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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Today in History: the Doolittle Raid |
| 2009-04-18 |
| On 18 April at 0800 orders were received to launch aircraft. Army crews, who had expected to take-off late in the afternoon, had to be rounded up and last minute instructions noted. Engines were warmed up, Hornet turned into the wind and at 0825 the first plane, Lieut. Colonel Doolittle, USA, pilot, left the deck. --Captain Marc A. Mitscher, USS Hornet, after action report to Admiral Chester A. Nimitz Proceeded to Tokyo and bombed the North Central industrial area with 4 incendiary clusters. Proceeded on to the China Coast where very unfavorable weather made it necessary for crew to abandon ship. Put plane on AS.F.C.E. and turned off gasoline valves. Pilot jumped last at 0:20 p.m. ship time, from 8,000 feet and landed near Tien Mu Shen, about 70 miles north of Chuchow. After landing contacted General Ho, Director of the Western Branch of Chekiang Province who agreed to take the necessary steps to collect missing crew members, locate the ship and establish a look-out for other planes in China, on the stretch of beach between Hung Chow Bay and Wen Chow Bay and by the sampans and junks that might be putting out to sea. All crew members o.k. Detailed report attached hereto. --Lt. Col. James E. Doolittle, report to the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #5 it still sticks in my craw any time Zbigniew is cited by the left and MSM as a "foreign-policy expert". That whole Carter regime should've been banned from further public comment, policy-manipulation (thanks, Jimmuh! great job on NK! Asshole!), or position of employment other than attending funerals of servicemen killed in the ME and being forced to dig graves *spit* |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-04-18 20:43 |
| #4 agreed, Mike, from my readings of the unclassified post-op reviews, you are right. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-04-18 20:38 |
| #3 it was the Cluster Fucking White House micromanaging that screwed that op up and got dedicated and willing service members killed. Frank, Without question the White House screwed things up almost beyond hope, but the military leadership went a long way towards scuttling things too. All the services demanded their 'cut' of the ops, and that led to less reliable helicopters being used...with the awful results we remember. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2009-04-18 20:32 |
| #2 #1 It's too bad we don't have the men of character to do such raids these days I'd disagree with that. The men who would actually DO the raids still have strength, character, devotion and duty, and the balls to do such a thing. It is the political leadership, and many time the political military leadership that lack the necessary characteristics. Hell, in Jimmy Carter's day, the mil was willing to try and rescue the hostages. As I understand it, it was the Cluster Fucking White House micromanaging that screwed that op up and got dedicated and willing service members killed. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-04-18 16:59 |
| #1 It's too bad we don't have the men of character to do such raids these days. Our senior leadership are all partisan politicians who won't do anything that might cost them a vote, even if it was the only thing that would save this nation. We have very few heroes today, and the media hates the few we have. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-04-18 16:47 |