Doolittle Raid

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Florida's role in the famed Doolittle Raid on Japan.

On April 18, 1942, 16 American B-25 bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet to bomb Japan. It was one of the first offensive actions of the war and raised American morale at a time when it was desperately needed.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, senior American military officials explored the possibility of a retaliatory raid on Japan. Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, a World War I veteran who had earned fame between the wars as a test pilot and air-racing champion, was ultimately selected to lead an attack by flying land-based medium bombers from an aircraft carrier.

By the end of their training, the pilots were able to take off using only 350 feet of runway.

Doolittle recommended using the Mitchell B-25, and in an experiment in early February 1942, two B-25 bombers successfully took off from the Hornet, proving the plan was feasible. In late February and early March, planes and personnel from Pendleton, Oregon, flew to Eglin Field, Florida, for training. Over the next several weeks the crews trained at one of Eglin’s auxiliary airfields, while their aircraft were being modified. By the end of their training, the pilots were able to take off using only 350 feet of runway.

Doolittle and his men left Florida for the Hornet on March 23 and were launched from her deck on April 18. They attacked Tokyo and a number of other Japanese cities before bailing out or crashing in China. The raid shocked Japan and greatly improved American morale, coming after months of defeat in the Pacific.