Clare O’Brien WWII in the Pacific
Vice Admiral Halsey of the U.S.S. Enterprise Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle Captain Marc Mitscher of the U.S.S. Hornet
In response to the shock and anger following Pearl Harbor Roosevelt pressed military planners to strike against Tokyo An act of defiance against the triumphant Japanese military
No air base close enough to Japan The carrier would have to be 300 miles from Japan for planes to reach 300 miles would be too close and would ensure destruction
Army B-25 medium ground based bombers would be launched from Naval aircraft carriers ◦ B-25s were capable of flying 2,000 miles with additional fuel tanks ◦ The Hornet and Enterprise, as air cover, with 4 cruisers, would sail towards Japan April 17 th
Attack Japanese cities ◦ Colonel James Doolittle and crew alone would drop incendiary bombs on Tokyo to guide remaining bombers to targets ◦ They would bomb military and industrial targets Land in friendly airfields in China
April 18th - Enterprise’s radar hit two surface contacts Halsey turned north to evade them, then resumed course an hour later Hours later a Japanese picket ship was spotted but Halsey pressed on Another picket ship was spotted and the Americans intercepted broadcasts reporting the Task Force’s presence Halsey ordered the premature launch of the bombers
Doolittle and the bombers were launched 170 miles further away than planned Doolittle and 12 other bombers bombed industrial targets in Tokyo ◦ An oil tank farm, steel mill, power plants Other bombers struck Yokohama and Yokosuka Some civilian buildings were hit ◦ 6 schools and an army hospital
Planes flew at a low altitude causing the Japanese Army & Navy interceptors to miss them as they were flying higher Unforeseen use of shorter range B-25s Air defense command thought there would be no attack before dawn so full defensive precautions were not yet put in place when raiders struck
Little physical damage to Japan Most of the bombers, short of fuel, crashed or ditched over China One plane landed in Russia Of the 80 pilots and crewmen 4 died in the raid 8 were captured by the Japanese 3 executed 1 died in captivity
Huge American morale boost Impacted minds of Japan’s naval leaders Raid steeled determination of Combined Fleet to launch a major move and Yamamoto decided not to delay in taking the offensive The Midway operation was now definitely decided
“Doolittle Raid.” The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia com/D/o/Doolittle_Raid.h tm (accessed February 26, 2013). “The Doolittle Raid.” USS Enterprise CV tle.htm (accessed February 26, 2013) “The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.” Doolittle Raiders (accessed February 26, 2013). Fuchida, Mitsuo and Masatake Okumiya. Midway. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1955.