Here's some PBJ tidbits for ya's ...

[Craig59]

The "PBJ" on display is B25D, 43-3308 when it was at the Marine Air-Ground museum at Quantico prior to the NMUSMC being built. The aircraft is now on loan and displayed in Pampa, Texas. I certainly wish they would bring it in from the weather and display it at the new museum - even if it's not a real PBJ - but, given the recent remodel and addition at the museum, I'm not holding my breath.

[JohnB]

Is it true all PBJs were built at the Kansas City plant?

If so, did USAAF and lend lease aircraft also come from that factory?

A minor claim to fame..as a 5th grader, we took our spring field trip to the plant which was then the Chevy factory...building at the time Chevelles and El Caminos.

[Warbird Kid]

The "PBJ" on display is B25D, 43-3308 when it was at the Marine Air-Ground museum at Quantico prior to the NMUSMC being built. The aircraft is now on loan and displayed in Pampa, Texas. I certainly wish they would bring it in from the weather and display it at the new museum - even if it's not a real PBJ - but, given the recent remodel and addition at the museum, I'm not holding my breath.

B-25 in question. Wish she was still flying.

[Malo83]

Guess I should add this one. Most of us have probably seen this photo before.

Tragic

R.I.P. hero's ...

LOSS OVER TOBERA: With its port engine hanging following an anti-aircraft hit, the PBJ of First Lieutenant Glenn W. Smith (BuNo 35143) goes down over Tobera on 5 May 1944. The aircraft crashed a short time later killing all seven of the crew. The aircraft's wreckage was located in 1949 and the remains of at least one crewmen was recovered and returned to the United States for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. During the late 1990s the site was rediscovered and yielded additional remains. In 2000 these remains were also recovered and returned to the United States for burial.

Pilot 1st Lt. Glenn Willard Smith "Smitty", O-21855 (MIA / KIA) Inglewood, CA
Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Ralph Milton Jones Jr., O-25395 (MIA / KIA) Griffin, GA
Navigator Sgt. John Slingluff Little, 452483 (MIA / KIA) Norristown, PA
Radio Sgt. George Dewey Herbst, Jr., 489222 (MIA / KIA) Pottstown, PA
Gunner Cpl. Michael F. Mazepa, 425132 (MIA / KIA) New York, NY
Gunner Cpl. Ferris Robert Gillen, 421734 (MIA / KIA) Muncie, IL
Passenger Cpl. Robert S. Bleir (MIA / KIA)
Crashed May 5, 1944

Photograph: U.S. Marine Corps (Courtesy of J.W. Leggio)

I remember seeing a similar photo of a B25 that was hit on the port side of the cockpit that met the same fate, was over the philippines when hit by flak, think you could find it Mark?

[Ken]

Search for "Jaunty Jo" for the other combat loss images.

Ken

[Mark Allen M]

Search for "Jaunty Jo" for the other combat loss images

Always tragic to see, yet essential to remember ... hero's lost.





"On May 26, 1945, sixteen B-25J Mitchell bombers took off from their base in the Philippines, headed for Taiwan. They were from the 498th Bomb Squadron, part of the 5th Air Force’s 345th Bombardment Group, which had been stationed in the Philippines since November 1944, carrying out missions against shipping along the China coast as well as industrial and infrastructure targets in Taiwan.

The day’s mission was a raid on the Byoritsu Refinery, located in the northwestern Taiwanese city of Miaoli. US intelligence, which had identified the refinery as “Target No. 85” on Taiwan, estimated that it produced 100,000 barrels of gasoline, kerosene and heavy oil annually. It was a target of some significance.

Among the American bombers heading across the sea towards Taiwan was B-25 no. 192, “Jaunty Jo”, piloted by Robert J. Knauf and with a total crew of five.
The 16 bombers approached the target almost grazing the treetops. They did so because of the nature of the bombs they were carrying: Parafrag bombs, designed to be dropped with great precision from low altitude, before detonating and breaking into smaller fragments. Parachutes delayed impact long enough for the aircraft to escape unharmed.

It was to be the last flight of the “Jaunty Jo.” As it released its parafrag bombs, the left side of the cockpit was hit by shrapnel, and a gaping hole opened next to the pilots. Possibly it sustained other damage as well. Trailed by a dense tail of smoke, the bomber crashed seconds later, killing all on board.

The official explanation was that a camouflaged anti-aircraft battery near the refinery shot down the plane. However, the extremely low altitude also makes it possible that it was hit by parafrag bombs descending towards the ground after having been dropped by another bomber. Alternatively, fragments from exploding parafrag bombs could perhaps also be the explanation. The truth will probably never be known.

The tragic event was photographed from another plane taking part in the mission, providing a lasting testimony to the sacrifices that young men were forced to bring in the Pacific, even after the war in Europe was over."

Rest in Peace Hero's

[CoastieJohn]

Mark,

Those two photo's above look like a movie studio recreation? The railroad track ties look very clean, the telephone poles and buildings look like they are miniatures models. Also.....the background is very clear. Putting on a photographic hat......wouldn't it take a very fast camera to get clear pictures of the background (buildings, ground, etc) like that with the aircraft flying at such high speed so close to the background? Plus the vibrations the plane would produce as a photographer was trying to film are absent. The first photo kinda looks like the aircraft was added to that photo?? Any photography or special effects folks out there who might know???

John

[Malo83]

Horrific,
http://s235.photobucket.com/user/catch2 ... l.jpg.html

Looks like the port engine is starting to separate from the mounts.

[Ken]

John,

I can see why you might question the images of Jo, but go to google images and search "B-25 parafrag" and you will find many images from rearward-facing strike cameras that are of similarly good quality. I'm no forensics expert, heck I'm just a pilot which makes me an expert at little to nothing, but I do believe the images are real and unaltered.

Apropos that we are having this discussion on Memorial Day weekend, honoring and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their service to the nation. A crisp hand salute to all ...

Ken

[CoastieJohn]

Thanks Ken. There are some on Google. I'm still not sure....but like you, what do I know? One thing I thought of was a movie still from a movie like Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.

Located this Flicker stream of many great action photo's I've never seen before, it includes some of those parafrag's.

John


Edit added: This is the link to all of this person's albums...great stuff.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/flying_boat_films/albums

[Mark Allen M]

Greetings John, those are indeed the 'real deal' photos .... sad but true.