... while the Hornets file to its rendezvous with Halsey , future raiders finally learn - and none other than Doolittle itself - the details of their future mission to Tokyo.
Towards Tokyo , therefore, not only because the Staff has also decided to bomb Yokohama (2 aircraft), Nagoya (2 planes, Yokosuka (1 plane) and Kobe (a plane), whose decision Also today, it is unclear interest since each B-25 shall carry ultimately that four bombs of 500 pounds (227 kilograms) or its equivalent in inflammatory, in other words for a city the Kobe size (1 million inhabitants), and a fortiori to a megalopolis like Tokyo (7 million), maximum, and assuming that all airplanes designated succeed, inherit So that ten tons of bombs (1)
Once their bombing carried out, the planes will also continue their trip to China ... and especially to find the land of fortune that supporters of Chiank Kai-shek are supposed to be safe and prepared, a prospect that, one suspects, does not raise any enthusiasm among aviators, including yet not one decides to abandon despite the opportunity that allows them, once again, Colonel Doolittle (2) fuel constituting the key factor of this whole operation, each unit will further be required, and immediately after takeoff, individually set the course towards its goal rather than a circle in the sky and thus wasting his essence before the rest of his comrades, logical decision itself but also implies the impossibility for airplanes to defend each other in if attacked by Japanese fighter, which, with only three guns per aircraft (including a small bore in the nose), is not reassuring ...
(1) By comparison, the only raid against Hamburg July 27, 1943 involved some 700 planes cast off more than 9,000 tons of bombs
(2) several times, including during the weeks of training Doolittle had offered this opportunity to candidates raiders. Not one had withdrawn
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