An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

And the planes for the raid (B-25s) were loaded onto the carrier Hornet at Alameda NAS, which coincidentally was Jimmy Dolittle's hometown.

okaydo said:

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An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

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Weren't the Japanese asking for a conditional surrender days before the US dropped the first bomb? IIRC they only asked for sovereignty of the Emperor.

What is being celebrated by Knowlton and his alumni?

UrsineMaximus said:

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okaydo said:

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An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

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Weren't the Japanese asking for a conditional surrender days before the US dropped the first bomb? IIRC they only asked for sovereignty of the Emperor.

What is being celebrated by Knowlton and his alumni?

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I assume it's referring to the Doolittle Raid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_Raid

UrsineMaximus said:

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okaydo said:

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An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

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Weren't the Japanese asking for a conditional surrender days before the US dropped the first bomb? IIRC they only asked for sovereignty of the Emperor.

What is being celebrated by Knowlton and his alumni?

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This was the first US bombing of the Japanese home islands shortly after Pearl Harbor

StillNoStanfurdium said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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okaydo said:

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An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

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Weren't the Japanese asking for a conditional surrender days before the US dropped the first bomb? IIRC they only asked for sovereignty of the Emperor.

What is being celebrated by Knowlton and his alumni?

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I assume it's referring to the Doolittle Raid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_Raid

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OK thank you. Seems odd to be "celebrating" something/anything that caused harm to a current ally.

HearstMining said:

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And the planes for the raid (B-25s) were loaded onto the carrier Hornet at Alameda NAS, which coincidentally was Jimmy Dolittle's hometown.

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Awesome!!

It is a really interesting case of an operation done for very little strategic value but had a dramatic impact on the home front. Much the same as some of the battles in North Africa and what they did to strengthen British moral.

socaltownie said:

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It is a really interesting case of an operation done for very little strategic value but had a dramatic impact on the home front. Much the same as some of the battles in North Africa and what they did to strengthen British moral.

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Have the British celebrated it?

UrsineMaximus said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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okaydo said:

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An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

---

Weren't the Japanese asking for a conditional surrender days before the US dropped the first bomb? IIRC they only asked for sovereignty of the Emperor.

What is being celebrated by Knowlton and his alumni?

---

I assume it's referring to the Doolittle Raid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_Raid

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OK thank you. Seems odd to be "celebrating" something/anything that caused harm to a current ally.

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Eh, it's like "celebrating" D-Day. I think of it more as a commemoration of a historical event against a different regime or a current ally. It's not like modern day Germany should be offended if people hold D-Day up in a good light. Likewise I'd argue that a retaliatory action in the wake of Pearl Harbor should be less offensive especially since it was really directed against Imperial Japan and not the current day citizens or government.

IMO, though, it's probably a little much to use a quote which vaguely refers to "The Japanese." That part isn't as necessarily and can only lead to confusion.

socaltownie said:

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It is a really interesting case of an operation done for very little strategic value but had a dramatic impact on the home front. Much the same as some of the battles in North Africa and what they did to strengthen British moral.

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It actually was perhaps the most important strategic operation of the war, as the vulnerability of the Japanese home islands became apparent to the Imperial Japanese Navy they accelerated their efforts to expand their security umbrella in the Pacific and therefore extend their perimeter to Midway.

StillNoStanfurdium said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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okaydo said:

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An ambush pic.twitter.com/4RKUoGR77z

— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 17, 2023

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Weren't the Japanese asking for a conditional surrender days before the US dropped the first bomb? IIRC they only asked for sovereignty of the Emperor.

What is being celebrated by Knowlton and his alumni?

---

I assume it's referring to the Doolittle Raid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_Raid

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OK thank you. Seems odd to be "celebrating" something/anything that caused harm to a current ally.

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Eh, it's like "celebrating" D-Day. I think of it more as a commemoration of a historical event against a different regime or a current ally. It's not like modern day Germany should be offended if people hold D-Day up in a good light. Likewise I'd argue that a retaliatory action in the wake of Pearl Harbor should be less offensive especially since it was really directed against Imperial Japan and not the current day citizens or government.

IMO, though, it's probably a little much to use a quote which vaguely refers to "The Japanese." That part isn't as necessarily and can only lead to confusion.

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Good points, thank you for sharing.

Due to the Doolittle Raid, the Japanese also attacked Dutch Harbor and invaded Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians (Alaska) at the same time as Midway. If those forces had been at Midway instead, they may have won the Battle.

"Japanese military leaders mistakenly believed that the April 18, 1942 Doolittle Raid was launched either from Midway or the Aleutians. By taking and establishing bases on Midway and in the Aleutians they believed that they could prevent further attacks and establish control over the north and central Pacific."

https://www.nps.gov/places/japanese-occupation-site.htm