By: HISTORY.com Editors

1942

Doolittle leads air raid on Tokyo

Published: February 09, 2010Last Updated: May 27, 2025

On April 18, 1942, 16 American B-25 bombers, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet 650 miles east of Japan and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, attack the Japanese mainland.

The now-famous Tokyo Raid did little real damage to Japan (wartime Premier Hideki Tojo was inspecting military bases during the raid; one B-25 came so close, Tojo could see the pilot, though the American bomber never fired a shot)—but it did hurt the Japanese government’s prestige. Believing the air raid had been launched from Midway Island, approval was given to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s plans for an attack on Midway—which would also damage Japanese “prestige.” Doolittle eventually received the Medal of Honor.

A book describing the raid, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo by Ted Lawson, was adapted into a film starring Spencer Tracy in 1944.

How the 1942 Doolittle Raid Buoyed US Spirits

A little more than four months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States struck back on April 18, 1942, with the daring Doolittle Raid.

By: Christopher Klein

Timeline

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1945

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1958

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1983

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2012

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