How the B-25 Mitchell Bomber Became a World War II Legend
Nicknamed “Billy’s Bomber” and “The Sweetheart of the Services,” the Mitchell was beloved by pilots because of its ability to wreak havoc on enemy targets.
Here's What You Need to Know: The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber proved a versatile combat platform in all theaters.
Little more than four months after the disastrous attack on Pearl Harbor, America went on the offensive against Japan with one of the boldest and best remembered bomber raids of World War II. Led by Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle and laden with extra fuel, 500-pound bombs, and incendiary clusters, 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers lumbered 500 feet along the wooden flight deck of the 19,900-ton Yorktown-class aircraft carrier USS