[Paddlewise] Point of no return

From: Dan McCarty <dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com>
Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 08:35:09 -0400
The B25's could not return to the carrier and they could not land on the
carrier in any case.  They could just barely take off from the carrier.
The plan was to fly to Japan, bomb targets and then fly to land in China.
A Japanese fishing boat spotted the task force and radioed its position
before it could be sunk.  The B25's were lunched soon after a few hundred
miles earlier than planned rather than risk the carriers.  Canceling the
operation was not considered seriously.

One carrier, the Hornet launched the B25's, while the Enterprise provide
cover.

Since the B25's launched early very few of them actually landed in China.
Most crashed when they ran out of fuel.  A couple were shot down over Japan
and some of the crews were beheaded.

Since the planes launched earlier than planned, even if they had
wanted/planned to return to the carriers, they did not have the fuel.

Later,
Dan
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Received on Sun May 11 2008 - 07:00:29 PDT

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