Corgi AA35308 North American B-25D Mitchell USAAF 345th BG, 498th BS Air Apaches, "Crabb 2nd", Dobodura, New Guinea, 1943

Corgi AA35308 North American B-25D Mitchell USAAF 345th BG, 498th BS Air Apaches, "Crabb 2nd", Dobodura, New Guinea, 1943

The 345th Medium Bombardment Group, nicknamed "The Air Apaches," gained widespread recognition in the Southwest Pacific theater. The group flew brightly painted Mitchell B-25 twin-engine bombers with names like Falcon, Parrot (498th Sqdn), Bat (500th Sqdn), and Panther (498th Sqdn), Bat (499th Sqdn), Bat (500th Sqdn), and Panther (501st Sqdn). These planes would often fly at low levels, sometimes even at tree-top height. Converted to gun-nosed B-25's, with up to 12 forward-firing .50 caliber machine guns, they were well respected and feared by the Japanese. The bombers also used parafrag bombs, which allowed them to move away to a safe distance before detonation. The 345th was assigned to the 5th Air Force and entered combat on June 30, 1943, from New Guinea. They performed various missions such as bombing/strafing airfields and installations, attacking shipping, supporting ground forces, dropping supplies, and flying courier and reconnaissance missions. Crabb 2nd was a B-25D-1 of the 498th BS/345th BG, based out of Dobudura, New Guinea, in December 1943. This plane featured a stylized parrot on the nose, with white striped tails and the name (painted as a crab) on the right side.

The North American B-25D Mitchell was originally designed as an attack bomber for export to France and the UK. The aircraft's first flight took place on August 19, 1940. However, the B-25 was rejected by the countries it was designed for in favor of the new Douglas DB-7. Later on, the B-25 entered service with the Army Air Corps as a medium bomber. Early in its service career, the B-25 became famous for its role in the Doolittle Raid. North American Aviation built nearly 10,000 B-25s, and the aircraft's service spanned four decades. The B-25 was named after aviation pioneer Billy Mitchell and is the only US military aircraft to bear the name of an individual person.