He was reading a book in the sun near a pool in Collier County, Fla. He appeared to be in his late 30s. I hesitated before approaching him, fearing it would be an intrusion.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” I said. “But I knew some of the men in that book. They’re all gone now. But they would be honored to know that you’re reading about them.”

The book was a paperback copy of “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” (1943), about the Doolittle Raiders, who in 1942 carried out one of the most heart-stirring military operations of World War II. There was a time when almost every American knew of their heroism. A fine motion picture starring Spencer Tracy as Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who led the raid, was adapted from the book.

But that was a long time ago. Doolittle Raiders? The words are likely to draw a blank among many people today. The names Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and the Real Housewives, yes. But the 80 Doolittle Raiders, it often seems, are lost to history.



“You really knew them?” the man asked. I said that I had, at least the men who survived into the 1990s, when I had been invited to attend one of their reunions and help with the ceremony. I asked how he happened to be reading the book. “My dad was in the service,” he said, “and I have always been interested in valor.”

Valor. When things were their darkest for the U.S. after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raiders gave the nation hope. Sixteen B-25s, each with a five-man crew, were lined up on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. This had never been tried in war—sending heavy bombers off a carrier.

Because the Japanese military had learned of the strategy, the planes had to take off from farther out in the Pacific than had been planned. Their mission was to hit Tokyo, but now they would lack enough fuel to reach safety beyond Japan’s borders.

They went anyway. They bombed Tokyo, then tried to make it to China. Four planes crashed, 11 crews had to bail out, and three Raiders died. Eight were captured, and three were executed. One aviator died of starvation in a prison camp.

But the signal had been sent to Americans back home: Nothing will stop us from winning this war. The mention of the Raiders brought tears of pride to their fellow citizens.

Monday is the 80th anniversary of the raid. The children and grandchildren of the 80 aviators sometimes worry that the world has forgotten. I thanked the man for reading the book and said that because of him I was going to call the son of one of the Raiders.

Which I did. My friend Gary Griffin’s father, Tom, was the navigator of plane No. 9. After hitting Tokyo he bailed out over a Chinese forest, fell ill with malaria and almost died. When he recovered he flew more missions in Europe, was shot down and spent almost two years in a German prison camp. Then he came home and quietly raised a family. He died in 2013 at 96.

“There was nothing they could be asked to do for their country that they wouldn’t do,” Gary said. “That is who those men were.”

Mr. Greene’s books include “Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War.”

LINK: https://www.wsj.com/articles/t...-history-11650225254

On the beach. Saw at least 1 B-25, several AT-6’s, A P-51…..

Gonna get some pics and video.
Maybe someone can post them for me later…

South Dakota’s ties to the Doolittle Raid and the legacy that continues 80 years later are firmly cemented at Ellsworth AFB. The 28th Bomb Wing is home to three of the four squadrons that participated in the raid: the 34th Bomb Squadron, the 37th Bomb Squadron, and the 89th Attack Squadron.

True American Heroes.

The Air Force museum, in Dayton Ohio, has a pretty good display on the raiders.

Those guys have always been my heroes. Rest in peace, Raiders.

Ok: no P-51. No F-16.
Some AT-6’s. 1 V-22. 2 Blackhawks. 2 F-15’s. 1 -F-22 and 1 F-35. Some old O-1’s. Couple Cubs. Old Navion. 1 BUFF and a Bone

Thank you for sharing ... ! Especially with the pic and not just a "cut and paste" article. Appreciate the comments too.

quote:

Originally posted by BOATTRASH1:...

Send them to me. I'd be pleased to host them.

OK monkey. In the traffic jam right now.

B-25 led off


3 AT-6’s


A couple of Blackhawks.


Combat Talon Fly by


Gunship Fly by


V-22 Fly by


Brrrrrrrrrtttt!


BUFF


F-22 Fly by


F-35 Fly by


Last Fly by with the B-25 and some AT-6’s

(my playback plug in not working, so download the two short video flybys)

https://www.wootmonkey.com/upl...8182911-258a1396.mov
https://www.wootmonkey.com/upl...8182420-d83d6ea6.mov

This is my favorite Doolittle raid picture.

"Uhh, we're just bringing these B-25s to Pearl Harbor "

Why bombers on WWII’s legendary ‘Doolittle Raid’ swapped their tail guns for broomsticks

Imagine volunteering for this: you and 79 other soldiers will fly 16 bombers that have never flown in combat before off an aircraft carrier not built to launch those bombers, fly those bombers over hundreds of miles of open ocean, race over enemy territory at treetop level, drop bombs, then eject or land a few hundred miles later and be either captured, executed or isolated far from home with no guarantee of return.

Oh, and by the way, you can’t take the bomber’s usual load of machine guns on the flight because it will weigh down the aircraft. Instead, take these painted broomstick handles and poke them out the turrets. That should frighten enemy fighters from a distance...

Complete article:

https://taskandpurpose.com/his...id-wwii-b-25-bomber/

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
Why bombers on WWII’s legendary ‘Doolittle Raid’ swapped their tail guns for broomsticks

Imagine volunteering for this: you and 79 other soldiers will fly 16 bombers that have never flown in combat before off an aircraft carrier not built to launch those bombers, fly those bombers over hundreds of miles of open ocean, race over enemy territory at treetop level, drop bombs, then eject or land a few hundred miles later and be either captured, executed or isolated far from home with no guarantee of return.

Oh, and by the way, you can’t take the bomber’s usual load of machine guns on the flight because it will weigh down the aircraft. Instead, take these painted broomstick handles and poke them out the turrets. That should frighten enemy fighters from a distance...

Complete article:

https://taskandpurpose.com/his...id-wwii-b-25-bomber/

That article is actually a bit incorrect because the B-25B model never had tail guns fitted from the factory. The B-25 (no suffix) and B-25A had an extended clear tail cone where a gunner lying prone could operate a .30 cal gun. On the B-25B, the gun was deleted and the tail cone was shortened to just a short clear cap. The B-25B had dorsal and ventral turrets armed with twin .50s, replacing the manually operated single .30 cal guns of the early models. The B also had a manually operated .30 in the nose, same as earlier models.

The Doolittle planes had the ventral turret removed (which was mostly useless in combat, and usually removed by units in the field anyway). The painted on gun slots and dummy broomstick “guns” were just to deter attacks from the rear. They didn’t replace any guns because the B model didn’t have guns there to replace.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
South Dakota’s ties to the Doolittle Raid and the legacy that continues 80 years later are firmly cemented at Ellsworth AFB...

Ellsworth unveils B-1B Lancer tail art dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid

The 80th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid was celebrated through several base events including a heritage flight, the dedication of a JASSM to a local museum, as well as a toast and tail flash unveiling...

Complete article with photos:

https://theaviationgeekclub.co...-the-doolittle-raid/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thanks Ron!

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:

That article is actually a bit incorrect because the B-25B model never had tail guns fitted from the factory. The B-25 (no suffix) and B-25A had an extended clear tail cone where a gunner lying prone could operate a .30 cal gun. On the B-25B, the gun was deleted and the tail cone was shortened to just a short clear cap. The B-25B had dorsal and ventral turrets armed with twin .50s, replacing the manually operated single .30 cal guns of the early models. The B also had a manually operated .30 in the nose, same as earlier models.

The Doolittle planes had the ventral turret removed (which was mostly useless in combat, and usually removed by units in the field anyway). The painted on gun slots and dummy broomstick “guns” were just to deter attacks from the rear. They didn’t replace any guns because the B model didn’t have guns there to replace.

Beat me to it.

The ventral (belly) turret was an over-complicated nightmare, and was deleted and replaced by an extra fuel tank for the raid. Seeing as some crews had trouble with the electronics on the upper (dorsal) turrets (they shorted out so the gunner couldn't aim the guns), this was a good call. I don't think any combat unit ever used the remote-control operated belly turret.

The broom handles in the tail cones were there to make the planes look scary.

LATER B-25s had the dorsal turret (moved from behind the wing to in front of the wing in later models) with twin .50s, a tail gunner position with twin .50s, waist gun windows with a single .50 on each side, and normally a .30 or .50 in the nose. They also had 'chin packs' that added a pair of fixed .50s firing forward on each side. Some deleted the 'glass' bombardier nose with a solid nose, with 8 .50s or 4 .50s and a 75mm cannon. The B-25 was a flying porcupine later in the war. But, in April 1942, it was relatively lightly armed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Hound Dog,

Thank you so much for putting up the pics Monkey.

My apologies to everyone for the (lack of) quality of the pics. I was using my I phone and it was extremely difficult to find the aircraft out in the bright sun on the beach. Plus the were coming from the west.

I should have used my DSLR camera but I hadn't used it in so long I was afraid I couldn't remember how to operate it.

I bought this print at the Arlington Air show, about 40 years ago. At that time it was still sponsored by the EAA. There were still 25 aviators who signed at the time.

I’ve been watching 30 Seconds Over Tokyo for the last couple days; it had been a long time. The filmmakers worked hard to make the movie as realistic as possible. One bit of authenticity was the bombsight. The top secret Norden bombsight was removed from the B-25s primarily because it was feared one could fall into Japanese hands, and secondarily to save weight. The mission focuses on Van Johnson’s plane, the Ruptured Duck. Johnson plays Lt. Ted Lawson. Continuing, the Norden was replaced with a $0.20 aluminum sight. One like it is shown in the movie.

The movie correctly shows the bomb loads carried by the planes: 3, 500# bombs and incendiaries carried in the racks as a bundle, but separating into “sticks” after release. The movie shows this too.

One small aside. For years I’ve heard stories about tobacco company execs “lying about the danger of cigarette smoking.” I thought it was a bit strange because I remember my cousin calling them “nails,” in the mid-60s. The movie, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo was filmed in 1944. Van Johnson uses the phrase “coffin nails,” 78 years ago.