PBJ-1 "Mary Zack"

Kdmoo · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 11:58 am

I am trying to find out the story on this photo. Anyone have some info on it? Not having any luck with the tail number.

Thanks-
Kevin

res6kgcr · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:42 pm

Hi Kevin,

41-30400 is a B-25D-15 in a band new, magnificent Sea-Search camouflage scheme of some Antisubmarine Squadron in the summer of 1943.

By the freshness of the paint and the tape on the front .50 gun it looks like it just came from some depot for that white paint did not stay clean for long.

Tom Michel

gary1954 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 1:07 pm

res6kgcr wrote:

Hi Kevin,

41-30400 is a B-25D-15 in a band new, magnificent Sea-Search camouflage scheme of some Antisubmarine Squadron in the summer of 1943.

By the freshness of the paint and the tape on the front .50 gun it looks like it just came from some depot for that white paint did not stay clean for long.

Tom Michel

Man, I would love to see this photo in color. The stuff we have in inventory today is awesome, but this was quite an era....this era of the 40's is absolutely awesome

Holedigger · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:20 pm

That is a very nice pic. Would be great to find more info on it.

gregv · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 3:14 pm

great pic, love the sea-camo B-25's and B-24's. So were the upper surfaces blue or green? I thought I'd seen some early schemes that were standard green on top and white below.

cheers

greg v.

krlang · **Posted:** Mon Feb 01, 2010 5:05 pm

And short stacks all the way around, too! :wink:

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:36 am

gregv wrote:

great pic, love the sea-camo B-25's and B-24's. So were the upper surfaces blue or green? I thought I'd seen some early schemes that were standard green on top and white below.

cheers

greg v.

The AAF experimented with neutral grey topsurfaces but eventually settled on olive drab. The white was much the same, though. This airplane probably was O.D. over white.

Scott

Holedigger · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:50 am

So more probably

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:29 pm

That looks pretty close!

Interestingly the AAF gave the antisubmarine mission to the Navy not all that long after this photo was taken. The last official CONUS USAAF antisub patrols were terminated in November of '43. A lot of the airframes that were camouflaged in the antisub schemes ended up in training units after the termination of the mission.

Scott

res6kgcr · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:59 pm

Hi Kevin,

Here is “Lady Jane” 41-30409 probably “Mary Zack” squadron mate, or at least painted about at the same.

And for color in T.O. “Sea-Search” O.D. & White a cannon armed B-25C-15 converted to a B-25G 42-64758 from Eglin AAF FL.

And for blue this B-25 that looks like to me to had painted in Navy n/s Blue-Grey!

All the the best to you all

Tom Michel

Kdmoo · **Posted:** Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:10 am

Thanks for the replies and photos. I had thought Mary was a Navy version with that paint scheme. I did some more digging and found that she ended up in Enid, OK as a trainer and was written off due to a taxiing accident June '45.

Kevin

MrBigred1112 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:16 pm **Posts:** 2

hey Kevin,
the bomber Mary Zack is my great granddads and he was getting ready to go over seas to england. however he was taking a expedition over the gulf of mexico to get him ready and ran into a hurricane and the plane was lost. Until this day none no were it is. I have pictures to prove it and letters from him a week before he died.

51fixer · **Posted:** Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:39 am

MrBigred1112 wrote:

hey Kevin,
the bomber Mary Zack is my great granddads and he was getting ready to go over seas to england. however he was taking a expedition over the gulf of mexico to get him ready and ran into a hurricane and the plane was lost. Until this day none no were it is. I have pictures to prove it and letters from him a week before he died.

I know it is several decades late but I am sorry for the loss of your Great Grandfather and thankful he lived and was willing to put his life on the line.

Welcome to WIX and I'm sure photos would be appreciated here.

MrBigred1112 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:16 pm **Posts:** 2

51fixer wrote:

MrBigred1112 wrote:

hey Kevin,
the bomber Mary Zack is my great granddads and he was getting ready to go over seas to england. however he was taking a expedition over the gulf of mexico to get him ready and ran into a hurricane and the plane was lost. Until this day none no were it is. I have pictures to prove it and letters from him a week before he died.

I know it is several decades late but I am sorry for the loss of your Great Grandfather and thankful he lived and was willing to put his life on the line.

Welcome to WIX and I'm sure photos would be appreciated here.

Thank you for that. I appreciate it.

Django · **Posted:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:49 am

51fixer wrote:

MrBigred1112 wrote:

hey Kevin,
the bomber Mary Zack is my great granddads and he was getting ready to go over seas to england. however he was taking a expedition over the gulf of mexico to get him ready and ran into a hurricane and the plane was lost. Until this day none no were it is. I have pictures to prove it and letters from him a week before he died.

I know it is several decades late but I am sorry for the loss of your Great Grandfather and thankful he lived and was willing to put his life on the line.

Welcome to WIX and I'm sure photos would be appreciated here.

Amen. And welcome!

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PBJ-1 "Mary Zack"

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