The B-25 Mitchel was a United Stated medium bomber named after Major General William “Billy” Mitchel, a military aviation pioneer. The B-25 was produced almost 10.000 times in numerous variants. The B-25 was a powerful plane especially at low altitude and was a formidable ship hunter and strafing aircraft for island warfare. In this gunship role the B-25J version got more and more forward machine guns, 8 Browning M2 .50 caliber machine guns were placed in its nose. A special version even housed 18 M2 Browning .50 caliber machine guns in total. 8 guns in the nose, 4 in the flank-mounts near the cockpit, two in the dorsal turret, one in each flank turret and two in the Tail. 14 machine guns releasing havoc in a frontal dive attack. Some versions even carried 8 underwing missiles.
North American B-25 Mitchell – Courtesy Dunsfoldairfield and IWM. The B-25 sunk many ships and destroyed lots of Japanese communications and infrastructure object like railroads and bridges in Bruma, India, China etc.
The B-25 on the photos is a D version. This B-25D is an old RAF plane delivered by the United States in 1944. After the Second World War it was part of the Dutch Navy and served until July 1954.
This Mitchells B-25 full service history
This Mitchell was constructed as a B-25D-20 in 1941, the same year it was taken on strength with the United States Army Air Force with serial number 41-30792.There after is was taken on strength with the Royal Air Force with serial number FR193.
On 23 April 1944 it was transferred to 320 (Dutch) Squadron RAF at Dunsfold and it operated with markings: NO L. This Mitchel flew training missions and 104 bombing missions.
25 April 1945 it was transferred to 151 RU and transferred to 12 MU, thereafter it was assigned to RAF Kirkbridge for storage and was later taken on strength/charge with the Netherlands Navy with s/n A-17. The plane was transferred to Royal Netherlands Navy Base Valkenburg near Den Hague and received a new serial number assigned: M-6 KLu on 15 May 1950. On 15 December 1950 the aircraft again received a new serial number assigned: B-6 KLu and operated with the markings: 2-6. 8 July 1954 it was transferred to RNLAF Technical School, Deelen AB and put in use as an instructional airframe.
The National Oorlogs en Verzetsmuseum (National War and Resistance Museum)-Liberty Park, Overloon put the Mitchell on display in 1959 on an outside location before it was moved inside of the museum.
