Doolittle Raids...

I was just reading through some stuff on the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo:

"...After dropping their bombs, mainly on or near their intended
targets, Doolittle's sixteen B-25B bombers left Japanese airspace,
essentially unhindered by enemy air interception and anti-aircraft
gunfire. One of them, suffering from excessive fuel consumption, had
no hope of reaching China and so headed for the closer Soviet Maritime
region. After landing north of Vladivostok, this plane and its five
crew members were interned by the then-neutral Soviet authorities. The
crew ultimately returned to the U.S. by way of Iran...."

I'm wondering why they didn't ALL head for Vladivostok... seems a
safer alternative in my mind...

(although I don't know the facts - there may have been a real good
reason for heading to China)

Cheers,
Richard

I'm wondering why they didn't ALL head for Vladivostok... seems a
safer alternative in my mind...

The object was to get the planes to China, where they would have
joined the CATF. They failed because of the early launch (a Japanese
fishing boat / picket boat? spotted the task force), which stretched
the flight beyond their capabilities. Directing them to Russia would
have been to throw away both planes and crews. (Russia was obligated
to intern them, and did so for a time.)

It certainly was a screw-up. What I don't understand is that if the
formation had launched later in the morning, they would have gotten to
China later at night. What chance did they ever have of a safe
landing?

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put CUB in subject line)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering why they didn't ALL head for Vladivostok... seems a
safer alternative in my mind...

The object was to get the planes to China, where they would have
joined the CATF. They failed because of the early launch (a Japanese
fishing boat / picket boat? spotted the task force), which stretched
the flight beyond their capabilities. Directing them to Russia would
have been to throw away both planes and crews. (Russia was obligated
to intern them, and did so for a time.)

It certainly was a screw-up. What I don't understand is that if the
formation had launched later in the morning, they would have gotten to
China later at night. What chance did they ever have of a safe
landing?


Pretty poor but they'd have had more fuel to spare to look for
an airfield.

Keith

It certainly was a screw-up. What I don't understand is that if the
formation had launched later in the morning, they would have gotten to
China later at night. What chance did they ever have of a safe
landing?

According to everything I've read or seen on TV, with the beacon at the Chinese
airfield off, it was nearly impossible to find. Apparently it was a small
strip, intentionally camouflaged to hide it from the air.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

Richard wrote:

I was just reading through some stuff on the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo:

"...After dropping their bombs, mainly on or near their intended
targets, Doolittle's sixteen B-25B bombers left Japanese airspace,
essentially unhindered by enemy air interception and anti-aircraft
gunfire. One of them, suffering from excessive fuel consumption, had
no hope of reaching China and so headed for the closer Soviet Maritime
region. After landing north of Vladivostok, this plane and its five
crew members were interned by the then-neutral Soviet authorities. The
crew ultimately returned to the U.S. by way of Iran...."

I'm wondering why they didn't ALL head for Vladivostok... seems a
safer alternative in my mind...

the Soviet Union was not at war with Japan. They (the Soviets) probably
would have been right ****ed at a mass violation of their neutrality.

-Marc
--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m

the Soviet Union was not at war with Japan. They (the Soviets) probably
would have been right ****ed at a mass violation of their neutrality.

Not really. Every plane that landed was a gift to the Russian air
force.

They especially liked the B-29s that landed there, later in the war.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put CUB in subject line)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Did they not build their own version of the B-29, based on the blueprints they
constructed of the model they had at hand?

George Z.

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

the Soviet Union was not at war with Japan. They (the Soviets) probably
would have been right ****ed at a mass violation of their neutrality.

Not really. Every plane that landed was a gift to the Russian air
force.

They especially liked the B-29s that landed there, later in the war.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put CUB in subject line)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

George Z. Bush wrote:

Did they not build their own version of the B-29, based on the blueprints they
constructed of the model they had at hand?

George Z.


Yes, they did: the Tupolev Tu-4 `Bull'.


Regards,
Ralph Savelberg

Did they not build their own version of the B-29, based on the blueprints
they
constructed of the model they had at hand?

I do not believe they had any blueprints. The Tu-4 was completely reverse
engineered.
VL

MLenoch wrote:

Did they not build their own version of the B-29, based on the blueprints
they

constructed of the model they had at hand?


I do not believe they had any blueprints. The Tu-4 was completely reverse
engineered.
VL



I don't think they had blueprints of the original. However, the reverse engineering process undoubtedly

included making their own blueprints based on the actual aircraft (most
likely in metric units BTW).

Regards,
Ralph Savelsberg