On April 6, 1945, American B-25J bombers from the 345th "Hellbat" bomber squadron of the 499th "Apache" bomber group attacked the Japanese frigate C-1.
During World War II, thousands of different types of aircraft flew, but not all of them would go down in history as legendary fighters. However, one such legendary aircraft is the North American B-25 Mitchell. Twin-engine medium bombers are used in a wide variety of missions, including high- and low-altitude bombing, treetop horizontal strafing, anti-ship, resupply, photoreconnaissance, and other support.
It first flew in 1940 and entered service in 1941 under the name of Major General William Brown, the father of the United States Air Force. Billy "Mitchell" is named. It originated from the medium bomber specification issued by the United States Air Force in 1939. The B-25 was approved for mass production while it was still on the drawing board, and by the end of the war, 9,816 aircraft had been built.
Mitchell is known for his incredible firepower, with some versions carrying up to 1850 caliber machine guns, 14 of which were directed forward for strafing ground targets. When unladen, it weighs more than 19,000 pounds, but has a maximum take-off weight of 35,000 pounds.
In 1944-1945, five "Mitchells" of a squadron of marines conducted a training flight over an undisclosed location in the United States. Pay attention to the radome on the starboard wingtip.
Depending on the model, there were six crew members on board, including a pilot and co-pilot, a navigator who doubled as a bombardier, a turret gunner who doubled as an engineer, and a radioman who served as a waist and tail gunner.
It is powered by two 1,700-horsepower Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 radial engines, which gives it a top speed of 272 miles per hour at 13,000 feet, a range of 1,350 miles, and a service ceiling of 24,200 feet. The aircraft is known for its immense durability, being able to withstand a large number of attacks and stay in the air. The pilots liked the B-25, they considered it very forgiving, even capable of flying with one engine, and thanks to its three-wheeled landing gear, it provided good visibility when taxiing.
B-405 Mitchell bombers of the 25th Bombardment Squadron "Green Dragon" use jump bombing techniques to strike enemy ships. Southwest Pacific, 1944-45. As already mentioned, the B-25 Mitchell is highly adaptable and is manufactured in a wide variety of models, all designed to suit specific tasks. The F-10 is a reconnaissance modification of the B-25D, with its artillery and armor removed and replaced with a camera. The B-25H carried four in the nose. 50 caliber machine gun, as well as a T13E1 75 mm cannon. The T13E1 is a lightweight version of the M4 Sherman machine gun, similar to the M24 Chaffee machine gun.
The B-25 also flew as a VIP transport aircraft; The VB-25J, an aircraft used as a personal vehicle for Dwight David Eisenhower.
As a bomber, it can carry up to 3000 pounds of bombs. Externally, it had a 1984-pound belly hook and pylon, capable of accommodating one Mark 13 torpedo and eight 127-mm rockets for ground attacks, respectively.
Bomb the B-25 Mitchell. Mitchell witnessed the battles in all theaters of World War II, flying alongside the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. They participated in campaigns in the Solomon Islands, the Aleutian Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Britain, among other places. The dense tropical environment in the Pacific Ocean made mid-level bombing difficult, so the B-25 was often used as a low-altitude attack bomber.
In the Southwest Pacific Campaign, the B-25 made a huge contribution to the Allied victory, as the Fifth Air Force destroyed the Japanese army by jumping bombardment of ships and Japanese airfields.
In the China-Burma-India theater of operations, the B-25*** is widely used for blockade, close air support, and battlefield isolation. In North Africa, they provided air support to the Allies in the Second Battle of El Alamein and assisted in Operation Huskies, which invaded Sicily, before following the Allies through Italy.
Perhaps the most important achievement of the B-25 Mitchell was the "Doolittle" raid in 1942. Sixteen modified B-25 bombers took off from the deck of the USS Hornet, flew to the Japanese mainland and attacked Tokyo, and then flew to China for landing. The attack greatly boosted the morale of American citizens and proved to the Japanese that they were within the control of the American army.
After World War II, the United States relegated the B-25 to secondary roles, such as training, transportation, and reconnaissance. Two were used by the Biafra side in the Nigerian civil war before being decommissioned in 1979.
A B-25 took off to carry out the Doolittle raid. 
On May 26, 1945, a B-25 aircraft of the 345th Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force filmed the spectacular crash at the Formosa Byoritsu oil refinery. 
April 17, 1944, AAF Tactical Center, Orlando, Florida, North America B-25G Mitchell. 
North American aerospace plant in Inglewood, California.
James Doolittle sits next to the wing of a wrecked B-25 Mitchell bomber in China on April 18, 1942. 
Doolittle raids the B-25B aboard the Hornet
On October 16, 1943, B-25D "Red Fury" bombers bombed New Guinea air defense positions.
The North American B-25 Mitchell was produced in Kansas City in 1942.
B-12 Mitchell of the 25th USAAF bombing group.
From March 18 to 23, 1944, during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, B-25 Mitchell bombers from the 321st Bomber Group of the 447th U.S. Bomber Squadron flew over the volcano.
On August 13, 1943, the B-25 aircraft left the burning facility in the Wewak area.
Workers at the North American Aviation Plant in Inglewood, California, USA, install engines on a B-25 bomber in Inglewood, California, USA.
The armorer loaded four 1000-pound MC bombs into the bomb bay of the North American B-25 Mitchell, ready for early morning takeoff from the B58 Melsbroek in Belgium.
In Tarawah, Gilbert Islands, on a B-820G Mitchell bomber of the 25th Bombardment Squadron, an armored officer cleans the hole of a 75mm cannon; March-April 1944.
The aircraft carrier USS Hornet flies on the rear deck on its way to Doolittle's raid launch point in April 1942. Keep an eye out for the nearby USS Gervin and the USS Nashville.
Abandoned B-25J bombers from the 822nd Bombardment Squadron of the 38th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Fifth Air Force on January 25, 1949.