The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-12
Kneu All About Truk
BY COMDR. LOUIS ]. CULVER
U. S. NJ, Retired

American naval aircraft mat recently pune
tured the 'invincibility' of Japanese defenses
of Truk in the Carolines by sinking number
of enemy naval ships in the lagoon, also
spoiled what might have been fifteith ar
niversary celebration, for the first Jap war
ship visited this archipelago in 1894.
American missionaries in the Truk group
and in other islands in the Carolines were
the first to realize what the Japanese in
tended to do the moment the coast was clear
after the outbreak Of World War One and
interested nations too busy to halt them.
These missionaries a Japanese admiral
and staff arrive in Truk, the admiral direct
from duty as Aide de Camp to the Emperor.
The staff conducted a thorough survey of
the military and naval possibilities of Truk.
AS soon as possible thereafter, up went
radio towers on Truk and secretly through
the air went messages from Admiral Nozaki
to Tokyo to this general effect: This Truk
archipelago has everything: anchorages for
many fleets, mountains for artillery and look
outs, good soil for food. Am staying on
Rush permanent equipment and supplies"
These same American missionaries have
supplied other proof that the japanese made
plans then and there to stay in Truk per-
manently. Japanese naval personnel were
seen by the missionaries making further sur
veys of the many islands in the Truk group
lagoon for ship anchorages. This was ex-
pertly charted for naval ships and seaplane
anchorages.
Almost Immediately, the japanese borrowed
leaf from the book of American mission
aries The American mission schools were
suppressed and japanese Christian mission
schools were set up. The edict was handed
down. male natives are required to study
H. jy TrrIy
years of this, and with it the japanese con-
ception of history and geography American
missionaries were told: ''You may teach only
sacred Subjects
The order from Tokyo that no white men
would henceforth look on Truk a m e to
naught, however, several weeks ago when
United States Marines flew over the lagoon
with their aerial cameras.
Secret as have been the details OF how
many ships the Japs have harbored in the
Truk lagoon, there never has been any real
secret about what Truk really is. President
i Woodrow Wilson took in the full meaning OF
Truk in 1918: 1.-THE Carolines CTruz) lie athwart
our path from Hawaii to the Philippines. Be-
sides, Truk is nearer Hawaii than Hawaii is
to our Pacific coast
"This Caroline group can be fortified and
made into naval bases by Japan. The ISLANDS
are of little use for aught else.
eve have no naval base near except the
island of Guam"
The President fully realized that Truk, al
ready occupied by Japan, was almost certain
to be made into 'stop'' sign for any force
going west to succor the Philippines.
It is almost as though Nature was equipped
with naval blueprints when it came to build
ing this extraordinary group Of 245 Islands,
sitting in a semi-placid duck pond, hundreds
of miles from the nearest hostile base. This
duck pond called a lagoon, provides beautl-
full safe anchorage for fleets of ships and
seaplanes. Nature, with its coral polyp work
ers, built long breakwater around the whole
island group, a reef that holds back the
heavy seas Moreover, the breakwater was
made with exit gates that numbers OF
vessels can leave at the same time
Nevertheless, this same lagoon can become
trap for Japanese ships caught in there
by American aircraft. They must stay ana
take it, because if they leave they abandon
their only protection, the shore-emplaced an
. tiaircraft guns Not only that, but ships In
the open sea must fight or run.
Nature, however, had joker in her Dulld,
ing. plans. We have it on the authority Of