About the B-25: Doolittle's Raid

April 18, 1942. 16 B-25 Mitchells led by Lt. Col. James Doolittle on a bombing raid to Toyko. USAAF crews underwent extensive training in San Francisco before sailing on the carrier Hornet. The plan was that the B-25’s would launch from the Hornet 400 miles from Tokyo on April 18, 1942, bombing Tokyo after night fall and then flying to a friendly air field in China. Unfortunately, the Hornet was discovered by Japenese forces when she was 650 miles from Tokyo. The B-25’s took off early, carrying as much extra fuel as possible. Although they arrived in daylight, the raid was a success. They did achieve a measure of surprise. The damage was minimal, but the Americans had made a statement.

The B-25s did not fare well. All or most were lost when they ran out of fuel. The crews either bailed out or crash landed, with most surviving including Doolittle.