Planning for 'Project Tokyo' began after Pearl Harbor as a morale booster, and to try to stop Japanese advancements and victories in the Pacific Ocean. Although the damage done in the actual raid was insignificant, it shattered the confidence of the Japanese military and its people. The Tokyo Raid caused Japan to expand its defensive perimeter well beyond the point where it would maintain its effectiveness, as well as leading to such battles as the Battle of Midway, which basically obliterated the powerful Imperial Navy.
While the Japanese were celebrating their victory at Pearl Harbor, the United States and its allies began plans for a retaliatory strike against the Japanese. After the loss of the British battleships Prince of Wales and the Repulse and a string of Japanese victories, the allies advanced the plans for Project Tokyo. Since the Navy had no long range bombers, and the majority of the carrier aircraft had a range of no longer than 300 miles, and as a result, were not considered a threat by General Hideki Tojo. An idea was introduced to use some of the United States Army's medium bombers. These were narrowed down to two possibilities, the B-26 and the B-25 Mitchell. The B-26 was eliminated because the wing span was too takeoff range needed was too long. This left the B-25 to carry out the air strike on Tokyo.
The pilots still needed to be trained. The crews were not given the location of their target, and were only told that it would be a risky mission for everyone. After a short talk from Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, all people wishing to quit the mission could do so and not a word would be said about it. Not one person left the briefing room. Afterwards, the crews were given a small map detailing the target, but not on a large enough scale to give away the location. The crews were also reminded that this operation was top secret, and that those involved were not to discuss it with their friends, their wives, or even among each other.
The crews would have less than a month to perfect their carrier takeoffs, so training would begin almost immediately. These takeoffs were, of course, simulated, to avoid the cost of a lost aircraft. The crew worked on the takeoffs until they could get a heavily loaded B-25 Mitchell could clear the runway in the amount of space that would be available on the carrier decks.
Finally, after several weeks of training, Task Force 18 was under way. With 16 of the bombers lashed to the flight deck of the USS Hornet the force left San Francisco on April 2, 1942. Task Force 16 would meet up with Task Force 16 on April 13, 1942.
On April 16, 1942, the USS Enterprise launched its first air patrols as the group entered enemy-controlled waters. At around 3:00 pm, the destroyers detach from the main body, the oilers break off after refueling the ships, and the main body accelerates to approximately 25 knots. On the following day, the USS Hornet's aircraft are loaded with bombs. The B-25s launched the next day, since the carrier force was sure that they had been sighted, and did not want to risk losing the two carriers, with the four cruisers, which was nearly all that the United States could gather up at the moment.
Approximately 600 miles from Japan, the Nitto Maru became the first reported sighting of Admiral Halsey's task force, and put the Japanese on the alert, even though the Nitto Maru never confirmed the report. Admiral Halsey decided to launch the aircraft and turn the force around.
The B-25s are launched from their maximum range, and flew over Tokyo, bombing several installations. The bombs did little damage, but managed to damage the Japanese carrier Ryuho while it is in drydock. Many of the planes then head to wherever they can make it, since the fuel will be empty before they reach a friendly airbase. All of the B-25 bombers are forced to bail out or crash land except one. Eleven crews are forced to bail out over China, 3 crash land, and the last landed safely at Vladivostok. The crew that landed in Russia was interned, along with the plane, for a while.
The end result was that the United States lost 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers, 8 prisoners taken by the Japanese (4 died, 4 returned home after the war), and 3 more US Soldiers injured.
The Japanese suffered some damage to several military installations, and a GREAT damage to the morale of the people. There was also the damage to the carrier Ryuho, which was in drydock in Yokosuka at the time, and there were several freighters and another patrol boat sunk by the USS Thresher (unfortunately, I don't have the names of the freighters or the patrol boat. If you know them, send an e-mail to me and I will update this section.).
Carrier: Ryuho(damaged in drydock in Yokosuka)
Patrol boat: Nagato Maru(sunk by USS Nashville), Sado Maru(sunk by the submarine USS Thresher on one of the early scout runs)
Several buildings damaged by the bombs, causing unknown amounts of casualties.
Carriers: USS Hornet
Cruisers: USS Nashville and the USS Vincennes
Destroyers: USS Gwin, USS Grayson, USS Monsson, and USS Meredith
Fleet oilers: USS Cimarron
Carriers: USS Enterprise
Cruisers: USS Northampton and the USS Salt Lake City
Destroyers: USS Balch, USS Fanning, USS Ellet, and USS Benham
Fleet oilers: USS Sabine
Photo:
View a list of sources used in the making of this report.
