Original Item: One-Of-A-Kind. This is a fantastic piece of WWII history! This is a framed Commemorative print that even has James Doolittle’s signature along with Richard Cole, Henry Potter, and 11 other crewmembers! This print is number 892 of a total of 1000 prints made. The printing plates were intentionally destroyed, so the 1000 that were printed are the only ones in existence. This set also has a great original set of Senior Pilot Wings at the bottom.

The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago. Although the raid caused comparatively minor damage, it demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attacks. It served as retaliation for the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned by, led by, and named after Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle (later a Lieutenant General in the US Army Air Forces and the US Air Force Reserve).

Under the final plan, 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers, each with a crew of five, were launched from the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet, in the Pacific Ocean, off Japan. There were no fighter escorts. After bombing the military and industrial targets, the crews were to continue westward to land in China.

On the ground the raid killed about 50 people and injured 400. Damage to Japanese military and industrial targets was slight, but the raid had major psychological effects. In the United States, it raised morale. In Japan, it raised fear and doubt about the ability of military leaders to defend the home islands, but the bombing and strafing of civilians steeled Japanese resolve to gain retribution – this was exploited for propaganda purposes. The raid also pushed forward Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's plans to attack Midway Island in the Central Pacific – an attack that turned into a decisive defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) by the US Navy in the Battle of Midway. The consequences of the Doolittle Raid were most severely felt in China, where Japanese reprisals caused the deaths of 250,000 civilians and 70,000 soldiers.

Of the 16 USAAF crews involved, 14 complete crews of five returned to the United States or to US forces elsewhere – one crew was killed in action. Eight US aviators were captured by Japanese forces in Eastern China and three of these were later executed. All but one of the B-25s were destroyed in crashes, while the 16th landed at Vladivostok, in the Soviet Union.

Because the Soviet Union was not officially at war with Japan, it was required, under international law, to intern the crew during the war, and their B-25 was confiscated._ However, within a year, the crew was secretly allowed to leave the Soviet Union, under the guise of an escape – they returned to the United States, or to US units elsewhere, by way of Allied-occupied Iran and North Africa.

This is described in the paragraph below the framed print, which reads:

THE DOOLITTLE TOKYO RAIDERS
BY
ROBERT TAYLOR

On 18th April 1942 Lt, Colonel James H. Doolittle carried the Battle of the Pacific to the heart of the Japanese Empire when he led 16 B-25 Mitchells in a daring raid on military targets at Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya and Kobe. Having launched from the USs Hornet and circled the aircraft carrier, Jimmy Doolittle is seen making an overhead pass checking his compass heading, as other B-25s follow him into the air. All aircraft reached their target, thus the long-term strategic implications of the heroic raid proved immensely important to the outcome of the war in the Pacific.

Additionally, the print is signed by artist Robert Taylor on the far left, along with the signatures of 14 men, including:

- Colonel WILLIAM BOWER
Pilot: His aircraft attacked Yokuska Yokohama auto-factory. Bailed out over China and rescued by Chinese guerilla forces, eventually escaping to India. After the raid he flew with 310 Group and 57 Bomb Wing.
- Lieutenant Colonel RICHARD COLE
Co-Pilot: Attacked Tokyo and parachuted out over China. Friendly Nationalist troops helped him to evade the enemy. Remaining in China, he flew bombing and transport missions over the Hump.
- Staff Sgt. Rev. JACOB DeSHAZER
Bombardier: Bombed the Nagoya fuel-tank factory. Bailed out near Shanghai and taken prisoner by the Japanese. Held in terrible conditions for three and a half years. Of eight Raiders taken P.O.W., only four lived to return to the U.S.
- General JAMES DOOLITTLE
One of the great heroes of the 20th Century. After Pearl Harbor he masterminded and trained his famous Tokyo Raiders for the strike back against the Japanese. He led this historic mission and won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Later as a General he had an illustrious career commanding the air war over Italy and North Africa before taking charge of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Europe.
- Colonel ROBERT G. EMMENS
Co-Pilot: Bombed the steel mills of north Tokyo. Crash landed near Vladivostok, U.S.S.R. and interned by the Russians for over a year before escaping via Iran with British help back to the U.S.
- Major THOMAS C. GRIFFIN
Navigator: His aircraft attacked factories on Tokyo Bay. Bailing out over China he was temporarily held by the Nationalist Chinese Army before being released. Later he flew B-26s until shot down over North Africa. P.O.W. of the Germans until May 1945.
- Brigadier General EVERETT W. HOLSTROM
Pilot: After meeting stiff resistance from Japanese fighter aircraft, he parachuted from his damaged aircraft south west of Shingshi, China. Rescued by Chinese guerillas. He later flew and commanded B-47s, B-52s and the first supersonic bomber - B-58.
- Colonel TRAVIS HOOVER
Pilot of No. 2 aircraft, first off the deck following General Doolittle, attacked military targets in Tokyo. Crash landed in China and rescued by a young Chinese engineer. After a long trip back to the U.S.A., he later commanded a squadron of B-52s, before transferring to P-38 fighters.
- Major General DAVID M. JONES
Pilot: Bombed Tokyo waterfront before bailing out over Chusien Province, China. By July 1942 he had evaded the enemy to escape back to the U.S. Later shot down over Germany flying B-26s and held as a P.O.W. until April 1945.
- Brigadier General RICHARD A. KNOBLOCH
Co-Pilot: Attacked Yokosuka Naval Base. Bailed out and landed in a Chinese paddy field, and rescued by Chinese guerillas. He flew a further 55 missions from Burma and friendly China.
- Colonel HENRY A. POTTER
Navigator on General Doolittle's aircraft, they attacked Tokyo before parachuting out over China. The crew were helped to escape back to the U.S. by Chinese guerillas.
- Major HOWARD A. SESSLER
Navigator and Bombardier: After bombing Kobe he ditched in the sea off China. Guided back to freedom by friendly Chinese fighters. He later flew 103 missions on B-25s.
- Captain J. ROYDEN STORK
Co-Pilot on a B-25 that attacked the base at Heneda river. Bailed out over China and with help from Chinese allies, escaped to India where he flew missions with the 10th Air Force.
- Major GRIFFITH P. WILLIAMS
Co-Pilot on Don Smith's aircraft which attacked Kobe. Crash landing in the sea off China he was escorted by resistance fighters, eventually escaping back to the U.S.
Subsequently served in England and North Africa.

The fact that three such men signed this edition is just one of the reasons why the piece met with such great critical acclaim. It is also why copies are in so much great demand today.

The print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity that lists more information about the soldiers, along with the original bill of sale from 1994, the original framing bill in 1995, and a recent framing bill from Hobby Lobby.

A great display item ready for further research and display!