Vikin' Vicious Virgin theatre of operations?

[thierry laurent]

Hi,

 

I got conflicting information regarding the use of the 12th BG 82th BS B-25H with the dog face nose arts.

 

The heavy Schiffer William Wolf "Ultimate look" reference indicates they were only used as such in India whereas the Steve Pace Osprey book about the B-25 in the MTO says they were used in Italy before being transferred to India...!

 

So, were they used with the nose art in the MTO...or not?

 

The wartime pictures I found do not allow either to find a final answer.

 

Does anybody have more info about this?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Dana Bell]

Hi Thierry,

 

Someone must have fed Steve some bad data on those 12th BG aircraft.  (That or Osprey went off on their own again.)  We ran the serials, and some of those aircraft never even passed through the MTO.  The aircraft you're asking about only served in the CBI.

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

Dana

[don f]

Hi Thierry,

 

Someone must have fed Steve some bad data on those 12th BG aircraft.  (That or Osprey went off on their own again.)  We ran the serials, and some of those aircraft never even passed through the MTO.  The aircraft you're asking about only served in the CBI.

 

Cheers,

 

Dana

Hi Dana,

 

Here's what you posted many years ago to PT.  Any changes?

 

Don

 

Dana Bell

Osprey MTO B-25 Profiles...

Tue Jun 4 12:34:43 2002

160.111.69.32

 

Sorry that I can't remember who it was that posted the original question about 12th BG B-25 profiles in the recent Osprey MTO title.  The 12th moved from the Mediterranean to the China-Burma-India Theater in March 1944; the profiles (and color photos) show CBI aircraft, but describe them as being based in Italy.  The question was if these aircraft were with 12th before the move to China.

 

In short - NO!

 

Check the individual aircraft record cards shows the following details:

 

43-5104 "Bones" - Osprey reports MTO service, then moving with the group to India in March 1944.  The aircraft wasn't accepted at the factory until 11 July 1944.

 

43-4208 "Vikin's Vicious Virgin" - Osprey places at Gaudo, Italy on 30 December 1943.  The aircraft was delivered on 8 Oct 1943, but didn't depart the US until 28 Mar 44.  Notes say it was diverted to China enroute.

 

43-4381 "Dog Daize" - Osprey lists at Gaudo on 28 Dec 43.  The aircraft was accepted at the factory on 2 Nov 43, then delivered to China (though the delivery date is unclear on the microfilm)

 

43-4909 "Eatin' Kitty" - Osprey reports at Foggia on 22 Oct 43.  Aircraft was accepted at the factory on 23 May 44, leaving the US for Karachi on 21 Jun 44.

 

"Sunday Punch" (reported as 43-27498) - Osprey lists this aircraft at Foggia on 24 Oct 43.  The record card is unclear on most details, but the aircraft wasn't accepted at the factory until 10 Mar 1944.

 

43-4357 "Leroy's Joy" - Osprey lists at Foggia on 19 Nov 43.  The aircraft was accepted at the factory on 25 Oct 43, but left the US for China on 22 Jan 44.

 

I have no idea how these mistakes ended up in the book, and I've no interest in blame.  However, for those building MTO aircraft of dioramas, these particular aircraft will not be appropriate.

 

Cheers,

 

-Dana

[Dana Bell]

Wow, that was a long time ago!  Thanks, Don - I must have lost my copy of that three computer crashes ago...

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

Dana

[thierry laurent]

Thanks a lot gents!

 

This confirmed my feelings as I could not find one picture showing such planes in an environment looking clearly like south Italy. So, it seems that the B-25H was probably a very, very rare beast in Europe...