WAR  DEPARTMENT                                                        
                       HEADOUARTERS OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES
                                      WASHINGTON
 
                                             May 3, 1942
 
MEMORADUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:        (The White House)
                     Subject: Raid on Tokyo.
     Recent cablegram from General Doolittle, together with report
made by Major Johnson who was aboard the HORNET when the 16 B'25s 
took off for Japan, provides a more complete picture of this mission.
 
     A total of 16 B-25s were all that were taken aboard the 
HORNET. The crews were given special instructions continuously 
during the trip as to the operation of their aircraft, the method      
of attacking their objectives, and navigating to their ultimate destination.
 
     On the 18th of April when the HORNET was 668 nautical miles 
East of Tokyo, the Naval Task Force ran into a Japanese patrol 
ship. This ship was sunk by the NASHVILLE, but not before it had 
an opportunity to send a message stating that it was being 
attacked by hostile enemy aircraft. Later in the afternoon the 
Task Force sank two more Japanese patrol ships. It is to be
noted that at this point the Task Force was some 150 to 400 miles further 
away from Tokyo than General Doolittle had planned his take-off.
 
     Although the seas were heavier than at any time during the 
trip, the rise and fall of the skip being as much as 50 feet and 
the spray breaking over the deck, the take-off was made with
General Doolittle leading in the first ship. The last airplane took off 
about 9:20.
 
     At 1:30 P.M., in the midst of an English propaganda broadcast 
from Japan in which a woman was telling how safe Japan was from 
bombing, the broadcast was cut off and another broadcast made giving 
information that fast, low flying bombers were at that time bombing 
Japan, A later broadcast told of fires and requested people to pray 
for rain. It was not until 48 hours later, however, that a broadcast 
was made stating that the fire was under control. Still later,
another broadcast was made which stated that casualties amounted to 
three to four thousand.