The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-08-15

tory on Jan 20. 1913. The entire
force OF $4,000 japanese had been
destroyed.
Fight Up Ladder
During the remainder OF 1913
while the eyes OF the world were
turned upon Europe where the Al.
lies endorsed their first dictator
Mussolini, In July, and won the
surrender OF Italy in September
MacArthur's jungle troops fought
through a score OF malarial green
bells up the Solomons ladder and
in New Guinea.
Marked by Genius
With a flash OF the genius that
marked him as one OF the greatest
OF American generals, Macarthur
landed his men east OF Lac in
Nassau Bay while U. s. parachutists
made their debut In the Pacific
stronghold.
Salamaua fell to the Australians
on Sept. Is and Lac the next day.
Finschhafen, farther up the coast,
was taken Oct. 2, and the eastern
end Of New Guinea was freed.
In the battle of the Bismarck
Sea on March 20 Kenney's buzz
saw had destroyed 20 ships and per-
haps 1900 men in one OF the
most complete air victories Of the
war. Introduction OF a new tactic
skip bombing, found the Japa-
nese virtually helpless.
Finally, stepping across Dampier
Strait from New Guinea, Macarthur
invaded New Britain, drawing the
Japanese OF balance by his first
stroke at Arawe on the south coast,
and then aiming his main blow In
the Cape Gloucester area on the
north side. Using rocket-fring
boats to level beach defenses, Mac.
Arthur put his men ashore near the
end OF 1943. on Dec. rs.
Flight In AIeutians
Meanwhile, Yanks In the Aleu-
tians were fighting under. condi
lions as extreme as those Of the
Jungle. Hammering Attu, west
ernmost OF the Aleutians which
the Japanese invaded during the
battle of Midway, by sea and air
whenever the weather permitted
the Americans invaded that barren
island on May IL. Japanese re-
sistance finally expired In q fantas
tic banzai suicide charge and the
island was reclaimed May 81, Just
under a year after the Japanese
seized II.
After elaborate preparations
Americans and Canadians invaded
Kiska on Aug. Is. but found the
enemy had mysteriously fled
Agattu already had been abandon
ed by the japanese, and the Aleu-
tians were freed. The threat to
Alaska was removed.
Heroic Page
In the Central Pacific, at Tara
wa, on Nov. l the Second Marine
Division made the first assault on q
fortified atoll and wrote one of the
most heroic pages in Marine Corps
history.
Tarawa was the costliest bit Of
ground ever won by the Marines
up to that time. In rs hours 3,5S:
Americans were killed, wounded
and missing-98s of them dead
But the Gilbert Islands were clear
ed as q result of the fighting.
The year 1914 opened with Mac
Arthur's men carrying out the FRS
Of his jumps, to Saidor on Jan
2. and with Nimitz opening hi,
Central Pacific offensive at Kwaja
lein on Jan. 81.
Nimitz struck at the heart Of
Japan's strongly defended mid-Pa
ciic Marshall Islands with a flee
spread over hundreds of miles.
Kwajalein, first bit OF territor,
held by Japan at the start Of tn,
war to Fall into American hands
was captured in a week. Othe,
key Islands In the Marsha1ls fel
quickly and the American fleet helC
sway over an additional 1000. 00t
square miles OF ocean.
The way now opened 10 a sizzlinI
series Of task forces attacks led b,
the swarms OF flattops from Amer
ica's shipyards. Truk, Japan's reef
girt Gibraltar OF the Carolines, wal
neutralized and the strategic Mari
anas softened for invasion.
Emerging at last from jungle ant
atoll warfare, three American divi
sions opened a new phase OF tn,
war on June II with the invasion
Of Saipan, 13-mile-long island in the
Marianas' 1900 miles from Tokyo
Its seizure was to clinch control o
the Central Pacific. :.
Fleet Intervenes
At last venturing out TO chal
lenge the American advances, tn,
Japanese fleet interviewed. In tn,
first battle OF the Philippine Sea
a series OF engagements extending
from June 10 to %, the enemy los
TAT planes. 80 ships sunk and s.
ships damaged.
In the end $1,000 Japanese deat
were buried. while American cas-
ualties were the highest in thu
central Pacific-16,463, includin,
3,049 killed.
The Americans returned TO Guam
on July 20, II days after the cap
ture Of Saipan, and cleaned 1: II
three weeks. The smaller island o.
Tinian was captured on Aug. /.
On Nov. "a, a little over thre,
months after resistance on Saipar
ended, American BIG superfort
resses from the island made tn,
first Of their deadly and deva3tat
ing attacks on industrial japan.
A death struggle similar to tina
on Saipan was waged by the Jap
anese for Peleliu, main island o.
the Palaus, 1900 miles west o
Truk and 500 miles southwest o
Guam. Veterans OF the first mar
Inc division, going ashore in alliga