The Marmite-Vegimite trade war of 1949 was devastating for Australia. As the main power in VEGANZ (the Vegemite Exporting Group Australia/New Zealand), the Land Down Under would suffer the bulk of world-wide wrath in the form of an international embargo. This meant that the Royal Australian Air Force would never fly the bomber namesake of their beautiful capital, the Canberra.
Realizing revenge is a dish best served cold, the Government Aircraft Factory employed that famous ingenuity Australians are known for. There were still plenty of good, if vintage, B-25 Mitchell airframes around that could be had for next to nothing which would become the basis for this revolutionary GAF-made jet attack bomber. Being a B-25 Mitchell updated to Canberra specs and then some, the prototype was jokingly referred to as the Mitch Berra and the name stuck.
The aircraft was powered by two indigenously produced jet engines and featured a redesigned tail to accommodate the efflux. The prototype reached a top speed of 603 mph during testing and was armed with four forward-firing 20 mm canonon. While part of the bomb bay had to be sacrificed for the landing gear, it could still carry over 1500 lbs of ordnance internally in an innovative modular rotary delivery system.
The powerful engines were manufactured at a top-secret GAF facility in Cobber Pedy. Finished engines were then trucked down the Stuart Highway to Port Augusta and from there could be shipped to the main GAF assembly plant just outside of Yamba.
One little-known bit of Mitch-Berra trivia is that the author & aeronautical engineer Nevile Shute designed the Secondary Tail Skid, indeed one of the aircraft's most critical components. This would inspire Shute's award-winning follow-on to
On the Beach aptly titled
On the Skids.
The Mitch Berra entered service with the RAAF's 4167th Squadron (Attack) based at Gunn Point near Darwin. Eventually all 24 RAAF attack squadrons would be equipped with the type which was universally beloved by those fortunate enough to fly and service it.
The Aussie attack jet never saw actual combat, the closest it came was flying alert patrols during the Christmas Island Incidents which ironically began on Boxing Day, 1965.
An ELINT/recon version of the Mitch Berra called the Yogi Berra was planned, but this was cancelled and the only Australian-built jet attack bomber was eventually replaced in service by more modern types imported after international sanctions eased in 1967.
The last Mitch Berra was scrapped in 1981 after finishing its life as an instructional airframe at the RAAF introductory mechanics' school & reformatory at Amaroo. All that exists of the Mitch Berra today is this Dinky Planes child's toy and the fond memories of those who flew this fantastic aircraft.
Brian da Basher