Within weeks of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, The American military establishment was tasked with the assignment of coming up with a suitable retaliatory attack that would demonstrate that the U.S. was capable of attacking and destroying Japanese targets.  It was also intended as a moral booster on the homefront.  Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is based on the memiors of Ted Lawson who flew one of the 16 twin engined B-25 Bombers launched from the U.S.S. Hornet that bombed targets in Japan including Tokyo.  A number of factors made this mission especially challenging:  1) Twin engined bombers taking off from an American Carrier had never been tried; 2)  The Bombers would have to fly over 500 miles of open water to their targets "low and slow" without any fighter escort and 3) Given the lack of fuel capacity and their large size there was no chance for the bombers to return to their carrier after the mission. They would instead have to fly still further and land in China.  Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is one of best, if not the best, film about World War II to be made during the war.  Starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson and Robert Walker among others.  Fullscreen in black and white.  Released in 1944.  Runtime 139 minutes.