The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-13

Pacific fleet, especially his brilliant
audacious attack against Marshall
and Gilbert Islands January 81
1912. BY his great skill and de.
termination, this drive inflicted
heavy damage to enemy ships ano
planes"
Officers pointed with pride TO the
cover and surprise of the attack
which was shown in the fact tna'
approximately IS per cent OF ING
bomber force and go to 80 per cen'
OF the ships based upon the ISLANDS
we're destroyed.
Here Is the way the officers anc
men who did the fighting told tne
story:
THE Japs didn't have the faint
est idea that the attack was coming
We caught them Wide open ano
they soon found out. When they
later sent their bombers out as we
were leaving, one pilot, whose plane
was damaged, made q suicide ave
with his engines atire, IN an enor.
to crash on the deck OF an alrpiahe
carrier.
"He hit the deck cupboard ano
went over the side into the sea
causing only superficial damage.
GAS the fleet steamed in Tor the
initial blanket aerial and bomparo.
ment attack on all detectives az
6.59 a. M. we spotted the dull green
tons Of the coconut palms on the
horizon-then the white Lines on tile
coral bar and the SURF.
Sudden Roar Of Guns
Our warships raced through the
creamy water. There was a sudden
roar Of guns. Then salvo after salvo
from the biggest rifles were fired. ;,
1.-THE range was so close tnat az
the damage could be observed
There was only a pit:ful response
from the Japanese shore batteries
Our guns fired again. The shore
batteries we're soon out OF commits
sion.
"Then our planes came. They m
lshed the Job"
The attack was simultaneous
air and naval blow at eight 1Slanos
in an area 400 miles long and 3ot
miles wide, lasting from $3.50 q. m
until l1:15 a. m. (The eyewitness
story continued)
Various combatant ships bonn
barded two islands supported py
an airplare carrier on which tne
planes that made the other attacks
we're based. Some Of the slanos
r,o-o otto ol fuirp
American carrier-based plane:
proved superior to the japanese
land-based craft in both speed anc
armament.
The American planes had taker
of from the carrier several hours
before the attack. They bombed
Vote Tin the Marshall group
while the fleet crept close under
cover OF darkness with all guns
manned and all precautions taker
against an enemy attack. Taroa
also was attacked.
Onslaught Big Surprise
"Out the onslaught was q com.
plete surprise and the attackers met
air opposition only at Taroa where
at first there was desultory and IN
accurate anti-aircraft fire. The pi-
lots snickered at the enemy's Wide
misses as they approached thell
targets. Then Japanese planes TOOK
to the air and the flight leader ano
his wing man scored a brilliant sue
cess by downing four Of IL enemy
planes which engaged Them" one
witress said.
The flight leader was a tall, blond
voungster from Milwaukee who, sale
that "luck was riding with me tina
day"
His comrades, however, said thai
he had shown great skill as did one
Of his wing men. After recovering
from a first dive, they returned a,
low altitude to machine gun anc
found themselves facing dozen en-
emv fighters. The Wingman doWnec
one and coll ded with another which
crashed, while the flight leader Sot
two. Both returned safely WIZ
their planes to the carrier although
the flight leader had 40 bullets II
his craft, one rudder control was
gone and the other was frayed. Ht
was unhllrt.
I'm the Marshalls our forces at.
tackled Rio and Kwajalein island:
of the Kwajalein A.o1l; Vote o.
the wolfe Atoll, and Taroa; Jalult
Enyborm and Mile (Mills) islands
Maxim in the Gilberts also was at.
tackled (the eyewitness story con-
tinued)
Modern Airfields
1--WE found modern well-equippao
airdelds and 80 to 80 vessels q
which about 20 were at Kwajalein
including a modern cruiser, a Dig
liner, Ave to seven submarines anc
three big oilers in addition u
auxiliary equipment. 3d.,
."There also were radio stations
fuel and munitions dumps, admin
istration buildings, and living quar-
tiers. Hardly single objective es'
capped unscathed."
Kawajalein and Roi Islands were
the main targets for air attack be-
cause of their interior positions II
the Marshall group. They were at-
tackled twice. Wolfe and Taroa were
machinegunned and bombed, Their
bombarded from the sea and Their
air bombed again. Jaluit, Maxim anc
Mill were bombed and machine
g,Inned but bad weather was en-
countered there.
Drive Home Our Attack
1.-THE determination Of our flyers
TO drive home the attack was dem
onstrated despite the bad weather
These men had both nerve and abil.
ity. One squadron leader said tina,
his group encountered the Wors'
weather he had ever flown through
but every plane which returned &c
the carrier had reached and at
tackled Its objective.
Considering that most OF etre
pilots were young and not exper'
fenced In war their perseverance il,
pushing through bad weather anc
in many cases acting on their owr
initiative was very commendable."
It was noteworthy that the Amer
- e,