MILI LAGOON, Marshall Islands (25 Jan 2002) -- A B-25D "Mitchell" bomber has been discovered by a historical research diver in Mili Lagoon in the Marshall Islands. Matt Holly was working on an underwater survey of the lagoon for the RMI (Republic of the Marshall Islands) Historic Preservation Office when he discovered the "D" type medium range bomber on his final dive about a mile from shore. According to Holly, the aircraft is in excellent condition with the main fuselage and wings intact, however, the tail and engines evidently detached on impact and have not yet been found. The cockpit is also well-preserved with controls, gauges, pilots'seat, radios, top turret with twin 50 caliber machine gun shells, piles of live 50 caliber machine gun shells and both waist guns. The B-25 is protected by Marshall Islands law and the Mili Atoll Local Government has banned diving at the site until the aircraft has been thoroughly documented by the RMI Historical Preservation Office. According to historical records, the B-25, part of the 7th Air Force 41st Bomb Group, 396th squadron, was shot down on January 19, 1944 during a mission to bomb the Japanese air base at Mili. The plane was approaching Mili Lagoon at an altitude of 75-100 feet when exploding anti-aircraft shells damaged the forward part of the fuselage. It went down in the lagoon just in front of the Japanese airbase headquarters. Two died in the crash but a Japanese patrol boat picked up five surviving crew members who were badly burned and injured. According to documents from war crimes investigations, the five crew members received medical treatment and were then brutally tortured and interrogated. After 10 days, Japanese army and navy commanders who were later prosecuted for war crimes, beheaded all five crew members. Their remains have never been located. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK | |  |
About the North American B-25D "Mitchell"... | About the North American B-25D "Mitchell" The B-25D was identical to the B-25C; the only difference was the manufacturing plant. The -D was built at North American Aviation's (NAA) Kansas City, Missouri plant and the -C was built at the Inglewood, California plant. B-25D production was done in eight blocks of two NAA models (NA-87 and NA-100). The aircraft remained in production until the spring of 1944 when the last of 2,290 B-25Ds built was delivered. The B-25Ds first flight was on 3 January 1942 and the first aircraft was accepted by the Army Air Force about a month later. Improvements to the basic B-25C/D design were incorporated into the production line as well as at depots and in the field. Often, the only way to positively identify an aircraft model was by its serial number. For example, early B-25Ds were built without ventral turrets and many aircraft didn't have the engine exhaust stacks common on late model aircraft. The navigator's sighting dome was omitted on some -C and -D models also. TYPE: B-25D - Number Built/Converted: 2290
- Remarks: Kansas City built B-25C
- Notes: Serial numbers: 41-29648 to 41-30847; 42-87113 to 42-87612; 43-3280 to 43-3869
- All B-25Ds built at the North American Aviation Kansas City, Missouri plant (NC)
- B-25Ds converted to Advanced Trainer AT-24A became TB-25D in 1945.
SPECIFICATIONS - Span: 67 ft. 7 in.
- Length: 52 ft. 11 in.
- Height: 15 ft. 10 in.
- Weight: 34,000 lbs. (max.)
- Armament: Six .50-cal. machine guns plus 5,200 lbs. of bombs (max. for short range mission)
- Engines: Two Wright R-2600-13 turbo-supercharged radials of 1,700 hp. each (take-off power)
- Crew: 5-7
PERFORMANCE - Maximum speed: 284 mph. at 15,000 ft.
- Cruising speed: 233 mph.
- Range: 1,500 miles w/ 3,000 lbs. bomb load
- Service Ceiling: 21,200 ft.
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