The Doolittle Raid B-25 Rumor

[Noha307]

Apparently, according to a Los Angeles Times article, there was a man named Walter Kurilchyk who started looking for the airplane as far back as 1980. So even 10 years ago it was far from a new idea.

[JohnB]

The idea that a Doolittle B-25 is a valuable relic is an old one, even predating that AE-obsessed group.

In February 1979, the second episode of Andy Griffith's short lived series "Salvage 1" used the search for a Doolittle ship as a plot.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0693802/?ref_=m_ttep_ep_ep3

If course they seemed to think it was on a deserted Pacific island...
I think the Doolittle crews were better navigators than that.

The linked synopsis seems to indicate Griffith's character was a pilot on the raid.

[Ken]

This is a worthwhile thread - it is missing, however, junkyard photos of the belly of a B-25 that showed features that make it likely one of the Raider airplanes. I don't recall if it was in a Pacific junkyard or Russian. I'm sure the search gurus can find it again. Love this topic.

Ken

[RyanShort1]

This is a worthwhile thread - it is missing, however, junkyard photos of the belly of a B-25 that showed features that make it likely one of the Raider airplanes. I don't recall if it was in a Pacific junkyard or Russian. I'm sure the search gurus can find it again. Love this topic.

Ken

I believe that one was Japanese.

[Russ Matthews]

In February 1979, the second episode of Andy Griffith's short lived series "Salvage 1" used the search for a Doolittle ship as a plot.

I actually remember watching when it originally aired, just the thing to fire the imagination of a 10 year old already facinated with the idea of finding and saving WWII airplanes. If anyone else is interested in seeing it now, I found a link to the video here ...

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6w4iyj

Of course they seemed to think it was on a deserted Pacific island... I think the Doolittle crews were better navigators than that.

In reviewing the opening scene, it turns out that Griffith's character says "After the raid we ran out of gas and had to put down in the Burmese foothills" (which still represents a major navigation foul up to so drastically overshoot the landing fields prepared in China. No wonder they exhausted all their fuel )

[Russ Matthews]

Double post (mods please delete)

[rwdfresno]

This is a worthwhile thread - it is missing, however, junkyard photos of the belly of a B-25 that showed features that make it likely one of the Raider airplanes. I don't recall if it was in a Pacific junkyard or Russian. I'm sure the search gurus can find it again. Love this topic.

Ken

I believe that one was Japanese.

It was indeed: http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... =3&t=66250

[marine air]

My guess is there aren't any of them remaining. They were all crashed except the one that landed in Russia. Russia would've probably sent it by train to their research and aircraft factories to dismantle and study or worst case, flown it in service until it got shot down or crashed. It was simply consumed during the war. The ones that went down in agricultural areas probably ended up being chopped into small pieces and used for pots, pans., plows and building materials. You might find an engine hulk at best.
We lend leased hundred of B-25s to Russia and it is also a possibility that one aircraft was assigned to a squadron or broken up for parts.
Can't think of any reason to believe any of those aircraft survived. A more interesting possibility is one of the many AVG P-40's that were lost.

[RyanShort1]

My guess is there aren't any of them remaining. They were all crashed except the one that landed in Russia. Russia would've probably sent it by train to their research and aircraft factories to dismantle and study or worst case, flown it in service until it got shot down or crashed. It was simply consumed during the war. The ones that went down in agricultural areas probably ended up being chopped into small pieces and used for pots, pans., plows and building materials. You might find an engine hulk at best.
We lend leased hundred of B-25s to Russia and it is also a possibility that one aircraft was assigned to a squadron or broken up for parts.
Can't think of any reason to believe any of those aircraft survived. A more interesting possibility is one of the many AVG P-40's that were lost.

I think there's a good likelihood that parts of the ones that were ditched are still out there somewhere, but probably in pretty poor shape.