Two American B-25 Mitchell planes from World War II that arrived in Spain and never returned

The American twin-engine North American B-25 Mitchell aircraft is one of the most famous bombers of World War II.

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This aircraft, classified as a medium bomber, was the first American aircraft to bomb Japan during the famous Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942, in which 16 B-25s took part, taking off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). 9,816 B-25s were built, of which about 100 remain. Of these, 45 are airworthy.

In January 1943, during World War II, a British Royal Air Force (RAF) B-25, which had belonged to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) with serial number 41-30338, took off from Gibraltar and landed in Melilla, Spain, by mistake, after having a problem with one of the tailwheels, surely thinking it was flying over French Morocco. That B-25 was interned in Spain, being formally purchased in 1945 after a negotiation with the Allied Control Commission.

41-30338, registered in Spain as the B-25D-10, was a VIP transport aircraft. The aircraft remained stationed in Melilla until it was repaired in 1947, later serving as a training aircraft at the Matacán flight school, but above all being used as personal transport for the Minister of Air, González Gallarza, between 1950 and 1953. Finally, the aircraft was withdrawn from service due to a lack of spare parts and finally scrapped in 1956. A sad end for the only Spanish B-25.

Today, the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum in Madrid houses a B-25J Mitchell in bomber configuration. You can see some photos of that aircraft here, taken during my visit to the museum in 2011.

The B-25 at the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum reproduces the exterior appearance that the B-25D-10 41-30338 had at the time, with the number 74-17 and the Saint Andrew's Crosses characteristic of the Spanish Air Force on its tail rudders.

This aircraft had a very eventful history. It flew in World War II with the USAAF with registration 44-29121. In December 1958 it was parked at the aircraft graveyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (Arizona), where it remained until July 1959, when it was sold to the Bational Metals Co. of Tucson (Arizona), receiving the civil registration N86427.

In January 1962, 44-29121 was transferred to Ralph Johnson/Compass Aviation Inc. of Richmond, California. In October 1967, it participated in the 25th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, held at Naval Air Station Alameda, California. In 1969, converted into a TB-25J, it was placed on display at the American Air Museum in Oakland, California, where it remained until 1976.

In 1978, 44-29121 flew across the Atlantic with four other B-25s to Luton Airport (London) to participate in the filming of the movie "Hanover Street," starring Harrison Ford. In 1979, it was abandoned at Malaga Airport (Spain) after a wing was damaged during the filming of the movie "Cuba." There, it was impounded and was on the verge of being scrapped.

Fortunately, in January 1985 it was dismantled and transported by truck to the Cuatro Vientos Air Museum, where it was restored. It has been on display there since 1988. This Monday, the Friends of the Air Museum Association published a video showing the B-25J 44-29121. In this video, Alberto Ferreras, aviator and guide at the Air Museum, explains the history of this aircraft and shares some interesting facts about it (the video is in Spanish, you can activate automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player):