USS HORNET, PACIFIC OCEAN 1942 -- Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle performs a full-throttle takeoff from the USS Hornet 650 miles from Japan on a secret mission. The Doolittle Raid, U.S. Army Air Force special order #1 of World War II, was a daring one-way mission of 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers with 80 aircrew, commanded by Colonel Doolittle, to carry out America’s first offensive attack on Japan. The crews secretly trained for two-weeks and modified the B-25s at Eglin Air Force Base's Wagner Field, Auxiliary Field 1 prior to the mission. (Photo courtesy National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

The raid that changed everything

In April 1942, the Doolittle Raid became the first American air attack on Japan during World War II. It did little physical damage, but the real shock was political: it exposed weak home defenses and triggered big reactions far beyond the raid itself.

WWII Japan Air Raids: The Doolittle Raid

A B-25 Mitchell taking off from USS Hornet on 18 April 1942

A tiny attack, giant consequences

The Doolittle Raid used just 16 B-25 bombers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. Japan was caught by surprise, and the bombers got away from the target area without serious damage.

WWII Japan Air Raids: The Doolittle Raid

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