What’s the Doolittle raid?

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The Doolittle Raid was the first US-led air raid against the Japanese mainland during World War II. Carried out on April 18, 1942, the raid was seen as retaliation for the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii five months earlier. The air raid was named for the commanding officer and planner of the plan, General James Doolittle, at that time a newly promoted lieutenant colonel.

After the surprise attack on Hawaii and the United States’ entry into the war, young Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle helped prepare plans for an air attack on Japan. An aviation pioneer, Doolittle had helped advance the field with innovations in flight instruments such as the artificial horizon. The basic plan was to launch several bomber aircraft from an aircraft carrier. Tests were performed in February 1942 to see if twin-engine B-25B Mitchell bombers could be used successfully in the mission. After successful tests, the attack plan moved forward.

From among the elite members of the US Air Force’s 17th Bomb Group, volunteers were selected and trained for the mission. During the training period, several modifications were made to the aircraft to increase fuel capacity and contain cameras to film the bombing. On April 2, 1942, 16 aircraft were loaded aboard United States Ship Hornet, a Yorktown-class aircraft carrier under secret orders. Bombardment orders for the Doolittle Raid were not explained to most of the men until the carrier was underway. Several days later, they were met by the USS Enterprise, a vessel under the command of the famed Admiral Halsey, which, along with an additional escort, provided cover for the Hornet during her mission.

The original orders for the Doolittle Raid called for a covert launch 400 miles off the Japanese coast. The vessels were detected by Japanese patrol boats while more than 600 miles away, and were forced to leave early or risk having to abort the mission due to the arrival of Japanese forces. Fifteen of the sixteen aircraft took off for the raid, leaving the sixteenth aircraft as a reserve unit.

The Doolittle Raid bombers did some minor damage to their intended targets across Japan, though not as much as they would have liked. They covered a huge range, including Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, Yokohama and Nagoya, but quickly ran out of reserve fuel. Unable to reach their intended landing bases in China, crews had to abandon their aircraft, resulting in the deaths of two people on landing. Despite help from the Chinese, eight men were captured by Japanese forces and imprisoned. Three of the eight were executed, one died in poor prison conditions, and the other three were freed at the end of the war.

Despite the loss of all aircraft involved and the deaths of six men, Doolittle’s plan was considered successful in stretching the US Air Force’s bombing capabilities. A strategic consequence of the raid was the Japanese commander General Yamamoto’s fateful decision to press ahead with their campaign to capture Midway Island and destroy the American aircraft carriers to eliminate the risk of future bombing raids, despite having unprepared forces. Many experts regard the subsequent Japanese loss at Midway as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

The Doolittle Raid had a huge impact on the morale of the American people, following the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor several months earlier. Doolittle was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts, and many of his men received further honors and promotions. Since the attack, the surviving raiders have held a memorial service and meeting each year on the anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. As of 2008, six remaining survivors have been able to join the service.

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