Doolittle Raid (World War II) war movies

Doolittle Raid 18 April 1942

American retaliation act that aimed to boost morale of the forces on Pacific and back in the United States after the disaster at Pearl Harbor. But also the action aimed to show the Japanese that their cities, including their capitol city, aren’t safe from American attacks.

The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, who for 2 months was training his pilots, in closed military base, in taking off from very short distance using B-25 Mitchell bombers. The reason why the take off had to be so short was kept secret to the last moment. The reason for such preparations was that they were expected to do something no one has done before - take off from aircraft carrier on the multi-engine bomber, which seemed impossible.

On 1 April 1942 16 specially modified B-25 Mitchell bombers were loaded on USS Hornet aircraft carrier. Keeping maximum secrecy Task Force 18 (that consisted of 2 carriers, 4 cruisers and 8 destroyers) left from California for their target - the Japanese main islands. On the morning of 18 April they were detected by small Japanese patrol craft No.23 Nittō Maru, but before American warships managed to sink it the Japanese sailors sent the radio report about the encounter. In that situation it was decided that bombers have to take off immediately, 170 miles before planned position.

In what is known as the Doolittle Raid, or Tokyo Raid, 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers flew over Japanese capitol city Tokio and dropped their 500-pound (225 kg) bombs. After that the crews were ordered to flew towards China, where they were suppose to land and hide with the help of Chinese partisans, but since the planes had to take off early some of them did not reach Chinese coast and had to land at the sea. The damage caused by the attack was marginal, but it was huge propaganda success for USA and first warning for Japanese generals.

B-25 Mitchell

USS Hornet

War movies about Doolittle Raid

War and Remembrance 1988

Second part of the epic Herman Wouk novels - Pugh Henry and his family are spread around the world when war starts, now they have to find a way to survive.

Pearl Harbor 2001

Romance story placed during the first years of World War 2 - two pilots fall in love with the same nurse.