HOW THE B-25 USED BROOMSTICKS TO BOMB TOKYO
In the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States worked tirelessly to respond on the Pacific front. Using B-25 bombers, America was planning to launch the first air operation against the Japanese archipelago. Although things didn’t completely go to plan, thanks to Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle’s planning and the bravery of the soldiers he sent, the Doolittle Raid struck fear into the hearts of Japan. Oddly enough, a lot of the success is owed to the humble broomstick. Related read:How the Higgins Boat Helped End WWII
Jimmy Doolittle Needed More Fuel and Less Weight
The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, had to overcome a great number of obstacles. Thankfully, Lt. Doolittle had a plan that would help his fighters and make the mission achievable. The biggest problem for the Army-Navy operation? Finding planes that could hold enough fuel without as much weight. If you’ve ever had to fly before, you’ll understand the annoying feeling of making sure your bag makes its weight. Beyond being an easy cash grab for airlines, weight is a very important factor in transportation. The more something weighs, the harder it is to provide the fuel necessary to make it fly. This is why the North American B-25 Mitchell needed to be as light as possible. Lt. Doolittle wanted to make sure that anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary was taken from the planes used for this mission. Flying over the Pacific Ocean was always going to be a daunting task that would require a lot of fuel, and this mission would prove just how much was necessary. To accomplish this feat, each B-25 Mitchell was outfitted with custom fuel tanks that would boost its capacity from holding 646 gallons of fuel to a capacity of 1,140 gallons.
Machine Guns Were Cut To Make Room for Fuel
When Doolittle decided to put 80 soldiers in sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers, he stripped them of anything unnecessary for a successful mission. This included pulling some of the firepower usually found aboard such aircraft. Though there were machine guns for the crews, and some sources dispute whether or not the planes were built with machine guns, broomsticks were painted black and added to the back of the B-25 bombers to intimidate enemy aircraft and appear as tail guns. In addition, the B-25 bombers used were also stripped of heavy radio equipment to make weight. This created potential communication hurdles for the air crews. But because the mission wouldn’t be possible at all without the extra fuel, the radios had to go.
The Tokyo Raid Was Sketchy But Successful
It’s hard to say that the attack was a sweeping success, but the raid would help destroy the morale of Japan and lead to an important turning point in the war. Before the operation even began, things were already off to a rough start. As if launching a plane from a ship isn’t hard enough, weather conditions were less than favorable. Russia wouldn’t cooperate with U.S. forces to allow a landing zone because they didn’t want to invoke anger from Japan, so the Americans were forced to land in China. To make matters worse, on the morning of the raid, the U.S. Navy would detect two Japanese picket boats that could potentially sink critical American ships involved in the operation. The loss of these ships could have had a profound effect on the outcome of World War II and quite literally could have lost the Pacific Theater for the Americans. That meant that a mission already relying on maximizing its fuel by launching 600 miles east of Tokyo would now have to launch from 820 miles east of the city to avoid tipping off the Japanese. The factories in Tokyo and the surrounding area helped contribute to the successes Japan was seeing on the battlefield. Launching an attack here to destroy those factories was a major opportunity, but little physical damage was done. Of the 16 crews that embarked on the Doolittle Raid, only one was shot down over Tokyo Bay with 14 complete crews eventually returning to the United States. A total of 50 people were killed on the Japanese side, and there were three American losses. Almost all of the B-25 bombers were destroyed as crews abandoned their aircraft when fuel ran out. Eight soldiers would become POWs. The surprise attack shocked the Japanese forces and the public who hadn’t believed America could reach their nation. Though the physical damage was minimal, the effects were everlasting. To prevent another attack, Japan would launch an infamous attack known as the Battle of Midway, leading to major victories for the Allied forces.
B-25s and Broomsticks Helped Save the World
Lt. Doolittle was sure that his mission would lead to him being court marshaled due to the loss of so many B-25 aircraft. Instead, he would receive multiple promotions and the Medal of Honor. The bravery in each B-25 from the airmen that risked their lives in such a haphazard mission would set off a chain of events that would change the course of history. American ingenuity, the humble broomstick, and the bravery of Veterans helped save the world in one of the more unique attacks to occur in World War II. More like this:Kilroy Was Here: The Infamous WWII Meme That Lives On