Headquarters, Aaf, Office of Flying Safety

Pilot Manual for the Mitchell Bomber B-25 Headquarters, Aaf, Office of Flying Safety

In April of 1942, sixteen American bombers raided Tokyo, Japan. The planes were land-based B-25 Mitchells, audaciously launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, and led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. The attack caused little actual damage, but dealt a serious blow to Japanese morale. More importantly, it gave hope to an American public still reeling from Pearl Harbor. Manufactured by North American Aviation, the B-25 saw service in every theatre of WWII. It carried a crew of six, and could loft a maximum load of 6,000 pounds of bombs. Originally printed by North American and the U. S. Army Air Force, this Flight Operating Handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.