Submerged bomber lifted from Lake Murray’s bed (WWII B-25)

Charlotte Observer ^ | 9/21/05 | TIM FLACH

[Robert A Cook PE]

A-20 = Boston
A-16 = Hudson

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-support/ww2-allied/lockheed-hudson.htm

[Robert A Cook PE]

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-support/ww2-allied/boston.htm

[Dashing Dasher]

Cool....

Thanks for the ping.

[Tallguy]

When he saw them 60 years ago, he said, he knew they would “go to it” and cause the destruction that would force Germany to surrender earlier.

It would be interesting to see a listing of bomber groups that used the B25 Mitchell and which theater they operated in. The B25 came in a lot of variants, some of which were not official, since they were created 'in the field'. Still, it's my impression that most B25's were used in the Pacific Theater of Operations. In the ETO the USAAF used a lot of Martin B26's Marauder and Douglas A-26 Invaders in the medium bomber role. B25's were used in the Mediterranean, however (remember "Catch-22"?).

[StrangerInParadise]

Thought you might enjoy it....................

[E.Allen]

I recall reading a book about field modified variants flying out of Australia, no bombs, no bombardier, but they mounted 14 (that's right, fourteen) .50 cal M2 machine guns, all firing forward, controlled by the pilot. Sort of like a big fighter.

They were used usually at night, hunting for Japanese troop barges. They even sank a destroyer, and disintegrated one unobservant Japanese fighter who made the terminal mistake of circling around in front of one after making a pass from the rear, thinking it a normal bomber.

The nose was reportedly enveloped in one large fireball when all 14 guns were fired, and long bursts knocked off significant airspeed. Pilots said it had a substantial psychological effect on Japanese troops seeing the fireball in the sky accompanied by massive destruction on the ground.

[Sam Cree]

When I was a kid, in the 1950's, it was still very common to see B-25's at airports around the country, usually painted with civilian paint schemes. I guess they were being used privately.

[Tallguy]

I recall reading a book about field modified variants flying out of Australia, no bombs, no bombardier, but they mounted 14 (that's right, fourteen) .50 cal M2 machine guns, all firing forward, controlled by the pilot. Sort of like a big fighter.

A friend of the family was a radio operator on a 'field-modified' B25 Mitchell. His had the 75-mm nose cannon & the .50 cal blisters on the sides of the fuselage. They flew mostly out of New Guinea looking for Japanese troop ships. He said that the plane seemed to stop momentarily when the gun was fired.

Legend has it that the engineers from North American refused to build planes with the nose cannon until they saw it with their own eyes. Their calculations told them that the plane would stall, I guess.

[Oatka]

Interesting tales [B-25 nose armament].

I remember reading that the pilot and co-pilot stated that the gun lay between them and that the plane seemed to "hesitate" when it fired. They could see the gun recoil right beside them. I guess the bombardier fed the shells into the breech.

I'd also guess that when the 3-inch wing mounted rockets appeared, this "upgrade" was obsolete.

[tophat9000]

As WW2 bomber go there still a good numbers of B-25 around but the earlier B/C model are rare

[Tallguy]

As WW2 bomber go there still a good numbers of B-25 around but the earlier B/C model are rare

When my Dad was stationed at Willow Grove NAS during the early 60's, the commander of his AF reserve unit had a B25 as his 'personal' transportation. Beautiful polished aluminum. Beautiful, that is, until a hydraulics technician accidentally reversed the feed lines to the nose gear and the plane taxied off the runway. The nose strut was stuck halfway into the mud... Never saw the plane after that.

[tophat9000]

A-16 = Hudson

Lockheed Hudson US Air Corps assigned designation was A-28 however the US Air Corps never used the aircraft

A-16 was part of RAAF serial numbers http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/attack/a4/a4-37.htm

Each service used it own official designation system.

The USAF use a letter and number A20, P51 etc

While the RAF used a official name designation system Boston, Mustang, etc. ...

The US in the early part of the war started to use a official common "nickname" for there aircraft but the letter/number was the official designation

[Galatians513]

PBJ bump

Anyone know what version was recovered? J or earlier?

[tophat9000]

It was a B25-"C" model... very rare... the Doolittle raiders where "B" model the C was very similar to the B. The USAF museum to do a "Doolittle raider" I believe had to back a J to look like a B

[alfa6]

Hudson pic for y'all

BTW, I believe this is the only flying Hudson around

Will have some more salvage pics of the B-25 Mitchell later today

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

Salvage Pics

More here(B-25 Pics)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Professional Engineer]

Cool. from the article it wasn't clear if the crash was recent. Obviously not.

[StrangerInParadise]

It doesn't look like the model...........

[alfa6]

Strafer Nose B-25 from the Air Apaches Bomb Group at Oshkosh last year, I think :-)

Pic of guns being fired at night, HOOOAH

Obligatory nose art pic on a TB-25N

YOWSERS

Last one for now, Gotta get to work :-)

Sorry don't have any "H" Model Pics, 75mm Howitzer model handy.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[snippy_about_it]

Wow, thanks.