USS Hornet B-25 deck spots

The museum you are thinking of is the Doolittle Memorial Museum at Travis AFB, between Sacramento and Frisco. They have numerous exhibits dedicated to the Doolittle Raiders, and I'm confident I saw crew photos which included plane numbers and order of takeoff. Don't know if any of this is on the museum's website.

You are correct: the B-25's were moved about the deck prior to launch, and I've seen photos of Hornet's flight deck showing several F4F's tied down right at the bow, just ahead of a forward crash barrier, with a B-25 just behind the barrier. I also recall seeing a photo showing an SBD aft of the island at the starboard deck edge, among the b-25's. Flat top plane handlers have always been a hard-worked lot!

Not sure, but I think I saw those images on the official USN/Hornet webpage commemorating the Doolittle raid. HTH

I've seen a photo, perhaps in "Men Ships and the Sea" that indicates the a/c had tarps over the engines and the front glass areas. I'll try to dig it out, but here's the idea.

There's a pretty complicated tiedown arrangement, too.

Nice project!

The book 30 Seconds over Tokyo shows a couple of photos of the flight deck in transit. All the planes ont he rear of the deck were the B-25's. He lists the order of takeoff in the book if I remember correctly. I think he also mentions that the TBD's and SBD's were stowed below since they could not land them if them did manage to take off. There are two nice photos of the B-25's tied down on the deck prior to launch.

Steve

See the US Naval Historical Center's page on the Doolittle Raid.   There is included a good series of photos which show the layout of the aircraft in-transit.

http://history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/misc-42/doolt-a.htm

Oh I dunno, I don't think that tie down pattern is that complicated. We all know how much swabbies loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to tie knots, and lash down anything even remotely moveable so thoroughly that you could turn the ship upside down and shake it and nothing would come out *grins*

Here's a link to a good forum about Hornet that contains some photos that will be very helpful. 

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=4866&p=217630#p217630

A few very interesting things to note in photos:

1. two SBDs parked among the B-25 Mitchells

2. a smaller aircraft parked on the port side aft (it may be another SBD). You can make out the rudder stripes which are barely visible under the engine of the aft-most port side B-25.

3. the proximity of the escort

4. look at the B-25 wingtip visible in the bottom right of the photo. It appears to have war games crosses somewhat painted out.

5. None of the B-25 propellers have yellow tips.

6. Some B-25s have their dorsal turrets covered, others do not.

Should have sent this sooner.

Thanks for your assistance with my question. 

Thank you for your assistance with my question.

I noticed those SBD's to the starboard of the B-25's aft of the superstructure.

That really gave me pause.

Guess we'll never know what that aircraft spotting routine was all about.