Page 220 - Micronesia
P. 220
Since Truk Lagoon had been in Japanese control since WWI, destroyed, mostly on the ground. Many of the aircraft were in
American pilots were flying into unknown skies. Reconnaissance various states of assembly, having just arrived from Japan is dis
photos showed warships and attack aircraft on the ground that assembled form aboard cargo ships. Very few of the assembled
the Hellcat pilots would have to confront. At daybreak the fight- aircraft were able to take off in response to the U.S. attack. Sev-
ers were surprised to find the skies virtually unprotected and the eral Japanese aircraft that did take off were claimed destroyed by
Japanese Combined Fleet gone. Truk’s airfield personnel were U.S. fighters or gunners on the U.S. bombers and torpedo planes.
attempting to start a defense, but they had too little too late.
The American pilots were able to control the airspace over Truk The U.S. lost 25 aircraft due to intense anti-aircraft fire, but 16
Lagoon. U.S. aircrew were rescued by submarine or amphibious aircraft.
A nighttime torpedo attack by a Japanese aircraft damaged the
As the Hellcat Fighters began their engagement, US Fleet Carri- intrepid and killed 11 of her crew. Another Japanese air attack
ers were launching bombers to begin the destruction of ship- damaged the USS Intrepid, and killed 11 of her crew, although
ping and shore facilities. Dauntless Dive Bombers and Avenger that attack did not come from Japanese forces at Truk Lagoon.
Torpedo Bombers had armor piercing bombs to attack Japanese Yet another Japanese air attack slightly damaged the Battleship
warships expected to be encountered. The Americans also car- USS Iowa. The Japanese later relocated about 100 aircraft from
ried incendiary and fragmentation clusters to destroy, burn and Rabaul to Truk, but these aircraft were attacked by U.S. carrier
blast aircraft on the ground. A Hellcat Fighter formation pro- forces in another attack April 29-30, 1944, destroying most of
tected the bombers against an expected enemy defense, as they them. The April 1944 strikes found no shipping existing in Truk
escorted them to their targets. lagoon and were the last major attacks on Truk during the war.
During the two-day operation Japan lost ships with a combined It was apparent that Operation Hailstone was a tremendous
220,000 tons, including a pair of light cruisers, four destroyers, an success. Thousands of Japanese forces were marooned on the
armed merchant cruiser, a torpedo boat, three sub-chasers, and 3 islands of Truk Lagoon and had to await the end of the war and
auxiliary ships. As many as 17 ships were damaged, but not sunk, fend off starvation as they were cut off from their countrymen.
including a submarine tender, a seaplane tender, a fleet repair
ship, an escort, and others. Over 250 Japanese aircraft were
