The Doolittle Raid

1. The Doolittle Raid Clare O’Brien WWII in the Pacific

2. The Main Players Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle Captain Marc Mitscher of the U.S.S. Hornet Vice Admiral Halsey of the U.S.S. Enterprise

3. The Reasons for the Raid • 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

4. The Problems • 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

5. The Plan • 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 17th

6. The Plan • 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

7. The Change of Plans • 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

8. The Raid • 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

9. The Missed Signals • 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

10. The Results • 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

11. The Consequences • 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

12. The Bibliography • “Doolittle Raid.” The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia. 2010. http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/D/o/Doolittle_Raid.htm (accessed February 26, 2013). • “The Doolittle Raid.” USS Enterprise CV-6. 2006. www.cv6.org/1942/doolittle.htm (accessed February 26, 2013) • “The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.” Doolittle Raiders. 2013. www.doolittleraider.com (accessed February 26, 2013). • Fuchida, Mitsuo and MasatakeOkumiya. Midway. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1955.