In choppy, frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean and more than 10 hours out from their planned takeoff, the Doolittle Raid task force was spotted. Not wanting to jeopardize the mission, the command was given and each of the modified bombers slowly crept off the Hornet’s flightdeck – one of the most daring aerial missions in American history was underway.
April 18 marks the 78th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, in which Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, U.S. Army Air Forces, and Vice Adm. William F. Halsey Jr., U.S. Navy, led a joint bombing operation on the Japanese mainland aimed to inflict both material and psychological damage upon the enemy following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. This attack against major Japanese cities – Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya and Kobe – would take a combined effort of the U.S. Navy and Army Air Forces. The mission consisted of sixteen B-25 medium bombers loaded onto the USS Hornet (CV 8) to be taken within takeoff distance of mainland…Read More