]

In this clear and perhaps rather surprising view from 17,500’ (5,300m) beneath the surface of the Pacific, a 1941 International Harvester A14 “Shop Mule” sits still chained to the deck of aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). Most famous today for being host vessel of the successful Doolittle Raid in April of 1942, the carrier was later lost during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on October 27th of the same year. This and a number of other stunning photos were taken soon after the lost ship’s discovery by Paul Allen’s research vessel R/V Petrel in January of 2019 off the coast of the Solomon Islands, these being the first new images seen of Hornet in more than 76 years.

Similar in form and appearance to other International Harvesters of the period used in agricultural work, this machine would have been employed aboard as a tow tractor for use in moving aircraft - likely including the famous B-25B Mitchells of the first bombing raid on Japanese soil during WWII.

Photo credit Navigea LTD, January 2019

[aviationgeek71]

B-25B Mitchell, Doolittle Tokyo raiders crew No. 8 aircraft aboard USS Hornet. April, 1942.

[lonestarbattleship]

North American B-25B Mitchells taking off from USS Hornet (CV-8) for the Doolittle Raid on Toyko.

Filmed from USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) on April 18, 1942.

NARA: 79333

[davidsscalemodels]

B-25B Doolittle Raiders Decal Set

B-25B Doolittle Raiders Decal Set

These decal sheets are the aircraft specific decals for all 16 of the B-25B Mitchell Bomber’s used during the Doolittle Raid that was launched off the USS Hornet CV-8. These sets come in either 1/350 or 1/200 scale. The decals are printed on single layer film decal paper. The aircraft numbers and nose art are printed on white film decal. The background is a perfect match for Model Master Green…

[airmanisr]

CoNA B-25D Mitchell "Grumpy" by David G. Schultz Via Flickr: With a wing-span of 67 feet and a loaded weight of 35,000 lbs, the B-25 was not designed for carrier duty. But it could take off from short distances at slow speeds, so on April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle and his band of brothers launched 16 B-25Bs from the US Hornet

[raven0276]

A U.S. Army Air Forces North American B-25B Mitchell bomber takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) during the "Doolittle Raid". Original description: "Take off from the deck of the USS HORNET of an Army B-25 on its way to take part in first U.S. air raid on Japan. Doolittle Raid, April 1942." Clarence M. "Bob" Logsdon(shorter man in foreground) and Allen Q. Nations (directly behind Logsdon) watch as a B-25 leaves the deck of Hornet on 18 April, 1942. Mr. Nations perished at the battle of Santa Cruz Islands when a Japanese "Val" dive bomber crashed into the Hornet's signal bridge. Logsdon survived and in 2001 related "the death of the Hornet" in Robert Ballard's (who found the Titanic) book, "Graveyards of the Pacific."

[aiiaiiiyo]

A USAAF B-25B Mitchell medium bomber takes off from the carrier USS 'Hornet' for the 'Doolittle Raid', a retaliatory strike against Japan (April 18, 1942) [1200 x 879] Check this blog!

[usafphantom2]

B-25B Mitchell

@ron_eisele via x

[47burlm]

I remember thinking Doolittle didn’t have much room for take-off being the first of the deck- I would have wanted to be the last off

April 18, 1942

The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, on Saturday, April 18, 1942, was an air raid by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on the island of Honshu during World War II, the first air operation to strike the Japanese Home Islands. It demonstrated that Japan proper was vulnerable to American air attack, served as retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle of the United States Army Air Forces.

Sixteen B-25B Mitchell medium bombers were launched without fighter escort from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) deep in the Western Pacific Ocean, each with a crew of five men. The plan called for them to bomb military targets in Japan, and to continue westward to land in China—landing a medium bomber on Hornet was impossible. Fifteen aircraft reached China, but all crashed, while the 16th landed at Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. All but three of the 80 crew members initially survived the mission. Eight airmen were captured by the Japanese Army in China; three of those were later executed. The B-25 that landed in the Soviet Union was confiscated, with its crew interned for more than a year before being allowed to "escape" via Soviet-occupied Iran. Fourteen complete crews, except for one crewman who was killed in action, returned either to the United States or to American forces.

After the raid, the Imperial Japanese Army conducted a massive sweep through the eastern coastal provinces of China, in an operation now known as the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign, searching for the surviving American airmen and inflicting retribution on the Chinese who aided them, in an effort to prevent this part of China from being used again for an attack on Japan.

[bignaz8]

The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago. It demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attack, served as retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned, led by, and named after Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, later General of the United States Air Force.

Sixteen B-25B Mitchell medium bombers were launched without fighter escort from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Hornet deep in the Western Pacific Ocean, each with a crew of five men. The plan called for them to bomb military targets in Japan and to continue westward to land in China. The bombing raid killed about 50 people, including civilians, and injured 400. Fifteen aircraft reached China but all crashed, while the 16th landed at Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. Of the 80 crew members, 77 survived the mission. Eight airmen were captured by Japanese Army in China; three were later executed. The B-25 that landed in the Soviet Union was confiscated and its crew interned for more than a year before being allowed to "escape" via Soviet-occupied Iran with the help of the NKVD. Fourteen complete crews of five returned to the United States or to American forces, except for one crewman who was killed in action.

The raid caused negligible material damage to Japan, but it had major psychological effects. In the United States, it raised morale. In Japan, it raised doubt about the ability of military leaders to defend the home islands, but the bombing and strafing of civilians also steeled Japanese resolve to gain retribution, and this was exploited for propaganda purposes. It also pushed forward Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's plans to attack Midway Island in the Central Pacific, an attack that turned into a decisive defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) by the U.S. Navy in the Battle of Midway. The consequences were most severely felt in China, where Japanese reprisals caused the deaths of 250,000 civilians and 70,000 soldiers.

Doolittle initially believed that the loss of all his aircraft would lead to his court-martial, but he instead received the Medal of Honor and was promoted two ranks to brigadier general.

[aviationgeek71]

TDIH 1942, North American B-25B Mitchell bombers start their takeoff roll aboard USS Hornet (CV-8). Only four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel James H. (“Jimmy”) Doolittle, U.S. Army Air Corps, and his Tokyo Raiders were now en route to the Empire of Japan.

[lonestarbattleship]

"Coming In Low" by Mark Karvon, link.

"On April 18, 1942 sixteen North American B-25B Mitchell bombers launched from USS Hornet (CV-8) in a surprise attack on the Japanese mainland. Initially the bombers flew in groups of 2 to 4 but then flew singly at wave top level to avoid detection. The aircraft began arriving about noon over Tokyo and dropped special incendiary bombs. Although the raid caused little damage it achieved success in bringing the war to the Japanese home islands and boosted American morale after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. This print commemorates the 76th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. Prints are available through my website www.markkarvon.net."

[airmanisr]

Pacific Aviation Museum B-25B Mitchell by G. Verver Via Flickr: North American B-25B Mitchell s/n 44-30077 displayed on the "deck" of the USS Hornet as Doolittle Raiders 2261, Ted Lawsons #7 plane, The Ruptured Duck.

[wigmund]

From Wikipedia Picture of the Day; April 18, 2018:

The Doolittle Raid was an April 18, 1942, air raid by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on the island of Honshu. It was the first air operation during World War II to strike the Japanese home islands, demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack. As a symbolic retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle of the United States Army Air Forces, and involved 16 B-25B Mitchells, each with a crew of five. Of these eighty men, seven died during the raid or after being captured. The raid caused more than 450 casualties, including about 50 deaths, but minimal material damage.

Film: Castle Films