The Doolittle Raid 1942 by Clayton K. S. Chun

Author:Clayton K. S. Chun
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Doolittle Raid 1942: America’s first strike back at Japan
ISBN: 9781782004240
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

STRIKING THE HEART OF THE ENEMY

During die cruise towards Japan, Doolittle’s crews had been given specific primary and secondary targets for the raid. The B-25s were also organized into flights of three or four aircraft, each of which would attack targets in specific geographical areas around Tokyo or further afield.

Targets were selected from AAF intelligence sources that included Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagoya, and Osaka. In Tokyo, some of the primary targets included the Nippon Electric Company, Tokyo Gas and Electric Company, and an army arsenal. Details included a description of the target’s purpose and importance to the Japanese military. For example, the Nippon Electric Company produced communications equipment, such as radios, telephones, vacuum tubes, and instruments. Intelligence officers noted that a power plant was located on the company’s west side. The target was the largest communications manufacturer in Japan and employed 3,000 people. Yokohama contained several industrial targets worthy of attention such as the Ogura Oil Company, the Kawasaki Dockyard Company Aircraft Works, and the Kawasaki Aircraft Company. Nagoya was home to the Third Division Military Headquarters, a Matsushigeho Oil storage site, the Atsuta Factory that manufactured munitions, and the Mitsubishi Aircraft Works. These targets were typical of the careful selection process, which did not include civilian locations.

Doolittle organized the attack into five flights. The first flight, which included Doolittle himself, would hit northern Tokyo. The next flight was aimed at Tokyo’s central sector. The third flight covered southern Tokyo. Doolittle’s fourth flight was responsible for hitting southern Kanegawa, Yokohama, and the Yokosuka Navy Base. The last flight would keep its formation integrity until it was near Nagoya, before each plane flew to its final attack destinations in Nagoya, Osaka, or Kobe. Doolittle also demanded that the bombers fly in particular formations. For example, the fourth flight flew over a 50-mile front to give it maximum coverage and to deceive any Japanese observers into believing the attack was larger than its actual size. This action would also reduce the fire from AAA or fighter attacks. Doolittle also thought that if the flight were spread out over a wide front, it would surprise the defenders more.

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