WWII hero, last of two surviving ‘Doolittle Raiders,’ turns 100 on Labor Day

The Washington Times ^ | September 5, 2015 | Kellan Howell

[jazusamo]

Richard E. Cole

On Monday, one of the last two surviving members of the WWII “Doolitte Raiders” will celebrate his 100th birthday.

As one of the original Doolittle Raiders, retired Lt. Col. Richard Coledefied all the odds in what was considered a suicide mission to bomb Japan in 1942.

Mr. Cole was co-pilot for Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, who led 16 B-25 bombers on the mission that is considered an event that changed the nation’s morale following the devastating attack on Pearl harbor.

He was one of 80 fighters who volunteered for the dangerous, top-secret mission. The Raiders planned to take off from the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet, bomb targets in Japan and land in China. But the Japanese Navy detected the Hornet and the takeoff point was moved 200 miles, leaving the airmen with a very slim chance of making it all the way back to China after bombing the targets in Japan.

The Doolittle Raid marked the first time that bombers would attempt to take off from a carrier. The planes had less than 250 feet of runway, and as the first plane to take off, Mr. Cole and Mr. Doolittle’s plane had the least amount of runway to get up to speed for takeoff.

In an interview with The Washington Times, Mr. Cole attributed his survival and his long life to sheer luck.

[jazusamo]

Absolutely right.

[PGR88]

“Do the thing and you shall have the power.”

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

[ZinGirl]

BTTT

[fso301]

I wonder if removal of the top turret would have reduced drag significantly enough?

I'm sure the machinists could have quickly popped the top turrets and riveted a sheet of aluminum over the holes in short order but probably no one on the Hornet knew what effect that would have on flight characteristics.

[Svartalfiar]

I remember they had a pilot with an original B-25 on one of the history type shows. He attempted to take off in the same distance but could not do it.

He said the reason was partly due to the speed of the carrier and also he said they had higher octane gas. He still said he was really impressed with them after trying to do it and failing.

Also, the 52s that actually went on the raid were decently modified. They had no armor, every single part that wasn't needed was removed to save weight, so they could get up to speed and take off quicker.