The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Doolittle Raid (4/18/1942) - Apr. 18th, 2003

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[SAMWolf]

Jimmy Doolittle's own bomber was the first to rumble down Hornet's pitching flight deck. Between the forward velocity of the carrier, and the winds churned up by the stormy weather, he and the other pilots had the benefit of a 50 mph headwind. Still, with less than 500 feet of open flight deck to take off from, many of the planes nearly stalled on take-off, and hung precariously over the high seas for hundreds of yards before finally gaining altitude.



As Doolittle's B-25s strained to become airborne, Nashville opened fire on the Japanese picket at a range of 9000 yards, drawing the attention of the Enterprise planes in the area. ENS J. Q. Roberts of Scouting Six made a glide-bombing attack on the little vessel, but missed with his 500-pounder. VF-6 fighters also dove on the picket, then veered off to strafe a second picket even nearer the task force, which had been hidden from view in the wild seas. Over the course of that morning and afternoon, Nashville, Enterprise Air Group, and later planes from Hornet, spotted and attacked sixteen Japanese picket ships. Several were sunk, and more damaged, but the pickets were aided by the high seas, which made them difficult targets.

The last of the sixteen bombers struggled into the air an hour after Doolittle's B-25 cleared Hornet's flight deck. Launched 170 miles further from their targets than planned, the bombers didn't waste fuel forming up, and instead headed directly westward, in a long ragged line behind Doolittle's plane. His mission accomplished, Halsey didn't dally even a minute before ordering Task Force 16 east.

In the afternoon, as the carriers and cruisers raced for safety at 25 knots, radiomen tuned into Radio Tokyo, which was broadcasting a program of English language propaganda. They didn't know it, but also in the listening audience was Ambassador Joseph Grew, interned in the U.S. Embassy in Japan.

A little after 1400 - noon in Tokyo - the announcer's studied English diction suddenly gave way to frantic Japanese, and then dead air. As air raid sirens in Tokyo screamed, Ambassador Grew placed a losing bet with his lunch guest, the Swiss ambassador, wagering the sirens and gunfire were all just a false alarm.

Racing in at just 2000 feet, the first B-25s over Tokyo emptied their bomb bays, and Ambassador Grew's wallet. Doolittle's and twelve other bombers sought out and bombed military and industrial targets throughout Tokyo: an oil tank farm, a steel mill, and several power plants. To the south, other bombers struck targets in Yokohama and Yokosuka, including the new light carrier Ryuho, the damage delaying its launching until November. Perhaps inevitably, some civilian buildings were hit as well: six schools and an army hospital.

Aided by low altitude, camouflage, and extra speed gained from leaving their loads of bombs behind, the bombers were able to evade the enemy fighters patrolling overhead, and anti-aircraft fire from the cities below. But they were far short of the fuel needed to reach the airfield at Chuchow. One plane turned north, and surprised Russian soldiers by landing near Vladivostok. The remaining fifteen planes crashed or were ditched over China. Remarkably, most of the 80 pilots and crewmen survived the mission. Of eight airmen who were captured, three were executed by the Japanese, and another died in captivity. Four others were killed during the mission.

The Consequences

The damage inflicted by Doolittle and his raiders was slight, but it had lasting effects on both sides of the Pacific. As Roosevelt had calculated, the daring raid was a tremendous boost to American morale, which had been severely tested by four long months of defeat and loss.



China bore the heaviest cost of the raid. In May 1942, the Japanese army launched operation Sei-Go, with the dual aims of securing Chinese airfields from which raids could be launched against the Home Islands, and punishing villages which might have sheltered Doolittle's airmen after the Raid. Exact figures are impossible to come by, but tens of thousands - perhaps as many as 250,000 - Chinese civilians were murdered in the Chekiang and Kiangsu provinces.

The raid, however, made a profound impression on the Japanese leadership. For several months, the Japanese high command had been debating its next major move against the Allies. The Navy General Staff, headed by Admiral Osami Nagano, called for a strategy of cutting off America from Australia, by occupying the Fiji Islands, New Caledonia and Samoa. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, disagreed, arguing that the U.S. Navy - in particular, its carriers - had to be neutralized. This necessitated seizing bases in the Aleutian Islands to the north, and the western tip of the Hawaiian Island chain. From those bases, as well as the bases already held in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Japanese long-range bombers could keep the American carriers penned up in Pearl Harbor, perhaps even forcing them to retire clear back to the American west coast.

The Doolittle raid ended the debate. With Japan's military deeply embarrassed by having exposed the Emperor to such danger, and fed up with the harassing American carriers, Yamamoto prevailed. His staff was given the go-ahead to prepare and execute a major operation in the central Pacific. Yamamoto hoped the operation - a complex plan involving a feint to the north, followed by the occupation of several American-held islands - would result in "decisive battle" with the American fleet near a tiny atoll known as Midway.

[SAMWolf]

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. One bomb was decorated with Japanese medals, donated by Navy Lieutenant Stephen Jurika, who had received them during pre-war naval attaché service and now wished to pointedly return them to a hostile government.



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, thus giving extra lift at a critical instant.



Additional Sources:

www.history.navy.mil
www.brooksart.com

[SAMWolf]

'It (the Doolittle Raid) had three real purposes. One purpose was to give the folks at home the first good news that we'd had in World War II. It caused the Japanese to question their warlords. And from a tactical point of view, it caused the retention of aircraft in Japan for the defense of the home islands when we had no intention of hitting them again, seriously in the near future. Those airplanes would have been much more effective in the South Pacific where the war was going on.



A Navy Captain named Low, conceived the idea of taking Army medium bombers off of a Navy carrier and attacking Japan. The B-25 was selected because it was small, because it had the sufficient range to carry 2,000 lbs. of bombs, 2,000 miles, and because it took off and handled very well. First I found out what B-25 unit had had the most experience and then went to that crew, that organization and called for volunteers and the entire group, including the group commander, volunteered.'

-- General James "Jimmy" Doolittle
from an interview done in 1980.

[SAMWolf]

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[SAMWolf]

[Jen]

Before I post the ping list (again) - is this the thread that's going to stay up for awhile? hahahaha

[SAMWolf]

Sorry, I posted the first threaad with a formatting error so the moderator kindly pulled it at my request.

Jen you were just too fast with the ping list this morning, sorry for the inconvenience

[SAMWolf]

ZING! I deserved that. Sorry Jen. I should have caught ther fornmatting error. It's been a long day!

[Jen]

OK, no problem. But I freaked momentarily when I saw the thread had been pulled. I couldn't imagine why it would be pulled - and especially with only 6 posts! hahahaha

[Jen]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

To be removed from this list, please send me a blank private reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line! Thanks! Jen

[Jen]

I was just teasing you, not trying to ZING you. Sorry. Yes it has been a long day! Whew! I'm going to bed now. See you later.

Jimmy Doolittle - one of my favorites. Can't wait to read this thread. Thanks Sam. It looks like a really good one. (And it has airplanes in it!! hahahaha)

[Diver Dave]

Cool. There is a Doolittle Reunion taking place in Fairfield CA as we speak. Saw some footage on TV tonight. Nine of the surviving 12 members were in attendance as well as some of their family members. You might want to check out www.thekcrachannel.com web site to see if there is an accompanying story.

[SAMWolf]

Jen, I know you were kidding. I thought it was great comeback, gave me my first laugh of the day.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks DD. Checked the site and they have the announcment for the re-union but didn't see a story. I'll have to check agian later today after they update their website.

[SkyPilot]

I read how (then) Lt Col Dolittle sat on his wreaked B-25 after the raid and almost cried, in shame. A comrade comforted him and said, "Do you know what they are going to do to you when you get back to Washington?"

DOLITTLE: "Yes, courtmartial me."

"No--I think they are going to make you a General and pin the Congressional Medal of Honor on you."*

_{*See article in WW II History magazine, Spring 2002}

[Light Speed]

Hiya Sam

In 1995 was in Sanfransisco at the USS Isherwood reunion.
Met an executive officer who had lots of war mileage under his feet prior to joing the Isherwoods crew in 1943.

He served aboard USS Benham..his battle group were delayed entering Pearl on the morning of DEC 7th as tin cans needed to be refueled at sea....the delay was a fortunate turn.

USS Benham was an escort on the Doolittle raid...following on to the battles of Midway and Guadalcanal.

During dinner he shared his recolections of the Guadalcanal campaign...he said the night operations were stunning concerning the visuals.
however..one night nearly ended his life..as USS Benham was torn apart by a Japanese Long Lance torpedo.
As Benhams bow blew away..my friend found himself hurled into the sea...hangin on with many others until rescue.

After rehab he was transed to the USS Isherwood...serving on her thru the mid pacific campaigns in Leyte..then trans to another Destroyer in early 45.
On that tin can..he was in the CIC when a kamikaze plunged into her off Okinawa.

Amazing man...amazing legacy.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Skypilot. I remember reading that somewhere too. Can't remember if it was in Doolittle's giography or some other book though.

[SAMWolf]

Don't you just love to talk to the WWII vets and hear their stories? Thanks for sharing that officer's story.

[Light Speed]

I must admit SAM..I was blown away at the Reunion.
They rented the Marine Memorial building in Downtown San Fran...the building was purchased by the U.S. Marine Corp..which converted this theatre to a hotel...still kept the theatre too.
Admiral Tadetchy of the Pacific cruiser squadron brought the Color Guard from Alameda allong with other reps.
Some one grabs me and says..."Theres an Admiral who would like to meet you"...gulp.

They hired a videographer ..its great to see all there faces from time to time.
Later on in the evening..when everyone was tanked to the gils..a lady is cruising around trying to get everyones personal testimony on video...
That part was riotous...as the men slurred their words...jumped in on others interviews unanounced..telling emberassing stories..[Like the panty raid on Market street in 1944 during Liberty.]

The reunion had its sad moments though...many of the crew had not come to previous reunions...the past memories of the Kamikaze impact.
The ship survived...but she lost 42 dead and 40 wounded,,some were killed on the hospital ship a few days later when a kamikaze bore into the ships operating theatres.

So alot to tears and hugging...by the time the reunion ended it seemed a real healing had occured with many.

Alot of the wives I met were very happy their husband chose to go..face these things.

Brave men...

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Light Speed. Describing that reunion brought back some memories of the Vietnam Veterans reunions I attended. Some things never change.