Today marks the anniversary of the first flight of one of the most famous aircraft of World War II, the North American B-25 Mitchell.
The B-25 first took to the air on August 19, 1940.
Less than two years later, on April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25Bs sat on the deck of the USS Hornet in the Pacific. Led by Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, their crews launched from the carrier on a mission to strike targets in Japan, including Tokyo.
The Doolittle Raid came just months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although the physical damage from the raid was relatively limited, its impact was far greater. It provided an important boost to American morale and demonstrated that the Japanese home islands could be reached by American forces.
Think about that timeline.
On August 19, 1940, the B-25 was making its first flight. Just 20 months later, sixteen of them were launching from an aircraft carrier on one of the most daring and historically significant missions of World War II.
The photograph shows the Doolittle Raiders’ B-25s lined up on the deck of USS Hornet as they were carried toward Japan.
From first flight to history in less than two years.
A remarkable chapter in the heritage of American air power.