The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1944-02-03
Yanks Drive
Toward Heart
Of MarshaIIs
Sky-Squodrons
Continue UnreIentine
Attacks on Foe .
BY MORRIE LANDSBERG
Associated Press War Editor


BY MORRIE LANDSBERG
Associated Press War Editor
American fighting men, NOV
ing swiftly against the surprised
japanese defenders, closed in on
bomb-ravaged Kwajalein atoll
today in a successful thanking
assault on the heart of the man
dated Marshall islands.
Marines who captured Roi is
let mopped up on enemy rem
nants on adjacent Namur as the
mid-Pacific invasion campaign
swept into the fourth day. SOL
diers of the Seventh Army Divi-
sion seized at least q third of
Kwajalein islet on the Southern,
and opposite, end of the big corr
al atoll.
Eyewitness accounts pictured
Roi and Namur as Uttered with
the twisted, smoking debris Of
intensely bombarded installa-
tons. and with the bodies Of
hundreds of Japanese soldiers.
But Roi gave the Americans a
four-runway airstrip to aim
new assaults on other enemy
bases where the Nipponese APP
parently had expected the
Marshalls invasion blow to fall.
RELENTLESS ATTACKS
Land-based Army and Navy
bombers showed no netup in the
systematic naturalization of the
Eastern Marshalls chain as
ground forces fought for con-
troll of the excellent anchorage
and air base at Kwajalein islet.
There was no mention in yester.
days Pearl Harbor communique
of any japanese sea or air oppo-
sition.
AS yet, no losses among the
hundreds of ships in the U. s.
invasion fleet have been report
ed, and Admiral Nimitz let it be
known that troop casualties
were light.
1T is now apparent that the
attack took the enemy COM
pletely by SURPRISE" the Gen.
trail Pacific commander said.
The weak resistance at Kwaja-
lein, aside from attesting to the
effectiveness of the pre-inva-
sion bombardment, indicated
the japanese were not prepared
to make a stand on the western
line of the Marshalls.
Associated Press war CORES
pondent Alva Dopking. who
landed at Namur with the Ma
rines. said the Japanese must
have deluded themselves into
believing that we didn't have
the power or the heart to knife
at the center of their Marshalls
stronghold"
Roi was invaded Monday, and
its airstrip fell four hours later.
New landings were made the
following day on Namur and
Kwajalein Islets. The fall Of
Kwajalein, and with it some 80
dependent islets, appeared i'm
minent.
TROOP ROTATION
A policy of troop rotation, uns
der which men with two years
or more service will get .
chance to come home, was an-
nounced in Washington BY
Lieut.. Gen. Willard F. Harmon.
commander of South Pacific
ground troops. The program
will be necessarily limited. he
said, by combat requirements
and transportation facilities.
Allied forces made new pro-
gress in the Southwest Pacific
offensive against Madang, Japa-
nese-held key to northern New
Guinea. Australians in the
Ramu Valley were reported lesD
than 35 miles south Of the big
base. On the coast. Japanese
troops fled into the mountains
in an attempt to escape N AL
lied pincers. Many others were
disclosed to have died Of star.
walton. -
Nipponese plane losses at IA
haul for January climbed -
SGT destroyed or probably -
troyed ~ Is more planes woro
knocked out. In two ailb "a 49,
battered New Br1ealn 49, q
the close Of last month. n lGe4
est attack cost the Allies foug
planes. Il.