Doolittle redux
With the focus in the past week or so on the retired super-carrier USS Ranger (CV-61) and the Doolittle Raiders, I figured this was a neat tie-in.
The restored World War II B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft “Heavenly Body” takes off from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS RANGER (CV-61) in 1992. It and another B-25 are being launched in a re-enactment of “Doolittle’s Raid” of April 18, 1942, during which 16 B-25’s were launched from the aircraft carrier USS HORNET (CV-8) in the first attack on the Japanese mainland. PHCM TERRY MITCHELL – ID:DN-ST-92-09801. (click to big up)
Restored B-25 “In the Mood” lifting off of Ranger, same day, same occasion.
Of course, these planes had in some cases a take off run more than double that of the raiders who took off from the Hornet in 1942, but hey, they still flew B-25 bombers off a flat-top. And when you add to the fact that the Mitchells were pushing 50 years of age…not bad.
The second photo of In The Mood lifting off was actually done onboard the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70. If you look carefully behind the plane, you can see what looks like hull number “7” and a “0”. Plus the island structure is a Nimitz class carrier structure. How do I know? I was onboard the Nimitz when In The Mood took off along with 2 other B-25’s, a Grumman Albatross, a Grumman Goose, a FM2, 2 F4U Corsairs, a SNJ, and 2 TBF Avengers. This occurred in 1995 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. The aircraft were loaded in Alameda NAS and we sailed to Oahu where they were launched.