| | | Yep, way back in the 1920's.
" Doolittle and Ostfriesland connect through Billy Mitchell's 1921 demonstration where aircraft, including those with pioneers like Doolittle involved, sank the captured German battleship Ostfriesland, proving airpower's dominance and influencing military strategy, well before Doolittle's famous 1942 raid on Japan, which boosted American morale.
Billy Mitchell & Ostfriesland
- The Event: In 1921, General Billy Mitchell led air attacks that sank the supposedly "unsinkable" German battleship Ostfriesland, a former naval vessel from the East Frisia (Ostfriesland) region of Germany.
- Doolittle's Role: Aviation pioneer Jimmy Doolittle was part of the First Provisional Air Brigade involved in these tests, helping demonstrate the power of aerial bombing.
- Significance: This event proved air power could defeat naval power, a concept Doolittle later championed.
Doolittle Raid
- The Raid: In 1942, Doolittle led the first U.S. air raid on Japan, a morale-boosting retaliatory strike after Pearl Harbor.
- Connection: The success of airpower in events like the sinking of the Ostfriesland laid groundwork for the capabilities demonstrated in the Doolittle Raid, with Doolittle himself becoming a legend.
In essence: Ostfriesland was a target that helped prove the concept of airpower; Doolittle was a pioneer who helped prove it in combat with his 1942 raid on Japan. |
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