YouTube - Doolittle Tokio Air Raid 1942 - original footage
In 30-foot swells, the B-25B bombers commanded by Lt. Col. James Doolittle launch from the deck of USS Hornet, April 18, 1942.

Having been sighted by Jap fishing craft, the mission launched 200 miles sooner than expected, resulting in the loss of all 16 planes as they crash-landed in China or Russia. But 71 of the 80 men involved survived and returned to the USA. Some, like Capt. Ted Lawson, who wrote the famous book, "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" were badly injured.

But they had taught the Japanese a terrible lesson: America may not be molested with impunity! His was the first of many raids conducted later by larger planes with far more devastating bomb loads. But he raised Allied morale at a crucial time, and put the Japs on notice that a sleeping giant had been awakened and filled with a terrible resolve, as the Japanese Admiral Yammamoto had prophesied.

Doolittle became a general, and accepted the Medal of Honor on behalf of his crews. They had made history.

I was infuriated today when I learned via a video by Doollittle's granddaughter that Hollywood had tried to make a bumbling buffoon of the general for the film, "Pearl Harbor." Fortunately, the family was able to work with the film maker to get his role altered to one more accurate. But what that incident says about Hollywood is as revolting as it was courageous of the general and his men to undertake that vital mission.


T-Star

thank you for your post texas star very moving film footage

You're very welcome! One thing that impressed me was the extent to which the sea swept over the deck of the escorting destroyer! That was some bad weather!

T-Star

I recently lost a friend who was a Lt. Commander on the Hornet. Among other memories were waves breaking over the bow of the carrier. He felt sorry for the sailors on the smaller ships and related how several were lost (due to the weather). They were on the radar one minute, gone seconds later. They were truly the Greatest Generation. Sacrifice we can only imagine. God Bless them.

What marvelous footage. Those men! Their courage! God bless them, every one. Every one of them knew that they might never come back from that raid, but they volunteered and went forward anyway. They made our country very, very proud.

John

__________________
- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

A friend of my Dads was a Navy photographer during WW2 and I suspect he took some of that footage. Once I had the chance to see his "home movies" which included footage he took of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Doolittle Raid from the Hornet and from the Battle of Midway from the Lexington. There was a lot of other film in his collection but some of it may not have been stuff he personally shot.

Four of the then-surviving eight were able to make it to the reunion last year at the AF Museum. I just did a quick check, and unfortunately, that number has now dropped to five.

Their goblets are housed in a display at the museum, and the downturned goblets are a very moving, tangible reminder of how quickly these men are slipping away.

My mom's fiance was bombardier on Aircraft 5, Lt. Denver Truelove; KIA over Italy the following year. I still have the envelope of a letter she wrote to him that was returned to her with the "Missing in Action" and "Killed in Action" stamps on it. The letter itself is missing.

Heroes, all.

I've read extensively about Doolittle, and a bumbling buffoon he was not. Baldwin is not fit to even be in the same room with Doolittle's picture, much less portray him in a movie.

__________________
- Change it back -

Amen to that statement! Only in Hollywood can this happen...

__________________
NRA Life Member

How in the world did those huge lumbering war planes get off that deck with such a short runway? !!! God bless 'em all!

Great footage TS. Thanks


WG840

__________________
Freedom above all else.

You're welcome. If you can locate a copy of "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," Capt. Ted Lawson told how they trained for the mission, re-outfitted the planes, the weapons they took, etc. Some libraries may still have copies.

I think his may be the only complete first-hand account of how they managed.

Jimmy Doolittle's autobiography "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" is also a good first hand account of the event as well.

"The Doolittle Raid" by C.V. Glines is probably the most detailed book on the topic and is a great read.

__________________
- Change it back -