John Mollison painted this picture of Lt. Col. James Doolittle's B-25 as it would have looked during his daring raid on Japan in World War II. A Pierre man, Lt. Henry Potter, served as Doolittle's navigator for the raid. (Courtesy John Mollison)
John Mollison painted this picture of Lt. Col. James Doolittle's B-25 as it would have looked during his daring raid on Japan in World War II. A Pierre man, Lt. Henry Potter, served as Doolittle's navigator for the raid. (Courtesy John Mollison)
Some 77 years ago today, the U.S.S. Hornet and the 16 U.S. Army Air Force bombers on its deck would have been rolling — as much as an 873-foot-long, 24,580 ton aircraft carrier can roll — in the rough, late spring Pacific Ocean.
On 15, April, 1942, two South Dakotans, U.S. Army aviators Lt. Henry Potter of Pierre and Lt. Don Smith of Oldham, both of whom volunteered for the mission, would have been fighting sea sickness and making final preparations for a bomb raid. Potter had a special responsibility, he was the navigator for raid commander Lt. Col. James Doolittle’s B-25 — Doolittle Raider #1. Meaning Potter would, basically, be guiding about half the attack force to their targets. Smith, piloted the B-25 called Doolittle Raider #15.
The Hornet was headed to Japan, or more specifically a few hundred miles off the coast of Japan. In three days, on April 18, 1942, the ship would find itself spotted well short of its destination and be forced to launch it’s cargo — a strike force of 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers — on what would be the first attack against the Japanese mainland of World War II.
The attack now known as the Doolittle Raid would become legend, immortalized in print and film several times over the decades since. But South Dakota’s contribution to the raid has quietly faded from the public eye.
“In South Dakota we do such a good job of burying our people who have done great things,” said South Dakota Air and Space Museum communications director John Mollison.
This week though, on April 16 and April 17, a still-flying B-25 will be making its way across the state to commemorate, Potter and Smith’s participation in the Doolittle Raid.
Organized by the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, the Raid Across South Dakota, as the event is being called, aims to get students from schools in Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Pierre and Rapid City, some hands-on experience with a piece of living history, Mollison said. During the event’s stops, Bankwest will provide a specially prepared Educator’s Kit to attendees with preference to teachers and students.
“South Dakota has a lot to brag about,” he said.
The bomber is scheduled to land in Pierre about 10:30 a.m. on April 17, Mollison said. The stop will be open to the general public, even if the focus is on students.
In the end, the Doolittle Raid caused very little physical damage to Japan’s war effort. What it did do, though was force the Japanese military to put more focus on home defense. More than that though, the raid served to boost the confidence of America and its allies.
The B-25 coming to Pierre is owned by the Commemorative Air Force, non-profit that takes historic aircraft to air shows around the country. The bomber is based out of Fleming Field near Minneapolis Minn.
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