Doolittle Raid

Epic card · No. 7385

The Doolittle Raid (also known as Doolittle's Raid or the Tokyo Raid) was an air raid by the United States Army Air Forces on the Japanese capital of Tokyo and other places in Honshu during World War II. Launched on April 18, 1942, it was the first American air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago. Although the raid caused comparatively minor damage, it demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attacks. It served as an initial retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was named for Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, who planned and led the attack. It was one of six American carrier raids against Japan and Japanese-held territories conducted in the first half of 1942. Under the final plan, 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers, each with a crew of five, were launched from the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet, in the Pacific Ocean. There were no fighter escorts. After bombing...

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