December 28th - The Day of Infamy, Part IV

Doolittle

The US was not idle after Pearl Harbor. On January 5th, Admiral Nimitz replaced Admiral Kimmel as commander, US Pacific Fleet. USS Yorktown arrived in the Pacific on January 9th, the first reinforcement from the Atlantic Fleet.

In the first three months of 1942, USS Lexington conducted a series of probing raids against Japanese bases. The “Lady Lex” was always accompanied by a strong screen of cruisers and destroyers, and wherever possible PBY’s probed around her routes. USS Yorktown joined in this activity in late January, and received similar treatment. Admiral Nimitz was determined to preserve his carriers until there was a chance to engage the IJN on favorable terms.

On March 12th the Pacific Fleet received its first major reinforcement. USS Hornet, USS New Mexico, USS Mississippi, USS Idaho, USS Vincennes, and USS Nashville cleared the Panama Canal accompanied by nine destroyers. The three battleships had been hastily refitted with 5”/38 and 40mm Bofors guns and directors in place of their 5”/51, 5”/25, and 1.1” mounts due to increased concerns about air attack and the limited carrier-borne air cover expected to be available.

USS Hornet had a special mission. On April 1st, her deck was loaded with 16 B-25 bombers, and accompanied by USS Yorktown, six heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, nine destroyers, and three fleet oilers she sailed to within 480nm of Japan before launching her special cargo on the evening of April 18th. During the night, the 16 bombers became the first air raid on Japanese soil. Though virtually no damage of military significance was done by the raid (only 16 tons of bombs were dropped), the morale impacts to both the Japanese and the Allies were massive. Twelve of the aircraft reached Nationalist China, where the aircraft and crews continued to fly missions for over a year. In reprisal for Chinese assistance to the raid, which had dropped one bomb just 100 yards from the Imperial Palace, the Japanese Army went on a rampage in which it is estimated that 250,000 Chinese were killed. Of the five raiders captured by the Japanese (after their bomber crashed in China) two were executed, and two of the remaining three died in captivity before the end of the war.

Despite the brilliant success of the raid, the Japanese still retained the strategic initiative. It was an advantage they would continue to exploit.