So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like? ..
Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:16 pm
Why it looked like this ....
Pilot 1st Lt. Jame E. Slaughter (rescued)
Radio T/Sgt Otto J. Taylor (WIA, rescued)
Ditched January 29, 1945
Aircraft History
Built by North American. Nicknamed "30,000 North American Airplane". Delivered to the U. S. Army. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to the Pacific.
Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 345th Bombardment Group, 499th Bombardment Squadron on January 13, 1945 as one of the first B-25J-22 models to arrive. Assigned to pilot Slaughter with crew chief TSgt James E. Salzman.
Mission History
On January 29, 1945 took off from Tacloban Airfield on a bombing mission against Cabcaben Airfield on Bataan. Returning from the mission on the landing approach, the preceding aircraft was caught in turbulence and drove off the marston matting, temporarily blocking the runway. To avoid hitting it, Slaughter pulled up and tried for another landing attempt, but one engine cut out and it ditched off Tacloban into the sea about 2 miles from the runway. Radio operator Taylor was knocked unconscious in the crash.
Rescue
The entire crew successfully deployed life rafts and removed Taylor from the sinking plane. Within an hour of the ditching, the entire crew was rescued by an LST and returned to duty.
References
Warpath Across The Pacific page 258 via Pacific Wrecks
Pilot 1st Lt. Jame E. Slaughter (rescued)
Radio T/Sgt Otto J. Taylor (WIA, rescued)
Ditched January 29, 1945
Aircraft History
Built by North American. Nicknamed "30,000 North American Airplane". Delivered to the U. S. Army. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to the Pacific.
Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 345th Bombardment Group, 499th Bombardment Squadron on January 13, 1945 as one of the first B-25J-22 models to arrive. Assigned to pilot Slaughter with crew chief TSgt James E. Salzman.
Mission History
On January 29, 1945 took off from Tacloban Airfield on a bombing mission against Cabcaben Airfield on Bataan. Returning from the mission on the landing approach, the preceding aircraft was caught in turbulence and drove off the marston matting, temporarily blocking the runway. To avoid hitting it, Slaughter pulled up and tried for another landing attempt, but one engine cut out and it ditched off Tacloban into the sea about 2 miles from the runway. Radio operator Taylor was knocked unconscious in the crash.
Rescue
The entire crew successfully deployed life rafts and removed Taylor from the sinking plane. Within an hour of the ditching, the entire crew was rescued by an LST and returned to duty.
References
Warpath Across The Pacific page 258 via Pacific Wrecks
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Sun Apr 26, 2015 8:04 am
Wow, lost only 16 days after arriving.
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:25 pm
Same B-25J in foreground ...
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:01 pm
That is a beautiful B-25! Such a great color slide from so long ago! I love the natural metal finish, and 18 M2 50 cal. guns.
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:15 pm
A bit more B-25 / PBJ color ... (Boeing archive photos)
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:19 pm
... and to stray even further off topic (just because they look great is my only excuse 
)
)
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:41 pm
The glass-nose PBJ caught my eye because I've never seen the partial pilot's window brace on the co-pilot side. Then the next image shows the same thing on a VIP transport model ... except that one looks like a reverse negative due to the nose strut and prop blades ... never a dull moment.
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:23 pm
Beautiful photos Mark thanks for giving us a look. man those B25s with all those 50 cals must have been deadly, not to mention the artillery piece version!! How accurate were those "big" guns? Must have been interesting in the aircraft when she fired! I don't know what it is about the B25 but it's one of my favourite aircraft types. Could be those Wright Cyclones of course I'm a sucker for a big radial! 
Re: So what did North American's 30,000th airplane look like
Tue Apr 28, 2015 11:35 am
Wonderful photos, as usual, thank you Mark, for posting them.