See also List of United States Army Air Forces reconnaissance units for F-10 Mitchell reconnaissance groups This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-25 Mitchell medium bomber units. It does not include non-combat units assigned within the United States for operational training or replacement training.
The B-25 medium bomber was one the most famous airplanes of World War II. It was the type used by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle for the famous Doolittle Raid over Japan on 18 April 1942.
The first B-25 test aircraft flew on 19 August 1940, and the first production Mitchell was delivered to the 17th Bombardment Group in February 1941. A total of 9,816 Mitchells were built, greater than any other American twin-engined bomber. The majority of B-25s in American service were used in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) and the Aleutian Campaign. In the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI), the B-25 attacked Japanese communication links, especially bridges in central Burma. It also helped to supply the besieged troops at Imphal in 1944.
In 1942, the first B-25Bs arrived in Egypt just in time to take part in the Battle of El Alamein. From there the aircraft took part in the rest of the Western Desert Campaign, the invasion of Sicily and the advance up Italy. The five bombardment groups that used the B-25 in the North African desert and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) were the only US units to use the B-25 in Europe. In addition to the bombardment groups, the F-10 photographic reconnaissance variant of the Mitchell was widely used.
After the war, the B-25 was taken out of front-line service and redesignated the TB-25, reflecting that it was no longer considered a combat aircraft. It flew training roles with the United States Air Force for many years, the last example, TB-25J 44-30210 not being retired until 31 January 1959.
Units
3d Bombardment Group Fifth Air Force (SW Pacific), 1942-1944 Australia, New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies, Philippines 8th Bombardment Squadron 13th Bombardment Squadron 90th Bombardment Squadron Transitioned to A-20 Havoc, late 1944
12th Bombardment Group Ninth Air Force (Middle East), 1942-1943 Twelfth Air Force (MTO), 1943-1944 Tenth Air Force (CBI), 1944-1945 Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, India 81st Bombardment Squadron 82d Bombardment Squadron 83d Bombardment Squadron 434th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated in India, 1945
17th Bombardment Group Doolittle Raid Second Air Force (ZI/CONUS), 1941-1942 Oregon, South Carolina 34th Bombardment Squadron 37th Bombardment Squadron 89th Reconnaissance Squadron 95th Bombardment Squadron Doolittle Raider volunteers chosen from all 4 squadrons. Transitioned to Martin B-26 Marauder, June 1942
22d Bombardment Group Fifth Air Force (SW Pacific), 1942-1944 Australia, New Guinea, Philippines 2d Bombardment Squadron 18th Bombardment Squadron 19th Bombardment Squadron 33d Bombardment Squadron Transitioned to Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Jan 1944
28th Bombardment Group Eleventh Air Force (Aleutian Campaign), 1941-1945 Alaska Territory 37th Bombardment Squadron 37th Bombardment Squadron 406th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Oct 1945
38th Bombardment Group Fifth Air Force (SW Pacific), 1942-1945 Australia, New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies, Philippines 71st Bombardment Squadron 405th Bombardment Squadron 822d Bombardment Squadron 823d Bombardment Squadron Transitioned to Douglas A-26 Invader, Sep 1945
41st Bombardment Group Seventh Air Force (Central Pacific), 1943-1946 Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Okinawa 47th Bombardment Squadron 48th Bombardment Squadron 396th Bombardment Squadron 820th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Jan 1946
42d Bombardment Group Thirteenth Air Force (South Pacific), 1943-1946 Solomon Islands, Netherlands East Indies, Philippines 69th Bombardment Squadron 70th Bombardment Squadron 75th Bombardment Squadron 100th Bombardment Squadron 390th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated May 1946
310th Bombardment Group Twelfth Air Force (North Africa), 1942-1943 Fifteenth Air Force (MTO), 1943-1945 Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Corsica, Italy 379th Bombardment Squadron 380th Bombardment Squadron 381st Bombardment Squadron 428th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Sep 1945
319th Bombardment Group Twelfth Air Force (North Africa) (MTO), 1944-1945 Corsica 437th Bombardment Squadron 438th Bombardment Squadron 439th Bombardment Squadron 440th Bombardment Squadron Replaced by Douglas A-26 Invader
321st Bombardment Group Twelfth Air Force (North Africa) (MTO), 1943-1945 Algeria, Tunisia, Italy 445th Bombardment Squadron 446th Bombardment Squadron 447th Bombardment Squadron 448th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Sep 1945
340th Bombardment Group Ninth Air Force (Middle East), 1942-1943 Twelfth Air Force (MTO). 1943-1945 Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy 486th Bombardment Squadron 487th Bombardment Squadron 488th Bombardment Squadron 489th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Nov 1945
341st Bombardment Group Tenth Air Force (CBI), 1942-43 Fourteenth Air Force (CBI), 1944-1945 India, China 11th Bombardment Squadron 22d Bombardment Squadron 490th Bombardment Squadron 491st Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Nov 1945
345th Bombardment Group Fifth Air Force (SW Pacific), 1942-1945 New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies, Philippines 498th Bombardment Squadron 499th Bombardment Squadron 500th Bombardment Squadron 501st Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Dec 1945
References
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. .
Pace, 2002, B-25 Mitchell Units of the MTO, Osprey Publishing,