World War 2 In Review: North American B-25 Mitchell in View (2025-09-02)

B-25C Mitchell bombers in low-level flight over a desert, 1942/43.

Assembling switchboxes on the firewalls of North American B-25 Mitchells at North American Aviation’s Inglewood, California, factory. October 1942.

Punching rivet holes in a frame member for a North American B-25 Mitchell at North American Aviation. Inglewood, California. June 1942.

Fifth Air Force B-25 bombers drop parafrag bombs on the Japanese airbase at Wewak, New Guinea.

A North American B-25 Mitchell bomber of the U.S. Army 5th Air Force strikes against a Japanese ship in the harbor at Rabaul, New Britain during an air raid on the Japanese-held air and naval base. November 2, 1943.

A North American B-25 Mitchell bomber takes off from the USS Hornet’s flight deck for the initial air raid on Tokyo, Japan. President Roosevelt had answered a reporter’s question by saying that the raid came from a base called “Shangri-La” in playful allusion to the mythical country of James Hilton’s novel, Lost Horizon. For a year the world knew no more than that. April 18, 1942.

Led by its Commanding Officer, Colonel Chester A. Coltharp, North American B-25 Mitchells from the 345th Bomb Group head out for the China Sea in search of reported northbound Japanese convoy. Squadrons fly formation to and from target for mutual protection.

North American NA-40 with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines. The B-25 was actually an improved development of the NA-40. The NA-40, North American’s attack bomber prototype that lost out to the Douglas A-20 Havoc. North American engineers then changed their design so it could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs, twice the NA-40’s capacity. The NA-62, as the new bomber was called, went into production as the B-25 Mitchell.

Combat artist Tom Lea stands in front of a B-25 bomber in Kunming, China, 1943

North American B-25 Mitchell "1 for the Gipper".

North American B-25 Mitchell, 1st Air Commando Group.

Three Wisconsin soldiers pose in front of the nose art on their B-25 "Bedroom Commando". Left to right are Crew Chief Sergeant Clyde Cheney (shirtless), Instrument Specialist Sergeant Leander A. Grosse (shirtless) and Navigator and Bombardier Captain Sylvester Hoffman. Hoffman is wearing a leather bomber jacket, flying helmet and goggles. On the jacket is a patch with a skull and wings, insignia of the 341st Bomb Group. The airfield is near Port Moresby, New Guinea. 30 November 1943.

Soldiers loading bombs onto a trailer at a military base near Port Moresby, New Guinea. Their names, left to right, are Sergeant Joe Sankowski (shirtless), Sergeant Charles Sekula (shirtless), Sergeant Leonard Welch, Sergeant Edward Rushman (shirtless), and Sergeant Herman Rollin. A B-25 Mitchell is in the background. 30 November 1943.

Armament Chief Sergeant Lloyd Cleary sits on the engine of a B-25 Mitchell with his feet on the propeller at an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea.

A new B-25 bomber is brought for a test hop to the flight line at the Kansas City, Kansas, plant of North American Aviation. October 1942.

D-day in the South Pacific, with a momentary junction of American air and sea forces on the move. B-25s are en route to Rabaul to blast Japanese airfields; the invasion convoy several thousand feet below is speeding toward Green Island.

Fifth Air Force B-25s use skip-bombing methods to sink this Japanese freighter bound for Wewak.

B-25 during low level attack on Japanese coastal shipping, New Guinea.

North American B-25 Mitchell, serial 42-53451, “Worth Fighting For,” over Italy, 1944.

B-25.

B-25s.

Pilots in the cockpit of a B-25.

B-25, “Miss Most.”

North American B-25 Mitchell.

Wing sections for the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber are assembled at a General Motors plant.

North American B-25D Mitchell, “75.” The RAF style fin flash covers part of the serial number.

A Douglas Dakota and a North American Mitchell parked on the hard standing at Luqa while staging through Malta to the Far East. Two airmen in the foreground are squatting against the end of one of the aircraft revetments built of sand-filled fuel tins during the siege.

North American B-25D.

North American B-25C, 42-64592, "Stardust".

KNIL (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger = Royal Netherlands East Indies Army) B-25's of 18 Squadron, Australia, 1944. The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force.

Inspection of the right engine of KNIL North American B-25 (N5-149) of 18 Squadron NEI at Batchelor in Northern Australia, 1944.

KNIL B-25's in formation, N-139 and M5-140, 1944.

A group of soldiers pose at the airfield in Batchelor with the KNIL North American B-25C Mitchell with registration N5-131 and the nickname 'Pulk', which was flown by F. Pelder at 18 Squadron NEI, May 4, 1944.

KNIL North American B-25C/D Mitchells of 18 Squadron NEI in formation on their way to their destination in the Indian Archipelago, circa 1942-45.

Crew for a KNIL North American B-25 Mitchell bomber. From left to right, 1st Lieutenant Pilot-Observer W.F.A.. Winckel, Sergeant Major Wardenaar and Sergeant Snoeck. Circa 1944.

A KNIL air force B-25 is being repaired and cleaned at an Australian base. An Indonesian ground crew member cleans a gun turret. May 1945. Four Dutch squadrons were formed in Australia. The first of these, No. 18 (NEI) Squadron RAAF, was formed in April 1942 as a medium bomber squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The second joint Australian-NEI squadron, No. 119 (NEI) Squadron RAAF, was also to be a medium bomber squadron. No. 119 NEI Squadron was only active between September and December 1943 when it was disbanded to form No. 120 (NEI) Squadron RAAF, was a fighter squadron. In 1944, the KNIL formed No. 1 Netherlands East Indies Transport Squadron, later absorbed by the RAAF as No. 19 (NEI) Squadron RAAF. Both No. 18 and No. 120 Squadrons saw action against the Japanese during World War II.

A KNIL air force B-25 is being repaired and cleaned at an Australian base. An Australian ground crew member loads ammunition, May 1945.

Two “Red Army” B-25 bombers fly over area held by “Blue Army” M2 medium tank and 75mm gun captured in “battle.” First Army war games, Wadesboro, North Carolina, 27 November 1941.

North American B-25D flares for landing somewhere in Italy, 1943.

Soviet B-25 which brought the first commission from Russia for Lend-Lease deliveries.

Three Soviet airmen were killed in this crash of a B-25 during a ferry flight to Russia from Alaska.

Colonel A.J. Harvey (left), one of the most experienced American ferry pilots, is talking to the pilot of a B-25, an unknown American lieutenant and Major Robert W. Maupin, the commander of the Fairbanks airfield . 4 September 1942.

B-25s in front of Ladd Field control tower during winter 1943 readying for ferry flight to Russia.

Pilot of a B-25 with aviator style sunglasses.

April 1942: USS Hornet CV-8, deck loaded with 16 USAAF B-25B Mitchell bombers en route to launch the Doolittle Raid on Japan.

Group photo of the 12th Bomb Group with a B-25 Mitchell bomber in the North African desert in November 1942.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. USAAF B-25B bombers and Navy F4F-3 fighters on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), while she was en route to the mission's launching point. Note wooden dummy machine guns in the tail cone of the B-25 at left. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

A crew member checks the lashings on his North American B-25B "Mitchell" bomber aboard the USS HORNET (CV-12), while behind him other crews check their planes in preparation for the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. View looking aft and to port from the island of USS Hornet (CV-8), while en route to the mission's launching point. USS Vincennes (CA-44) is in the distance. Several of the mission's sixteen B-25B bombers are visible. That in the foreground is tail # 40-2261, which was mission plane # 7, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Ted W. Lawson. The next plane is tail # 40-2242, mission plane # 8, piloted by Captain Edward J. York. Both aircraft attacked targets in the Tokyo area. Lt. Lawson later wrote the book Thirty Seconds over Tokyo. Note searchlight at left. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. Two of the operation's sixteen USAAF B-25B bombers, parked on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), while en route to the mission launching point. The plane at right has tail # 40-2282. It is mission plane # 4, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Everett W. Holstrom, Jr. during the raid, in which it attacked targets in Tokyo. Note protective cover over its gun turret, and wooden dummy guns mounted in its tail cone. The plane at left is warming up its engines, as was done periodically during the voyage. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. Nose of one of the raiding force's B-25B bombers, which is tied down on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8) while en route to the takeoff point. This aircraft is mission plane # 11 (USAAF serial # 40-2249), nicknamed Hari Carrier and decorated accordingly. The plane's pilot was Capt. C. Ross Greening. It attacked targets in Yokohama. Note slippage mark on the nose wheel and tire, and inscription on the wheel cover: Inflating instructions inside check tire pressure daily. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

April 1942: USS Hornet CV-8, deck loaded with 16 USAAF B-25B Mitchell bombers en route to launch the Doolittle Raid on Japan. The USS Vincennes CA-44 is seen in the background.

Painting of a B-25 bomber lifting off the deck of the USS Hornet, April 18, 1942.

B-25 Mitchell bombers strafing and dropping parafrag bombs on a Japanese airfield on Hollandia in the Dutch East Indies.

Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, USAAF wires a Japanese medal to a bomb, for return to its originators in the first U.S. air raid on the Japanese Home Islands, April 1942. Photographed on board USS Hornet (CV-8), shortly before LtCol. Doolittle's B-25 bombers were launched to attack Japan. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 1942. Nose art on B-25B Hari Carrier (USAAF serial # 40-2249), photographed while the plane was parked on board USS Hornet (CV-8), en route to the raid launching point. This aircraft was mission plane # 11, piloted by Captain C. Ross Greening. It attacked targets in the Yokohama area on 18 April 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

B-25J Mitchell medium bombers. Nearest is 43-27742 "Winnie Mae" (previously Vicious Vera") of the 445th Bomb Squadron, 321st Bomb Group. The aircraft served in the Mediterranean theater, operating out of bases in Italy. It was written off on March 17, 1945, after an accident during a landing attempt at the 57th Bomb Wing's airfield at Solenzara, Corsica. The aircraft veered off the runway, damaging the landing gear and starboard wing, and was deemed irreparable. The crew was uninjured in the crash.

B-25J-1-NC s/n 43-27698 "Peggy Lou" code #13 of the 321st Bomb Group of the 445th Bomb Squadron of the 12th Air Force releases AN-M41 fragmentation bombs on German positions near Lake Comaccio. The aircraft completed 137 missions in the MTO before returning to the U.S.

Another photo of B-25J-1-NC s/n 43-27698 "Peggy Lou" code #13 of the 321st Bomb Group of the 445th Bomb Squadron of the 12th Air Force on 27 March 1945 over Staz de Ceraino, Italy. Official caption: This is 12th Air Force North American B-25 number 13, but all the bad luck is neatly packed in each of the 1,000 pound bombs headed for the Brenner Pass Line bridge below. The link, located at Staz di Ceriano 15 miles northwest of Verona, was damaged during the attack. The "Battle of the Brenner" continues.

B-25J Mitchell code #14 of the 445th Bomb Squadron of the 321st Bomb Group of the 12th Air Force dropping 1,000 pound bombs over the Brenner Pass on 4 January 1945.

B-25J Mitchell s/n 43-27698 "Peggy Lou" code #13 of the 321st Bomb Group of the 445th Bomb Squadron of the 12th Air Force over the port of Ancona, Italy, on 23 December 1944.

A B-25J Mitchell bomber with four crewmen standing in front of the aircraft, 1944.

North American B-25 Mitchell with rocket launcher in nose at Wright Field.

North American B-25D Mitchell "Pin-up Girl", 434th Bombardment Squadron, 12th Bombardment Group, (probably) in North Africa.

An assembly line worker assembling the engine of a B-25 bomber. Inglewood, California, October 1942.

USAAF B-25 medium bombers on their way to pound German units dug in amid the ruins of Monte Cassino. March 1944.

A B-25 (upper right) attacks a group of Japanese coastal vessels off New Guinea.

B-25 aircraft of 345th Bombardment Group, 500th Bombardment Squadron attacking Japanese Sub Chaser CH-39 off Three Island Harbor, New Hanover, New Ireland, 16 February 1944. Note the bomb in flight.

B-25 Mitchell bombers have taken-off from the aircraft carriers USS Hornet, USS Carl Vinson, USS Ranger, USS Lexington, and USS Constellation. But, did you know the only carrier to have a B-25 LAND on deck was the USS Shangri-La. It was a Navy version of the B-25, a PBJ, in 1944.

North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers on assembly line.

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,” 18 April 1942.

US B-25J of 499th ‘Bats Outta Hell’ Bomb Squadron of 345th ‘Air Apaches’ Bomb Group attacking Japanese Type-C Escort Vessel No. 1, in Taiwan Strait south of Amoy (Xiamen), China, 6 April 1945.

B-25 Mitchell bomber of the 405th Bomb Squadron “Green Dragons” employing the skip-bombing technique against enemy shipping. Southwest Pacific, 1944-45.

B-25's in production at the North American Aviation plant, Inglewood, California.

B-25 Mitchell bombers of 321st Bomber Group, US 447th Bomber Squadron flying past Mount Vesuvius, Italy during its eruption of 18-23 March 1944.

A U.S. Army Air Force North American B-25B Mitchell bomber taking off from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) during the Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942.

Loading bombs into a B-25 Mitchell.

Spectacular crash at Byoritsu oil refinery, Formosa, was photographed by a B-25 of the 5th Air Force’s 345th Bomb Group on 26 May 1945.

North American’s B-25G Mitchell from the AAF TAC Center, Orlando, Florida, April 17, 1944.

Doolittle Raid B-25Bs aboard USS Hornet.

B-25D ‘Red Wrath’ bombing anti-aircraft sites, Wewak and Boram, New Guinea, 16 October 1943.

North American B-25 Mitchell production in Kansas City in 1942.

North American Aviation factory workers mounting an engine on a B-25 bomber, Inglewood, California, United States, 1942.

Armorers load four 1,000-lb MC bombs into the bomb-bay of a North American B-25 Mitchell, for an early morning sortie from B58 Melsbroek, Belgium.

Abandoned B-25J bomber of 822nd Bomb Squadron of 38th Bomb Group of US 5th Air Force, 25 January 1945.

James Doolittle sitting by the wing of his wrecked B-25 Mitchell bomber, after the Tokyo raid, China, 18 April 1942.

B-25 leaving installations aflame in the Wewak area, 13 August 1943.

Armorer cleaning the bore of a 75mm cannon mounted in a B-25G Mitchell bomber "Pride of the Yankees" of the 820th Bomb Squadron, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands; March-April 1944.

North American B-25C 42-64592 "Stardust".

North American B-25 Mitchell “Queen Mary” of the 340th BG.

Side view of North American XB-25G, modified from B-25C-1-NA (S/N 41-13296). Note the nose-mounted .50-cal. machine guns are not installed on this aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo)

North American XB-25G, modified from B-25C-1-NA (S/N 41-13296). (U.S. Air Force photo)

North American B-25J rocket assisted takeoff using four XLR3-AJ-1 rocket pods on Sept. 24, 1958. [Date may be incorrect; note that the national insignia appears to be pre-1947 style.]

Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 18, 1942. An Army Air Force B-25 Bomber awaits takeoff from the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), as the raid is launched, 18 April 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

USS Hornet (CV-8) launches Army Air Force B-25B bombers, at the start of the first U.S. air raid on the Japanese home islands, 18 April 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. Crewmen work on a USAAF B-25B parked at the rear of USS Hornet's (CV-8) flight deck, while en route to the mission's launching point. USS Gwin (DD-433) is in the center, approaching the carrier from astern. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

A view of B-25B Mitchell bombers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle spotted on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet (CV 8) steaming towards Japan.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. Some of the mission's B-25B bombers parked on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), while en route to the raid's takeoff point. Note use of the flight deck tie-down strips to secure the aircraft. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. Navy blimp L-8 hovers over USS Hornet (CV-8) while delivering parts for the mission's U.S. Army Air Force aircraft. Taken shortly after the ship left San Francisco to begin the operation, circa 4 April 1942. Note USAAF B-25B bomber parked on the flight deck. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

A U.S. Army Air Force North American B-25B Mitchell shortly before launching from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) on 18 April 1942.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. A USAAF B-25B bomber flies over USS Hornet (CV-8) while on its way to attack targets in Japan, just after it was launched on the morning of 18 April 1942. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. USAAF B-25B bombers prepare to take off from USS Hornet (CV-8), on the morning of 18 April 1942. These are the last five or six planes to be launched. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. USAAF B-25B bomber lines up for takeoff from USS Hornet (CV-8), on the morning of 18 April 1942. Note white lines painted on the flight deck, below the plane's nose and port side wheels, to guide the pilot during his takeoff run. This is the 3rd or 4th plane to be launched. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. Army Air Forces B-25B bombers parked on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), while en route to the mission's launching point. The plane in the upper right is tail # 40-2242, mission plane # 8, piloted by Captain Edward J. York. Note use of the flight deck tie-down strips to secure the aircraft. Location is near the forward edge of the midships aircraft elevator. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

North American B-25B Mitchell bombers on the deck of the USS Hornet en route to attack Japan, April 1942.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 1942. Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, USAAF (left front), leader of the raiding force, talks with Captain Marc A. Mitscher, USN, Commanding Officer of USS Hornet (CV-8), on board Hornet sometime before the 18 April 1942 launch of the raiding airplanes. Members of the Army Air Forces flight crews, and the wing of one of their B-25B bombers, are in the background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 1942. An Army Air Force B-25B bomber takes off from USS Hornet (CV-8) at the start of the raid, 18 April 1942. Note men watching from the signal lamp platform at right. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 1942. Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, USAAF (front), leader of the raiding force, wires a Japanese medal to a 500-pound bomb, during ceremonies on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), shortly before his force of sixteen B-25B bombers took off for Japan. The planes were launched on 18 April 1942. The wartime censor has obscured unit patches of the Air Force flight crew members in the background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. USAAF aircrewmen preparing .50 caliber machine gun ammunition on the flight deck of USS Hornet (CV-8), while the carrier was steaming toward the mission's launching point. Three of their B-25B bombers are visible. That in the upper left is tail #s 40-2298, mission plane # 6, piloted by Lieutenant Dean E. Hallmark. That in top center is tail # 40-2283. It was mission plane # 5, piloted by Captain David M. Jones. Both attacked targets in the Tokyo area. Lt. Hallmark, captured by the Japanese in China, was executed by them at Shanghai on 15 October 1942. Note the open flight deck bomb elevator in the upper right. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Doolittle Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942. USS Gwin (DD-433) approaches USS Hornet (CV-8) from astern, with USS Nashville (CL-43) beyond, while en route to the mission's launching point. The ships are framed by the tail of a USAAF B-25B, parked on the rear of the carrier's flight deck. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

The crew of the B-25 Mitchell 'Casa De Lobos' prepare their plane for take-off at a United States Army Air Force base in December 1942 in Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada.

B-25B s/n 40-2297 assigned to the 89th RS (432nd BS), 17th BG. Was a Doolittle raider. Was 14th aircraft launched from USS Hornet. Bombed Nagoya, ran out of fuel, crew bailed out SE of Shangjao, China 18 April 1942.

View from B-25 of low-level raid.

B-25 of the 499th Medium Bomb Squadron.

B-25s in "desert pink" scheme.

Engine replacement on a B-25.

Female workers preparing B-25 for painting at factory.

Engine replacement on a B-25.

B-25s on the flight line. Note red bordered national insignia.

North American B-25 and B-25A Mitchells. (AN 01-60G-3, Pages 22-23)

North American B-25C Mitchell. (USAF photo)

Darwin, circa 1943. Eight North American B-25 Mitchell bombers fly over the coast near Darwin. Note the aircraft are all carrying Netherlands East Indies (NEI) registrations and markings. (Australian War Memorial ID Number P02769.001)

A U.S. Navy North American PBJ-1D Mitchell (BuNo 35094) in flight near the Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River, Maryland (USA), on 28 February 1944. (Official U.S. Navy photo NH 87962 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command)

A view of a B-25G shows the mid-ship location of dorsal turret. (USAF photo)

Lt. Peddy and crew. This image shows how many people were required to keep a B-25 Mitchell flying. (USAF photo)

Edwards Air Force Base ? The curriculum of the Flight Performance School included work in evaluating the performance of this B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, the same type which became famous after Gen. Jimmy Doolittle's daring raid on Tokyo in 1942. Unlike Doolittle's raiders, however, the school's B-25 was a "solid nose" model, carried no guns and had its turrets removed. (USAAF photo)

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theater of World War II, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25s were built. It was the most-produced American medium bomber and the third-most-produced American bomber overall. These included several limited models such as the F-10 reconnaissance aircraft, the AT-24 crew trainer, and the United States Marine Corps' PBJ-1 patrol bomber.

Design and Development

On 11 March 1939, the US Army Air Corps issued Proposal No. 39-640 specifying a medium bomber capable of carrying a 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) bombload over a range of 2,000 miles (3,200 km) at top speed in excess of 300 mph (480 km/h). North American Aviation (NAA) used its NA-40B design to develop the NA-62 proposal. More state of the art compared to the competing Martin No. 179 proposal, the North American team included easy field maintenance and repair features, and according to Avery, "It promised to be an easy airplane to fly and placed no special requirements on pilot training programs." On 20 September. the Air Corps issued North American contract No. W353-ac-13258 for 184 B-25s powered by the Wright R-2600. The plane used the NACA 23017 airfoil at the wing root changing to a NACA 4409-R at the wingtip. On 19 August 1940, Vance Breese and NAA test engineer Roy Ferren flew the first flight test, when Ferren noted a severe roll-yaw condition.

Preliminary flights by the Air Corps noted the Dutch roll characteristic, accentuated by wind and gusts and demanded a fix. NAA's first nine aircraft had a constant-dihedral, the wing having a consistent upward angle from the fuselage to the wingtip. "Flattening", or changing the outer wing panels dihedral to zero degrees, was a simple solution that solved the aerodynamic problem. This gave the B-25 its gull wing configuration. The 25 February 1941 flight test confirmed the change resulted in optimum flight characteristics. The vertical tail also went through five variations before being finalized. By the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, 130 B-25s had been delivered.

Special variations were made to accommodate photo reconnaissance, armament, long range ferry, anti-submarine patrol, winterizing, and use in a desert environment. By February 1941, the first 24 B-25s were configured with three .30 cal guns and a single .50 cal tail gun. The B-25A had self-sealing fuel cells. The B-25B had top and bottom turrets with twin .50 cal guns each, though the tail gun was removed. By December 1941, the B-25C had additional self-sealing fuel cells outboard the wing center section. By February 1942, the first B-25D, and then in May 1943, the 75mm cannon-armed B-25G series were accepted by the Air Corps. By August 1943, the B-25H had a lighter 75mm cannon, 4 nose guns instead of 2, two waist guns. two in the tail turret, four blister gun packs, and eliminated the co-pilot after Jimmy Doolittle questioned the need. In December 1943, the B-25J was introduced, the final variant and the most produced, reincorporated the co-pilot position and included a bombardier.

NAA manufactured the greatest number of aircraft in World War II, the first time a company had produced trainers, bombers, and fighters simultaneously (the AT-6/SNJ Texan/Harvard, B-25 Mitchell, and the P-51 Mustang). It produced B-25s at both its Inglewood main plant and an additional 6,608 aircraft at its Kansas City, Kansas, plant at Fairfax Airport.

After the war, the USAF placed a contract for the TB-25L trainer in 1952. This was a modification program by Hayes of Birmingham, Alabama. Its primary role was reciprocating engine pilot training.

A development of the B-25 was the North American XB-28 Dragon, designed as a high-altitude bomber. Two prototypes were built with the second prototype, the XB-28A, evaluated as a photo-reconnaissance platform, but the aircraft did not enter production.

Flight Characteristics

The B-25 was a safe and forgiving aircraft to fly. With one engine out, 60° banking turns into the dead engine were possible, and control could be easily maintained down to 145 mph (230 km/h). The pilot had to remember to maintain engine-out directional control at low speeds after takeoff with rudder; if this maneuver were attempted with ailerons, the aircraft could snap out of control. The tricycle landing gear made for excellent visibility while taxiing. The only significant complaint about the B-25 was its extremely noisy engines; as a result, many pilots eventually suffered from some degree of hearing loss. A Clayton S stack, introduced to quench the exhaust flame, was introduced in the B-25C series. These stacks protruded through the cowling, and though they weighed less than the replaced collector ring, they reduced aircraft speed by 9 mph due to the required aircraft fairings. According to Avery, "The increase in noise as compared to collector rings ported on the outboard side of the nacelles was a general crew complaint."

Durability

The Mitchell was exceptionally sturdy and could withstand tremendous punishment. One B-25C of the 321st Bomb Group was nicknamed "Patches" because its crew chief painted all the aircraft's flak hole patches with bright yellow zinc chromate primer. By the end of the war, this aircraft had completed over 300 missions, had been belly-landed six times, and had over 400 patched holes. The airframe of "Patches" was so distorted from battle damage that straight-and-level flight required 8° of left aileron trim and 6° of right rudder, causing the aircraft to "crab" sideways across the sky.

Operational History

Asia-Pacific

Most B-25s in American service were used in the war against Japan in Asia and the Pacific. The Mitchell fought from the North to the South Pacific and the Far East. These areas included the campaigns in the Aleutian Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Britain, China, Burma, and the island hopping campaign in the Central Pacific, as well as in the Doolittle Raid. The aircraft's potential as a ground-attack aircraft emerged during the Pacific war. The jungle environment reduced the usefulness of medium-level bombing, and made low-level attack the best tactic. Using similar mast height level tactics and skip bombing, the B-25 proved itself to be a capable anti-shipping weapon and sank many enemy sea vessels. An ever-increasing number of forward firing guns made the B-25 a formidable strafing aircraft for island warfare. The Paul Gunn and Jack Fox modified strafer models with four .50 caliber guns were the B-25C1/D1, while the factory B-25J was equipped with a factory made eight gun strafer nose.

In Burma, bridge busting was a primary target of the Tenth Air Force 341st Bomb Group operating B-25C and D airplanes. A glide and skip technique, called "glip" bombing, was most the effective for the Burma Bridge Busters. The 341st ranged as far as the Formosa Strait, the East China coast and French Indochina.

Middle East and Italy

The first B-25s arrived in Egypt and were carrying out independent operations by October 1942. Operations there against Axis airfields and motorized-vehicle columns supported the ground actions of the Second Battle of El Alamein. Thereafter, the aircraft took part in the rest of the campaign in North Africa, the invasion of Sicily, and the advance up Italy. In the Strait of Messina to the Aegean Sea, the B-25 conducted sea sweeps as part of the coastal air forces. In Italy, the B-25 was used in the ground attack role, concentrating on attacks against road and rail links in Italy, Austria, and the Balkans. The B-25 had a longer range than the Douglas A-20 Havoc and Douglas A-26 Invader, allowing it to reach further into occupied Europe. The five bombardment groups – 20 squadrons – of the Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces that used the B-25 in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations were the only U.S. units to employ the B-25 in Europe.

Europe

In October 1943, the Ninth Air Force 340th was transferred from the African and Mediterranean theater to England in support of the assault on Germany. In November 1944 the medium bombers eliminated the use of electric locomotives along Brenner Pass.

Use as a Gunship

In anti-shipping operations, the USAAF had an urgent need for hard-hitting aircraft, and North American responded with the B-25G. In this series, the transparent nose and bombardier/navigator position was changed for a shorter, hatched nose with two fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and a manually loaded 75 mm (2.95 in) M4 cannon.

The B-25H series continued the development of the gunship version. NAA Inglewood produced 1000. The H had even more firepower; most replaced the M4 gun with the lighter T13E1, designed specifically for the aircraft, but 20-odd H-1 block aircraft completed by the Republic Aviation modification center at Evansville had the M4 and two-machine-gun nose armament. The 75 mm (2.95 in) gun fired at a muzzle velocity of 2,362 ft/s (720 m/s). Due to its slow rate of fire (about four rounds could be fired in a single strafing run), relative ineffectiveness against ground targets, and the substantial recoil, the 75 mm gun was sometimes removed from both G and H models and replaced with two additional .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns as a field modification.

The H series normally came from the factory mounting four fixed, forward-firing .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose; four in a pair of under-cockpit conformal flank-mount gun pod packages (two guns per side); two more in the manned dorsal turret, relocated forward to a position just behind the cockpit (which became standard for the J-model); one each in a pair of new waist positions, introduced simultaneously with the forward-relocated dorsal turret; and lastly, a pair of guns in a new tail-gunner's position. Company promotional material bragged that the B-25H could "bring to bear 10 machine guns coming and four going, in addition to the 75 mm cannon, eight rockets, and 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) of bombs."

The H had a modified cockpit with single flight controls operated by the pilot. The co-pilot's station and controls were removed and replaced by a smaller seat used by the navigator/cannoneer, The radio operator crew position was aft of the bomb bay with access to the waist guns. Factory production totals were 405 B-25Gs and 1,000 B-25Hs, with 248 of the latter being used by the Navy as PBJ-1Hs. Elimination of the co-pilot saved weight, and moving the dorsal turret forward partially counterbalanced the waist guns and the manned rear turret.

Return to Medium Bomber

The final, and most numerous, series of the Mitchell, the B-25J, looked less like earlier series apart from the well-glazed bombardier's nose of nearly identical appearance to the earliest B-25 sub-types. Instead, the J followed the overall configuration of the H series from the cockpit aft. It had the forward dorsal turret and other armament and airframe advancements. All J models included four .50 in (12.7 mm) light-barrel Browning AN/M2 guns in a pair of "fuselage packages", conformal gun pods each flanking the lower cockpit, each pod containing two Browning M2s. By 1945, however, combat squadrons removed these. The J series restored the co-pilot's seat and dual flight controls. The factory-made kits available to the Air Depot system to create the strafer-nose B-25J-2. This configuration carried a total of 18 .50 in (12.7 mm) light-barrel AN/M2 Browning M2 machine guns: eight in the nose, four in the flank-mount conformal gun pod packages, two in the dorsal turret, one each in the pair of waist positions, and a pair in the tail – with 14 of the guns either aimed directly forward or aimed to fire directly forward for strafing missions. Some aircraft had eight 5-inch (130 mm) high-velocity aircraft rockets.

Postwar (USAF) Use

In 1947, legislation created an independent United States Air Force (USAF) and by that time, the B-25 inventory numbered only a few hundred. Some B-25s continued in service into the 1950s in training, reconnaissance, and support roles. The principal use during this period was as pilot trainers, radar control trainers, weather reconnaissance, and transports. Others were assigned to units of the Air National Guard in training roles in support of Northrop F-89 Scorpion and Lockheed F-94 Starfire operations.

During its USAF tenure, many B-25s received the so-called "Hayes modification" and as a result, surviving B-25s often have exhaust systems with a semi-collector ring that splits emissions into two different systems. The upper seven cylinders are collected by a ring, while the other cylinders remain directed to individual ports.

TB-25J-25-NC Mitchell, 44-30854, the last B-25 in the USAF inventory, assigned at March AFB, California, as of March 1960, was flown to Eglin AFB, Florida, from Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, on 21 May 1960, the last flight by a USAF B-25. It was presented by Brigadier General A. J. Russell, Commander of SAC's 822nd Air Division at Turner AFB, to the Air Proving Ground Center Commander, Brigadier General Robert H. Warren. He in turn presented the bomber to Valparaiso, Florida, Mayor Randall Roberts on behalf of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. Four of the original Tokyo Raiders were present for the ceremony, Colonel (later Major General) David Jones, Colonel Jack Simms, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Manske, and retired Master Sergeant Edwin W. Horton. It was donated back to the Air Force Armament Museum around 1974 and marked as Doolittle's 40-2344.

U.S. Navy and USMC

The U.S. Navy designation for the Mitchell B-25 was the PBJ-1, similarly the PBJ-1C and PBJ-1D reflected their AAF counterparts. Night search PBJs incorporated a retractable APS-3 radome scope. Under the pre-1962 USN/USMC/USCG aircraft designation system, PBJ-1 stood for Patrol (P) Bomber (B) built by North American Aviation (J), first variant (-1) under the existing American naval aircraft designation system of the era. In early 1943, the Navy took delivery of an initial 706 B-25s, assigned to the Marine Corps for patrol and anti-submarine duties initially, but then transitioning into an attack aircraft with bombs, torpedoes and radar directed rockets. The PBJ had its origin in an inter-service agreement of mid-1942 between the Navy and the USAAF exchanging the Boeing Renton plant for the Kansas plant for B-29 Superfortress production. The Boeing XPBB Sea Ranger flying boat, competing for B-29 engines, was cancelled in exchange for part of the Kansas City Mitchell production. On 1 March 1943, VMB-413 was the first of sixteen USMC squadrons equipped with PBJs, all commissioned at MCAS Cherry Point. The large quantities of B-25H and J series became known as PBJ-1H and PBJ-1J, respectively.

From 1944 onwards, the Marine PBJs flew from the Philippines, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Their primary mission was radar directed night strikes against enemy shipping. Weapons included the five-inch HVAR rocket, and the 11.75 inch "Tiny Tim" rocket. Long range night operations meant more fuel, with weight reductions achieved removing the top turret and slide blisters.

During the war, the Navy tested the cannon-armed G series and conducted carrier trials with an H equipped with arresting gear. After World War II, some PBJs stationed at the Navy's rocket laboratory in Inyokern, California, site of the present-day Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, tested air-to-ground rockets and arrangements. One arrangement was a twin-barrel nose that could fire 10 spin-stabilized five-inch rockets in one salvo.

Royal Air Force

Great Britain received 910 B-25s during WWII, but many were returned afterwards.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) was an early customer for the B-25 via Lend-Lease. The first Mitchells were given the service name Mitchell I by the RAF and were delivered in August 1941, to No. 111 Operational Training Unit based in the Bahamas. These bombers were used exclusively for training and familiarization and never became operational. The B-25Cs and Ds were designated Mitchell II. Altogether, 167 B-25Cs and 371 B-25Ds were delivered to the RAF. The RAF tested the cannon-armed G series but did not adopt the series nor the follow-on H series.

By the end of 1942, the RAF had taken delivery of 93 Mitchells, marks I and II. Some served with squadrons of No. 2 Group RAF, the RAF's tactical medium-bomber force, including No. 139 Wing RAF at RAF Dunsfold. The first RAF operation with the Mitchell II took place on 22 January 1943, when six aircraft from No. 180 Squadron RAF attacked oil installations at Ghent. After the invasion of Europe (by which point 2 Group was part of Second Tactical Air Force), all four Mitchell squadrons moved to bases in France and Belgium (Melsbroek) to support Allied ground forces. The British Mitchell squadrons were joined by No. 342 (Lorraine) Squadron of the French Air Force in April 1945.

As part of its move from Bomber Command, No 305 (Polish) Squadron flew Mitchell IIs from September to December 1943 before converting to the de Havilland Mosquito. In addition to No. 2 Group, the B-25 was used by various second-line RAF units in the UK and abroad. In the Far East, No. 3 PRU, which consisted of Nos. 681 and 684 Squadrons, flew the Mitchell (primarily Mk IIs) on photographic reconnaissance sorties.

Royal Canadian Air Force

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) used the B-25 Mitchell for training during the war. Postwar use continued operations with most of the 162 Mitchells received. The first B-25s had been diverted to Canada from RAF orders. These included one Mitchell I, 42 Mitchell IIs, and 19 Mitchell IIIs. No 13 (P) Squadron was formed unofficially at RCAF Rockcliffe in May 1944 and used Mitchell IIs on high-altitude aerial photography sorties. No. 5 Operational Training Unit at Boundary Bay, British Columbia and Abbotsford, British Columbia, operated the B-25D Mitchell in the training role together with B-24 Liberators for Heavy Conversion as part of the BCATP. The RCAF retained the Mitchell until October 1963.

No 418 (Auxiliary) Squadron received its first Mitchell IIs in January 1947. It was followed by No 406 (auxiliary), which flew Mitchell IIs and IIIs from April 1947 to June 1958. No 418 operated a mix of IIs and IIIs until March 1958. No 12 Squadron of Air Transport Command also flew Mitchell IIIs along with other types from September 1956 to November 1960. In 1951, the RCAF received an additional 75 B-25Js from USAF stocks to make up for attrition and to equip various second-line units.

Royal Australian Air Force

The Australians received Mitchells by the spring of 1944. The joint Australian-Dutch No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF had more than enough Mitchells for one squadron, so the surplus went to re-equip the RAAF's No. 2 Squadron, replacing their Beauforts.

Dutch Air Force

During World War II, the Mitchell served in fairly large numbers with the Air Force of the Dutch government-in-exile. They participated in combat in the East Indies, as well as on the European front. On 30 June 1941, the Netherlands Purchasing Commission, acting on behalf of the Dutch government-in-exile in London, signed a contract with North American Aviation for 162 B-25C aircraft. The bombers were to be delivered to the Netherlands East Indies to help deter any Japanese threatened expansion into the region.

In February 1942, the British Overseas Airways Corporation agreed to ferry 20 Dutch B-25s from Florida to Australia traveling via Africa and India, and an additional 10 via the South Pacific route from California. During March, five of the bombers on the Dutch order had reached Bangalore, India, and 12 had reached Archerfield in Australia. The B-25s in Australia were used as the nucleus of a new squadron, No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF.

In June 1940, No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAF had been formed from personnel formerly serving with the Royal Dutch Naval Air Service, who had escaped to England after the German occupation of the Netherlands. Equipped with various British aircraft, No. 320 Squadron flew antisubmarine patrols, convoy escort missions, and performed air-sea rescue duties. In March 1943, they acquired the B-25 Mark II and III Mitchells. In October 1944, they deployed to Belgium, but then disbanded in August 1945.

Soviet Air Force

The USSR received 862 B-25s (B, C, D, G, and J types) from the United States under Lend-Lease during World War II via the Alaska–Siberia ALSIB ferry route. A total of 870 B-25s were sent to the Soviets, meaning that 8 aircraft were lost during transportation.

Other damaged B-25s arrived or crashed in the Far East of Russia, and one Doolittle Raid aircraft landed there short of fuel after attacking Japan. This lone airworthy Doolittle Raid aircraft to reach the Soviet Union was lost in a hangar fire in the early 1950s while undergoing routine maintenance. In general, the B-25 was operated as a ground-support and tactical day bomber (as similar Douglas A-20 Havocs were used). It saw action in fights from Stalingrad (with B/C/D models) to the German surrender during May 1945 (with G/J types).

The B-25s that remained in Soviet Air Force service after the war were assigned the NATO reporting name "Bank".

China

Well over 100 B-25Cs and Ds were supplied to the Nationalist Chinese during the Second Sino-Japanese War. An unknown number were abandoned with the retreat to Formosa.

Brazilian Air Force

During the war and after WWII, Brazil received 80 B-25s, with the first delivery prior to December 1941.

Free French

The Royal Air Force issued at least 21 Mitchell IIIs to No 342 Squadron, which was made up primarily of Free French aircrews. Following the liberation of France, this squadron transferred to the newly formed French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) as GB I/20 Lorraine. The aircraft continued in operation after the war, with some being converted into fast VIP transports. They were struck off charge in June 1947.

Biafra

In October 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War, Biafra bought two Mitchells. After a few bombings in November, they were put out of action in December.

Indonesia

Indonesian Air Force received 25 ex-Dutch B-25 Mitchells after the end of Indonesian National Revolution in 1950, consisting of 5 B-25C photo-reconnaissance, 1 B-25C transport, 10 B-25J bombers and 9 B-25J gunship/strafer variants. A pair of B-25J were used to attack a radio station in Ambon during South Maluku rebellion in August 1950. They were used to bomb rebel targets during the PRRI and Permesta rebellions in 1958, where one was hit by anti-aircraft fire and three were damaged by strafing run from rebel-flown B-26 Invader.

The B-25s were sent to Hong Kong for overhaul in 1959–1960. Indonesian B-25s once again saw combat during the Operation Trikora against the Dutch in 1962, where one was used for strafing runs against a Dutch warship, while two others were used in Maluku. The B-25s were already grounded by 1975.

Variants

B-25: The initial production version of B-25s, they were powered by 1,350 hp (1,007 kW) R-2600-9 engines. and carried up to 3,600 lb (1,600 kg) of bombs and defensive armament of three .30 machine guns in nose, waist, and ventral positions, with one .50 machine gun in the tail. The first nine aircraft were built with constant dihedral angle. Due to low stability, the wing was redesigned so that the dihedral was eliminated on the outboard section (number made: 24).

B-25A: This version of the B-25 was modified to make it combat ready; additions included self-sealing fuel tanks, crew armor, and an improved tail-gunner station. No changes were made in the armament. It was redesignated obsolete (RB-25A) in 1942 (number made: 40).

B-25B: The tail and gun position were removed and replaced by a manned dorsal turret on the rear fuselage and retractable, remotely operated ventral turret, each with a pair of .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns. A total of 120 were built (this version was used in the Doolittle Raid). A total of 23 were supplied to the Royal Air Force as the Mitchell Mk I.

B-25C: An improved version of the B-25B, its powerplants were upgraded from Wright R-2600-9 radials to R-2600-13s; de-icing and anti-icing equipment were added; the navigator received a sighting blister; and nose armament was increased to two .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns, one fixed and one flexible. The B-25C model was the first mass-produced B-25 version; it was also used in the United Kingdom (as the Mitchell Mk II), in Canada, China, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union (number made: 1,625).

ZB-25C

B-25D: Through block 20, the series was near identical to the B-25C. The series designation differed in that the B-25D was made in Kansas City, Kansas, whereas the B-25C was made in Inglewood, California. Later blocks with interim armament upgrades, the D2s, first flew on 3 January 1942 (number made: 2,290).

F-10: The F-10 designation distinguished 45 B-25Ds modified for photographic reconnaissance. All armament, armor, and bombing equipment were stripped. Three K.17 cameras were installed, one pointing down and two more mounted at oblique angles within blisters on each side of the nose. Optionally, a second downward-pointing camera could also be installed in the aft fuselage. Although designed for combat operations, these aircraft were mainly used for ground mapping.

B-25D weather reconnaissance variant: In 1944, four B-25Ds were converted for weather reconnaissance. One later user was the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, originally called the Army Hurricane Reconnaissance Unit, now called the "Hurricane Hunters". Weather reconnaissance first started in 1943 with the 1st Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, with flights on the North Atlantic ferry routes.

ZB-25D

XB-25E: A single B-25C was modified to test de-icing and anti-icing equipment that circulated exhaust from the engines in chambers in the leading and trailing edges and empennage. The aircraft was tested for almost two years, beginning in 1942; while the system proved extremely effective, no production models were built that used it before the end of World War II. Many surviving warbird-flown B-25 aircraft today use the de-icing system from the XB-25E (number made: 1, converted).

ZXB-25E

XB-25F-A: A modified B-25C, it used insulated electrical coils mounted inside the wing and empennage leading edges to test the effectiveness as a de-icing system. The hot air de-icing system tested on the XB-25E was determined to be the more practical of the two (number made: 1, converted).

XB-25G: This modified B-25C had the transparent nose replaced to create a short-nosed gunship carrying two fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and a 75 mm (2.95 in) M4 cannon, then the largest weapon ever carried on an American bomber (number made: 1, converted).

B-25G: The B-25G followed the success of the prototype XB-25G and production was a continuation of the NA96. The production model featured increased armor and a greater fuel supply than the XB-25G. One B-25G was passed to the British, who gave it the name Mitchell II that had been used for the B-25C. The USSR also tested the G (number made: 463; five converted Cs, 58 modified Cs, 400 production).

B-25H: An improved version of the B-25G, this version relocated the manned dorsal turret to a more forward location on the fuselage just aft of the flight deck. It also featured two additional fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose and in the H-5 onward, four in fuselage-mounted pods. The T13E1 light weight cannon replaced the heavy M4 cannon 75 mm (2.95 in). Single controls were installed from the factory with navigator in the right seat (number made: 1000; two airworthy as of 2015).

B-25J-NC: Follow-on production at Kansas City, the B-25J could be called a cross between the B-25D and the B-25H. It had a transparent nose, but many of the delivered aircraft were modified to have a strafer nose (J2). Most of its 14–18 machine guns were forward-facing for strafing missions, including the two guns of the forward-located dorsal turret. The RAF received 316 aircraft, which were known as the Mitchell III. The J series was the last factory series production of the B-25 (number made: 4,318).

CB-25J: Utility transport version

VB-25J: A number of B-25s were converted for use as staff and VIP transports. Henry H. Arnold and Dwight D. Eisenhower both used converted B-25Js as their personal transports. The last VB-25J in active service was retired in May 1960 at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Trainer Variants

Most models of the B-25 were used at some point as training aircraft.

TB-25D: Originally designated AT-24A (Advanced Trainer, Model 24, Version A), trainer modification of B-25D often with the dorsal turret omitted, in total, 60 AT-24s were built.

TB-25G: Originally designated AT-24B, trainer modification of B-25G

TB-25C: Originally designated AT-24C, trainer modification of B-25C

TB-25J: Originally designated AT-24D, trainer modification of B-25J, another 600 B-25Js were modified after the war.

TB-25K: Hughes E1 fire-control radar trainer (Hughes) (number made: 117)

TB-25L: Hayes pilot-trainer conversion (number made: 90)

TB-25M: Hughes E5 fire-control radar trainer (number made: 40)

TB-25N: Hayes navigator-trainer conversion (number made: 47)

U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps variants

PBJ-1C: Similar to the B-25C for the U.S. Navy, it was often fitted with airborne search radar and used in the antisubmarine role.

PBJ-1D: Similar to the B-25D for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, it differed in having a single .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun in the tail turret and waist gun positions similar to the B-25H. Often it was fitted with airborne search radar and used in the antisubmarine role.

PBJ-1G: U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps designation for the B-25G, trials only

PBJ-1H: U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps designation for the B-25H. One PBJ-1H was modified with carrier takeoff and landing equipment and successfully tested on the USS Shangri-La, but the Navy did not continue development.

PBJ-1J: U.S. Navy designation for the B-25J (Blocks −1 through −35), it had improvements in radio and other equipment. Beside the standard armament package, the Marines often fitted it with 5-inch underwing rockets and search radar for the anti-shipping/antisubmarine role. The 11.75 inch Tiny Tim rocket-powered warhead was used in 1945 on PBJ-1H.

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World War 2 In Review

North American B-25 Mitchell in View (2025-09-02)

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