MARSHALL ISLANDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25426, 6 January 1944, Page 3

MARSHALL ISLANDS

“SOFTENING UP” PROCESS , RUGBY, Jan. 4. The Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Frank Knox) said to-day that United States airmen were continuing to soften up the Marshall Islands. A Washington message points out that this is the first time the Navy Secretary has used *■he phrase “soften up” in connection with aerial blows against Japanese bases in the Marshalls. He added that the Americans had put the Japanese on the defensive throughout the south and south-west Pacific region. United States aircraft losses were very slight. The Japanese air arm seemed particularly weak.

Colonel Knox said that the Japanese had made two retaliatory raids on Tarawa and one on Makin, in the Gilberts. Most of their bombs fell into the sea.

Asked about Japanese plane production, he said that available information was very sketchy. One development was that the Japanese were now putting more armament on their planes

A Pearl Harbour message states that Admiral Nimitz has announced that 10 Japanese fighters were shot down and seven others probably destroyed over Wotje and QVTaloelap atolls on Sunday in the heaviest opposition yet encountered in the Marshalls. American heavy bombers attacked Wotje and Taroa on Sunday. Thirty enemy fighters were encountreed in each raid. American bombers shot down eight Zeros over Wotje and probably five more. At Taroa two Zeros were shot down, with two others probably destroyed. Medium bombers raided Jaluit atoll on Sunday. Damage and losses to the American planes were slight. Ten enemy planes bombed American installations at Abemama on Sunday night with slight damage. Two men were killed.