March 29, 2024

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Doolittle Raid: America’s WWII attack on Tokyo

The Doolittle Raid was a bombing attack carried out by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) against Tokyo during World War II. On April 18, 1942, 16 carrier-based U.S.  bombers struck the Japanese capital city, taking off from the flying deck of the U.S.S. Hornet. 

The Doolittle Raid was conceived, planned and executed within five months of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec. 1941, which brought the U.S. into World War II. It was a large morale boost to the American public and a shock to the Japanese, who had not anticipated U.S. bombers could reach mainland Japan.  

Background to the Doolittle Raid

Pearl Harbor which directly inspired the Doolittle Raid

Pearl Harbor which directly inspired the Doolittle Raid (Image credit: Getty/ Keystone / Staff)

The Doolittle Raid was carried out in response to a string of Japanese victories during the early months of the Pacific War.  Following Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had seized Wake Island, Guam, and the Dutch East Indies. Japanese forces were surging across the Philippines, and advancing on all fronts. The Doolittle Raid was intended to bolster American morale and to strike a blow against the Japanese, according to the US Department of Defense.