And Then They Prayed. Barry Loudermilk
and Wake Island. On February 22, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines and go to Australia, where he would take command of Allied troops, once they were deployed. Meanwhile, the Japanese continued their sweep across the Pacific, taking Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma, Sumatra, Java and the East Indies.
With airbases established across the Pacific, the Japanese began to focus on establishing a link to join the German forces battling in North Africa. The Japanese successfully bombed Darwin, Australia and, with overwhelming air, ground and naval power, were able to seize New Britain, New Ireland, the Admiralty Islands, the Gilberts and part of New Guinea. President Roosevelt knew that if the link with German forces was established, as it now appeared could happen, the Axis powers would be well on their way toward their ultimate goal of world domination.
President Roosevelt was desperate to take action, in order to give the American people hope in the war. He needed to strike back at the heart of Japan, and strike quickly, but the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor had effectively taken America out of the fight in the Pacific.
Roosevelt, and the Commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Corps, knew the only way to stop the Japanese expansion in the Pacific would be to bomb the Japanese mainland, which would cause them to withdraw some of their forces to defend their homeland. However, this meant that Admiral William “Bull” Halsey would have to sail his aircraft carriers within two hundred miles of Japan, for the Navy’s carrier-based aircraft to reach their targets and safely return. The Japanese knew the limited range of America’s naval aircraft, and had established a perimeter of naval forces along the coasts to stop the Americans from getting anywhere within striking distance of their country. The only American aircraft capable of long range bombing were the heavy bombers of the US Army Air Corps, but these aircraft were designed for land based operation and Japan now controlled all airfields within range of their country.
Whether by a stroke of luck or an act of Divine providence, a Navy officer happened upon an idea that eventually developed into a bold plan that would change the course of the war and military aviation. While checking on the status of the Navy’s newest carrier, the USS Hornet, which was based at Norfolk, Virginia, Captain Francis Low noticed a carrier deck painted on the runway of the airfield, used by navy pilots to practice short distance takeoffs. While observing the air operations on the airfield, a flight of Army Air Corp twin engine bombers passed overhead on a practice bombing run. Watching the long range bombers fly over the simulated carrier deck gave Captain Low an idea, which he quickly reported to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest J. King. Could Army long range bombers be modified to take off on the limited runway of an aircraft carrier? If so, could the Navy get aircraft carriers in attack range of the Japanese mainland?
This idea put into motion one of the most secretive, daring and successful military aviation missions in American history. However, such a mission would require a very special person to take command. There was only one aviator who would be daring enough to take on such a risky and dangerous mission, Lieutenant Colonel “Jimmy” Doolittle.
Doolittle was already a legend in Army aviation, being the holder of several aviation speed records. He was also the first aviator to fly coast to coast in less than twenty-four hours, and later broke his own record by accomplishing the same feat in less that twelve hours. He was a master mission planner who was not only fearless, but also incredibly brilliant. Without any hesitation, Doolittle was selected to mastermind this incredibly dangerous, but significantly important, mission.
For nearly two months, the Doolittle Raiders, as they would eventually be known, continuously trained for the mysterious mission. Then on March 23, Lt. Colonel Doolittle received a coded message from Washington that simply stated, “Tell Jimmy to get on his horse.” This message, sent to both Navy and Army Air Corps personnel, was the secret code to immediately proceed with the mission. Upon receiving the message, Doolittle called together his volunteers and directed them to square away their belongings and take care of all personal business matters, as they would very soon be leaving Eglin Air Field.
The aircrews quickly took care of their personal matters, and said goodbye to family and friends, not knowing where they were going or how long they would be gone. Shortly thereafter, the crews flew their aircraft to McClellan Air Field in California, where they went through final tests and modifications. They were then flown to Alameda Field, where they were loaded onboard the USS Hornet.
On April 2, with sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers and crews on board, the Hornet and its accompaniment of cruisers and destroyers, sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, with only a few knowing that they were now bound for Japan. Not long after, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, with Admiral Halsey onboard, set sail from Pearl Harbor, with plans to rendezvous with the Hornet on April 12 at a predetermined point.
Destination Tokyo
On April 17, the Mitchell B-25 bombers were ready; the crews had been advised of their mission only a few days earlier. Every one of the eighty airmen now knew their destination was the mainland of Japan; however, they also knew that to have enough fuel to complete the mission, they would have to launch within four hundred fifty miles of Japan.
Although the Mitchell Bombers had been modified to take off from the deck of the Hornet, they would not be able to land on the carrier. Their mission was to takeoff from the carrier once they were within range of the Japanese mainland, fly to their assigned targets in Japan, drop their lethal payloads on military and industrial targets, and continue on to China where they would land at friendly air fields. To avoid detection, in case the Japanese had radar, the aircrews would fly at extremely low altitudes, which would consume significantly more fuel. They were also advised that, after releasing their bombs over Japan, they would face a headwind all the way to China, which always blew west to east this time of year over the China Sea.
Everything had been calculated very carefully; the launching point, the headwind between Japan and China, even the weight and drag of the aircraft. If everything was to go as planned and the weather was good, the aircrews would have at least a favorable chance of completing the mission and making it far enough into China to avoid capture by the Japanese, who controlled much of the coastal areas. But there was no margin for error and everything would have to fall perfectly in place; otherwise, they would not have enough fuel to make it to safety.
Although still over two hundred miles from the planned launch point, Lt. Colonel Doolittle knew that they were now in the enemy’s back yard, and the carrier task force was at great risk of being spotted by Japanese air patrols or fishing vessels. If detected before getting within four hundred fifty miles of Japan, they would either have to launch the aircraft early, or push the bombers into the sea to allow for the Navy fighters to be brought up from below to defend the task force. With the possibility that the mission could launch at any time, Doolittle decided to gather his aircrews to let them in on the final details of their historic mission.
After gathering the Raiders, their Commander once again gave them the opportunity to back out; but, none took the offer. Doolittle carefully explained that, if detected, they could have to launch earlier than planned. This idea concerned everyone, as the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and they were in the middle of what appeared to be a monsoon. Poor flying weather meant the possibility of strong headwinds, poor visibility and the burning of additional fuel, which was already a grave concern.
Before ending the meeting, Doolittle allowed the crews to ask questions. One of the pilots asked a question that was on the mind of every man in the meeting, “Colonel Doolittle, what should we do if we lose an engine or get hit by ack-ack fire and crash-land in Japan?”
Doolittle replied with a confidence and conviction that inspired each crewmember, “Each pilot is in command of his own plane when we leave the carrier. He is responsible for the decisions he makes for his own plane and his own crew. If you’re separated, each of you will have to decide for yourself what you will do. Personally, I know exactly what I’m going to do.”
Doolittle stopped speaking, leaving the room entirely silent, until another crewmember asked, “Sir, what will you do?”
“I don’t intend to be taken prisoner,” said Doolittle. “If