The Most Daring Mission of WWII - The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo

The Doolittle Raid was a daring and incredible raid on Tokyo, Japan in World War II. American B-25 bombers set off from an aircraft carrier as a revenge attack for Pearl Harbor. This was made using the World War II flight simulator IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles series as well as War Thunder. Hope you enjoy! Please like, comment, and subscribe.
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There were multiple user made skins and missions that I borrowed from to make this, and I do not all of the exact creators by name, but thank you to you guys as well.

[@seatedliberty]

I had the extreme honor of meeting Dick Cole, co-pilot of the lead plane of the Doolittle raid when he was 101 years old. He still had one hell of a firm handshake.

[@restitvtororbis5330]

If i got my math right he would have been about 26 when he was on the raid. I can't even imagine how it would feel to go on a crazy one way trip (bordering on suicide mission) and make peace with the idea that this has a very high chance of being the end, only to discover that you had barely lived 1/4 of your life, and would go on to live to 103 afterwards. The man must have had an appreciation for his life i can't even comprehend

[@TexasGreed]

​@@restitvtororbis5330 that's what I'm talking about man. When I think of the things I was doing and decisions I was making at 26 it almost feels like a joke. I couldn't imagine me and my friends at 26 getting together and raiding Japan in the slightest. Sometimes I wonder if the kids in the US now have it in em. I like to imagine if the time comes our current generations can muster this kind of strength. I guess the times create the people and the people create the times.

[@robertsmith2227]

This raid led to the battle of Midway, June 4th 1942, which really should be a national holiday in our country.

[@harryparsons2750]

So should December 7 plus it’s my birthday

[@chroniciguana402]

Oddly, the pilot and copilot of the aircraft that landed in the Soviet Union were both fluent in Russian.

[@gaychristianmale422]

probably Soviet spies

[@williamcarey8529]

I do believe that the crew that landed in Russia were on some sort of diplomatic mission or were testing the Allied/Soviet Alliance was going to work out or not.

[@CarlosPF94]

@@williamcarey8529 that’s highly possible, especially during this time, secret missions within secret missions were common place.

[@williamcarey8529]

@@CarlosPF94 Thank you!!

[@szymonchlebicki4606]

@@CarlosPF94 secret mission²

[@BHuang92]

One of the most significant raids of the Pacific front.

[@airguy5024]

Excellent video. I would recommend the 1944 movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson and a tremendous supporting cast. It is based on the book by Ted Lawson who was one of the pilots. It documents the training, the mission and the struggle these men endured to return home,

[@LeonardCooperman]

These men were incredibly brave knowing it was probably a suicide mission. Just amazing.

[@maxazzopardi7446]

This was a subtle way of telling the Japanese military a preview of things to come.

[@tdamtoft]

Subtle? It was pretty direct and bloody well done!

[@rodbutler8069]

The Doolittle raid confirmed to the aggresive Japanese Empire that the US was coming for them at home. They awoke a sleeping giant.

[@wallybrown9509]

Most definatly one of the most amazing missions, and heroic acts of bravery in the history of war. Amazing men, and TRUE HEROS. Real heros, not fake wannabe heros most people think today.

[@calebshuler1789]

God Bless

[@AlexDahlseid2002]

After the Doolittle raid Jimmy Doolittle would serve as the commander of 8th Air Force in the European Theater of WWII.

[@matrox]

I flew with Jimmy Doolittle in the raid......with my IL2 flight sim.😁

[@TJ3]

Hope you guys enjoy! Historical notes - 1) The bombers were likely a little more spread out than pictured in my recreation of the raid, likely miles apart due to target locations. 2) I am limited in the skins I have to use, so some of the insignias in the later part of the video are not the ones that would have actually been on the B-25s in 1942. Thanks :) grab some TJ3 fanwear here! tj3-gaming-merch.creator-spring.com/

[@theoanderson1862]

As always, a truly superb telling of an important historical event! Nitpicking begins: The photograph of "Lt Col Doolittle" was actually Major General Doolittle from later in the war. An interesting side note worthy of mention is that Doolittle was one of a very few soldiers in American history who was allowed to skip a rank and was promoted to Brigadier General a day after the raid, skipping the rank of Full Colonel altogether.

[@StephenLuke]

RIP William J. Dieter (1912-1942) Donald E. Fitzmaurice (1919-1942) Leland D. Faktor (1921-1942) and The 50 Imperial Japanese civilians who were killed in the Doolittle Raid

[@countrysamurai]

I have met over 30 of the Raiders and widows. A friend found out what hotel they were staying at, before their yearly reunion. We were able to meet many and get dozens of signatures on art work and in our books. I have also met many of the Raiders in different venues where I was the only one talking with them, for hours. It is incredible that so many people do not know of them or what heros they are. I was fortunate enough to actually see Gen. Doolittle back in ‘86. I was 24 and knew his place in history. The Legend himself. I have met Carroll Glines, who was the official historian of The Doolittle Raiders. He wrote one of the definitive accounts of the raid. A few corrections...as you can see by the video of the planes launching, This is them taking off on the actual raid. The sea is very rough and had spray coming over the deck of the Hornet. Doolittle lifted off and flew a quick circle, flew parallel with the Hornet to check his compass, then headed to Tokyo. As you stated, to launch all the aircraft, took about an hour. Because of the fuel issue and being forced to launch so early, all the crews, were told to head directly to their assigned targets, not to loiter or form up. They did not form up in groups. It was a long line of B25's to Japan. They were spread out over a 50 mile front, to give the appearance of having more planes. Tokyo was not the only target, as told by the wartime video. There were 5 total, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagoya, and Osaka. The planes were initially equipped with the Norden bombsight but since it was a top secret device and they bombed at low altitude, a cheap replacement was designed by one of the pilots, Ross Greening, i have met his widow, Dot. The widows of the Raiders were invited to the yearly reunions of the Raiders. It was daylight when they hit their targets but nighttime in a terrible storm when they crossed the China Sea. Doolittle had his crew bail out over land at night. Ted Lawson's plane and another ditched at night but his leg was injured and amputated later. Ted wrote...30 Seconds Over Tokyo. I have met his widow Ellen. This is the most important operation of the war. It forced the attack on Midway and that was the turning point in the Pacific. Afterwards, Japan was on the defensive with no more victories. Except for The Battle of Savo Island.

[@Bydey]

This comment was top tier. Thanks for the detailed info.

[@josemoreno3334]

The new B-21 stealth bomber of the USAF is called the Raider named in honor after the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.👍. Great video 👍🎥. I'm retired USAF.🪖

[@justinpurnell9791]

Love the content man, definitely something I don’t see often on here, very unique. Keep up the good work!

[@jopitomnik1396]

Very good video and your diction is excellent, I understand almost everything 😉 (english is not my mother tong). Thanks for all from France.

[@Brian-nw2bn]

This video was absolutely brilliant man. I love the recreations you do, they’re awesome at painting the picture ! Keep up the great work brother, your channels gonna keep blowin up, you deserve all the good things coming your way my guy glad to be here and look forward to all your work to come !

[@skimmer8774]

Excellent reporting. Theses men set an example for thousands and thousands of fliers. Salute!

[@brettj.m.roebuck17]

Wonderful review of the raid. Great job.

[@coachpetemeadows6476]

You did a great job.

[@alcoholfree6381]

A marvelous documentary on the amazing Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. My father was a bombardier in Europe. His first mission was on D-Day and his 24th mission was at the Battle of the Bulge on 12/24/1944. His plane was shot down that day; only 3 of the crew survived. I would love to see a documentary on what each position on the B-17 did. When I learned where the bombardier sat I was totally flabbergasted!! This documentary showed a lot of views I had never seen. Thanks

[@jmrodas9]

This was a really daring raid, using aircraft that had not been designed for what they did, but they managed to do their mission, and to thrust back the Japanese's military greatest boast, that Toyo would never be bombed.

[@Zany4God]

You did a great job. I look forward to another .

[@frankieblue1945]

That was pretty darn cool. Thanks man.

[@calebshuler1789]

Most heroic thing maybe in history

[@KyleCowden]

Love this new series. Having seen many, many coverages of this raid; this is so much more engaging. One thing I've thought about from time to time is, were I there, I'd want to be one of the last in the pack. I'd want the entire deck as opposed to, say, half that the front planes had. Added in Edit: Sit at the feet of any of our heroes that still live, especially those from WWII, we are losing hundreds every day. There are so few left and even the Viet Nam veterans are reaching that age where they're starting to pass at an increasing rate. Listen, document if you can because once they are gone, there stories die with them.

[@01ZO6TT]

Well done, this is very detailed. I learned things about the raid that I didn’t know before. Keep it up. You now have a new subscriber.

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@johnericmalla8233]

Very well done ☺️

[@tonyholt90]

Yeah definitely enjoyed this ! Very informative 👍

[@surge384]

Superb doc. Thank you

[@TangoIndiaMike144]

Awesome job man, you're a great a storyteller!

[@claudemaassen2963]

Wonderful post. Thank you.

[@Nativeat1YT]

Beautiful.

[@earthstardevi3326]

Excellent video! Just heard about the Doolittle Raid yesterday and wanted to learn about it. After several attempts to find a video that it explained it well, I found yours! Thank you!

[@TJ3]

Thanks :) glad you enjoyed

[@rodneycarey44]

I would have been truly an honor to have been in the company of any of these men. A time in our nation when bravery and honor were admired, respected and valued.

[@claudemaassen2963]

Very brave men indeed.

[@silmarienprince3137]

That was so cool. Thanknu

[@rubensanmaurodelbosqur1950]

Excelente video 👏.

[@thomaspridmore106]

Just giving it back what you sow you will reap brave lads

[@brokenbridge6316]

Great video

[@williamdilley4576]

One of the crew was from Gentry, MO.

[@jodypitt3629]

Yes he had devastated their Sukiyaki

[@TheOneAndOnlyPapaElias]

YEAAAH IVE BEEN SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!! I really want that *Ill see you in the skies* shirt!!!!

[@TJ3]

Wooooo!

[@jackmunday7602]

Another fantastic video. The first time I heard about the Doolittle raid. I was convinced it was Hollywood fiction. I mean launching sixteen B-25 Mitchell medium bombers off an aircraft carrier. Something it was never designed to do. Don't be ridiculous. But it turns out it wasn't Hollywood fiction. It was all true. Not only did these brave men do the impossible. Launching a fully loaded ten ton bomber off an aircraft carrier, pushing the aircraft well beyond its design capabilities, but they also succeeded in their mission. Bombing Japan, hitting the enemy where they felt safest, and Sending both the Japanese military and Government into a panic. And for me, this moment in history was when Japanese lost the war. It wasn't Midway, or Guadalcanal, or the Marianas or the two Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was the Doolittle raid. Because from that moment on, the Japanese realised just who they were fighting. An enemy that would seemingly bend the laws of physics themselves in order to win. Thanks for the Videos TJ3 History. You and your videos are awsome. 👍 🇺🇸 🇬🇧

[@TJ3]

Thanks!

[@robtob5150]

I don't understand why this channel doesn't have at least a million subscribers.

[@TJ3]

Thanks :)

[@ericericson3535]

The Tambor class submarines, Trout and Thresher had different outcomes in the War. The Trout was sunk in April 1944, and Thresher survived the war and was decommissioned in 1947, she received 15 battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation.

[@TheBishop12]

16:50 to expand “The Untold Story of the Vengeful Japanese Attack After the Doolittle Raid” When the U.S. responded to Pearl Harbor with a surprise bombing of Tokyo, the Imperial Army took out its fury on the Chinese people. That generosity shown by the Chinese would trigger a horrific retaliation by the Japanese that claimed an estimated quarter-million lives and would prompt comparisons to the 1937-38 Rape of Nanking. American military authorities, cognizant that a raid on Tokyo would result in a vicious counterattack upon free China, saw the mission through regardless, even keeping the operation a secret from their Pacific theater allies. This chapter of the Doolittle Raid has largely gone unreported-until now. “They shot any man, woman, child, cow, hog, or just about anything that moved, They raped any woman from the ages of 10 - 65, and before burning the town they thoroughly looted it. Out of twenty-eight market towns in that region,” the committee’s report noted, “only three escaped devastation.” That August, Japan’s secret bacteriological warfare group, Unit 731, launched an operation to coincide with the withdrawal of Japanese troops from the region. In what was known as land bacterial sabotage, troops would contaminate wells, rivers, and fields, hoping to sicken local villagers as well as the Chinese forces, which would no doubt move back in and reoccupy the border region as soon as the Japanese departed. Over the course of several meetings, Unit 731’s commanding officers debated the best bacteria to use, settling on plague, anthrax, cholera, typhoid, and paratyphoid, all of which would be spread via spray, fleas, and direct contamination of water sources. For the operation, almost 300 pounds of paratyphoid and anthrax germs were ordered. Technicians filled peptone bottles with typhoid and paratyphoid bacteria, packaged them in boxes labeled “Water Supply,” and flew them to Nanking. Once in Nanking, workers transferred the bacteria to metal flasks-like those used for drinking water- and flew them into the target areas. Troops then tossed the flasks into wells, marshes, and homes. The Japanese also prepared 3,000 rolls, contaminated with typhoid and paratyphoid, and handed them to hungry Chinese prisoners of war, who were then released to go home and spread disease. Soldiers left another 400 biscuits infected with typhoid near fences, under trees, and around bivouac areas to make it appear as though retreating forces had left them behind, knowing hungry locals would devour them.

[@pramitdas7512]

This is great content

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@1ramyus]

An earlier launch wasn't Mitscher's and Doolittle's decision but a personal decision of Adm. Halsey on the USS Enterprise. Halsey was a commander for the entire operation and the joint Task Force 16. Edit: An interesting fact is that there was no doubt that the B-25 could take off from the carrier because it was exercised off the coast of Virginia; when 2 B-25 tested launch from the deck of Hornet with both - full bomb load and half bomb load, with bags of sand serving as a weight equivalent.

[@RW-ij1ci]

Imagine from going as insane as Japan use to be, to being one of the coolest places on earth.... and Nintendo.

[@harryparsons2750]

Dolittle did a lot

[@calebshuler1789]

The ole Hornet

[@matrox]

Jimmy DooLittle, no he DooBig.✊😆

[@harryparsons2750]

The original Enterprise

[@gideon8304]

The best

[@jacru14]

Great research, concise content. Info not in any movie on this subject. William (bull) Halsey pronounced HALL ZEE.

[@williamwang5575]

There should be tanker planes for mid air refueling

[@claykemper7193]

So why hasn't the B25 that landed safely in Russia ever been recovered?

[@robertsmith2227]

They only had 5 years to come up with one of their own

[@sledgehammerk35]

Several people tried to find it within the last 20 years. According to the most current research, the aircraft was most likely scrapped in the 1950s.

[@willem-janvroom6630]

It is not good, it is superb. :-)

[@alanc0x]

Hey man! Congrats on the videos! Can you share the name of the song? ,🙏

[@TJ3]

I'm not sure which song this was as I made it a while back, but much of my music is by Bonnie Grace.

[@robinsattahip2376]

Be accurate, they hit other cities besides Tokyo, though only with one or two planes.

[@brucepoole8552]

The japanese were guilty of war crimes for the execution of the American fliers.

[@harryparsons2750]

No fighter escort? Probably didn’t have the range

[@flammenwerfer6548]

Can you do Alexander pokryshkin next?

[@CodeElement190]

How did you get the bombers on the flight deck?

[@TJ3]

Its a custom user mission online for War Thunder

[@gilbertjamessalud3145]

@@TJ3 can you do another historical video like, an enemy bf 109 spared a b-17 flying fortress please?!?!?

[@gilbertjamessalud3145]

@@TJ3 if you see my comment let me know ok?

[@CodeElement190]

@@TJ3 would it be possible for you to provide the link so we can try it as well?

[@TJ3]

Here you go, just follow the instructions to download and install. live.warthunder.com/post/278973/en/

[@weissrw1]

How many hours of research did that take??? Very impressive!!!

[@Shoehandler1142]

Americas message after the raid: “I’m coming for you and will reap a vengeance the world has never seen and never will see again”

[@patricksnyder7724]

Too bad America doesn’t have the same backbone anymore

[@michaelgreenfield6146]

General Doolittle my brother in Freemasonry /G\

[@MrCornaldo]

Hero’s

[@travisdavis9577]

I can’t for the life of me understand why the emporers palace was not hit

[@sledgehammerk35]

Doolittle forbid it from being hit out of fear that it would unite the Japanese people instead of demoralizing them, which meant the raid would have completely backfired. He made the correct call.

[@george217]

Bull Halsey made the decision to launch early...

[@Tazfullboxedu]

To youtube this game is war thunder

[@Sebastiangarces987]

One

[@rogermurray9058]

U.S.S.HORNET CV-8 Not ownly Aircraft Carrier Doolittle Raid U.S.S.Enterprise CV-6 was Serport Ship Raid On 80th Anniversary Doolittle Raid Navy Honor Raid Naming Navy Aircraft Carrier U.S.S.James Doolittle

[@harryparsons2750]

I don’t think they planned on landing in China I think they ran out of fuel and had no choice

[@sledgehammerk35]

No they definitely planned on landing in China and turning over the aircraft to the Chinese as part of the lend lease act. Unfortunately, the Chinese were given the wrong date for their arrival because someone screwed up and didn’t account for the international date line. So the raiders showed up a day earlier than the Chinese were expecting, which meant no homing beacons.

[@johnheigis83]

Yes, The plan was, for landing-site lighting s, to click on, during prearranged times - for them, with intentions, of landing safely, and then, using the Bombers again, helping Nationalist China, against Japan. But, we weren't able to warn the China landing-sites, of the - way too - early mission launch. So, the Bombers were too early, with no landing -site beacons to guide them. Some researchers suspect, the one surviving plane, that landed in E Russia, may have been on a specific mission, of some kind; otherwise, none were supposed to fly there, unless must. At least, such be my understanding. Semper Fidelis...

[@justhenwy]

Third, YESS

[@calebshuler1789]

It was a suicide mission. True suicide mission. They did it anyway.

[@evanwindom3265]

This was an amazing accomplishment, but I think it's a huge stretch to call it the most daring raid of WWII.

[@hellhound9351]

W china bro, ong. Too bad they don’t have the same relationship with us anymore

[@luissupan9117]

Wikipedia says that 100,000 civilians died, almost one million were left homeless. Successful raid? We're talking about civilians.

[@TheBishop12]

Your phrase of the day: Collateral Damage

[@sledgehammerk35]

Yeah it was a successful raid. They’d been massacring Chinese civilians long before that raid ever took place for the simple reason that they could. Whether the raid happened or not, the Japanese would’ve found another excuse to do exactly what they did.

[@nicheva417]

Chinese got severly brutalised for facilitating this.

[@shichen2136]

You don't know where is the east china sea

[@RorihTheToken]

E

[@Stvescr]

Absolute rubbish. The UK's St Nazaire operation is far more dangerous and risky in all ways than the Doolittle raid. There's a big difference between worrying about where you'll parachute out of your plane in comparison with the UK naval operation.

[@sledgehammerk35]

It’s apples and oranges man. Two different theaters with two completely different enemies.

[@roccobilly2973]

Voice not suitable for war doc