500th Bomb Squadron

The 500th Bomb squadron kind of means “Rough Raiders” one of four squadrons of the 345th Bomb group it was activated at Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina on November 11, 1942. After they trained in the United States and Australia, the 500th bomb squadron began in New Guinea in June 1943. Shortly after flying a few combat missions against the Japanese at medium altitudes, the squadron’s b-25 bombers were converted to strafers. The 500th bomb squadron used the major bases in Port Moresby, New Guinea: Dobodura, New Guinea: Nadzab, New Guinea: Biak, N.E.I.: Tacloban, Leyte. P.I.: San Marcelino, Luzon, P.I.: Clark field, Ie Shima, Ryukyus Islands. The 500th bomb squadron was deactivated at Ie Shima on November 11, 1945.
The b-25 bomber is one of the most famous bomber airplanes. They have 2 cockpits one in the front and one in the back, there is 2 side gunners in the middle of the plane so if they see a plane pass by they would shoot it down. What is really interesting was that they would get as low to the water as they can almost to the point were they were touching the water. When they get about 20 feet to 30 feet they would drop the bomb and it would skip into the side of the ship. It would leave a nasty hole but not enough power to bring the ship down. After they do that other bomber fly in and drop the heavier bombs and sometimes drop more than one bomb on it. Different bombers that dropped bombs over land started getting parachutes on their bombs so they get more time to get away from the explosion.
After the war was settled, b-25s were mostly gone. A man bought a broken b-25 and he was going to repair it and make it fly again. He is known for having the most parts for a b-25. He is now flying a few and hopefully making more.
That is what the 500th squadron did they flew missions and bombed places. The b-25 is now almost gone and one man is trying to save the planes we all remember in that war. It is a good thing a man cares about the b-25 because there would be no more of the
b-25’s.