B-25H "Mitchell"

The B-25 Mitchell medium bomber became one of America’s most famous airplanes of World War II and was used by General Doolittle in the Tokyo Raid on April 18, 1942. It later served in every combat area, flown by Dutch, British, Chinese, Russian, and Australian forces as well as U.S. forces. Although originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific for bombing Japanese airfields from treetop level and for strafing and skip-bombing enemy shipping. More than 9,800 B-25s were built during the war, and hundreds remained in service in the early postwar years. Several B-25C, B-25D, and B-25J models were assigned to Strategic Air Command when it was organized in 1946, while others served in Tactical Air Command. In 1949, B-25CS and B-25DS became obsolete, but the unique ZXB-25 remained in service until 1952. Modified from the B-25J as twin-engine Air Force trainers in the early 1950s, the TB-25L and TB-25K served at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, and Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, as airborne classrooms for pilot training, with the last retired in January 1959. TB-25KS and TB-25MS also provided airborne classrooms for the E-1 and E-5 radar fire control systems, and the last transport versions, CB-25JS and VB-25JS, were retired on May 21, 1960. The B-25 first flew on August 19, 1940.

Lackland AFB, Texas · United States