Air Apaches of the Pacific 

This video tells the story of one of the most famous units of the campaign to blunt the Japanese advance on New Guinea in the early days of WWII. The 345th Bomb Group, flying B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, was formed in November 1942 and deployed to the Southwest Pacific theater in April 1943. During its 26 months of combat, the unit, called the Air Apaches, flew more than 10,000 missions, sinking 260 Japanese vessels, destroying 260 Japanese planes on the ground and 107 more in aerial combat. The 345th ultimately participated in nine major military operations in the Asia-Pacific theater and became one of the most decorated units of the war. Museum docent and U.S. Air Force veteran Matt Ouding describes its innovative low-level tactics and combat history, and how it used B-25 configurations never thought of when the aircraft was designed. After Matt's presentation, you'll see the Museum's B-25, bearing symbols of the 345th, taxi out and make a low pass over the Colorado Springs Airport.
Visit The National Museum of WWII Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado - www.worldwariiaviation.org