I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.
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Friday, June 25, 2010
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.
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