Evening star., 1944-05-01

Admiral hInE.
/ and battleships subjected it to heavy
, bombardments, starting large fires
and destroying a number of planes.
During the remainder of the year,
Army and Navy land based planes
carried out repeated attacks on
enemy holdings in the Marshalls
Islands and at Nauru, inflicting
considerable damage on ships and
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 the
Marshall Islands by task forces
under the command of Vice Ad-
lmiral (now AdmiraD Spruance. On
that date simultaneous attacks were
delivered on Kwajalein by carriers
commanded by Rear Admiral F. C.
fisherman, on Roi by carriers COM
manded by Rear Admiral A. E.
Montgomery, on Taroa by carriers
commanded by Rear Admiral j. W.
Reeves, U. S. NJ, and on Wotje by
carriers commanded by Rear Ad-
miral S. G. Ginder, U. S. N. In
addition, cruisers, under the COM
mand of Rear Admiral E. G. Small,
u S. NJ, bombarded Taroa and
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 Reeves
and the island was also bombarded
| by battleships. Roi was again at
tackled by Rear Admiral Mont
gomery's carrier force, and in addi-
ton was heavily bombarded by
battleships. Taroa and Wolfe were
again struck by carrier force under
Rear Admiral Ginder and in addi-
ton were bombarded by cruisers.
Forces under the command of Rear
Admiral Small assisted in the bonn
bardment of Wolfe and Maloelap
Ebeye was struck by carrier forces
under Rear Admiral Reeves, and
Eniwetok was attacked by carriers
under Rear Admiral F. c. Sher-
man. U. S. N. Mile, Jaluit and
Wake were bombed by shore-based
aircraft.
Other forces under Admiral Spru-
ance's command in this operation
consisted of 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 Fl.
w. Hill, U. S. N, commanded an
attack group and Rear Admiral r.
L. Conolly, U. S. NJ, another (the
northern attack group. Expedi-
tionary troops were under the COM
mand of Maj. Gen now 1t. GEM
III. M Smith, U. S. M. c. The car
lrier task forces were commanded by
Rear Admiral M A. Mitscher, U.
S. 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.
NJ c. assumed command ashore.
Our casualties on these two islands
were less than 100 killed and 400
wounded simultaneously four small
er islands were occupied. At Kws-
jalein our troops 9th Division,
United States Army made consid-
cradle progress against increasing
resistance.
BY February our troops on
Kwajalein had captured the island,
and by the 9th the entire atoll was
in our possession.
Taroa, Wolfe, Jaluit, Mile and
Ponape were bombed and/or bonn
barded at frequent intervals during
the remainder of the month.
Attack on Island of Truk.
On February l7-l8 forces under
the command of Vice Admiral (now
AdmiraD Spruance delivered an at
tack on the island of Truk The
first part of the attack, by carrier
based planes, was followed UP by
battleships, cruisers and destroyers
Heavy damage was inflicted on the
enemy, both in ships sunk and dam
aged and in planes shot down and
destroyed on the ground. This at
tack, which was delivered with dev-
astating effect, was particularly
satisfying as it was generally re-
garded, as partial payment for the
debt incurred when Pearl Harbor
was attacked.
Forces participating in the attack
on Truk included carriers under the
command of Rear Admiral Mitscher
(under whom were Rear Admirals
Reeves, Montgomery and Sherman)
cruisers commanded by Rear Ad-
mirals L. T. Du Bose, U. S. N: J. l..
Wiltsie, u S. NJ, and R. C. Giffen,
US. N, and battleships under Rear
AdmiralS c. M Hustvedt, u. S. N;
G. B. Davis, U. S. NJ, and E. w.
Hansen, U. S. N.
On February II an expeditionary
| task group under the command of
Rear Admiral Hill assault troops
were headed by Brig. Gen. T. E
. Watson, u S. M. c., landed on
Eniwetok Atoll, which had previ-
ously been bombarded and bombed
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. B
Oldendorf, U. S. NJ, and L. H. The
baud, U. S. N.
On February 18, after extensive
: bombing and bombardment, Engebi
leland uyoc 20 r1f,lrad With tho cor