Evening star., 1944-02-02

The 7th Division is commanded
Warships poured thousands of
tons of explosives into enemy in
stallations in clearing the way for
the troop landings and even before
the actual invasion carrier planes
destroyed or damaged 113 japanese
planes, mostly at Roi
Confident of Final Victory.
American commanders expressed
confidence in final victory-a con-
fidence founded on the knowledge
that they had the support of the
greatest sea armada ever assem-
bled. But they cautioned against
expecting quick campaign, like the
three-day conquest of the Gilberts
300 miles to the south.
Capture of Kwajalein, with an
excellent harbor, seaplane and SUBJ
marine bases, would expose Wolfe
and Maloelap, two other major
atolls in the Marshalls lying almost
directly east 1t would develop new
threats to the enemy, for Truk,
the Japanese naval bastion, is 1900
miles southwest, and Toxic is 2,70O
miles northwest.
The invading forces by-passed
eastern (Radak) line of atolls as
we'll as those atolls north and south
of Kwajalein we're placed in such
a position by the invasion stroke
that Rear Admiral Richmond K.
Turner, commanding amphibious
operations, said:
1--WE can either take them or let
them wither on the vine"
Mai. Gen. Holland M Smith is
overall commander Of the ground
forces
Filling Up With Ships.
Under the overall command of
Vice Admiral R. A. Spruance, the
most powerful fleet assembled, in
Guiding new battleships, aircraft
carriers, cruisers and even secxet-
type vessels, escorted the trans
ports and landing craft to the in
vasion scene, 1000 miles southwest
of Pearl Harbor. Before the land
ings. big guns of the naval escort
churned Kwajalein and other atolls
with a terrific bombardment.
Wherever we search, the whole
damn Pacific is filling up with war
Ships" a pilot had exclaimed on
returning in a plane to his carrier
while the invasion force was near
ing the objective.
Constant support is being af-
forded the ground forces by land
based planes-7th Air Force units
of Maj. Gen. Willis H. Hale; fleet
arriving units of Rear Admiral John
D. Price-and hundreds of planes
from the carrier forces OF Rear
Admiral March Mitscher.
1t is the same type of air mastery
displayed during more than 20
straight days of neutralizing raids
prior to invasion. In that period
more than 300 enemy planes were
destroyed or damaged, 113 of them
on the last two days in the Mar
shalls. More than 20 tons of ex-
plosives also hit Wake Island to
keep that enemy airbase from in
terfering.
1ICPdlCu lUi LohS IS hts
Despite such massing of power,
the Americans were prepared for
weeks of fighting, if need be, to put
down japanese resistance, organized
for a quarter of a century in the
inundated Marshalls. Undoubtedly,
these defenses include strong under
ground Notifications.
Admiral Nimitz's communique an
nouncing the invasion said that de-
spite the strong opposition encoun-
tered information indicates that
our casualties are moderate"
Powerful forces of all types, COM
manded by Vice Admiral R. A.
Spruance, United States Navy, have
begun operations, the objective of
which is the capture of the Marshall
Islands" the communique stated.
Assembled from Many Points.
The powerful naval forces referred
to were assembled from Alaska, Ha-
waii, California, the Ellice Islands,
New Hebrides and Australia. The
naval and Army personnel they
carried embraced veterans Of action
in the Aleutians, the Solomons, the
Gilberts, Africa and Sicily.
This is going to be tough" COM
mented Admiral Turner, the am
phibious commander.
I'VE will lose some ships. We will
lose some troops"
But he assured:
I'VE won't come back until we've
finished the job"