Doolittle Raid USS Hornet
April 18 1942
What is the doolittle raid?
What was the Mission?
The sixteen bombers employed on the Doolittle Raid were all B-25B models, third production version of North American Aviation's B-25 "Mitchell" medium bomber design. Delivered in 1941, these aircraft were stripped of some of their defensive guns and given extra fuel tanks to extend their range. Two wooden dowels were placed in each plane's plastic tail cone, simulating extra machine guns that might hopefully persuade enemy fighters to keep their distance. Each B-25 carried four 500-pound bombs on the mission.
The planes were parked on USS Hornet's flight deck in the order they were to leave. There was no room to rearrange them, and their long, non-folding wings made it impossible to send them below. During the two week's outward passage, planes received regular maintenance and engine testing to ensure they would be ready. The leading bomber, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle, had but a few hundred feet of deck run to reach flying speed, but every subsequent one had a little more. Each was helped off a Navy launching officer, who timed the start of each B-25's take-off roll to ensure that it reached the forward end of the flight deck as the ship pitched up in the heavy seas, giving extra lift at a critical instant
Doolittle
The plane at right has tail. It is mission plane # 4, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Everett W. Holstrom, Jr. during the raid, in which it attacked targets in Tokyo. Note protective cover over its gun turret, and wooden dummy guns mounted in its tail cone.
The plane at left is warming up its engines, as was done periodically during the voyage.
Doolittle
Several of the mission's sixteen B-25B bombers are visible. That in the foreground is tail # 40-2261, which was mission plane # 7, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Ted W. Lawson. The next plane is tail # 40-2242, mission plane # 8, piloted by Captain Edward J. York. Both aircraft attacked targets in the Tokyo area. Lt. Lawson later wrote the book " Thirty Seconds over Tokyo".
Note searchlight at left.
Doolittle
Eight of the mission's sixteen B-25B bombers are visible on the carrier's flight deck. Aircraft at right is tail # 40-2250, which was mission plane # 10, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Richard O. Joyce, which attacked targets in the Tokyo area.
Preparing
The Aftermath
As the raiders landed in China, most were aided by local Chinese forces or civilians. One raider, Corporal Leland D. Faktor, died while bailing out. For aiding the American airmen, the Japanese unleashed the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign which ultimately killed around 250,000 Chinese civilians. The survivors of two crews (8 men) were captured by the Japanese and three were executed after a show trial. A fourth died while a prisoner. The crew that landed in the Soviet Union escaped internment in 1943, when they were able to cross into Iran.
Though the raid inflicted little damage on Japan, it provided a much needed boost to American morale and forced the Japanese to recall fighter units to defend the home islands. The use of land-based bombers also confused the Japanese and when asked by reporters where the attack had originated, Roosevelt replied, "They came from our secret base at Shangri-La." Landing in China, Doolittle believed the raid to have been a dismal failure due to the loss of the aircraft and the minimal damage inflicted. Expecting to be court-martialed upon his return, he was instead awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and directly promoted to brigadier general.
David Middlecamp's Review
“America was in it’s darkest hour.”
“The Japanese people had been told they were invulnerable. Their leaders had told them Japan could never be invaded…An attack on the Japanese homeland would cause confusion in the minds of the Japanese people and sow doubt about the reliability of their leaders.”
American morale got its first real lift, a blow had been struck upon Japanese home soil, including the capitol city Tokyo. Japanese leaders lost face, the promise that there would be no home consequences to attacking America were proven false. The Japanese carrier group that had been sinking British shipping in the Indian Ocean as far away as Sri Lanka (Ceylon) were recalled.
A Japanese counter strike at the American outpost of Midway would soon be hastily planned.
Read more here: http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/slovault/2012/04/jimmy-doolittles-raid-over-japan-world-war-ii-week-by-week/#storylink=cpy