Truk Not As Strong As Thought

Northern Advocate, 26 February 1944, Page 3

Truk Not As Strong As Thought

(11.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 25. The Japanese-naval base at Truk was not as strong as everyone had been led to believe, said Lieut.-Com-mander Harrison, leader of one o the carrier- fighter squadrons which attacked Truk last week. He added: “Truk looked just like a big staging base. Nowhere did Truk appear as strong as Pearl Harbour. We saw 30 ships at Truk when we arrived at dawn on February 16 and at, 7 p.m. when we made the last strike, we saw only nine, of which three were burning. “United States planes were over Truk all day. It was like standing in line awaiting your turn to get a crack at them.” Lieut.-Commander Harrison said American battleships approached within 20 miles of Truk to put the finishing touches on a Japanese cruiser and destroyer. The Pearl Harbour correspondent of the “New York Times” reports that three naval air commanders who participated in the attack said that Truk apparently possesses only one floating dry dock, and that only large enough for •a • 10,000-tonner.-• Some . of Truk’s fields -had bombers and fighters stacked close together, permitting our planes to sweep in and strafe bomb with great effectiveness. The enemy undoubtedly was caught off guard, as only a few planes got into the air. Later, enemy air strength increased, but generally it was so ineffective that it was thought that enemy pilots were principally ferry pilots engaged in moving planes between bases. A Japanese communique admitted that the Allies on Kwajalein and Wotje Islands killed 4500 Japanese troops.

Marianas Raid

The task force which' struck at the Marianas last Tuesday destroyed 135 Japanese planes, sank two ships and damaged nine others. American losses were only six planes. A Pacific fleet communique states: “Admiral Mitscher’s task force was detected approaching Tinian and Saipan islands on the afternoon of February 21. Enemy land-based torpedo planes and bombers carried out attacks against our ships continuously during the night and morning of February 22. Our planes shot down 14 and our ack-ack shot down five enemy planes. Despite persistent continuing attacks, our carriers launched planes according to schedule. Two attacks were carried out in force against the principal targets. “A smaller raid was made against Guam. Twenty-nine enemy planes were shot down over the targets, in addition to 87 planes wrecked on the ground. A total of 135 enemy aircraft was destroyed. Few enemy ships were found. One cargo vessel was sunk and another severely damaged and apparently beached. Another was set on fire. One patrol craft was blown up and seven other small ships damaged. “Small boats in the harbour areas were strafed and runways, seaplaneaprons and other aerodrome facilities and fuel dumps and buildings heavily bombed and strafed. Our losses were six planes. None of our ships was sunk or damaged.” “On Wednesday army Liberators bombed wharves, radio facilities and the cantonmenf a : re at Kusaie, in the Carolines. Navy search Liberators bombed Kusaie dock areas, sinking one ship and damaging another, also bombing an ammunition dump which exploded. Mitchells, Warhawks and Venturas bombed and strafed ground installations at four enemy-held atolls in the western Marshalls. Several pintles were damaged, but all returned to their base.”