The Doolittle Raid -- told in AMAZING CLARITY! WWII military historians have probably read this already. If not, why not?
This is one of the most important accounts included in the "Landmark" library, written by a survivor of the famous Doolittle Raid, a herculean effort which resulted in the bombing of Tokyo (and other prominent targets in Japan) on April 18, 1942. The author is none other than Ted W. Lawson, captain and pilot of "The Ruptured Duck." He accomplished his mission, but due to a variety of factors, his plane ran out of fuel during their escape and crashed in China, resulting in severe injury for his entire crew, Lawson included. He was rescued by the Chinese, but lost all his teeth and eventually his leg in a series of amputations.
The prose is some of the most engaging I've read in this series. It reads as one would expect the author would sound: matter-of-fact, succinct yet informative and, often times, surprisingly emotive, considering the fact that Lawson was a pilot and engineer, men who aren't generally known for their exemplary writing ability. Lawson's book was initially published in six issues of "Collier's" Magazine, from May 22 to June 26, 1943. It was later published into a 220-page book by Random House. His autobiography was also adapted into a film in 1944, starring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, and won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
This vital account tells one man's story - from his early upbringing to his marriage, to his service in the Air Corps and beyond, from a very personal perspective. It's not just an account of what occurred during the famous Doolittle raid; it's an eyewitness account of one who was intimately involved in the planning and execution of the famous "thirty second" mission that may well have turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.
Ted W. Lawson (1917-1994) was born in Alameda, California, and joined the US Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in March, 1940, before the US had even entered the war. He initially continued studying aeronautical engineering and had been working nights in the drafting department of the Douglas Aircraft Company. He met Ellen, his wife, as a student at LACC, and they married in Sept., 1941, just a few short months before the Pearl Harbor attack.
In short, the Doolittle raid was the first air campaign to strike the Japanese homeland directly, thus demonstrating to the population of Japan that it was indeed vulnerable to attack. The raid admittedly also served as retaliation for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, which caused far more damage. It was named for Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who also led the attack.
In short: sixteen B-25B Mitchell bombers, each with a crew of five, were launched somewhat heroically from the deck of the aircraft carrier the USS Hornet, which was later sunk during a naval battle. The crews were instructed to drop their ordinance and continue on to landing sites in China, but things didn't quite work out as planned.
Owing to bad weather and an unanticipated sighting by a Japanese patrol boat, the bombers had to launch early - ten hours and 170 nautical miles further than anticipated, turning an expected nighttime raid into a daylight one, which the crews had not trained for and which was far more dangerous. Eighty airmen boarded the sixteen bombers, which had been heavily modified for the effort. They had additional fuel tanks installed and removal of protective steel plates to reduce the weight. Two bombers also had cameras mounted to record the bombing raid. Crews had to fly almost suicidally low to avoid detection and anti-aircraft measures, but all reached their targets.
After the raid, fifteen planes reached the Chinese coast after thirteen hours. One flew to and landed in the Soviet Union, where the plane and crew were held for many months, until they were finally allowed to cross into Allied-occupied Iran, but not until 1943. All the other planes eventually crash-landed, having run out of fuel, which resulted in the deaths of three men initially. Eight men were captured by the Japanese: only four survived and were repatriated. Three were executed, and another died of disease during his imprisonment. All the planes were lost: 15 crash-landed, and the sixteenth was impounded by the Soviets.
Nor was the aftermath fully anticipated. Only around fifty Japanese were killed and about 400 injured on the ground, but the raid was considered a rousing success, particularly for propagandist purposes. Not only did it demonstrate that the Japanese mainland was not invulnerable, but it also advanced their plan to attack Midway Island, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the similarly famous Battle of Midway.
However, the repercussions for the Chinese for assisting the Americans were severe: in reprisal for their aid, the Japanese launched a campaign which killed a quarter of a million civilians and some seventy thousand troops, making the raid most costly for America's Chinese allies.
All eighty Raiders were eventually awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and many were also awarded a Purple Heart. They were also decorated by the Chinese government. Two men, one on Lawson's crew, received a Silver Star for helping wounded crew members evade Japanese troops in China, at great personal risk. Doolittle himself received the Medal of Honor in 1942, from President Roosevelt.
After the war, Lawson opened a machine shop, and also worked as a liaison for Reynolds Metals, which maintained defense contracts. He died at his home in Chico, California, and was interred at the Chico Cemetery Mausoleum. This book plays an important part of his legacy, and that of the men with whom he flew. Each has earned their place in history, having played a decisive role in turning the tide of the war in the Pacific, which ultimately led to victory.
The prose is some of the most engaging I've read in this series. It reads as one would expect the author would sound: matter-of-fact, succinct yet informative and, often times, surprisingly emotive, considering the fact that Lawson was a pilot and engineer, men who aren't generally known for their exemplary writing ability. Lawson's book was initially published in six issues of "Collier's" Magazine, from May 22 to June 26, 1943. It was later published into a 220-page book by Random House. His autobiography was also adapted into a film in 1944, starring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, and won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
This vital account tells one man's story - from his early upbringing to his marriage, to his service in the Air Corps and beyond, from a very personal perspective. It's not just an account of what occurred during the famous Doolittle raid; it's an eyewitness account of one who was intimately involved in the planning and execution of the famous "thirty second" mission that may well have turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.
Ted W. Lawson (1917-1994) was born in Alameda, California, and joined the US Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in March, 1940, before the US had even entered the war. He initially continued studying aeronautical engineering and had been working nights in the drafting department of the Douglas Aircraft Company. He met Ellen, his wife, as a student at LACC, and they married in Sept., 1941, just a few short months before the Pearl Harbor attack.
In short, the Doolittle raid was the first air campaign to strike the Japanese homeland directly, thus demonstrating to the population of Japan that it was indeed vulnerable to attack. The raid admittedly also served as retaliation for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, which caused far more damage. It was named for Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who also led the attack.
In short: sixteen B-25B Mitchell bombers, each with a crew of five, were launched somewhat heroically from the deck of the aircraft carrier the USS Hornet, which was later sunk during a naval battle. The crews were instructed to drop their ordinance and continue on to landing sites in China, but things didn't quite work out as planned.
Owing to bad weather and an unanticipated sighting by a Japanese patrol boat, the bombers had to launch early - ten hours and 170 nautical miles further than anticipated, turning an expected nighttime raid into a daylight one, which the crews had not trained for and which was far more dangerous. Eighty airmen boarded the sixteen bombers, which had been heavily modified for the effort. They had additional fuel tanks installed and removal of protective steel plates to reduce the weight. Two bombers also had cameras mounted to record the bombing raid. Crews had to fly almost suicidally low to avoid detection and anti-aircraft measures, but all reached their targets.
After the raid, fifteen planes reached the Chinese coast after thirteen hours. One flew to and landed in the Soviet Union, where the plane and crew were held for many months, until they were finally allowed to cross into Allied-occupied Iran, but not until 1943. All the other planes eventually crash-landed, having run out of fuel, which resulted in the deaths of three men initially. Eight men were captured by the Japanese: only four survived and were repatriated. Three were executed, and another died of disease during his imprisonment. All the planes were lost: 15 crash-landed, and the sixteenth was impounded by the Soviets.
Nor was the aftermath fully anticipated. Only around fifty Japanese were killed and about 400 injured on the ground, but the raid was considered a rousing success, particularly for propagandist purposes. Not only did it demonstrate that the Japanese mainland was not invulnerable, but it also advanced their plan to attack Midway Island, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the similarly famous Battle of Midway.
However, the repercussions for the Chinese for assisting the Americans were severe: in reprisal for their aid, the Japanese launched a campaign which killed a quarter of a million civilians and some seventy thousand troops, making the raid most costly for America's Chinese allies.
All eighty Raiders were eventually awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and many were also awarded a Purple Heart. They were also decorated by the Chinese government. Two men, one on Lawson's crew, received a Silver Star for helping wounded crew members evade Japanese troops in China, at great personal risk. Doolittle himself received the Medal of Honor in 1942, from President Roosevelt.
After the war, Lawson opened a machine shop, and also worked as a liaison for Reynolds Metals, which maintained defense contracts. He died at his home in Chico, California, and was interred at the Chico Cemetery Mausoleum. This book plays an important part of his legacy, and that of the men with whom he flew. Each has earned their place in history, having played a decisive role in turning the tide of the war in the Pacific, which ultimately led to victory.
