something not many people know ,The basic concept for the strafer seems to have originated with B-25 units based in Australia
The first strafer-modified B-25 was B-25C #41-12946, nicknamed "Margaret", which arrived at
Charters Towers, Queensland, on 8 December 1942, assigned to the 90th Bomb Squadron, of the
3rd Bomb Group.
B-25C Mitchell, "Margaret" (see above) was converted to a low level "Strafer" in the B-25 Conversion centre in Townsville. Eight forward-firing Browning machine guns were fitted to the aircraft. Four in the nose were positioned through the original bomb aiming panel making air-sealing easier.
The standard B-25 came equipped with flexible 50 and 30 cal. Machine Guns in the plexiglas nose compartment (fired by the bombardier), and some had a single fixed .30 calibre firing forward, in addition to the flexible guns.
A few strafer B-25's modified at Brisbane during April-May 1943, carried, in addition to the 50 calibre four gun nose battery, a single fixed 20 mm cannon in the forward firing position at about the 4 o'clock position as you look at a strafer nose. They were not very effective due to the problem of syncronizing their firing trajectory with the nose guns, and other problems, and were soon removed and the position faired over. In addition to the nose gun installation, all C & D strafers were fitted with two additional 50 calibre machine guns (two on each side, total of four) fitted in separate side package housings on each side of the lower fuselage, below the cockpit. This gave a total forward firing armament barrage of 8 x 50 cal Machine Guns, plus, on a few aircraft, one 20mm cannon.
The top turret (2 x 50 cal) could also be swivelled forward to augment this fire power, but was not controlled from the cockpit as were the other guns.
The low level skip bombing role used by the strafer B-25s was initially developed during shipping attacks by the B-17's of the 63rd Bomb Squadron,
43rd Bomb Group late in 1942.
View attachment 1197765
B-25C Mitchell, #41-12946, "Margaret" in a hangar at Garbutt airfield, Base Depot Number 4.
a book based on this , good read
View attachment 1197766
