Читать книгу And Then They Prayed - Barry Loudermilk - Страница 12

Five months earlier, the United States had suffered the worst defeat on U.S. soil since the war of 1812. On the morning of December 7, 1941 the Japanese Navy had launched a surprise and devastating air attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that had crippled America’s military might in the Pacific. The attack resulted in the sinking or serious damage of eighteen ships, and the loss of almost three hundred fifty American aircraft. But the most devastating loss to the United States, was the 2,403 Americans killed and 1,178 wounded.

With the U.S. Pacific Fleet virtually out of commission, our military forces throughout the Pacific were now lacking their primary means of resupply. Our Pacific military bases, now vulnerable without the protection of naval air support, were little more than a hindrance to the Japanese, as they easily swept across the Pacific taking Guam, the Philippines and Wake Island. On February 22, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines and go to Australia, where he would take command of Allied troops, once they were deployed. Meanwhile, the Japanese continued their sweep across the Pacific, taking Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma, Sumatra, Java and the East Indies.

With airbases established across the Pacific, the Japanese began to focus on establishing a link to join the German forces battling in North Africa. The Japanese successfully bombed Darwin, Australia and, with overwhelming air, ground and naval power, were able to seize New Britain, New Ireland, the Admiralty Islands, the Gilberts and part of New Guinea. President Roosevelt knew that if the link with German forces was established, as it now appeared could happen, the Axis powers would be well on their way toward their ultimate goal of world domination.

President Roosevelt was desperate to take action, in order to give the American people hope in the war. He needed to strike back at the heart of Japan, and strike quickly, but the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor had effectively taken America out of the fight in the Pacific.

Roosevelt, and the Commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Corps, knew the only way to stop the Japanese expansion in the Pacific would be to bomb the Japanese mainland, which would cause them to withdraw some of their forces to defend their homeland. However, this meant that Admiral William “Bull” Halsey would have to sail his aircraft carriers within two hundred miles of Japan, for the Navy’s carrier-based aircraft to reach their targets and safely return. The Japanese knew the limited range of America’s naval aircraft, and had established a perimeter of naval forces along the coasts to stop the Americans from getting anywhere within striking distance of their country. The only American aircraft capable of long range bombing were the heavy bombers of the US Army Air Corps, but these aircraft were designed for land based operation and Japan now controlled all airfields within range of their country.

Whether by a stroke of luck or an act of Divine providence, a Navy officer happened upon an idea that eventually developed into a bold plan that would change the course of the war and military aviation. While checking on the status of the Navy’s newest carrier, the USS Hornet, which was based at Norfolk, Virginia, Captain Francis Low noticed a carrier deck painted on the runway of the airfield, used by navy pilots to practice short distance takeoffs. While observing the air operations on the airfield, a flight of Army Air Corp twin engine bombers passed overhead on a practice bombing run. Watching the long range bombers fly over the simulated carrier deck gave Captain Low an idea, which he quickly reported to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest J. King. Could Army long range bombers be modified to take off on the limited runway of an aircraft carrier? If so, could the Navy get aircraft carriers in attack range of the Japanese mainland?

This idea put into motion one of the most secretive, daring and successful military aviation missions in American history. However, such a mission would require a very special person to take command. There was only one aviator who would be daring enough to take on such a risky and dangerous mission, Lieutenant Colonel “Jimmy” Doolittle.

Doolittle was already a legend in Army aviation, being the holder of several aviation speed records. He was also the first aviator to fly coast to coast in less than twenty-four hours, and later broke his own record by accomplishing the same feat in less that twelve hours. He was a master mission planner who was not only fearless, but also incredibly brilliant. Without any hesitation, Doolittle was selected to mastermind this incredibly dangerous, but significantly important, mission.

For nearly two months, the Doolittle Raiders, as they would eventually be known, continuously trained for the mysterious mission. Then on March 23, Lt. Colonel Doolittle received a coded message from Washington that simply stated, “Tell Jimmy to get on his horse.” This message, sent to both Navy and Army Air Corps personnel, was the secret code to immediately proceed with the mission. Upon receiving the message, Doolittle called together his volunteers and directed them to square away their belongings and take care of all personal business matters, as they would very soon be leaving Eglin Air Field.

The aircrews quickly took care of their personal matters, and said goodbye to family and friends, not knowing where they were going or how long they would be gone. Shortly thereafter, the crews flew their aircraft to McClellan Air Field in California, where they went through final tests and modifications. They were then flown to Alameda Field, where they were loaded onboard the USS Hornet.

On April 2, with sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers and crews on board, the Hornet and its accompaniment of cruisers and destroyers, sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, with only a few knowing that they were now bound for Japan. Not long after, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, with Admiral Halsey onboard, set sail from Pearl Harbor, with plans to rendezvous with the Hornet on April 12 at a predetermined point.