Yep, the B-25G and B-25H were the first solid-nose variants, with various .50-caliber packages and a 75mm anti-tank cannon in the nose. The 75mm wasn’t really that useful, it had poor ballistics and had to be hand-reloaded so they only could get one or two inaccurate shots off on a strafing run and couldn’t use the .50s to sight in the 75mm.
Some B-25Js (and many A-20G Havocs) didn’t just get the eight-.50 solid nose assembly, they kept their four “blister” .50s that were mounted two on either side of the fuselage below the cockpit. So that’s *twelve* M2s firing forward, plus the top turret could be turned around forwards and join in for a total of FOURTEEN. And then on the way out, the tail gunner could say good-bye with a couple of more. :) Add in the waist guns and those planes that kept their blister guns had eighteen M2s onboard.
}:-)4
The solid-nose variant of the B-26 Invader (six or eight guns in the nose and six more in the wings) carried that firepower tradition on into the early 70s.
Wow, with all that .50 ammo, did they even have enough space/weight for, you know, bombs?