B-25 Mitchell in World War II

B-25 Mitchell in World War II The evolution of the North American B-25 Mitchell began in 1936 when the company began work on its first twin-engine military design. Dubbed the NA-21 (later NA-39), this project produced an aircraft that was of all-metal construction and powered by a pair of Pratt Whitney R-2180-A Twin Hornet engines. A mid-wing monoplane, the the NA-21 was intended to carry a payload of 2,20o lbs. of bombs with range of around 1,900 miles. Following its first flight in December 1936, North American modified the aircraft to correct several minor issues. Re-designated the NA-39, it was accepted by the US Army Air Corps as the XB-21 and entered into competition the following year against an improved version of the Douglas B-18 Bolo. Further altered during the trials, the North American design proved to have consistently superior performance to its competitor, but cost significantly more per aircraft ($122,000 vs. $64,000). This led to the USAAC passing on the XB-21 in favor of what became the B-18B. Development Utilizing the lessons learned from the project, North American moved forward with a new design for a medium bomber which was dubbed the NA-40. This was spurred on in March 1938 by USAAC circular 38-385 which called for a medium bomber capable of carrying a payload of 1,200 lbs. a distance of 1,200 miles while maintaining a speed of 200 mph. First flying in January 1939, it proved under-powered. This issue was soon remedied through the use of two Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone engines. The improved version of the aircraft, the NA-40B, was placed into competition with entries from Douglas, Stearman, and Martin, where it performed well but failed to secure an USAAC contract. Seeking to take advantage of Britain and Frances need for a medium bomber during the early days of World War II, North American intended to build the NA-40B for export. These attempts failed when both countries elected to move forward with a different aircraft. In March 1939, as the NA-40B was competing, the USAAC issued another specification for a medium bomber requiring a payload of 2,400 lbs., range of 1,200 miles, and a speed of 300 mph. Further revising their NA-40B design, North American submitted the NA-62 for evaluation. Due to a pressing need for medium bombers, the USAAC approved the design, as well as the Martin B-26 Marauder, without conducting the usual prototype service tests. A prototype of the NA-62 first flew on August 19, 1940. Design Production Designated B-25 Mitchell, the aircraft was named for Major General Billy Mitchell. Featuring a distinctive twin tail, early variants of the B-25 also incorporated a greenhouse-style nose which contained the bombardiers position. They also possessed a tail gunner position at the rear of the aircraft. This was eliminated in the B-25B while a manned dorsal turret was added along with a remotely operated ventral turret. Around 120 B-25Bs were built with some going to the Royal Air Force as the Mitchell Mk.I. Improvements continued and the first type to be mass-produced was the B-25C/D. This variant increased the aircrafts nose armament and saw the addition of improved Wright Cyclone engines. Over 3,800 B-25C/Ds were produced and many saw service with other Allied nations. As the need for effective ground support/attack aircraft increased, the B-25 frequently received field modifications to fulfill this role. Acting on this, North American devised the B-25G which increased the number of guns on the aircraft and included the mounting of a 75 mm cannon in a new solid nose section. These alterations were refined in the B-25H. In addition to a lighter 75 mm cannon, the B-25H mounted four .50-cal. machine guns below the cockpit as well as four more in cheek blisters. The aircraft saw the return of the tail gunner position and the addition of two waist guns. Capable of carrying 3,000 lbs. of bombs, the B-25H also possessed hard points for eight rockets. The final variant of the aircraft, the B-25J, was a cross between the B-25C/D and the G/H. It saw the removal of the 75 mm gun and the return of the open nose, but the retention of the machine gun armament. Some were built with a solid nose and an increased armament of 18 machine guns. B-25J Mitchell Specifications: General Length: 52 ft. 11 in.Wingspan: 67 ft. 6 in.Height: 17 ft. 7 in.Wing Area: 610 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 21,120 lbs.Loaded Weight: 33,510 lbs.Crew: 6 Performance Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" Wright R-2600 Cyclone radials, 1,850 hpCombat Radius: 1,350 milesMax Speed: 275 mphCeiling: 25,000 ft. Armament Guns: 12-18 Ãâ€" .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsBombs: 6,000 lbs. max. or 8 x 5 rockets 3,000 lbs. bombs Operational History The aircraft first came to prominence in April 1942 when Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle used modified B-25Bs in his raid on Japan. Flying from the carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) on April 18, Doolittles 16 B-25s struck targets in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokosuka before flying on to China. Deployed to most theaters of the war, the B-25 saw service in the Pacific, North Africa, China-India-Burma, Alaska, and the Mediterranean. Though effective as a level medium bomber, the B-25 proved particularly devastating in Southwest Pacific as a ground attack aircraft. Modified B-25s routinely conducted skip bombing and strafing attacks against Japanese ships and ground positions. Serving with distinction, the B-25 played key roles in Allied victories such as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Employed throughout the war, the B-25 was largely retired from frontline service at its conclusion. Though known as a forgiving aircraft to fly, the type did cause some hearing loss problems among crews due to engine noise issues. In the years after the war, the B-25 was used by a number of foreign nations.

Emily Bronte-Cold in the earth critical analysis Essays

Emily Bronte-Cold in the earth critical analysis Essays Emily Bronte-Cold in the earth critical analysis Paper Emily Bronte-Cold in the earth critical analysis Paper On surface level, it seems that Cold in the Earth is a poem about the lose of a beloved. It deals with grief, a sense of despariring, and a feeling of coldness. However, Cold in the earth is not a display of grief but an exploration of the psychology of loss. The title Cold in the Earth gives a feeling of coldness; frozen, desperate despairing sensation, an aura of death and loss. The poem provides different perspectives of viewing the idea of loss and how one copes with loss; it can be said to serve as a multi-way lens of viewing the idea of loss. The first stanza describes the love that Bronte has lost, and is full of emotion. Deep snow piled above thee, this quote has two purposes. Firstly it describes the snow, which adds to the feeling of coldness, leaving a frozen, desperate, despairing sensation, which contrasts to the warmness associated with love. The fact that the snow is piled above thee enforces the fact that her lover is gone, far beyond reach and can never be retrieved. She then asks a rhetorical question, Have I forgot, my Only Love, to love thee, Only Love here emphasises the extent of her love by being capitalized. In the second stanza Bronte compares her thoughts to a bird my thoughts no longer hover, this metaphor shows a contrast between the freedom of flight that the bird enjoys in comparison to the containment that the persona feels. The second stanza tells us that she when alone, cannot think about the mountains near Angoras shore. This is an extremely important biographical reference to her own life; as well as a personification. Most of the poems written by Emily Bronte were based around the world that she created with her siblings. This world was called Gondal. It was a land of four provinces that was ruled by King Julius Brenzaida, one of these provinces was called Angorra. Bront had a reclusive personality it could be said that she preferred to live her life through the characters in her world. Thus, this poem Cold in the Earth can be taken from the viewpoint of Rosina Alcona (the persona), and Brenzaida. Brenzaida has died 15 years previously and Rosina is reflecting upon his death. The third stanza starts the same way the first did, Cold in the earth, this repetition reinforces the death and sadness that she feels about her lost love. This stanza seems far more positive than the last two; as she describes how after the death of her lover her life continues much like the seasons, those brown hills have melted into spring, the season spring here shows how things are getting better as she deal with his death. This shows a cyclical pattern, the spring brings her joys ans the ability to forget, whereas in the winters the memories of her 15 year dead love comes flooding back. In the fourth stanza Bronte apologises to the beloveds memory for forgetting him, if she has, Sweet Love of youth, forgive if I forget thee. She gives an explanation for her lapse in remembrance; the pressure of the the world and its affairs as well as more desires and avenues to explore, but there is also a tone of regret in the poets choice of words; hopes which obscure but cannot do thee wrong. , this statement insinuates that even though she may have other desires she never forgets the beloved, and the love she feels for others will never eclipse the love she felt and still feels for him. As if to give support to the previous statement the poet dedicates this stanza to the memory of the beloved, if the previous stanza stirred his memory, then these four lines are filled with an emotion similar to the ones persona felt shortly after his death. Almost as if her regret and remorse has been refreshed by the memory of the beloved. The words Sun and Star are both capitalised as if to enforce the effect that the beloved had on the persona. As a means of reassurance, Bronte follows the previous stanza with an almost rhetorical series of lines, as if trying to convince herself that her life is still worth living. Then did I learn how existence could be cherished, this shows that although she did feel great love for him she still has the strength of character to mourn and then put her life back together. This is in context with the third stanza, in which also points this out by saying those brown hills have melted into spring- . In the last verse Strengthened and fed without the aid of joy, the use of the word fed gives the image of rejuvenation and rebirth, an image that contributes to Brontes strength of character. Following the theme of recreation, Bronte draws feelings from her memories. Then did I check the tears of useless passion, Bronte here demonstrates the ability to pick herself up, and allow herself to heal and gain back her love for life. She also remembers herself as young, showing that as the scars that were dealt by his death heal she herself grows more mature. In this light we see that there was some good drawn from her lovers passing, the self-healing process acted as a learning curve for her and due to that learning she has gained more from life, as she now appreciates its value. In the final stanza Bronte reflects on the pain she felt, but instead of remembering it as a horrible experience she uses words like rapturous and divine, however this choice of words doesnt relieve the pain so much as it enriches it. It gives the image of a pain that could never be experienced through physical harm, but only through an assault on ones mind and soul. Another important aspect found in the poem was the stress on the ballad-like structure and lyrical as well as dramatic affect. The extensive use of commas, question marks, hyphens, and semi-colons all contribute to the lyrical affect of the poem, which reverbreates in the mind after reading it. The sprinkling of alliteration, wearing wave? , .. ever, ever , desires and darker , and the anadiplosis of the Cold in the Earth and All my lifes bliss contribute both to the dramatic and lyrical affect as well as the strenthing and stressing her wandering thoughts. There is a psychological flow in the poem: Firstly, her memories of Bronte with her lover is frozen along with the deep snow piled above her lovers corpse. Secondly, she is in the dilemma of forgetting her beloved and these memories or not. Then, she represses her wish to die and leave this world (Sternly denied its burning wish to hasten down to the tomb already more than mine). Fourthly, she cannot let go of her love for him, and she doubts upon the thought of forgetting that divinest anguish, whether she can move on with her love without such thoughts of memories (How could I see the empty world again? ). At last, no conclusion is reached. Bronte is confused and torn as ever before.