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Edition 25
Height 25 inches
One Left, $8700. |
| The Americans had been suffering one defeat after another in the early months of World War II and desperately needed a moral boosting success. President Roosevelt had directed the War Department to achieve a victory and punish the enemy. The plan was formulated and practiced to attack the Japanese main land using Navy aircraft carriers to launch Army Air Corps planes. On April 18, 1942 U.S. Navy Task Force 16 under the command of Adm. William Halsey was 600 miles off the coast of Japan. The task force was detected by the Japanese 200 miles before reaching the intended point to launch an attack against Tokyo, Japan. Without delay, Halsey knowing it virtually impossible to recover the air crews and planes, sent the famous message, "LAUNCH PLANES" dispatching 16 planes and 80 men under the command of Lt. Col Jimmy Doolittle on a daring one way mission. Extra gasoline was quickly loaded into 5 gallon milk cans attempting to keep the planes in the air longer. The day after, Doolittle was found at the wreckage of his plane, greatly disturbed learning that all aircraft were lost. This heroic mission was a tremendous success, causing the Japanese to change their expansion and defense strategy for the war which in turn significantly shortened the War.
When Doolittle returned, he received a double promotion to Brigadier General and the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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