1.Ask students if they know the two main military bases of the U.S. in the Pacific at the start of the war (Pearl Harbor and the Philippines) Explanation of the Japanese feeling that by attacking Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, they would back the Americans out of a position of decisive intervention in the Asia ; American outrage at Pearl attacks (ask if students know FDR’s famous statement about the Pearl Harbor attacks… day will live in infamy) 2.Japanese Plan worked…survivors of Pearl Harbor retreat to the West coast, navy greatly weakened… some wanted to strike back to demonstrate our willpower to the Japanese. (How do you do that? With Aircraft Carriers… problem is, your average airplane from an aircraft carrier got _______ miles out) 3.Discussion of James Doolittle’s background… (pilot in WWI, stunt flier, won lots of contests, land speed records… also got advanced degrees in aeronautical engineering; Realization that planes might be able to take off from an aircraft carrier, strike Japan, and land in China, which was a U.S. ally (Doolittle B-25 had a radius o f about 1200 miles… 90 fliers… ) (Two carriers… one to provide fighter cover, the other to carry the Doolittle Raiders…) 4.Plan to leave from 400 miles off the coast of Japan is destroyed by Japanese craft who spot the attack group and radio messages to Japan… must take off 600 miles away… 5.Most of 16 planes (90 participants) flew at water level… (why?) and had no fighter escort (explain this…) dropped their bombs (mostly on Tokyo), bombs were hits, but did little significant damage.. 6.none made it to the Chinese airfields (where did they make it???) a few crash landed in Japan itself, landing in Japanese occupied China… one even came down in Russia, which was not a U.S. ally at this point… all of the planes crash landed…. Two crews captured by the Japanese. 3 executed, one starved to death in captivity, four made it out. 7.The Japanese government had told its people that the home islands would never be bombed… now they were embarrassed and angry… sought out the downed fliers, many of whom were helped by the peasants in China (why would they help?). Estimated that 250,000 Chinese peasants were killed in the brutal search for the fliers, but all but 8 got to the allied part of China… 8.Fate of the fliers … what do you think about this raid… success, failure… why? 3 out of 8 captured airmen were executed. Led to Japanese resolve to destroy the U.S. aircraft carriers… boost in U.S. morale… Japanese extended defensive perimeters too far. 9.Morale boost. Japanese extend defensive perimeter too far.

Hansen Name _____________ WWIIPer ______ Doolittle Raid Lecture Note-taking Guide 1.Pearl Harbor? Two main U.S. naval bases in Pacific? Why attack Pearl Harbor? Date of the attack? Success? FDR’s famous quote about Pearl Harbor? Japanese promise to their own population after Pearl? 2.Japanese Vulnerability? U.S. had no land-based bombers that could reach the home islands. Solution? Bigger problem? 3. Doolittle 4. Early Detection

5.The attack… 6. Landing in peril… 7. Japanese Anger and Search for the Doolittle Fliers… 8.Fate of the crew… 9.Long Term Impacts of the Raid?

Homework Question Would you rate the Doolittle Raid a success from the American perspective? Explain!

In addition to the carriers Hornet and Enterprise, fourteen other U.S. Navy ships made up the raid task force, which was led by Vice Admiral William F. Halsey and designated Task Force 16. Three were heavy cruisers, Salt Lake City (CA-25), Northampton (CA-26) and Vincennes (CA-44). USS Nashville (CL-43) was a light cruiser. The eight destroyers were Balch (DD-363), flagship of Captain Richard L. Conolly's Destroyer Squadron Six, Benham (DD-397), Ellet (DD-398), Fanning (DD-385), Grayson (DD-435), Gwin (DD-433), Meredith (DD-434) and Monssen (DD-436). Vital members of the long-range team were the oilers Cimarron (AO-22) and Sabine (AO-25).

Doolittle Born in Alameda, CA Served in WWI and then stayed in the military Became a highly educated aeronautics engineer and also one of the most famous stunt pilot –Flew the first cross country flight –Won airspeed records –First to take off, fly, and land completely from instruments… –Worked on the development of high octane fuel to increase the range of planes After Doolittle Raid, had to bail out in China, but came out OK

Two Carriers needed because the one carrying the B-25 bombers couldn’t launch its fighters Enemy fishing boat sent a warning so attack was launched earlier than expected… Airforce planes took off from the carrier (not a single pilot had done this before, but all the planes got off the ground) Flew at wave level to avoid radar Successful bombing and then 15 planes dropped bailed out or crash landed in Eastern China, short of the airfields that were waiting for them… Most of these pilots were aided by the Chinese, despite the fact that the Japanese controlled this land… The Japanese looked for the downed fliers and killed up to 250,000 people looking for the pilots… Eight were captured by the Japanese, the rest escaped. (one plane had gone down in Russian territory and the people there were held until 1943). Japanese propaganda claimed they’d shot down some planes