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  • Balloon Bombs: Japan's Answer to Doolittle

    One of the best kept secrets of the war involved the Japanese balloon bomb offensive. Prompted by the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942, the Japanese developed the balloon bombs as a means of direct reprisal against the U.S. mainland. The balloons, made of paper or rubberized silk, carried

  • Air Force Association Lifetime Achievement Award

    The Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Air Force Association, recognizes not a single achievement, but a lifetime of work in the advancement of aerospace. In September 2009, the AFA presented this award to the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.Click here to return to the Doolittle Raid Overview. 

  • A Raider's Toast: The Doolittle Raiders' Goblets

     These 80 silver goblets commemorate the 80 men who flew the Doolittle Raid against Japan in April 1942. Over the years, these goblets have taken a highly symbolic place in the history of military aviation.In December 1946 Gen. James "Jimmy" Doolittle and his fellow Raiders gathered to celebrate his

  • "Sending U.S. Pilot to Hospital"

    Heavily wounded pilots of the Doolittle Raids No. 7 bomber were sent to the Linhai Enze Medical Bureau with sedan chair by villagers of Sarmen County, Zhejiang Province.Painting by Professor Zhang Renyuan, Dean of the Oil Painting Department, China Arts Academy.Click here to return to the Doolittle

  • Raiders Flying Jackets

    On the far right is the A-2 flying jacket with the insignia of the 432nd Bomb Squadron worn by Capt. C. Ross Greening on the Tokyo Raid. He was later shot down and captured by the Germans in July 1943.To the left is an A-2 flying jacket with the insignia of the 34th Bomb Squadron worn by Lt. Thomas

  • Silk Shirts Worn by Raiders

    On the left is a hand-made shirt given to Lt. Charles L. McClure while hiding in China. The inscription reads, "In honorable memory of the first bombing of Japan, Allied hero, presented by the city of Chi-An, China."The donor was the navigator on the B-25 piloted by Lt. Ted A. Lawson, author of the

  • The Eight Who Were Captured

    Following the Tokyo Raid, the crews of two planes remained unaccounted for. On Aug. 15, 1942, it was learned from the Swiss consulate general in Shanghai that the Japanese had eight American flyers at police headquarters in that city. On Oct. 19, 1942, the Japanese broadcast that they had tried two

  • Lt. Jack A. Sims Uniform Items

    Knapsack, knife and sheath, ammo clips with case for .45-cal Colt pistol, first aid kit, helmet and goggles, parachute "D" ring, Mae West life vest, canteen and A-2 flying jacket worn or carried by Lt. Jack A. Sims on the Tokyo Raid. Sims later wore the A-2 jacket during a combat tour in North

  • Doolittle Raid Crews

    Sixteen B-25s left the USS Hornet to participate in the Doolittle Raid. Click on the arrows next to the photos above to navigate through crew photos and names.Click here to return to the Doolittle Raid Overview.

  • America Hits Back: The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders

    In the spring of 1942, America's morale slumped from numerous Japanese successes, and the country desperately needed a victory. Capt. Francis S. Low, a U.S. Navy submariner, suggested an attack against the heart of Japan using U.S. Army Air Forces medium bombers flown from a U.S. Navy aircraft