Doolittle Raid- W.W.2

DECEMBER 7, 1941

It was a calm and normal day for the world, but not for the United States' navy. The empire of Japan had been planning an air raid on the place it would hurt the Americans the most, Pearl Harbor, Hononulu.

The planes were launched from six aircraft carriers. Their names were, Kaga, Hiryu, Souryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku and Akagi. Within minutes of the first bombs dropped, the USS Arizona was split in half by an explosion so powerful that survivors claim the ship was midair for a few seconds.

Then torpedoes dropped from the planes hit the USS Oklahoma and it rolled over. Then they targeted other battleships and severely damaged them. By that time the cruisers and destroyers were already on the move and the planes concentrated on those ships. In a few minutes, American planes were in the air, giving them air support. In nearly an hour, the battleship fleet was crippled.

DECEMBER 1941 - FEBRUARY 1942

Hours after the attack the government were making plans to bomb Japan. there was one risk. The planes on the carriers had a low level of air - to - ground weaponry and if spotted by enemy war ships, the carriers would be lost. So a submarine commander gave the idea of launching land based planes. But Russia would not allow them to as they had a peace treaty with Japan. So they had to launch the raid from the carriers.

President Roosevelt assigned Lt. Col. James Doolittle from the U.S.A.A.F. to train a selected few. The plane best suited was the B-25 'Mitchell' Medium Bomber as their primary bomber, the B-17 'Flying Fortress' was too big. The B-25 had the largest fuel load, most bombs and the highest speed in medium bombers but was still heavy. So they removed all things not required.

APRIL 18, 1942

Doolittle and his airmen were aboard the USS Hornet. The captain of the ship told that 'We have got 16 fine B- 25 'Mitchell' bombers with, do you know what we are going to do with them? We are going to bomb Japan!' but within a few hundred miles from their planned launch location, they were spotted by patrol boats and their position was reported. they had to launch early. That meant they needed extra fuel. Each plane had 10 extra cans added.

Within minutes all the planes were in the air and on the way to Tokyo. when the first targets were spotted, the bombs were dropped and they even damaged an unfinished light carrier Ryujo. The damage caused was little but it boosted the morale for the Americans and the next day the front pages of all the American newspapers were full with news of the raid.15 of the 16 bombers made it to china and crash-landed there, the 16th landed in Vladivostok in the Soviet Union.

AFTERMATH

Japanese:

The plans for attacking Midway were rushed and preparations started. In rage they slaughtered any Chinese they suspected of helping the bombers crews escape. They were determined to destroy American carrier forces.

AMERICANS:

Morale was boosted and it was something never done before. This showed Japan the face of defeat and proved that 'the Americans were not weaklings who let others fight their war for them.' As said by President Roosevelt.

At the Battle of Midway, four of the main Japanese carriers were destroyed. This began the push to Japan's homeland. The fighting grew fiercer as they got closer. It all ended with the famous Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings.

After the bombing, the Emperor of Japan surrendered unconditionally. Thus ending the Second World War. But some did not believe the Emperor would do such an alien thing and continued to fight and some due to radio failure. Albert Einstein quoted that 'I do not know what weapons World War Three would be fought with but World War Four would be fought with sticks and stones.'

THE END