Page 153 - Micronesia

significant portion of the Japanese craft. The consequences of the attack made II by the United States Navy against the
Truk lagoon the biggest graveyard of ships Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the
A fleet was based at Truk, with its admin- in the world. Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese terri-
tory. The atoll was the only major Japanese
istrative center on Tonoas (south of Weno). T he attacks for the most part ended Truk airbase within range of the Marshall Islands
At anchor in the lagoon were the Imperial as a major threat to Allied operations and was a significant source of support for
Japanese Navy’s battleships, aircraft car- in the central Pacific. The Japanese gar- Japanese garrisons located on islands and
riers, cruisers, destroyers, tankers, cargo rison on Eniwetok was denied any realistic atolls throughout the central and south
ships, tugboats, gunboats, minesweepers, hope of reinforcement and support during Pacific. The base was the key logistical
landing craft, and submarines. Some have the invasion that began on February 18, and operational hub supporting Japan’s
described Truk as Japan’s equivalent of 1944, greatly assisting U.S. forces in their perimeter defenses in the central and south
the Americans’ Pearl Harbor. In 1944, Truk conquest of that island. Truk was isolated Pacific.
was devastated in one of the important by Allied (primarily U.S.) forces as they
naval attacks of the war. Forewarned by continued their advance towards Japan T o ensure air and naval superiority for
intelligence a week before the US raid, the by invading other Pacific islands such as the upcoming invasion of Eniwetok Ad-
Japanese had withdrawn their larger war- Guam, Saipan, Palau, and Iwo Jima. Cut miral Raymond Spruance ordered an attack
ships (heavy cruisers and larger vessels) to off, the Japanese forces on Truk and other on Truk. Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher’s
Palau. Once the American forces captured central Pacific islands ran low on food and Task Force 58 had five fleet carriers (USS
the Marshall Islands, they used them as a faced starvation before Japan surrendered Enterprise, USS Yorktown, USS Essex, USS
base from which to launch an early morn- in August 1945. Intrepid, and USS Bunker Hill) and four light
ing attack on February 17, 1944 against carriers (USS Belleau Wood, USS Cabot, USS
Truk Lagoon. Operation Hailstone lasted O peration Hailstone was a massive Monterey, and USS Cowpens), embarking
for three days, as American carrier-based naval air and surface attack launched more than 500 planes.
planes sank twelve warships (light cruisers, on February 16–17, 1944, during World War
destroyers, and auxiliaries) and thirty-two
merchant ships, while destroying 275 air-