When the US Hit Tokyo After Pearl Harbor

On April 18, 1942, Lieutenant Colonel James “Jimmy” Doolittle commanded 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers of the U.S. Army Air Force in a daring air raid against Japan. This was an unprecedented mission: the twin-engine bombers had to take off from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, fly hundreds of kilometers to bomb Tokyo, and then continue their journey approximately 2,400 kilometers to safety in mainland China. It was an extremely dangerous mission, but for Doolittle and the American pilots, the chance to retaliate for the Pearl Harbor attack was worth the risk. However, before reaching their planned departure point, the squadron was spotted by a Japanese patrol boat. The Americans were forced to deploy 10 hours earlier and from a position approximately 322 kilometers further from their target than anticipated. This is the story of the Doolittle Raid – a daring American counterattack against Japan following Pearl Harbor.