6. WWII’s Best Medium Bomber?
The twin-engined B-25 Mitchell, named in honor of military aviation advocate Billy Mitchell, was America’s most-produced medium bomber of WWII, with almost 10,000 manufactured. A versatile and durable airplane that could absorb significant punishment and keep flying, the Mitchell was designed in response to a 1939 Air Corps solicitation that called for an airplane that could carry a 2400 lbs bombload at a speed of 300 mph, and drop it 1200 miles away. The B-25, which first flew in 1940 and entered service in 1941, exceeded the bombload and range requirements, with 3000 lbs for 1350 miles, and came close to the solicited speed by flying at 272 mph.
Later versions flew faster than 300 mph, were capable of carrying bombloads of more than 5000 lbs, and, with drop tanks, had a range of over 3000 miles. Such a long-range made B-25s ideal for the vast expanses of the Asian and Pacific Theaters, and it was there that most Mitchells served during the war. Their first major operation was the Doolittle Raid in April of 1942, when B-25s were flown off aircraft carriers to bomb Tokyo. In addition to boosting American morale at a time when it really needed a boost, that raid caused the Japanese high command such loss of face that it set in motion what turned out to be a catastrophic attempt to seize Midway a few months later.
