Doolittle Tokyo Raiders
On 18 April 1942, Lt. Colonel James H. Doolittle led a successful bombing mission of military targets in principal cities of Japan along with 79 airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces flying 16 B-25 Mitchell land-based bombers. They took off from the U.S. Navy carrier Hornet and accomplished a feat believed impossible at this time.
The raid was not without casualties. The Carrier Task Force was intercepted by a Japanese picket boat and takeoff was made earlier than planned. Increased distance and head winds caused 15 aircraft to arrive over China in darkness and bad weather . All crews bailed out or ditched. One crewman died on bailout; two drowned. One B-25, low on fuel, headed for Russia and landed near Vladivostok where crew and aircraft were interned for 14 months.
Eight men were captured by the Japanese; three were executed by firing squad; and one died of beri-beri and malnutrion. The remaining four survived nearly 40 months of imprisonment until released by American troops in August 1945.
The major results of the Doolittle-led raid were fourfold. First the material damage, second was the severe psychological shock to the Japanese and a great boost to American morale. Third, Japanese land, sea, and air forces were recalled to protect the Japanese homeland; and fourth the battle of Midway was directly precipitated by the raid.
The mission is considered a classic in the annals of aerial warfare because of the daring use of Army land-based bombers from a carrier in joint operations with the Navy.
Courtesy hmdb.org
