The FReeper Foxhole Profiles General "Jimmy" Doolittle - Mar 8th, 2004

www.militarymuseum.org ^ | Norman S. Marshall and Mark J. Denger

[Iris7]

Read about the engine tuning in a newspaper article, quite long, back in '92 during the 50th anniversary media coverage. Only saw the story once. Not the sort of thing people like to hear about, including me.

Since I did not like the idea, it took a while to be believed. Finally I decided the story was entirely too consistent with what I had learned while in the military myself. Human nature. The Texas general was out of the loop, and could not be told what was going on, and got pissed off at being ordered around by a lieutenant colonel. Yep, believable, unfortunately.

[Darksheare]

"where against explicit written orders Doolittle carried the base commander required the engines retuned to Army specifications."

Why is it that extremely anal brass always figure somewhere in things like that?

[SAMWolf]

Yeah, it does sound like something that, unfortunately, happens too often.

[Iris7]

This early in '42 the high speed networks were yet to come. Teletype landline and shortwave networks came later. It could take many hours to set up a long distance phone call, if it could be completed at all.

At that time the long distance telephone trunks went from New York - Chicago - LA, and Texas was the sticks. Military traffic was pre-war style, essentially by US mail. Doolittle could have been trying to fix things by Western Union.

As far as the engines go, likely the carburetors were not stock, and had at least new jetting installed. (Could be they were built up for the job from smaller carburetors. Shorter engine life, lower peak horsepower, longer range.) Probably the special parts were thrown away instantly be order of the commanding general, since they were not GI parts, and couldn't be recovered or replaced in time.

Some of the reasons why the story could be true.

[Iris7]

Yeah, a frustrating story.

"I have a dream", a dream where that general was put in command of a doghouse by Marshall. Or maybe the biggest pile of manure in the universe.

Dang, hard to keep this clean.

The SOB probably spent the rest of the war making a bunch of WACs miserable. I hope they returned the favor, with serious interest. Good job well done, that would have been.

I picture somebody like Snippy as head WAC, with all the stops pulled. I picture every officer on the base, and all the enlisted, knowing exactly what this guy had done. Ah, pleasant dreams.

Likely they let him retire. Maybe he at least drank himself to death. At least the Japanese would have made him do seppuku, self disembowelment.

[Darksheare]

Weird, you're thinking like I do about this.
Unfortunately, there were and always will be brass that have nothing better to do than mess stuff up for others.
But at least the bombing run went off without too much undo trouble.
Would have been nice if they'd been able to land the planes though.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Iris7!

[SAMWolf]

I remember the Pearl Harbor "War Warning" arriving via Western Union during the attack. Timely info is worth it's weight in troops.

[SAMWolf]

My guess is that he just went on with his career and retired. That's the way it usually goes unless they need a scapegoat for some reason.

[SAMWolf]

They also had to take off a lot farther away from where they had planned. Those extra miles made all the difference in the world.

[snippy_about_it]

I picture somebody like Snippy as head WAC...

LOL. He'd have paid dearly. ;-)

[Professional Engineer]

Her name is Chelsea. Her nickname is Bear Dog, since she looked like a teddy bear at about 4 months.

[SAMWolf]

She's adorable, but the name Chelsea has been ruined for me. :-(

[Professional Engineer]

I named her on purpose. Throughout my life, I've heard the "joke", I used to have a dog named PE. Now I can aim the joke at someone else. Webb's ungrateful daughter ought to take it as a compliment, that she is name after such a pretty critter!

[Darksheare]

Yes.
That did put a huge dent in the plan.

[SAMWolf]

It's a start into redeeming the name. :-)

[SAMWolf]

"the best laid plans...."

[Darksheare]

The best laid plans never survive teh first encounter with the enemy.

[colorado tanker]

Evening, Sam and Snippy. Great thread about a great man.

[SAMWolf]

Evening CT.