Evening star., 1944-05-01


and battleships subjected it to heav,
bombardmentS, starting large fire.
land destroying a number of planes
During the remainder of the year
Army and Navy land-based plane:
carried out repeated attacks or
enemy holdings in the Marshall:
Islands and at Nauru, inflictine
considerable damage on ships anc
shore installations. Enemy air at
tacks on our newly acquired bases
in the Gilberts were delivered, but
no serious damage was sustained.
Operations in the Marshall Islands
On January 80 offensive opera.
tions on the largest scale yet under.
taken were directed against thu
Marshall Islands by task forces
under the command of Vice Ad.
miral now AdmiraD Spruance. Or
that date simultaneous attacks were
delivered on Kwajalein by carrier:
commanded by Rear Admiral F. C
Sherman, on Roi by carriers com
manded by Rear Admiral A. E
Montgomery, on Taroa by carrier.
commanded by Rear Admiral j. w
Reeves, U. S. NJ, and on Wolfe BY
carriers commanded by Rear Ad.
miral S. G. Ginder, U. S. N. Ir
addition, cruisers, under the com.
mand of Rear Admiral E. C. Small
u. S. N, bombarded Taroa ano
Wolfe, and shore based aircraft
under Rear Admiral j. H. Hoover
U. S. N, bombed all four islands
together with Mile and Jaluit.
On January 81 carrier attacks
were resumed on Kwajalein BY
forces under Rear Admiral Reeve.
and the island was also bombardec
by battleships. Roi was again at.
tackled by Rear Admiral Ment.
gomery's carrier force, and in addi.
ton was heavily bombarded BY
battleships. Taroa and Wolfe were
again struck by a carrier force under
Rear Admiral Ginder and in addi-
ton were bombarded by cruisers
Forces under the command of Real
Admiral Small assisted in the bonn.
bardment of Wolfe and Maloelar
Ebeye was struck by carrier force!
under Rear Admiral Reeves, ane
Eniwetok was attacked by carrier.
under Rear Admiral F. c. Sher.
man, u. S. N. Mile, Jaluit ane
Wake were bombed by shore -basee
aircraft.
Other forces under Admiral Spru-
ance's command in this operation
consisted of a joint expeditionary
force Southern attack group un.
der Rear Admiral (now Vice Ad.
miraD r. K. Turner, U. S. N. De-
fense forces and land-based aircraft
were under the command of Rear
Admiral Hoover. Rear Admiral H
w. Hill, U. S. N, commanded an
attack group and Rear Admiral r
l.. Conolly, U. S. N, another (the
northern attack group. Expedi-
tionary troops were under the COM
mand of Maj. Gen. (now 1t. GEM
H. M. Smith, u. S. M. G. The car
rier task forces were commanded by
Rear Admiral M. A. Mitscher, U
Is. N.
On anJuary 81 the forces COM
manded by Rear Admiral Hill pro-
ceeded against the atoll of Majuro
but found no japanese present
there. On the following day troops
were sent ashore and the atoll was
occupied.
On February 2 landings were
made on Roi, Namur and Kwajalein
Roi was secured and enemy resist
ance on Namur was confined to the
northern part of the island BY the
middle of the afternoon all organ
lied resistance on Roi and Namur
was overcome and the commanding
general of the 4th Marine Division
(Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt, U. S
M. c. assumed command ashore
Our casualties on these two islands
were less than 100 killed and 40C
wounded simultaneously four small.
er islands were occupied. At Kwa-
jalein our troops 9th Division
United States Army made consid-
cradle progress against increasing
resistance.
BY February 5 our troops or
Kwajalein had captured the island
and by the 9th the entire atoll wa!
in our possession.
Taroa, Wolfe, Jaluit, Mile anc
Ponape were bombed and/or bonn
barded at frequent intervals during
the remainder of the month.
Attack on Island of Truk.
On February 1913 forces unde,
the command of Vice Admiral (nov
AdmiraD Spruance delivered an at
tack on the island of Truk. TIL,
first part of the attack, by carrier
based planes. was followed up b,
battleships, cruisers and destroyers
Heavy damage was inflicted on tn
enemy, both in ships sunk and dam
aged, and in planes shot down ant
destroyed on the ground. This at
tack, which was delivered with dev
aStating effect. was PARTICULAR,
satisfying as it was generally re
garded, as partial payment for th'
debt incurred when Pearl Harbo
was attacked.
Forces participating in the attacl
on Truk included carriers under th'
command of Rear Admiral Mitsche
(under whom were Rear Admiral
Reeves, Montgomery and Sherman
cruisers commanded by Rear Ad
mirals L. T. Du Bose, U. S. N; J. L
Wiltsie, U. S. N, and R. C. Giffen
U. S. N, and battleships under Rea
Admirals C. M Hustvedt, U. S. N.
G. B. Davis. U. S. NJ, and E. w
Hansen, u S. N.
On February II an eXpeditionar,
task group under the command O
Rear Admiral Hill assault troop
were headed by Brig. Gen. T. f
Watson, U. S. M. c., landed OF
Eniwetok Atoll which had previ
ously been bombarded and bombe'
over a period of several days. Sup
porting forces included carriers un
der Rear Admirals v. H. Ragsdale
U. S. N, and Ginder; cruisers com
manded by Rear Admirals j. E
Oldendorf, u S. N, and L. II. The
baud, U. S. N.
On February 18, after extensiv
bombing and bombardment, Engeh
Jela nn y,