ORIGINAL: Hrafnagud
Yes, that movie taught me that they allowed pursuit pilots to fly B-25s off the Hornet in '42.
Although from a historical perspective the movie is rubbish, I took it as a Hollywood “based on a true story” type of movie. Meaning there was a war which involved the UK, USA, and Japan. It involved action in Britain, Pearl Harbor and Japan. That the airplanes had propellers on them, some fighters some bombers. A movie with current ways/attitudes given a bit of historical flavor.
However, it would not be unusual for a pilot to be put where ever the AAF wanted, flying what ever plane they put him in regardless of experience. However, bomber and fighter pilots once assigned the roll tended to stay in that roll. Flight time in something similar to what you were assigned to was seen as something you got on the way to the target or mission. As landings are one of the more difficult things to do it is one of the reasons there were so many crashes upon mission returns from newer pilots, even though there was no combat and plane fully functional. Until later in the war training in plane being used and tactics was something you learned on the job, if you survived long enough. America had an almost endless supply of pilots and planes and pilots were treated as such.
What is very a historical regarding game play is that it is strenuously recommended that pilots be trained in a mission roll and then used at the front in similar planes and in similar roles.
That part of the movie, dare I call it that, that is strange is for someone who had been a fighter pilot forced to not only associate with “their kind” (bomber pilots), but to be a fighter pilot assigned as a bomber pilot would be the utmost in humiliation and disgrace. That the character does not complain and protest to the highest levels available to him is the part that is out of character.
Doolittle acted somewhat unusual for the time in having the pilots for the raid practice. That may be because of his beliefs (Some like Halsey tended to provide opportunity for training), that they effectively had no bombsite, and/or with only a few planes wanted to actually do something than just a fly over. Taking off of a carrier he probably also wanted them to be able to make it to Japan and not just crash into the ocean trying to take off.
At this time it was almost impossible for American fliers to assemble various aircraft for a coordinated raid as their training and skill levels were so low. The pilots were amazingly brave but little trained.
; Julia Child
