B-25J Mitchell

On April 18, 1942, sixteen of these Army Air Forces medium bombers flew one of the most daring missions in military history, launching from USS Hornet (CV 8) to bomb Japan.  All volunteers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, the Doolittle Raiders sparked a boost in morale for the American public and proved the vulnerability of the Japanese Home Islands.  The Marine Corps procured examples of the Mitchell for use later in the Pacific, designating them PBJs.