CAROLINES RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1944, Page 5

CAROLINES RAIDS

U.S. Navy Forces

DESTROY 126 JAP. ’PLANES.

NEW YORK, May 2

Admiral Nimitz, in a communique stated: “Powerful Pacific Fleet naval task forces, commanded by ViceAdmiral Mitcher, completed further attacks against enernv bases in the Central Pacific. After theii' operations sunnorting the Hollandia operation, carrier aircraft on April 29 and 30 attacked installations on Truk atoll. Carrier aircraft and cruisers under the command of Rear-Ad-miral J. B. Oldendorf, bombed and shelled Satawan and Nomoi Islands on April 30. Carrier aircraft and battleships, under the command of Vice-Admiral W. A. Lee, bombed and shelled Ponape on May 1. In the first day’s attack against Truk, 60 enemy ’planes were shot, down in aerial combat and 66 destroyed aground. Our ships shot down five enemy ’planes. In the second day’s attack on Truk, (the only enemy ’plane encountered was shot down. Our ’planes dropped 800 tons of bombs on the Truk area, heavily damaging shore facilities. “Our ships shot down five enemy ’planes on April 26 during the retirement from Hollandia.” Liberators dropped 95 tons of bombs on defence installations at Wake Island on Sunday. Mitchells bombed Ponape, causing explosions and fires. Other bombers and fighters attacked the remaining enemy positions in the Marshalls. JAPANESE COMMENT. (Rec. 7.10.) NEW YORK, May 2 Tokio radio quotes a statement from Japanese naval quarters that, in an effort to drive a wedge into the Japanese strategic line in the Caroline Islands sector, the enemy, had not only been repeating daily raids against Truk, but had also been aiming at a chance for an invasion, thereby concentrating a task force comprising over ten carriers and battleships which carried out a sortie into the Carolines sector.