B-25C-NA SN 41-12913

History

The B-25C-NA SN 41-12913 was delivered to the military on June 23, 1942. She was transferred to the modification center in Kansas City for unknown modifications. She was taken on strength in Australia into the NEIAF (Netherlands East Indian Air Force) on September 10, 1942. She received the serial N5-139. Between September 1942 and January 1943 she was used in training Dutch crews assigned to No. 18 Squadron. Operational areas for combat missions by the Dutch and Australian B-25 crews were targets in and around the island of Timor and other Japanese locations in the SW Netherlands East Indies in what is now Indonesia. The first mission for No. 18 Squadron was on January 18, 1943. The B-25s of No 18 Sq. flew armed reconnaissance in the Timor Sea. She flew two other missions on January 19 and 20, before her last mission. On January 31, 1943 she flew an early morning mission to Dilli, Timor a Japanese port location. N5-139 along with five other aircraft departed in darkness but was turned back at the target by bad weather. Secondary targets were bombed. At the time these missions were being flown the B-25s of No. 18 Squadron were flying at the maximum range of the B-25. The returning aircraft from this mission were running low on fuel and the decision was made for each aircraft to land at the nearest base available. She was the last in line on this flight and due to weather was unable to make any local base and made a forced landing in the Moyle River swamps south of Darwin. The landing broke the aircraft's back but the crew escaped unhurt. At the time of the crash the aircraft had a total time of 187 airframe hours and 190 hours on the engines. The aircraft was turned over to the No. 1 Repair and Salvage Unit for reclamation, but little was removed due to the heavy swamp conditions at the crash site. The aircraft was officially declared a total loss on January 25, 1944. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

Base Assignments

In 1971 an RAAF survey team inspected the site and this lead to a salvage crew being sent to recover the aircraft in l972. Due to the same swampy conditions that prevented salvage in l943 the recovery crew ended up using saws to dismantling the aircraft. The forward and rear sections, outer wing panels and tail were taken back to Darwin and placed into storage. The center section and engines were left at the site being too difficult to remove at that time. The cockpit section currently sits in storage at Darwin's Aviation Museum in Winnellie Northern Territory, Australia. The current location and condition of the center and tail sections are currently unknown. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

• Model: B-25C-NA
• Serial Number: 41-12913
• NAA Mfg. Number: 82-5548
• FAA Registration: Never registered
• Mfg. Plant: Inglewood, California
• Completion Date: June, 1942
• Delivery Date: June 23, 1942
• Status: Stored Partial
• Owner: Darwin's Aviation Museum
• Location: Winnellie Northern Territory, Australia
• Website: http://www.darwinsairwar.com.au/
• Notable info:

This page represents the most current information we have on this aircraft. The information above was last updated 05/2018 with informaiton provided by Bob Haney. Our goal is to have the most current and correct information possible. If you have any information about this aircraft not listed here or see anything posted in error, please contact the B-25 History Project so we may update our records.