U.S. ATTACKS ON PALAU

Southland Times, Issue 25334, 10 April 1944, Page 5

U.S. ATTACKS ON PALAU

46 Ships Sunk Or Damaged (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 8. A battleship is among 46 Japanese ships sunk or damaged in United States Navy attacks on Palau and other bases in the central Pacific between March 29 and 31, says a Pearl Harbour communique. The battleship was torpedoed by a United States submarine. In the same period 214 Japanese planes were destroyed, probably destroyed or damaged. ’■ • The communique states: “United States forces in the western Carolines under the command of Vice-Admiral R. A. Spruance attacked Palau Island on March 29, Yap and Ulithi Islands on March 30 and Woleai Island on March 31. The damage to enemy surface ships at Palau included two destroyers, one unidentified combat ship, two large cargo vessels, six medium cargo vessels, eight small cargo vessels, three large oilers, one medium oiler, one small oiler and one patrol vessel, all sunk, one destroyer damaged, one large repair ship, one medium oiler, two small oilers and one small cargo vessel all beached and burning, two small cargo vessels left burning, one large, two medium and five small cargo vessels beached and damaged and one small cargo vessel beached. Ground installations destroyed at Palau included 40 buildings at Arakabesan and four hangars and small buildings at the seaplane base. Over 20 warehouses were destroyed and extensive damage was done to the docks and numerous.large fires were started at Malakal, warehouses, dumps and hangars were destroyed at Koro, the phosphate plant was. damaged, including docks’ and storage buildings, at Ongur and the ore dock was damaged at Babelthuat. JAPANESE AIR LOSSES “At Palau 93 aircraft were shot down, 39 were destroyed on the ground or water and 49 were probably shot down or destroyed on the ground. Several small vessels were sunk at Ulithi and the dock, radio station and other buildings were damaged. Aerodrome facilities and buildings at Yap were damaged. At Woleai seven planes were destroyed and five were probably destroyed. On Mariaon and Woleai Islands extensive ground installations and small craft were damaged. Carrierborne aircraft shot down 17 enemy planes and anti-aircraft guns shot down four others preceding and following the Palau attacks. In addition, small enemy ships were sunk at sea by ships’ gunfire. “On the night of March 28 a United States submarine torpedoed an enemy battleship of an unidentified class departing from Palau under escort. Although considerably damaged the battleship managed to escape at moderate speed under the protection of its destroyer escort. “Our combat losses in these operations were 25 planes and 18 aircraft personnel. Our surface ships were not damaged.”