I knew one of the Doolittle planes ended up in the Soviet Union and the crew interned, but nothing more than the bare fact. Plane 8 didn’t go to Russia because they were low on fuel or lost. They were on a secret mission that not even the navigator knew about.
Hap Arnold wanted to establish air bases in the Soviets’ Maritime Province, but needed to know what the Russians had there. A bomber could join Doolittle’s raid and fly to Soviet territory instead of China. The experienced pilots could do an aerial survey followed by a ground assessment with the Russians revealing only what they wished.
Stalin want to avoid any action giving the Japanese a pretext to invade. He could have killed the American crew or turned them over to Japan. It was a risk that Arnold and the pilots believed was worth taking.
Interspersed with segments about the crew’s experience is a concise history of World War II and events leading to it. The fate of all the raiders is detailed, as well as how wartime events during the crew’s captivity affected their fate. Highly educational.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.