Evening star., 1944-02-01
Further News
On Assault on
Islands Awaited
MAP on Page A-l2.)
BY the Associated Press.

1GhltL l1AftbOft, rep. IA
highly accurate bombing by two
squadrons of Navy seaplanes, in
tended to prevent Japan's Wake
Island airbase from interfering
with the current American Of
fenSive in the mid Pacific, was
reported last night by the Navy,
but further operations of a
strong task force against the
Marshalls were cloaked in off,
cial silence.
In two announcements, spaced by
only few hours, the Navy told of
Coronados dropping all their bombs
on or near the designated targets
at Wake Sunday night and of land
based Army and Navy planes sus-
tanning through the 25th straight
day their pounding of the Marshalls
Saturday night.
But yesterday was permitted to
pass without word on the days
movements of the largest mass of
warships ever sent against the Jap
anese. 1t had been disclosed Of
ficially on Saturday that carrier
planes of the task forces opened a
powerful assault on the Marshalls,
100 miles south of Wake.
Air Bases Shelled.
On Sunday the naval units, in
cluding battleships, were reported to
have moved closer to pour shells on
the air bases and shipping lagoons
of those atolls.
(The Navy announced in Wash
ington yesterday that IA more
japanese ships, including three
transports, which may have been
crowded with thousands of SOL
diers, have been sunk by Ameri-
/. can submarines.
tThe successes were announced
with the usual brevity given re-
ports of submarine activities-no
mention of time. place or details.
1t was possible, however, that the
three transports and some of the
II other ships were carrying men
and supplies to enemy bases in
the Marshalls)
No official credence was given
Toxic radio reports that Japanese
Army and Navy units have inter-
cepted powerful enemy units which
have been attacking the Marshall
group" Lacking this substantiation,
there was inclination here to doubt
| the reports, particularly as to any
inference that the japanese Navy
at long last had joined battle.
No Raiders Are Lost.
| The Wake raid, 10th of the war
to hit that island since it was cap
tured December "a, 1941, by the Jap
anese, was made by between IA and
80 seaplanes, each probably carrying
more than ton of bombs None of
the raiders was lost while making
what was described officially as a
strong attack"
The earlier announcement of the
Saturday night raids in the Mar
shalls featured a Aston bombing of
KWajalein atoll by Army Liberators.
These raids were co-ordinated
with attacks of carrier based squad
rons of the past two days." yester-
days announcement said.
There was no enemy interception
and no reports of any Allied losses
as 81 tons of bombs also hit Mill
atoll and Taroa air base on Malice
lap, 10 tons struck Wolfe and 3 tons
hit Jaluit. In addition, Mitchell
bombers went after shore installa-
tions and small craft at Maloelap
and Wolfe and divebombers attack
ed Emidj Island in the Jaluit atoll.
Ships Not Believed Involved.
War correspondents here, study
ing the Toxic radio report while
awaiting new word about the big
fleet movements, interpreted the
reference to intercepting japanese
navy units as meaning planes
rather than ships. Strong Japan
ese naval units probably are based
at Truk, more than 1000 miles west
Of the Marshalls, but they likely are
held there for defensive purposes.
Radio Toxic in a later broadcast
last night acknowledged that "su-
perior enemy force has been raiding
the Marshall Islands group" since
early Sunday, but that details were
lacking although I'VE can surmise
the enemy has raided our islands
with task force on a large scale"
The broadcast assured japanese
audiences that "our army and navy
forces garrisoned on the islands have
(See PACIFIC, Page AID