‘the greatest destruction of shipping other than warships in a single day’

Japanese naval yard at Dublon Island under attack during the carrier raid on Truk. In Operation Hailstone 35 transports and merchantmen were sunk. In one 24-hour period, 17 February 1944, the Japanese lost three months’ shipyard production.

While Operation Flintlock was being launched in this way, Rear-Admiral Harry Hill took a battalion of the 27th US Infantry on a small number of landing craft to seize Majuro Atoll on 31 January. Unlike Kwajalein it was undefended by the Japanese and it was soon made into a very useful base for the US Navy. Some of Mitscher’s carriers began arriving there as early as 2 February. It would serve as the springboard for an aerial assault on the major Japanese naval base of Truk in the Carolines a couple of weeks later. Nine carriers, six battleships, five heavy cruisers, an equal number of light cruisers, as well as thirty-three destroyers left Majuro on 15 February to begin Operation Hailstone. Using fleet carriers to launch an initial strike against the 365 Japanese aircraft on Truk and light carriers against enemy shipping both in the port and in the waters off the island, the Americans really caused mayhem throughout 17–18 February. Although a force of seven Japanese torpedo-bombers (‘Kates’) got through and managed to hit the carrier Intrepid, knocking her out of the action, American carrier aircraft did far more damage to the Japanese cause. In a total of 1,250 sorties, 400 tons of bombs were dropped to such effect that by the end of the operation at least two-thirds of the Japanese aircraft had been destroyed along with seventeen assorted warships, and twenty-five other vessels totalling 137,019 tons. In addition, American submarines off Truk managed to sink another light cruiser, Agano, the submarine I-43, and seven other assorted vessels.  Hailstone had therefore been an unqualified success and it was followed up by attacks on the islands of Jaluit, Saipan, Tinian and Rota in the Marianas over the course of the next few days. Again damage and destruction went hand-in-hand with the three task groups. While this was going on to the southwest, Operation Catchpole began with another invasion of the Marshall group. This time it was Eniwetok’s turn. Harry Hill brought ashore 8,000 men of 22nd Marine RCT and two battalions of the 27th US Infantry Division in twenty-seven landing craft, supported once again by an impressive amount of firepower provided by three escort carriers, three battleships, three cruisers and nineteen destroyers. After an initial landing was made on Engebi on 17 February, troops landed on Eniwetok two days later. Once again, the Japanese defenders fought bravely but perished in droves, only sixty-four surviving out of an original force of 3,431. Although it took only four days to smash their resistance, the Americans were shown the extraordinary nature of the enemy confronting them. Death appeared not to faze the Japanese and even if it did there was no visible sign of a dereliction of duty by individuals. Sometimes there would be no alternative but bloody close quarter combat to evict the defenders. It was clear that ground would only be grudgingly given up and at great expense. Securing Eniwetok would cost the lives of 195 US servicemen and end up wounding another 521.

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