ACTION OFF PALAU

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25504, 6 April 1944, Page 5

ACTION OFF PALAU

ENEMY WARSHIP SUNK ONLY MEAGRE DETAILS YET WASHINGTON, Apl. 4. Colonel Knox revealed that an American task force sank one Japanese warship near Palau and two near Woleai. Reports indicate no damage to the American warships. Colonel Knox said it was impossible to estimate the number of Japanese ships caught at their anchorages, and added that only meagre details were received because of radio silence. Additional information was expected shortly. __ ~ The Secretary of the Navy said an interesting sidelight on the raid on Palau was an air raid alarm at Manila. “We don’t know whether one of our planes went over Manila and threatened them, or if they were aware of this attack close jby,” he added. , Colonel Knox’s reference to Yap and Woleai was the first announcement that these islands were attacked in the three-day strike of March 30 and 31 and April 1. Woleai has an unusually good anchorage. Colonel Knox also announced that American Navy and marine aviators and ack-ack crews have shot down 5316 Japanese planes since Pearl Harbour, exclusive of planes destroyed on the ground or on carriers, which total was impossible to estimate. He added that 921 American planes had been shot down since the outbreak of the war. In connection with United States submarines sinking- another 14 Japanese ships, a navy announcement says the vessels were two medium tankers, 11 medium cargo vessels, and one small cargo vessel. The Associated Press says -these latest sinkings were by submarines operating off the Japanese coast. The total of Japanese ships sunk by submarines since Pearl Harbour is now 517.