Our newest t-shirt honors the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. The Doolittle Raid was led by Lieutenant Colonel James “Jimmy” Doolittle and took place on April 18, 1942. The air raid was carried out by U.S. Forces on the Japanese capital of Tokyo during WWII.
16 B-25 bombers took off from the deck of the USS Hornet with the aim to bomb the military and industrial targets and continue westward to land in China. The Raid was the first air operation on the Japanese archipelago, and demonstrated impressive American power on a vulnerable Japanese midland. Overall, the raid inflicted little damage, killing 50 and injuring 400 on the ground. However, it served as a symbolic retaliatory strike after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The raid also hit hard psychologically. For Americans, it boosted morale and a sense of dominance in the air space. For Japanese, it raised fear and doubt in their own military. The raid further pushed Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s plans to attack Midway Island, which later ended in Japanese defeat by the U.S. Navy at the Battle of Midway.
“The U.S. Navy conceived the raid as a way to raise morale. It entailed launching Army twin-engine bombers from the deck of an aircraft carrier to bomb selected cities in Japan. It was a way to strike back. It was a way to demonstrate that no matter how bleak the future looked, the United States would not give up” (Air Force Historical Support Division, “1942- Doolittle’s Raid”).
Doolittle was awarded with the Medal of Honor, and the raid was named after him. This t-shirt that we designed with a veteran-owned company honors the Doolittle Raid. On front, it shows a B-52 taking off from the USS Hornet with the famous date April 18, 1942 displayed prominently. It also features a vintage Doolittle Raid emblem on the sleeve. Shop this t-shirt now on our website.
Sources: Air Force Historical Support Division, “1942- Doolittle’s Raid”