Strana 47
B-25J-6, 43-27957, Capt. Ervin J. Werhand, 823
rd
BS, 38
th
BG, 5
th
AF,
Kadena, Okinawa, July 1945
B-25J-30, 44-30934, 1/Lt. Charles E. Rice, Jr., 449
th
BS, 345
th
BG, 5
th
AF,
Kadena, Okinawa, July 1945
This ship was originally named “Little Princess
Deanna” and was assigned to Capt. Zane E.
Corbin. He was succeeded by Capt. Ervin J. “Joe”
Wehrand who renamed the ship “Bugs Bunny”,
an animated cartoon character best known
for his starring roles in the Looney Tunes and
Merrie Melodies series. The name of the 823
rd
BS was "Terrible Tigers", and the noses of their
aircraft were decorated with a tiger painting.
This unit, along with the 822
nd
BS, was activated
in Australia in April 1943 as replacements for
two squadrons that had been withdrawn from
the 38
th
BG “Sun Setters” composition. However,
the 823
rd
Squadron did not reach its full strength
until the end of June that year when it moved to
Port Moresby, New Guinea. By August, the unit
was already engaged in offensive action against
the Japanese at Cape Gloucester, New Britain
and received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC)
for this activity. The second time they received
DUC, in June 1944, it was for attacks on Japanese
airfields, ports and ships on New Guinea. From
October 1944, the "Terrible Tigers" operated
from the Maluku Archipelago in eastern
Indonesia, from where they attacked targets in
the Philippines in support of Operation Leyte.
Then, on November 10, the pilots of the 823
rd
BS
dispersed a large enemy convoy, for which they
received their third DUC. In February 1945, the
unit moved to Okinawa, from where it attacked
targets in southern Japan until the end of the
war. It was then part of the occupation forces
until September 1946, when it was inactivated
as the 38
th
BG was transitioned to peacetime
status with two squadrons.
The most significant mission of the Mitchell
named “Betty’s Dream” was escorting two
white Betty bombers aboard which Japanese
peace envoys traveled to le Shima on August
21, 1945, after the previous surrender in Manila.
The aircraft was assigned to 1/Lt. Charles “Pop”
Rice, Jr. who later became the unit's operations
officer. The Betty's Dream ship was only briefly
with the 449
th
BS, having been assigned to the
unit in June 1945, so it showed just little sign
of war wear and tear. The typical drawing of
a bat on the nose referred to the unit's name,
“Bats Outa’Hell”.
481101 B-25J bomb bay (PE
-
Set)
644206 B-25J LööK (Brassin)
648075 Browning M-2 guns (6pcs) (Brassin)
648081 US 500lb bombs (2 pcs) (Brassin)
648086 US 250lb bombs (2 pcs) (Brassin)
648870 B-25J engines PRINT (Brassin)
648871 B-25J bombsight PRINT (Brassin)
For B-25J Mitchell 1/48
RECOMMENDED:
#648870
#648871
KITS 03/2026
INFO Eduard
47
March 2026