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For educational purposes
The B-25, nicknamed "the sweetheart of the forces," was one of the stars of World War II.
Known for its adaptability, this bomber was flown by the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines.
The B-25, nicknamed "the sweetheart of the forces," was one of the stars of World War II.
Known for its adaptability, this bomber was flown by the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines.
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00:10Let's get started.
00:39The twin-engine North American B-25 bomber performed one of the most daring and spectacular
00:45air raids in U.S. history.
00:47A sweetheart to the forces, it's one of the very few aircrafts to have been flown simultaneously
00:52by the U.S. Army Air Corps, Navy, and Marine Corps.
00:55I remember waking up on a Saturday morning and watching a movie about Doolittle's Raiders
01:00who had taken off B-25s from aircraft carriers to go to Tokyo.
01:05I'm Paul Max Moga, and I've flown some of the most sophisticated planes ever built.
01:14I'm here at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia,
01:18home to one of the largest private collections of restored warbirds in the world.
01:22On this episode of Great Planes, we'll learn the incredible story of the North American B-25 bomber.
01:38Hi, my name is Don Anklund.
01:40I work for the Military Aviation Museum here in Virginia Beach.
01:44I'm a chief test pilot and director of restoration.
01:47So, Don, you were saying that this plane didn't quite make it to World War II,
01:50but was it a transport plane?
01:53Well, they used it as a trainer at the end of World War II.
01:56North American took it back and made it into a trainer,
02:00and that's where it served its life until 53 or 54.
02:05Nicknamed the B-25 Mitchell,
02:07it is the only military aircraft to be named after a specific person,
02:12aviation pioneer Billy Mitchell.
02:15Regarded in some circles as the father of the U.S. Air Force,
02:19Mitchell is one of the most famous figures in aviation history.
02:241918.
02:26Billy Mitchell plans and leads nearly 1,500 Allied aircraft
02:30in the air phase of the San Miguel Offensive during World War I.
02:36During the offensive, American expeditionary forces
02:39and 48,000 French troops break through the German lines
02:44to re-fortify the city of Mez, France.
02:53Recognized as the top American combat airman of the war,
02:57Mitchell receives the Distinguished Service Cross,
03:00the Distinguished Service Medal,
03:02and several foreign decorations for his valor.
03:10Upon his return to the U.S.,
03:12Mitchell is appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Service.
03:16Based on his experiences in the war,
03:19he sets out on a mission to convince the top military brass
03:22that future conflicts will be decided by who rules the skies,
03:26not just the land and the sea.
03:30But Mitchell is surrounded by skeptics.
03:35Despite considerable opposition to his vision of future wars,
03:39he orchestrates a simulation exercise called Project B.
03:49Using primitive biplanes,
03:52he attacks a captured German battleship
03:54by dropping bombs from the sky.
03:57The ship quickly sinks, proving Mitchell's point.
04:02A new age of air power has begun,
04:04but his skeptics are not convinced.
04:08Mitchell's stubborn promotion of air power
04:11is out of step with the prevailing moods of the time.
04:15Pushing his theory too far,
04:17Mitchell makes a series of public statements
04:20indicating that strategic bombing might reduce
04:22or even eliminate the need for ground forces.
04:28His vision will eventually cost him his career.
04:35While American military planners debate
04:37the effectiveness of air power,
04:39other nations quickly acknowledge the need
04:41and plan accordingly.
04:44A new age of aviation technology emerges.
04:511923.
04:54Benito Mussolini turns Italy's Royal Air Force
04:57into a modern war machine
04:59and breaks several military aircraft records.
05:08By the mid-1930s,
05:10Italy sends its bombers into the fray
05:12of the Spanish Civil War.
05:16Mussolini's support of the Nationalist Rebellion
05:19increases tensions throughout Europe
05:21prior to World War II.
05:25The Italians developed the Savoia Marchetti SM81,
05:29a three-engine monoplane
05:30with large, aerodynamically shaped
05:33fixed main undercarriage gear.
05:36Large wings having three spars
05:38and a robust undercarriage
05:40can operate from all types of terrain.
05:43It's surprisingly fast
05:45given the power of its engines and weight.
05:49The new plane shows its versatility
05:51by serving as a bomber,
05:53transport and reconnaissance plane.
05:59In October of 1935,
06:02Mussolini uses his planes against Ethiopia
06:04with overwhelming results.
06:06Although Ethiopian forces
06:08are virtually defenseless,
06:10the incursion proves the effectiveness
06:12of aerial bombing
06:13against ground-based forces.
06:24This new show of air might convinces the U.S.
06:28to start formal aerial combat training in 1936.
06:34The aviation technology war rages on.
06:41Aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation
06:44commits their company to aircraft production
06:46and builds a state-of-the-art factory in Los Angeles.
06:51The temperate climate of Southern California
06:53allows for flying year-round.
06:56North American soon gets a reputation
06:58for building high-quality planes
07:00with sophisticated designs.
07:07New airframes with advanced features
07:09like a retracting undercarriage
07:11are used primarily for observation.
07:20Success follows in the shape of a series
07:22of single-engine basic trainers,
07:24which are used in a variety of roles
07:26by various countries' armed services.
07:37The company's first attempt to keep up
07:39with the trends in aerial attack
07:41is a twin-engine, long-range prototype bomber,
07:44the XB-21, developed in 1936.
07:48The North American XB-21
07:50is introduced as an improved twin-engine bomber.
07:59Five service test models of the XB-21
08:01are ordered as YB-21s,
08:04but the contract is canceled
08:05before any aircraft are built.
08:07In the 1960s,
08:09North American built
08:10the Apollo Command Service Module,
08:12one of two spacecrafts used by astronauts
08:14during NASA's Apollo program.
08:16In 1935, the Italians re-emphasized
08:20the fact that military aircraft
08:21can be used for more than just requirements.
08:23reconnaissance.
08:23The stunning bombing attack of Ethiopia
08:25sends shockwaste throughout the Western world.
08:28Afraid they are losing ground,
08:30the U.S. begins a concentrated push
08:32to develop new aircraft and tactics
08:34to combat the growing threat from the air.
08:38North American Aviation's first attempt
08:41at a bomber is the XB-21.
08:45The XB-21 features a power nose
08:48and ventral turrets
08:49with a single .30 caliber machine gun in each.
08:54It is capable of carrying a 10,000-pound bomb load
08:57for about 600 miles.
09:01The automated gun turrets
09:03with rapid-fire capabilities
09:04makes the XB-21 highly advanced
09:07compared to other planes of the time.
09:09By adding defensive firepower,
09:12it is believed that armed bombers
09:14won't need fighter escorts.
09:16A competitor, Douglas Aircraft,
09:19produces the B-18A,
09:21a comparable bomber at a much cheaper rate,
09:23and beats North American out of the contract.
09:29But the venture shows military decision-makers
09:32that North American has the chops
09:34to compete in the aerial warfare arena.
09:40Undaunted by the failure of the XB-21,
09:43engineers at North American Aviation
09:45develop the NA-40.
09:53The NA-40's latest advancements include
09:55tricycle undercarriage,
09:57which is sturdy enough to support the plane
09:59during high-speed landings.
10:04While the design is superior to the failed XB-21,
10:07more improvements are needed.
10:11Tests show the NA-40 experiences
10:13severe tail-shaking as its speed increases.
10:16And temperature levels on oil
10:18and cylinder heads are erratic.
10:21And time is running out
10:23for American aircraft designers.
10:31By the end of 1939,
10:33Europe is engulfed in a new war.
10:35The German Luftwaffe is poignantly demonstrating
10:38the overriding importance of air power.
10:53In the U.S.,
10:55worried planners reflect
10:56on Billy Mitchell's prophecies.
10:58And the NA-40 is pushed through production
11:00with some minor changes.
11:04They want the wings lowered
11:06and the fuselage widened.
11:10Pattern makers prepare molds
11:12for the top of the engine.
11:14The addition of a scoop
11:15will force air into the carburetor
11:17of the powerful radial engines,
11:19which will drive
11:20the new North American design.
11:28inside the factory,
11:29molten metal is poured
11:30as production of parts
11:32for the bomber commences in earnest.
11:35At the main fabrication shop,
11:38workers begin to assemble
11:39the fuselage on a jig,
11:41and slowly the plane's form
11:42starts to take shape.
11:52early construction employs a great deal
11:54of hand skills and hard labor.
11:57At this stage of production,
11:59the planes are the product
12:00of the tradesman's individual skills.
12:02Most fabrication tasks
12:04are approached manually.
12:09A battery of tests follow.
12:14Designers remove the main support
12:16and add weight around the structure
12:17to test the design's resilience
12:19under stress.
12:24Thousands of pounds of lead ingots
12:27are fixed around,
12:28hung from,
12:28and placed within the aluminum frame
12:30to identify any weaknesses
12:32that may endanger the aircraft
12:33under combat stress.
12:39They test the plane's ditching ability
12:42by catapulting scale models
12:44into water.
12:51A flurry of activity surrounds
12:53the emergence of the new medium bomber,
12:55now officially dedicated
12:57and given its name,
12:58the North American B-25 Mitchell.
13:05The B-25 comes equipped
13:06with two Wright Cyclone
13:08air-cooled piston engines
13:09that deliver 1,700 horsepower each.
13:14These enable the Mitchell
13:16to reach a maximum speed
13:17of 272 miles per hour
13:20and gives it a climb rate
13:21of more than 1,600 feet per minute.
13:31A typical Mitchell crew
13:32consists of six men.
13:34Two pilots,
13:35a navigator or bombardier,
13:37a turret gunner or engineer,
13:39a radio operator or waist gunner,
13:41and a tail gunner.
13:57Colonel William C. Billy Mitchell
13:59was court-martialed
14:00for insubordination in 1925
14:02as a result of his outspoken views
14:04on the future of air power.
14:08He was ultimately vindicated
14:10and posthumously promoted
14:11to major general in 1942.
14:18The B-25 bomber
14:19is a direct response
14:21by North American
14:22to the U.S. military's request
14:23for bombers to compete
14:24against its European rivals
14:26already engaged in World War II.
14:29Early Mitchells are sent to Britain
14:30and immediately put through
14:31their paces against the Axis powers.
14:36But the majority are ordered
14:38for U.S. Army Air Corps.
14:42The aircraft's light weight
14:43to lift ratio
14:44and the balance
14:45of the overall shape
14:46results in a package
14:47that is very easy to fly.
14:50It inspires great confidence
14:52and easy acceptance
14:53from the crews.
14:56North American Aviation
14:58has a winner on its hands.
15:03But early analysis
15:05from the British
15:05suggest that the Mitchells
15:07are far too lightly armed.
15:09And, drawing on what they had learned
15:11from the XB-21 developments,
15:13North American installs new turrets,
15:15including one in the lower fuselage,
15:17which operates by a periscope.
15:21What we got here
15:22is a tail gunner,
15:23which was a twin,
15:24a .50 cal on a hydraulic seat.
15:26And he was able to sit back there
15:27with hydraulic controls,
15:29and he pretty much
15:29had a 270-degree view
15:32of the tail of the airplane.
15:33He was a tail protector.
15:35And he had the two waist guns,
15:36one on each side,
15:37and they were staggered
15:38a little bit in the fuselage
15:39so you could stand
15:40beside one another
15:41and shoot.
15:42And then you had the blister guns,
15:44which are two on each side.
15:46And then you've got,
15:47in this particular airplane,
15:48we've got two forward-facing
15:51.50 cal in the nose,
15:52one that's a man-operated,
15:53and the other one is a fixed gun.
15:55And then we have the turret up there,
15:58which also has twin .50s in it.
16:00And that's a 360-degree view
16:03of the airplane.
16:03That's a lot of guns.
16:05I would assume just by even
16:06looking at the blister guns
16:07that it would be very difficult
16:08to use those in an air-to-air arena.
16:11Were they used for strafing, too?
16:12They were used for strafing,
16:13and they could lock down
16:14the front guns
16:15and turn the turret around.
16:17And you had all that stuff
16:18facing forward,
16:19and you could go down
16:20and make a mess of shipping,
16:22trains.
16:23Yeah.
16:23You could make a mess of a lot of stuff,
16:26convoys.
16:26And so they used them
16:27for kind of a close attack,
16:30ground support type issues.
16:33So really, really multi-role,
16:35in addition to being able
16:35to doing that medium
16:37to high altitude bombing,
16:39you can do strafing,
16:40you can do ground attacks.
16:41You can do just about all that stuff.
17:07On December 7th, 1941,
17:09Japanese carrier forces launch
17:11a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
17:13America is at war.
17:15It will take almost six months
17:17before the United States military
17:18will have its own carrier-based bomber force
17:21made up of entirely newly modified
17:23B-25 Mitchells.
17:30With the U.S. now fully committed to war,
17:33in Washington,
17:34President Roosevelt is keenly aware
17:36of the need to strike back
17:37at the Japanese homeland,
17:40specifically its capital of Tokyo.
17:46But because Japan is an island nation,
17:48officials believe that effective U.S. retaliation
17:51can only be achieved by medium bombers
17:54launched from a carrier deck.
17:57The raid has little chance
17:58of inflicting serious damage
18:00on the Japanese homeland,
18:01but its psychological impact is critical
18:04as the U.S. prepares
18:05for all-out war with Japan.
18:07The concept comes from a Navy submariner
18:10who saw twin-engine bombers
18:11being launched from a runway
18:13painted in the outline of a carrier deck
18:15in Norfolk, Virginia.
18:16But war planners must find
18:18the right plane for the job.
18:20They consider several designs,
18:23but none can meet the requirements.
18:25A cruising range of 2,400 miles
18:27and the ability to carry a 2,000-pound bomb load.
18:41Only the versatile Mitchell offers the ability
18:44to take off from such a confined area
18:46and travel the distance required.
18:50Early tests with B-25s indicate
18:52that it can be launched from a carrier,
18:54hit military targets in Japan,
18:56and fly on to land in China.
19:03Doolittle's first report on the plan
19:05suggests the bombers might land
19:06in the Soviet Union,
19:07shortening the trip by 600 miles,
19:09on the basis of turning over the B-25s
19:12on a Lend-Lease program.
19:16However, they are never able
19:18to make a deal with the Soviets
19:19because they didn't want to get
19:20into the war with Japan.
19:28The biggest challenge
19:29is launching the large bomber
19:31from the short deck of a carrier.
19:35For months,
19:37a hand-picked team of volunteer pilots
19:39are trained in short takeoffs
19:40from land bases.
19:44The B-25 is pushed to the limit.
19:49Just standing around the B-25,
19:52it kind of gives you, you know,
19:53it gives you chills
19:54to think about what this plane did
19:56back in World War II,
19:57you know, specifically when you think
19:58about that famous, you know,
20:00Doolittle raid.
20:01With these guys, I mean,
20:03tell me a little bit about
20:04what you know about the Doolittle raid.
20:06This thing took off from a carrier.
20:09And it's, you know,
20:10it wasn't ever designed
20:11to be a carrier airplane.
20:12It was designed to be a medium bomber.
20:13And what they've done,
20:14what they did with this airplane
20:15throughout its history
20:16is unbelievable.
20:17But where it's made
20:19its real big claim to fame
20:20was the Doolittle raid.
20:21They took a B-25B,
20:24which is the earlier version
20:25of this particular airplane.
20:27And Jimmy Doolittle said,
20:29I know I can do this.
20:30He presented it
20:31to the President of the United States.
20:32He said, okay.
20:42This airplane can fly
20:44at a very slow speed.
20:47It'll actually rotate
20:48somewhere around 65.
20:49You can actually jerk it off.
20:5065?
20:51You can actually jerk it
20:52off the ground.
20:52You don't want anything to happen
20:53at that particular point in time.
20:55Because if one engine quits
20:56or, you know,
20:58a hydraulic failure
20:59on a particular thing,
21:00you're going,
21:00your wheels won't come up,
21:02you're going in the drink.
21:03Yeah.
21:03And that was the philosophy
21:04Jimmy Doolittle said.
21:06This is what we're doing
21:07and this is how
21:08it's going to happen.
21:09If you wind up going in the drink,
21:10we're just going to keep on sailing
21:11and we'll come and get back
21:13and get you after we got done
21:14getting everybody launched.
21:16They got lucky in one sense
21:18that the storm
21:19they were running through
21:20had a lot of wind in it.
21:22So they were able
21:23to have a lot more wind
21:24on their nose.
21:24So they were able
21:25to get the airplane
21:25off the ground.
21:27Jimmy Doolittle actually
21:28didn't go all the way
21:29to the end of the deck.
21:30He was actually airborne
21:31before he got to within 10 feet
21:33of the end of the deck.
21:35The last guy was a cakewalk.
21:39But by the time
21:40the planes and crews
21:41embark on the aircraft
21:42carrier Hornet,
21:43there is confidence
21:44that the job
21:45can be successfully carried out.
22:01What those guys did
22:03in this plane,
22:04to this day,
22:06I'm just befuddled by it.
22:07I can't imagine
22:08what those guys went through
22:09where they, number one,
22:11launched this thing
22:12off of a carrier,
22:12which it was never designed to do,
22:14knowing that they couldn't
22:15come back and land on it.
22:16I mean, there's no hook
22:17on this thing.
22:18So they could take off
22:19and it was,
22:20as far as the carrier
22:21was concerned,
22:22a one-way trip.
22:22Exactly.
22:23It was a one-way trip.
22:24So once you're airborne,
22:25you're going somewhere,
22:27but you ain't going back
22:27to the carrier.
22:28And if you're not
22:29going to make it to the land,
22:30you're going to need
22:31a Mae Weston
22:32and a nice little raft.
22:39On April 18, 1942,
22:42the carrier task force
22:43carefully approaches Japan,
22:45commanded by Vice Admiral
22:47William Halsey.
22:53But while still short
22:54of the intended takeoff point,
22:56the U.S. Navy ships are sighted
22:58by Japanese fishing boats.
23:01The Japanese fishermen radio
23:03the Japanese Navy
23:04before the U.S. can sink them.
23:11With the element
23:12of surprise shattered,
23:13the decision is made
23:14to launch the raid early.
23:18The B-25s fly towards Japan
23:20in groups of two to four aircraft.
23:24When they get in range,
23:25they change to single-file formations
23:27at low altitude
23:28to avoid detection.
23:31The B-25s reached Japan
23:33about noon,
23:34just six hours after launch.
23:37They bombed 10 military
23:39and industrial targets
23:40in Tokyo,
23:41two in Yokohama,
23:42and one each in Yokosuka,
23:44Nagoya, Kobe,
23:46and Osaka.
23:54Some B-25s encounter light
23:56anti-aircraft fire
23:57and a few enemy fighters,
23:59but there is little opposition,
24:00and no bombers are shot down.
24:0315 of the 16 aircraft
24:05then proceed southwest
24:06along the southern coast of Japan
24:08and across the East China Sea
24:10towards eastern China.
24:15Even though the raid itself
24:17was a victory,
24:18all of the planes are lost,
24:19ditching into the sea
24:20or crash landing.
24:22The attack on Tokyo
24:24costs several American lives,
24:26but the raid has
24:28three important effects.
24:30It shows the Japanese
24:31that their homeland
24:32is not invulnerable to attack.
24:35It forces Japan
24:36to tie up a considerable percentage
24:38of its military power
24:39in defense of its home shores.
24:41It provides a huge boost
24:43to U.S. morale.
24:44When asked where the planes came from,
24:47President Roosevelt replied,
24:48Shangri-La.
24:50The raid displays
24:52the enormous courage
24:53of the crews that participated.
24:55And Doolittle,
24:56the leader of the raid
24:57in every sense of the word,
24:58is given the Congressional Medal of Honor
25:00by General Hath Arnold,
25:02Chief of Staff for the Air Force.
25:04General Arnold visits
25:06the North American Aviation Plant
25:07in Los Angeles,
25:08looks over the factory,
25:10and discusses the delivery
25:11of more B-25s.
25:13In fact,
25:15General Arnold was so impressed
25:16with the B-25
25:17that he had his own,
25:19emblazoned with a badge
25:20on its side,
25:21identifying his rank
25:22and position.
25:25It is maintained
25:26as a transport
25:27to carry the general
25:28and his staff
25:29to various parts
25:30of the country
25:31at high speed.
25:36The mission's success
25:37makes production
25:38of the B-25
25:39a matter of maximum priority.
25:44But like many
25:46coastal aircraft plants,
25:47the North American factory
25:49at Inglewood, California
25:50is considered
25:50a prime target
25:51for enemy assault.
25:53So elaborate camouflage
25:54is employed
25:55to hide the production lines.
26:02The plant cannot sustain
26:04the massive increase
26:05in production,
26:05so the Hollywood Park race course
26:07is commandeered
26:08by the military effort.
26:14The idle grounds
26:15of the course
26:16are used
26:16to store components
26:17for the B-25's construction,
26:19while other areas
26:21are taken over
26:21with administration offices
26:23and sub-assembly workshops.
26:31Inglewood remains
26:33North American Aviation's
26:34main plant,
26:35rapidly becoming
26:36more automated
26:37as mass production techniques
26:39take over
26:39from the initial
26:40small-scale production.
26:44With a large percentage
26:46of the male population
26:47at war,
26:48North American Aviation
26:49employs large numbers
26:50of women
26:51to make the aircraft.
26:55As the demands
26:57of the military grow,
26:58the war effort
26:59gains momentum
27:00and the daily output
27:01of the Mitchell
27:02increases with it.
27:06The Doolittle Raid
27:07was immortalized
27:08in the 1944 film
27:0930 Seconds Over Tokyo
27:11with Spencer Tracy
27:12in the role
27:13of Jimmy Doolittle
27:14and in the 2001 film
27:16Pearl Harbor
27:16where the Lieutenant Colonel
27:18was portrayed
27:18by Alec Baldwin.
27:21In the early days
27:22of World War II,
27:24the United States
27:24has pulled deeper
27:25and deeper
27:26into the conflict.
27:27The North American
27:28B-25 Mitchell
27:29distinguished itself
27:30by becoming
27:31the first successful
27:32U.S. twin-engine bomber
27:34to launch
27:34from an aircraft carrier
27:35and carry out
27:36a crucial raid on Japan.
27:38The B-25 Mitchells
27:39are fast-tracked
27:40on the assembly line
27:41in an effort
27:42to keep up
27:43with the intensifying
27:44combat in the field.
27:48Once they are ready
27:49for combat,
27:50the planes are dispatched
27:51to bases around the world.
27:53But the reality of war
27:55puts the B-25
27:56to its ultimate test.
27:57They are thrust into action
27:59on virtually every battlefront
28:01of the war.
28:01Some are destroyed
28:02within weeks of production.
28:16The B-25s are used
28:18in North Africa
28:18to combat Axis powers
28:20in various areas
28:21during the North African campaign.
28:30The campaign includes
28:32operations in Libya,
28:33Egypt, Morocco,
28:35and Tunisia.
28:37They fly missions
28:38against Germany's
28:39Africa Corps.
28:41They fly alongside
28:43B-24 Liberators
28:44and B-17 Flying Fortresses
28:46in a persistent bombardment
28:48of Axis positions
28:49that eventually forces
28:50Germany's evacuation.
28:57The medium-range,
28:58low-level missions
28:59require the bomber
29:00to run the gauntlet
29:01of enemy anti-aircraft fire
29:03without deviating
29:04from its course
29:04so the bomb aimers
29:06can hit their targets.
29:11The bomber's support
29:12of the 1942 Operation
29:14Torch landings
29:15in North Africa
29:16plays a major role
29:17in the action.
29:26These are dangerous missions
29:28and the cost
29:29to both men
29:29and machine
29:30is high.
29:35Mechanics work tirelessly
29:37to keep damaged B-25s flying.
29:40To compensate
29:41for shortages in parts,
29:42as the planes become damaged,
29:44they are cannibalized
29:45for reusable bits.
29:47Many times,
29:48two useless planes
29:49are grafted together
29:51to make a single
29:52airworthy B-25.
29:55The resulting aircraft
29:56serves as a testament
29:58to the effectiveness
29:59of the design
29:59and the creative ingenuity
30:01of the engineers
30:02on the bases.
30:05Similar ingenuity
30:06is displayed
30:07in northern Australia.
30:09Engineers there
30:10make an unauthorized
30:12field modification
30:12to the standard B-25.
30:15They place added machine guns
30:17in the wings
30:17just outside
30:18of the propeller arc.
30:20This modification
30:21creates another role
30:22for the Mitchell.
30:24By ignoring its specialization
30:26as a conventional bomber,
30:28they use it
30:28as a low-level
30:29ground attack weapon.
30:30They place guns
30:32in the nose
30:32and two or four more
30:34in blister packs
30:35under the cockpit.
30:38So speaking of versatility,
30:40versatility was more
30:40than just putting
30:41different gas cans
30:42and gas tanks in there.
30:43A lot of it
30:44was with the armament, right?
30:45Oh, yeah, they did.
30:46They did everything.
30:47I mean, you could see
30:49our particular airplane
30:50has got one fixed gun here
30:51and you can fix that gun
30:53or a guy can stand up there
30:54and shoot it
30:54and take it off the stand.
30:57Yeah, so he can whip
30:59it around in there.
31:00Then they turn around
31:01and say, well,
31:01another gun here.
31:02We got two on the side.
31:04They put another one in here
31:05and then they turn around
31:06and put two more
31:06over here
31:07and so they had, you know,
31:09four more fixed guns
31:10in the nose
31:11and then some guy
31:12got an idea
31:13that, oh,
31:13we put a cannon in it.
31:15And they literally
31:16put a cannon
31:16right in the side
31:17of the airplane,
31:18right up underneath
31:19the side,
31:19underneath the pile of seat,
31:20a 75-millimeter cannon.
31:2275?
31:23Yeah.
31:23So, I mean,
31:24you had a cannon in it
31:25and then some of them
31:26put 20-millimeter cannons in it
31:27and a lot of that stuff
31:28was done in the field,
31:29sent back to North Americans
31:30and said, hey,
31:31this is a good idea
31:31so they started
31:32doing it themselves.
31:33They did it in the field
31:34and sent it back down.
31:35What are you doing
31:35on airplanes?
31:36I mean,
31:36the crew chiefs
31:37and the people
31:38that were in the fields
31:39back in those days,
31:40I mean,
31:41it's not like today.
31:42Back then,
31:43they had an idea,
31:44the commander liked it,
31:45let's do it.
31:46Yeah.
31:47You know,
31:47and they brought their
31:47hammering and banging away
31:49and they were doing it.
31:55News of the success
31:57of these early flight modifications
31:58quickly gets back
31:59to engineers
32:00at the North American plant
32:01in Inglewood, California.
32:05At first,
32:06experiments are made
32:07with two additional
32:08.50 caliber machine guns
32:10located on the outside
32:11of the fuselage
32:12beside the pilot.
32:14The plane immediately
32:16gains in firepower,
32:18but the impact
32:19of the guns
32:20and the weight
32:20of the installation
32:21so close to the cockpit
32:22creates intense stress
32:24on the thin aluminum surface
32:25only inches
32:26from the pilot's seat.
32:30To compensate,
32:31heavy-duty plates
32:32are added to the design.
32:35Four additional
32:36.50 caliber machine guns
32:38are mounted in the nose,
32:39providing the Mitchell
32:40with more forward firepower
32:41than many fighters.
32:43Later models of the B-25
32:45have the dorsal turret
32:46move forward,
32:47where if needed,
32:48its .50 calibers can add
32:50to the plane's
32:50awesome barrage.
32:53But shifting the door
32:54and the dorsal turret
32:54leaves the aft
32:55of the plane vulnerable.
33:00That's what it sounds like,
33:01but an aircraft
33:02that you can actually
33:02do that to,
33:04that's what made it
33:04the plane that it was.
33:05When you stand here
33:06and look at this airplane
33:07now, you've got, you know,
33:08six guns pointed
33:09in your direction.
33:10You flip the turret around,
33:12you've got eight guns
33:12pointing in your direction.
33:13It's all .50 calibers.
33:14I don't think I'd want
33:15to be standing on the ground
33:16seeing this come after me.
33:19To increase the plane's
33:21defenses,
33:22engineers equip the Mitchell
33:23with a proper tailgun position.
33:26Side protection is covered
33:28by single .50 calibers.
33:33To increase firepower,
33:35a single fixed cannon
33:36firing a 75-millimeter projectile
33:39is T-mounted directly below
33:41the pilot's seat
33:42with a highly effective damper
33:44to absorb the recoil of the gun.
33:48The radio operator is given
33:50the task of reloading the cannon
33:52one shell at a time
33:53with the 14 rounds
33:55that are carried.
34:00Some air crews claim
34:01that the impact
34:02of firing the gun
34:03is strong enough
34:03to stop the plane
34:04for a brief second in flight.
34:14With these modifications,
34:16the Mitchells,
34:17now used by all three services,
34:19are able to use firepower
34:21against naval targets
34:22that is unprecedented
34:23in its ferocity
34:24and its effectiveness.
34:27Tracers from the machine guns
34:28are used to adjust position
34:29to aim the plane
34:30before firing the cannon.
34:40The solid-nosed Mitchells
34:42are so successful
34:43that the manufacturer's options
34:45continue in development,
34:46including individual kits
34:48that employ 8.50 calibers
34:50in a completely self-contained package.
34:55Individual commanders
34:56find themselves
34:57with manufacturer-provided options
34:59that let them tailor
35:00their armaments.
35:07With unprecedented firepower,
35:10the Mitchells soon finds itself
35:11leading the charge
35:12in some of the most dangerous
35:13combat of the war.
35:36The North American B-25 measured 52.92 feet long
35:41and 15.75 feet high
35:43with a wingspan of 67.55 feet.
35:53The B-25 bomber etches its place in history
35:56by taking out Japanese military sites
35:58in the famous Doolittle Raid of 1942.
36:05You know, Don,
36:06something that I think
36:06some people might not know
36:08about the B-25
36:09was the fact that it was used
36:10by different services.
36:11It wasn't just purely
36:12an Army Air Corps asset.
36:15Yeah, exactly.
36:15No, the Marines used it
36:16and the Navy used it.
36:17I believe they called them PBJs.
36:19And they were basically
36:20the same airplane.
36:21They just painted them blue
36:21with white bottoms.
36:23Yeah.
36:23It was pretty much
36:23the same airplane.
36:24They had the versatility
36:25so they could do
36:27just about anything
36:27that was called upon to do.
36:29Yeah.
36:29I mean, anywhere from
36:31that medium altitude,
36:32medium range strike
36:34to the lower altitude strafing,
36:36which really speaks to the,
36:37like you said,
36:38the versatility
36:39of this airframe,
36:40you know,
36:41given the day
36:41that it was designed it.
36:44Mitchell's in use
36:46by all three services
36:47unleash attacks
36:48unprecedented
36:49in their ferocity
36:50and effectiveness.
36:53By adding various armaments
36:55and offering options
36:56for different military needs
36:58and theaters,
36:59the B-25 evolves
37:00into a low range
37:01attacking weapon.
37:04The South Pacific
37:06becomes an ideal environment
37:07to debut
37:08this added forward firepower.
37:11The Japanese islands
37:12strongholds
37:13don't need
37:14the saturating attention
37:15of heavy bombers
37:16like the industrialized
37:17centers of Europe.
37:20They require
37:21a more precise bomber
37:23and the low-flying capabilities
37:25of the B-25
37:25provide the perfect tool.
37:30Mitchell crews patrol
37:32the Pacific islands
37:33either on planned strikes
37:35or simply looking
37:36for targets of opportunity.
37:38The bomber sweeps in
37:40on its targets
37:41at treetop height
37:42and accurately hits them.
37:47But the low-level flying
37:49has a cost.
37:50It makes an easy target
37:52for anti-aircraft artillery.
38:02When North American Aviation
38:04gets news of the losses,
38:05it steps up its efforts
38:07to make the plane
38:08more durable.
38:10The plane is equipped
38:12with armored plates
38:13under the windscreen.
38:26some naval Mitchells
38:27are equipped to handle
38:28a single torpedo
38:29which is mounted
38:30below the bomb bay
38:31so that the doors
38:32cannot be fully closed
38:33with it in position.
38:38Only after the release
38:39of the weapon
38:40can the fuselage be sealed.
38:46less than totally successful
38:48with the erratic iron bombs
38:49of the day,
38:50the B-25s would still
38:51on occasion tackle
38:52conventional bombing
38:53from the safety
38:54of high altitude.
39:07As the war in the Pacific
39:08rages on,
39:09the Mitchells' service continues.
39:14Weary and war-torn,
39:15Mitchells make their way
39:16through mission after mission.
39:20During raids,
39:21the Mitchell is not as big
39:22or as fast
39:23as its counterpart,
39:24the B-26,
39:25but it is more liked
39:26by its crews.
39:35Its bold colors
39:36can be clearly seen
39:37by Japanese troops
39:38as it attacks
39:39to promote group morale
39:40and intimidate the enemy.
39:44The plane's
39:45responsive maneuverability,
39:46its ability
39:47to sustain damage
39:48and still fly,
39:49and the fact
39:50that the plane
39:50was easy to get out of
39:52in an emergency
39:52make it a favorite
39:54of air crews.
39:55Its amazing versatility
39:56also lends
39:57to its popularity.
40:06The addition of parachute bombs
40:08with their slow descent
40:09give the low-flying Mitchell
40:11time to escape their impact.
40:21Skip bombing allows the bomb
40:23to bounce off the ground
40:24on its way to the target,
40:25exploding on its second impact,
40:27giving the bomber
40:28time to escape the blast.
40:46Advancing U.S. troops
40:47see the results
40:48of these raids
40:49in the form
40:49of wrecked Japanese aircraft,
40:51bizarre and stark monuments
40:53to the effectiveness
40:54of the B-25
40:55and other allied attack planes.
41:17The Mitchell,
41:18even though evolved steadily
41:19from the original role,
41:20is still very much
41:22the same plane
41:23as originally submitted
41:24to the Defense Department
41:25before the U.S. involvement
41:27in the war.
41:32The North American plant
41:34at Englewood
41:35makes its last B-25.
41:40The California plant
41:41is turned over
41:42for construction
41:43of the new North American
41:44Aviation P-51 Mustang fighter,
41:46and later jet development.
41:52The last aircraft
41:53to leave the California plant
41:55are a batch
41:55of 1,000 H models.
42:00The last one
42:01to leave the factory
42:02is named Old Bones.
42:04It is covered
42:05with signatures
42:06and messages
42:07from the plane's builders
42:08and factory workers.
42:10It is deployed
42:11to Action Through India
42:12and see service
42:13with exactly
42:14the same appearance
42:15as when it left the plant.
42:29Many B-25s
42:30survived the war
42:31and returned to the U.S.
42:37In the post-war years,
42:39many B-25s
42:40continued service
42:41in a variety of roles.
42:47In most cases,
42:49the plane's immense firepower
42:50was removed,
42:51but the planes
42:52remained useful,
42:53many serving as trainers,
42:55transport,
42:55and communications vehicles.
43:01Surplus missiles
43:02were often used
43:02as private planes
43:03and refitted
43:04as executive transports.
43:06The Mitchell
43:07had been produced
43:07in greater numbers
43:08than any other
43:09Allied twin-engine bomber,
43:11and it saw service
43:12in more theaters
43:13and in the arsenals
43:14of more countries
43:15than any of its counterparts.
43:16Even today,
43:18the few still in the air
43:19remain a joy to fly,
43:20responsive,
43:21calm,
43:22and forgiving.
43:23It's no wonder
43:24that it earned itself
43:25the title
43:25Sweetheart of the Forces.
43:33Whether or Yoshisa
43:37or Jennifer
43:37or
43:37développamas
43:37or
43:37Franken- chyba
43:37D sound-
43:37ERS
43:39wholesale
43:40alt.
43:41Even J
43:41You
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