B-25J Mitchell
The B-25J Mitchell was named after General Billy Mitchell, a famous Army Air Corps general of the 1920s and 1930s. It proved to be one of the best weapons and was possibly the most versatile aircraft of WWII. Heavily armed, it was utilized for high- and low-level bombing, strafing, photo reconnaissance, submarine patrol, and a fighter. It’s most distinguishing role was in the historic raid over Tokyo in 1942 by the Doolittle Raiders. The B-25J saw duty in every combat area flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russian, Australian, and US forces. Our particular B-25J Maid In The Shade served her last wartime duty with the 319th Bomb Group, 437th Squadron at Serraggia Airbase, Corsica. There it was assigned Battle Number 18. The plane then proceeded to fly 15 combat missions over Italy between November 4 and December 31, 1944. The majority of the targets were railroad bridges.