I don’t remember the Doolittle raid. It happened long before I was born; April 1942.
The raid involved launching a bunch of Army bomber planes off an aircraft carrier and attacking the Japanese mainland. Pretty bold stunt considering the Japanese Navy controlled virtually all the Pacific Ocean at that time. The leader of the team, Jimmy Doolittle, piloted the first plane off the carrier and flew into the history books – a hero.
Although I wasn’t there, I feel like I got a front row seat; a first hand account of the event. You see, I was lucky enough to attend a “living history” talk at the Wright-Patterson, Air Force Base museum back in the early 1990s.
The speakers that evening were two men who did remember the raid. They remembered it as if it happened yesterday. They remembered it with amazing clarity. They spoke with unadulterated authority.
Why were these men such authorities? What gave them the credibility to stand up in front of a packed out auditorium and discuss the Doolittle Raid?
Because they were there. They participated in the event. They were Doolittle Raiders.
One was a pilot, the other a navigator.
I wish I had written this article the day after they gave their talk so I could remember more. I wish I took notes. It’s been many years now and much of what they said has seeped into the far corners of my memory. Not sure if I can bring it back out of deep storage.
But, I remember enough to want to share what I learned about the Doolittle Raid during this incredible “living history” discussion. So, as you read my account, keep in mind it’s been many years and my memory may be playing tricks on me.
If you’re looking for all the “facts” about the Doolittle Raid, then this is not the article for you. But, the good news is there are plenty of resources where you can get all the facts.
Instead, this account is about what I heard that evening in Dayton, Ohio. What I remember these two participants in the Doolittle Raid telling us; their stories told their way.
Will I get it exactly right? Probably not. Will I capture the essence; the emotion; the sense of pride these men had in sharing their stories? I hope so.
Here’s what I remember, here’s what I learned that special evening back in the early 1990s about the Doolittle Raiders …
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The pilot guest speaker told us he was in the second plane to take off. He followed Jimmy Doolittle. As the leader, it was only appropriate that Jimmy took off first.
NOTE: I don’t remember our pilot guest speaker’s name but I did some research and it turns out the pilot in the second aircraft was Lt Travis Hoover. So, I’ll refer to our guest speaker pilot as Travis.
Travis shared his fears about the takeoff. He told us he was apprehensive; maybe even a little scared. Here’s the problem – none of them had done it before! This would be the first and only time they’d be taking off – in an Army bomber – from an aircraft carrier.
Our speaker remembered watching Doolittle’s plane start moving forward; building up speed; heading for the end of the ship and the great ocean beyond. He described Doolittle’s plane reaching the end of the ship’s deck and then disappear – dropping down from the ship’s bow like discarded equipment. He held his breath then let out a big sigh of relief as Doolittle’s plane reappeared and started climbing upward. Doolittle made it. He showed it could be done.
Travis then began his take-off. He was so afraid of not getting enough lift that he overcompensated pulling the aircraft nose up too far and almost tipping the plane over backwards. He wanted maximum lift, but he almost took the idea too far. He managed to get the plane under control and flew into a steady climb.
There were other factors at play. Serious ones that could jeopardize the mission and the lives of the bomber crews.
First, the aircraft carrier had to be turned into the wind. This is to facilitate take-off; maximize lift; give the bombers the best chance of launching safely. Turning an aircraft carrier takes time. Time is critical. Time for the Japanese to spot you.
And, that was another concern. The captain of the ship called a meeting with Doolittle. “You take off now or we’re turning around and scrapping the mission,” said the captain. Doolittle replied, “But, we’re 600 nautical miles out; you’re supposed to take us within 500; we’re too far out; we won’t make it.”
The captain didn’t care, “The Japaneses have spotted us. We saw a Japanese fishing boat and it looked like he had a radio. I’m not going to sacrifice the Pacific Fleet for a bunch of Army Yahoo’s on a bombing raid. You launch now or you come home with us. What’s it going to be?”
And this is where Doolittle rocks. This is why he’s a hero.
“We’re going. Turn the carrier into the wind and me and the boys are taking off.”
Travis gave me the impression the naval captain felt badly about the situation. Almost as if he hoped Doolittle would cancel. After all, the fliers had to make up an extra 100 nautical miles to the target. And, then fly on to China to ditch the planes. How are they going to make it? It doesn’t look good. It’s starting to look like a suicide mission. The captain feels for the army fliers.
But, the naval captain won’t budge. He turns the carrier into the wind. The procedure takes time; time used wisely by Doolittle and his raiders.
So, besides a possible sighting by Japanese lookouts, Doolittle has to contend with launching the raid 100 nautical miles further out than planned. Another big last minute hurdle.
While the carrier is turning, Doolittle and his raiders are busy loading up the planes with extra jerrycans full of aircraft fuel. Yes, the extra weight is going to make take-off even more risky than it is already. And, the extra weight will slow the aircraft down on their journey to the targets over Japan. But, the extra jerrycans must be loaded; without them the raiders have no chance at all; with them, they have a fighting chance of making it. The fuel cans get loaded … quickly.
All 16 B-25 army aircraft and crew launch successfully and start making the journey to mainland Japan. They fly fast and low. No turning back. The carrier that brought them is heading home. It’s do or die. Most of the men make it back; a few don’t.
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How did Doolittle and his team train for the mission?
They trained by simply painting a white starting line and a red finishing line on a land based runway. The pilots had to take off before the red line. The distance from white to red line represented the take-off distance they’d have on the aircraft carrier. So, prior to the mission, none of the pilots had ever flown a B-25 off a carrier deck; game day was the first time they’d done it!
What mods did they do to maximize aircraft range?
Mostly tweaking of the carburetors to minimize fuel consumption. Travis told a funny story (it’s funny now – not then!) about how they flew from Florida to northern California just prior to the raid. While the planes were in California, the local ground crew re-adjusted all the carburetors back to their standard settings. Doolittle went through the roof! The local techs thought they were doing Doolittle a favor.
The other major modifications to the B-25 bombers was to get rid of any excess weight. Virtually all the anti-aircraft guns were removed along with anything else that wasn’t critical to the mission.
When were the crews briefed about the mission details?
The crews were kept in the dark until they boarded the aircraft carrier and were out to sea. Only Jimmy Doolittle knew the mission details ahead of time. The crews were simply asked to volunteer for a secret flying mission – that’s it; that’s all they were told.