The Greatest Impact Of The Doolittle Raid

James Doolittle was an instrumental asset to the United States, known for the Doolittle Raid and many other successful operations that helped to raise American morale during the Second World War. He is known for the Doolittle Raid, by far his most famous contribution, where he led a bold bombing raid over Tokyo in 1942, which was the first American attack on the Japanese mainland. The greatest impact of the Doolittle Raid was the raise in U.S. morale, for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and was also promoted two ranks from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general, skipping the colonel rank. During World War II, Doolittle commanded the Eighth, Twelfth, and Fifteenth Air Forces, through which he helped to lead Operation Husky

1", a covert bombing attack on Japan planned in retaliation to the attack at Pearl Harbor. The attack occurred four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On April 2, 1942, the Hornet left San Francisco with Doolittle’s planes and 80 crew members. Doolittle needed a plane that could take off in less than 500 feet with a crew of five, 1,100 gallons of fuel for a range of 2,400 miles, two 500-pound demolition bombs and 1,000 pounds of incendiaries for a gross load of 31,000 pounds. He selected the North American B-25 medium bomber to be modified for the raid. Originally, they planned to have their naval escort take them within striking distance: less than 500 feet from Japan. Then, the pilots would take off, bomb Japanese military and industrial targets, and fly to safety in eastern China. After all the planes were launched, the naval force would retreat to

In September, he became the commanding general of the 12th Air Force in North Africa. In November of 1943, Doolittle was promoted to major general of the 12th Air Force, and in March 1943, he became commanding general of the North African Strategic Air Forces. He then took command of the 15th Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater in November. Up until the end of World War II, he once again commanded the Eighth Air Force as lieutenant general, in Europe and the Pacific. During his time in the air force, Doolittle also assisted in many operations, including Operation Husky, in 1943. This mission involved the allied invasion of Sicily, with more than 3,000 ships landing, over 150,000 ground troops, covered by more than 4,000