WarSimBox
North American B-25J Mitchell, the in-game model
1943USABomber

North American B-25J Mitchell

The North American B-25 Mitchell was a medium bomber named after General Billy Mitchell, the advocate of an independent US air arm. It became famous with the Doolittle Raid of April 1942, when B-25s took off from the carrier Hornet to bomb Tokyo. It is recognisable by its twin tail and tricycle undercarriage; the J was the most-produced version.

The Doolittle Raid

Four months after Pearl Harbor, on 18 April 1942, sixteen B-25s led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle took off from the deck of the carrier Hornet. Land bombers had never before flown from an aircraft carrier. They bombed Tokyo and other Japanese cities and flew on towards China. The damage was small, but the raid lifted American morale and hastened the Japanese decisions that led to Midway.

North American B-25J Mitchell, side view
North American B-25J Mitchell: the in-game model from the side.

A nose full of guns

The B-25 fought on every front: in the Mediterranean, the Pacific, China and the Soviet Union. In the Pacific some B-25s had their glazed noses replaced with batteries of machine guns, even a 75 mm cannon; these “gunships” attacked Japanese ships and airfields from very low level. The J, with a glazed nose, carried 12–13 machine guns.

In WarSimBox

In the game it is a medium bomber. Its defence is strong: all .50 in guns, in the nose, a twin powered dorsal turret, two beam windows and a twin tail position. It has a tricycle undercarriage.

Unlocked in the aircraft tree after researching Junkers Ju 88 A-4 and 2000 hp radial engine. Leads on to: Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, Douglas A-26B Invader, Avro Lancaster B.I.

Top speed
437 km/h · 3,500 m
Climb
6.5 m/s
Sustained turn
35.8 s
Stall speed
185 km/h

These figures come from the game’s flight model (climb, turn and stall at sea level).

Fly it in WarSimBox