April 18, 1942, The Doolittle Raid

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

On April 18, 1942, 16 American B-25 bombers, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet 650 miles east of Japan and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, attack the Japanese mainland.

The now-famous Tokyo Raid did little real damage to Japan (wartime Premier Hideki Tojo was inspecting military bases during the raid; one B-25 came so close, Tojo could see the pilot, though the American bomber never fired a shot)—but it did hurt the Japanese government’s prestige. Believing the air raid had been launched from Midway Island, approval was given to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s plans for an attack on Midway—which would also damage Japanese “prestige.” Doolittle eventually received the Medal of Honor

Conceived in January 1942 in the wake of the devastating Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the “joint Army-Navy bombing project” was to bomb Japanese industrial centers, to inflict both “material and psychological” damage upon the enemy. Planners hoped that the former would include the destruction of specific targets “with ensuing confusion and retardation of production.” Those who planned the attacks on the Japanese homeland hoped to induce the enemy to recall “combat equipment from other theaters for home defense,” and incite a “fear complex in Japan.” Additionally, it was hoped that the prosecution of the raid would improve the United States’ relationships with its allies and receive a “favorable reaction [on the part] of the American people.”.

Originally, the concept called for the use of U.S. Army Air Force bombers to be launched from, and recovered by, an aircraft carrier. Research disclosed the North American B-25 Mitchell to be “best suited to the purpose,” the Martin B-26 Marauder possessing unsuitable handling characteristics and the Douglas B-23 Dragon having too great a wingspan to be comfortably operated from a carrier deck. Tests off the aircraft carrier Hornet (CV-8) off Norfolk, and ashore at Norfolk soon proved that although a B-25 could take off with comparative ease, “landing back on again would be extremely difficult.”

The attack planners decided upon a carrier transporting the B-25s to a point east of Tokyo, whereupon it would launch one pathfinder to proceed ahead and drop incendiaries to blaze a trail for the other bombers that would follow.

The planes would then proceed to either the east coast of China or to Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. However, Soviet reluctance to allow the use of Vladivostok as a terminus and the Stalin regime’s unwillingness to its neutrality with Japan compelled the selection of Chinese landing sites. At a secret conference at San Francisco, Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, USAAF, who would lead the attack personally, met with Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., who would command the task force that would take Doolittle’s aircraft to the very gates of the Japanese empire. They agreed upon a launch point some 600 miles due east from Tokyo, but, if discovered, Task Force 16 (TF-16) would launch planes at the respective point and retire.

Twenty-four planes drawn from the USAAF's 17th Bombardment Group were prepared for the mission, with additional fuel tanks installed and “certain unnecessary equipment” removed. Intensive training began in early March 1942 with crews who had volunteered for a mission that would be “extremely hazardous, would require a high degree of skill and would be of great value to our defense effort.” Crews practiced intensive cross-country flying, night flying, and navigation, as well as “low altitude approaches to bombing targets, rapid bombing and evasive action.”

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

While my Dad was stationed at Eglin A.F.B., we lived in Valparaiso, just outside the Base and part of the Twin Cities of Valparaiso- Niceville. Back in the early 70's Niceville had a display of a replica of one of the Doolittle Raiders planes. I remember it well as I passed it daily on my ride from home to attend Okaloosa-Walton Jr. College.
First met my lovely bride in Niceville.

 

https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3006013/af-local-community-host-final-doolittle-raiders-ceremony-aerial-review/

 

NICEVILLE — The display at Northwest Florida State College's Raider Arena honoring the Doolittle Raiders — the 80 Army Air Forces airmen who volunteered for a daring and successful World War II bombing mission over Japan — now has an artifact of that mission that would be the envy of any museum.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Every time I read something about this raid I am honored and proud to ne an American. These men and many others did what needed to be done. They protected ours and many other nations liberties.

[Henry T Harrison]

Those airman who were captured were executed as well as the population of any village that they passed through. Those Japanese islands should still be uninhabitable radioactive wastelands 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

2 hours ago, Henry T Harrison said:

Those airman who were captured were executed as well as the population of any village that they passed through. Those Japanese islands should still be uninhabitable radioactive wastelands 

Not all of them. As I recall, eight were captured, two were executed, and two died in captivity due to their maltreatment. 4 survived their imprisonment. 
 

It’s been 60+ years since I read this:
 

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Came-Home-Survivors-Doolittles/dp/157510007X

[watab kid]

this was a symbolic gesture to send a message we were coming - and hell was coming with us , we delivered later but im certain it planted the intended seed , sadly it was basically a suicide mission , they actually succeeded beyond expectations , 

 

we did rain hell on japan after that even tho it took a year and a half and the heavy losses of the islands campaign , tokyo paid a heavy price as did a lot of other targets in the next months , let alone Nagasaki and Hiroshima ,  but this raid made it clear we were coming , 

[Wallaby Damned]

@Father Kit Cool Gun Garth I too was stationed at Eglin AFB (mid 90’s) as a crash fire rescue man. We used to support missions out at the original flight line where Dollitle’s men learned to take off within the length of the then standard carrier. The outline of a CV was still visible on the flight line at the time. Google Earth shows the plant is now gone but the flight line still retains the CV shape. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I think I got these right. Hornet was 824’9” long. But needed takeoff length was 427’.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

As it turned out, there was more than enough wind over the deck that day that the takeoff length was less than anticipated. So much so, that the first couple of aircraft nearly clipped the island with their wingtips. Subsequent planes were told to hold the nose down a bit longer to avoid striking the island. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

One of the effects of the bombing was that it told the Japanese not to send all their resources away from the home islands.