In 1942, 131 days after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, an American force retaliated, bombing the major Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. Since land bases near the target are unavailable - and in-flight refueling techniques undeveloped - a dangerous, untried tactic must be employed for the top-secret mission: for the first time in history, twin-engine bombers are to take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Because the planes are too large to land on a carrier deck, after the attack they must continue on to mainland China -occupied by the Japanese - and then make their way to Allied-held territory as best they can. Weeks of preparation and training take place before the aircraft and their crews are finally loaded aboard the USS Hornet. Following a final shipboard briefing by mission leader Lt. Col. Jimmmy Doolittle, the fliers man their twin-engine Mitchell bombers and are catapulted from the flight deck. After completing their mission Lt. Lawson and his crew have only one problem: trying to find a safe passage home.