North American B-25J Mitchell

The B-25 medium bomber was named after General Billy Mitchell, considered by many to be the father of the modern Air Force. North American Aviation produced more than 9,800 Mitchells. The type served in every theater of WWII, primarily with the U.S. Army Air Forces, although the U.S. Marine Corps operated roughly 700 examples as the PBJ (Patrol Bomber – North American). Such were the aircraft’s capabilities that foreign Allies sought to operate Mitchells too, with a good number supplied to Commonwealth nations and the Soviet Union. 

B-25s were adapted in the field (and later at the factory) to serve a wide range of roles. They operated as gunships supporting ground troops, as low level skip-bombers, plus the G and H-model variants even mounted a modified 75mm tank cannon in the nose. The Museum’s B-25 is a J-model, the most numerous variant. North American built it at their plant beside Fairfax Field, in Kansas City, Kansas. Some J-models were equipped with 8 additional .50 caliber machine guns in the forward fuselage, as “straffer” aircraft. Our example came factory-fitted with a glass bombardier’s nose and furnishings for a Norden Bombsight. 

North American delivered the airplane to the US Army Air Forces in December 1944; it served as a trainer until 1958. When retired and sold into private hands the airframe had around 6,800 hours of flying time on it. The Museum’s Mitchell traded hands no less than ten times to different civilian owners after the war, for as little as $500 in one case.

The Doolittle Raid, a Virginia Connection: The Virginia Capes area has a special connection to the Doolittle Raid. It was at nearby Chambers Field where the notion of launching Army medium bombers from an aircraft carrier first emerged, when Captain Frances S. Low saw twin-engined aircraft practicing around the outline of a carrier painted on a runway. As the plan solidified and the B-25 was selected, two Mitchells were loaded aboard USS Hornet (CV 8) in Norfolk and test-launched from the carrier’s deck in the waters off Virginia Beach. With this promising trial completed, plans were put in motion to attack the Japanese Home Islands on April 18, 1942. This successful mission provided a much needed morale boost to Americans in the months following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. More importantly, it also forced the Japanese to withhold a significant fighter complement from the front lines in order to protect the Home Islands.