SWPA B-25 auxiliary turret tank

[chairwriter]

Howdy again, with another research question for my forthcoming book Target: Rabaul.

I've been going through the official narrative history of the 38th Bomb Group, Fifth Air Force, and came across an interesting reference. During the first big raid on Wewak on August 17, eight of twelve "strafer" B-25s of the 405th Bomb Squadron turned back because of "mechanical failure of auxiliary turret gas tank release."

I was aware of the fact that the ventral turret was removed and a gas tank installed in its place, but I did not previously realize that the tanks would be used first and then dropped (no one wanted an empty gas tank--essentially a bomb--in their plane).

Does anyone know the capacity of these tanks? Where they an initial part of the package of field-mods done by Pappy Gunn at Eagle Farms, or was this a later modification to extend the range of the "strafers"?

Thanks in advance!

Bruce Gamble

[43-2195]

Bruce, There is already a thread going on this, check out B-25 Gunship Mods



viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22504

[chairwriter]

Bruce, There is already a thread going on this, check out B-25 Gunship Mods



viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22504

The thread makes mention of the ventral turrets but does not address the question about the capacity of the field-installed fuel tanks.

Bruce

[Hemiman]

Read that they were 300 gallon. Square shaped. Per Garrett Middlebrook, usual method was to fly on the mains, then transfer fuel from the aux until empty then jettison.. not self-seaing so they had to be dropped before entering the combat zone.

[43-2195]

I always believed that they were cylindrical. If they were square, how would they drop through the ventral turret cutout?

[Ken]

I would love to know more. According to doolittletokyoraiders.com the Raider airplanes replaced the ventral turret with a 60 gallon tank; of course there were also 5 gallon cans used to top this off.

300 gallons seems extreme, as that's 1800 pounds of fuel not including the weight of the tank and fixtures for such an aft location and its non-beefed structure. As a comparison, according to wiki, the airplane only carried 3000 pounds of bombs.

Not saying they didn't do it, just that more details are in order.

Ken

[Hemiman]

Ken..

Only quoting whats written in Middlebrooks book. I'm trying to chase down more info..

Bill

[HCP54]

Little late to the thread but my dad flew with the 3rd bomb group 90th squadron on B-25s in New Guinea as a gunner R/O. In his diary he states it was a 300gal tank that gave them an extra 3 hrs flying time. It was his job to drop it when the pilot ordered it.