N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 493, JANUARY 1, 1944

 

1. In the early morning of November 29, 1943, the U. S. Destroyer Perkins was sunk as the result of a collision, off the southeast coast of New Guinea.

2. During the morning of December 17, 1943, the Coastal Transport APC­-21 was sunk by enemy aircraft, oft the southern coast of New Britain Island.

3. The next of kin of the casualties in the Perkins have been notified. The next of kin of the casualties in the APC‑21 will be notified as soon as possible.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 216, JANUARY 1, 1944

 

Army heavy bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force raided Kwajalein on December 30 (West Longitude Date). No enemy interception was en­countered.

Army light bombers, escorted by Airacobra fighters, made an attack on Mille on the afternoon of December 30. There was no fighter interception. All our planes returned.

Army medium bombers raided Jabor, in the Jaluit Atoll, on December 30, bombing and strafing ground installations. None of our planes was damaged.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 494, JANUARY 3, 1944

Atlantic.

 

1. A U. S. Destroyer was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic on Decem­ber 24, 1943. The next of kin of the casualties aboard the destroyer will be notified by telegram as soon as casualty reports are received.

 

North Pacific.

 

2. On December 31, 1943, a group of Army bombers bombed Para­mushiru. Results were not observed. All of our planes returned safely.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 218, JANUARY 4, 1944

 

Heavy bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked Wotje and Taroa on January 2 (West Longitude Date). Approximately 30 enemy fighters were encountered in each strike. Our bombers shot down eight Zeros at Wotje and probably destroyed five more. At Taroa two Zeros were shot down and two more probably destroyed.

Medium bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force raided Jaluit Atoll on January 2. Damage and losses to our planes for the day were slight. Ten enemy planes bombed our installations on Abemama on the night of January 2 with slight damage. Two men were killed.

 

 

JANUARY 4, 1944

 

REVEAL NAMES OF TWO DESTROYERS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED AS LOST

 

Two U. S. destroyers which were announced yesterday as lost now may be identified as the USS Leary and the USS Turner.

The USS Leary, a 1,090‑ton destroyer completed in 1919, was announced in Navy Department Communiqué Number 494 as having been torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic on December 24, 1943.

 

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The USS Turner, a 1,700‑ton destroyer commissioned April 15, 1943, ex­ploded and sank six miles off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, yesterday morning. Its loss was announced by Third Naval District Headquarters, New York City.

Commander James Ellsworth Keyes, U. S. Navy, 37, of 11621 16th Avenue, South, Seattle, Washington, was the Commanding Officer of the USS Leary.

Commander Henry Sollett Wygant, Jr., U. S. Navy, 37, of Twenty‑Sixth and Lincoln Street, Camp Hill, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, com­manded the USS Turner.

Both Commanding Officers are listed as missing in action.

Notifications have been sent by the Navy Department to the next of kin of all casualties aboard the USS Leary and the USS Turner.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 495, JANUARY 5, 1944

 

1. The U. S. Submarine Pompano is overdue from patrol and must be presumed to be lost.

2. The next of kin of personnel in the Pompano have been so informed.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 219, JANUARY 5, 1944

 

Army Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed Jaluit on Janu­ary 4 (West Longitude Date). All of our planes returned.

Army medium bombers scored two hits on a cargo transport at Jaluit on January 3. Army dive bombers escorted by Airacobras raided Mille on January 3. One of our fighters was shot down by antiaircraft fire.

Enemy planes dropped bombs at Tarawa, Makin and Abemama on the, night of January 3 and at Tarawa on January 4 without damage to our installations.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 496, JANUARY 8, 1944

Pacific and Far East.

 

1. U. S. submarines have reported the sinking of ten enemy vessels in operations against the enemy in waters of these areas, as follows:

 

Sunk:

1 large tanker

1 large freighter

1 medium‑sized transport

5 medium‑sized freighters

2 small freighters

 

2. These actions have not been announced in any previous Navy De­partment Communiqué.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 221, JANUARY 8, 1944

 

Army heavy bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force struck Taroa and Wotje Islands in the Marshalls on January 6 (West Longitude Date). No fighter opposition was encountered in either attack. All of our planes re­turned without damage.

On January 6 a Navy search Liberator of Fleet Air Wing Two bombed a small merchant ship near Jabor in Jaluit Atoll.

 

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CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 222, JANUARY 9, 1944

 

Dive bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force accompanied by Navy fighters attacked Mille Atoll in the Marshall Islands on January 7 (West Longitude Date). No fighter interception was encountered. On the evening of January 7 enemy planes dropped bombs at Tarawa without damage to our installations.

 

 

JOINT STATEMENT, JANUARY 10, 1944

 

The following joint Anglo‑American statement on submarine and anti‑submarine operations is issued under the authority of the President and the Prime Minister:

 

1. Total merchant shipping tonnage lost by U‑boat action in De­cember was again low despite an extension of operating areas. Fewer U‑boats were destroyed during the month by our air and sea forces owing to several factors, including increased caution by enemy. Our supply routes were, however, well secured against U‑boat attack.

2. In 1943 U‑boats sank but 40% of the merchant ship tonnage that they sank in 1942. On the other hand, United Nations merchant ship ton­nage construction in 1943 approximately doubled the tonnage delivered in 1942. Nearly half of our tonnage lost for the year 1943 was during the first three months; 27% was lost during the second quarter of 1943, and only 26% was lost during the last six months.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 223, JANUARY 10, 1944

 

Navy search Liberators of Fleet Air Wing Two bombed Kwajalein Is­land on January 9 (West Longitude Date). No enemy fighters were encoun­tered and antiaircraft fire inflicted no damage.

In the evening of January 9 heavy bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed Wotje. In a separate operation carried out the same night Navy search Liberators also attacked Wotje from low altitude sinking an auxiliary oiler and another small vessel offshore, wrecking two planes on the airfield and damaging shore installations. All of our planes returned safely.

In the morning of January 8 medium bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked Emeiji Island in the Jaluit Atoll. One of our planes was damaged by antiaircraft fire and one crew member was wounded.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 224, JANUARY 12, 1944

 

Navy search Liberators of Fleet Air Wing Two made a low altitude daylight attack on shipping and shore installations at Kwajalein Island on January 11 (West Longitude Date). Six small cargo ships were bombed; two of these were sunk and the remainder damaged. Several buildings and other installations were set afire on shore, and two planes were damaged on the airfield. No fighter interception was encountered.

Army heavy bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force bombed Taroa Island in the Maloelap Atoll on the night of January 10, setting a number of

 

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fires and wrecking two planes on the ground. Another group of Seventh Army Air Force Liberators bombed Mille Atoll in the evening of January 10.

All of our planes returned without damage.

Enemy bombers carried out nuisance raids at Tarawa in the evening of January 9, and at Makin and Abemama the night of January 10, causing no damage.

 

 

JANUARY 13, 1944

 

TWO GERMAN SUBMARINES SUNK IN SOUTH ATLANTIC

 

Two more German U‑boats were sunk recently by U. S. Naval flyers operating in the South Atlantic area. U. S. Army flyers aided in one of the sinkings.

The first U‑boat was sunk in a five‑and‑a‑half hour battle, participated in by six planes, while the other submarine went down, some time later, after near disaster to the United States Naval personnel, which alone participated.

In the first sinking, seven attacks were made by Consolidated Liberators, which dropped a total of 33 depth bombs and strafed the submarine several times. In addition, two U. S. Army planes dropped a total of 10 demolition bombs.

The pilot credited with the "kill" had previously flown for more than 1,500 hours without sighting a U‑boat.

The triumphant Navy plane which actually sank the Nazi submarine exhausted its ammunition and was running low on its gas supply; returned to its base, refueled and rearmed, and moved again into combat to give the U‑boat its final death blow. The Navy plane which originally sighted the U‑boat attacked and so damaged it that it was unable to submerge, making a floating target for the flyers. Then, with its ammunition exhausted after summoning serial assistance by radio and repeatedly attacking the undersea craft, this plane hovered in the area to keep the victim in sight and to direct to the spot the U. S. Navy and Army planes that joined in the fray.

Soon after the death struggle reached its climax, an Army plane ar­rived and stood by for further assistance. Two medium altitude attacks were made by Army flyers during the course of the lengthy engagement.

      There were no casualties to American personnel, but the Germans suf­fered heavily.

 

 

JANUARY 13, 1944

 

SUNKEN DESTROYER IDENTIFIED AS USS BROWNSON; NEXT OF KIN OF ST. AUGUSTINE CASUALTIES NOTIFIED

 

The United States Naval vessel reported lost in the communiqué of De­cember 27, 1943, issued by Allied Headquarters for the Southwest Pacific, was the USS Brownson, destroyer.

The Brownson was sunk as a result of attack by enemy aircraft during the landings of United States troops at Cape Gloucester.

Survivors from the Brownson totaled 208. The next of kin of the cas­ualties have been notified.

 

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The Navy Department also has notified the next of kin of casualties of the USS St. Augustine, gunboat, which was sunk January 6, 1944, in a col­lision with a merchant vessel off Cape May, New Jersey. Thirty members of the ship's company survived.

Loss of the St. Augustine was announced by the Commandant, Fourth Naval District, on January 7, 1944.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 225, JANUARY 13, 1944

 

Bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force struck Maloelap Atoll in the Marshalls in the evening of January 11, (West Longitude Date). A small auxiliary vessel was sunk, a medium cargo ship was heavily bombed and may have been sunk, and a large destroyer was damaged. Installations on several of the Atoll's Islands were bombed. Two of six enemy fighters which attacked our planes were believed damaged. All of our planes returned safely.

Planes of the Seventh Army Air Force carried out two attacks on Mille Atoll on January 10 and 11. One of our planes was lost but the crew was saved.

In the early morning of January 12 enemy bombers attacked Tarawa, causing minor damage to installations. Our casualties were minor.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 226, JANUARY 14, 1944

 

Aircraft of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked installations on Mille Atoll in the Marshall Islands on January 12 (West Longitude Date). There was no enemy fighter opposition. All of our planes returned safely.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 227, JANUARY 15, 1944

 

Seventh Army Air Force planes attacked Mille Atoll in the Marshall islands in daylight January 13 (West Longitude Date). Buildings in the cantonment were set afire and planes on the ground were damaged by machinegun fire.

Wotje Atoll was raided by Seventh Army Air Force bombers in the evening of January 13. Hits were made on shore facilities and several small craft were damaged.

In the early morning of January 14, our bombers attacked Namur and Roi Islands in the Kwajalein Atoll, setting fire to several installations ashore.

Later in the morning of January 14, Army bombers made a low altitude attack on shipping at Wotje, sinking one medium cargo ship.

No enemy fighter opposition was encountered in these strikes and all of our planes returned safely.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 229, JANUARY 17, 1944

 

Seventh Army Air Force planes made two daylight raids on Mille Atoll in the Marshall Islands on January 18 (West Longitude Date). In the first attack, two enemy bombers were shot down over the airfield. In the second, carried out in considerable force, ground Installations were heavily machine-gunned. One of our planes was shot down.

On the afternoon of January 15, Seventh Army Air Force bombers made a low altitude attack on Maloelap Atoll. Airfield and fuel storage installa‑

 

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tions were damaged and several planes were hit on the ground. Two cargo ships were bombed and may have been sunk. Approximately 45 enemy fighters were encountered. Two of these were believed shot down. One of our bombers was lost.

Navy search planes sank a small cargo ship at Likiep Atoll and probably sank another small cargo ship at Jaluit Atoll on January 15.

Enemy bombers made three raids on Makin and two at Tarawa the night of January 15. There was no appreciable damage to our installations. Casualties were light. One enemy plane was shot down at Makin.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 231, JANUARY 19, 1944

 

Navy search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two attacked Kusaie Island, a Japanese air base southwest of the Marshall Islands, in daylight on January 17 (West Longitude Date), bombing shore facilities.

In the afternoon of January 17 bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked Mille Atoll scoring hits on storage facilities and airdrome Instal­lations.

All of our planes returned safely from both operations.

Enemy bombers made a nuisance raid at Tarawa at dusk on January 17 causing no damage.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 232, JANUARY 20, 1944

 

Seventh Army Air Force Mitchell bombers made daylight low altitude raids on Mille Atoll in the Marshalls on January 18 and 19 (West Longitude Date).

In the first attack hits were made on gun emplacements, buildings and airdrome installations. One enemy lighter was damaged on the ground.

In the second attack five grounded planes and airdrome installations were hit. Two of our planes were lost.

Seventh Army Air Force fighters attacked shipping at Jaluit Atoll on January 19 damaging two small vessels.

On January 18 Jabor Island was attacked by Dauntless dive bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force.

Fires were started in fuel storage areas. Two of our planes were shot down.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 497, JANUARY 21, 1944

Pacific and Far East.

 

1. U. S. submarines have reported the sinking of twelve enemy vessels In operations against the enemy in these areas, as follows

 

Sunk:

1 Large Tanker

1 Medium Cargo Transport

1 Small Transport

7 Medium Freighters

2 Small Freighters

 

2. These actions have not been announced in any previous Navy De­partment communiqué.

 

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CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 233, JANUARY 21, 1944

 

Wotje was raided on the afternoon of January 20 (West Longitude Date) by Liberators of the Seventh Army Air Force. We lost one plane.

Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two made a low altitude at­tack on Imieji and Tmiet Islands during the morning of January 20. One of our planes was shot down by antiaircraft fire.

A Navy search Liberator of Fleet Air Wing Two damaged an enemy cargo transport near Maloelap on January 19.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 234, JANUARY 22, 1944

 

Seventh Army Air Force planes struck three atolls in the Marshall Is­lands on January 21 (West Longitude Date).

In the early morning heavy bombers attacked shore installations of Roi and Kwajalein Island in the Kwajalein Atoll.

At midday Mille was attacked by low flying Mitchell bombers which bombed and strafed airfield installation gun emplacements and living spaces and damaged one plane on the ground.

Tmiet and Imieji Island in the Jaluit Atoll were raided in the forenoon by Dauntless dive bombers. Shore facilities were bombed and strafed and three small vessels were damaged.

No fighter opposition was encountered on any of the missions and all of our planes returned.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 498, JANUARY 22, 1944

North Pacific.

 

1. On January 21, 1944 (East Longitude Date) two groups of Navy bombers based in the Aleutians bombed Paramushiru Island.

 

(a) The first group attacked enemy installations on the southern coast of the island at midnight. Antiaircraft fire was encountered and one enemy fighter ineffectively engaged one of our planes. All planes of this group returned without damage.

(b) The second group, three hours later, bombed enemy installations in the northern part of Paramushiru. No enemy planes were encountered by this group and all U. S. aircraft returned safely.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 499, JANUARY 23, 1944

North Pacific.

 

1. On the early morning of January 23 (East Longitude Date) two groups of Navy bombers bombed enemy installations on the south and west coasts of Paramushiru Island. Antiaircraft fire was encountered, but no enemy planes were met. All U. S. planes returned without damage.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 235, JANUARY 24, 1944

 

Planes of the Seventh Army Air Force and Fleet Air Wing Two carried out attacks on six atolls in the Marshall Islands during January 22 and 23 (West Longitude Date).

Army medium bombers at midday on January 22 raided Wotje Atoll and

 

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Kaven Island in the Maloelap Atoll: At Wotje, a cargo ship and a small oiler were damaged, and airdrome installations were bombed and strafed. There was no fighter opposition, and all of our planes returned safely. At Kaven, bombing and strafing attacks were made on ground installations. Of 25 enemy fighters which intercepted our bombers, two were shot down and a third was crippled. Our losses were small.

In the afternoon of January 22, Imieji Island in the Jaluit Atoll was attacked by Liberators and Navy search Venturas. Bomb hits were scored on installations at the seaplane base, and in the cantonment. No enemy fighter planes were encountered, and all our planes returned safely.

In the evening of January 22 Army heavy bombers struck Mille Atoll and Roi Island in the Kwajalein Atoll. At Roi, airfield facilities were bombed and several grounded bombers were damaged. More than a dozen fighters attacked our planes. Our gunners shot down one and possibly de­stroyed four others. In addition, three enemy planes were damaged. We suffered no losses.

At Mille, bombs were dropped in the cantonment area. No fighter or antiaircraft opposition was encountered.

Navy search planes attacking Ailinglapalap Atoll on January 22 bombed two small vessels, one of which had apparently been beached, and returned to their base without loss.

On January 23, Navy search planes attacked a small convoy near Kwajalein, bombing and severely damaging a large cargo ship. We suffered no losses.

At midday on January 23, two groups of Army Mitchell bombers raided Taroa, in the Maloelap Atoll, bombing and machine gunning airdrome facili­ties and strafing a numbers of small craft. Approximately 25 enemy fighters attacked each group of bombers. Three fighters were shot down, two more were believed shot down, and four were damaged. Damage to our planes was slight. All planes returned to their bases.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 238, JANUARY 25, 1944

 

Heavy bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked Wotje Atoll in the Marshall Islands at dusk on January 23 (West Longitude Date). Ap­proximately 50 tons of bombs were dropped. No fighter opposition was met, and all of our planes returned without damage.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 239, JANUARY 26, 1944

 

Seventh Army Air Force and Fleet Air Wing Two aircraft attacked four Marshall Island atolls on January 24 (West Longitude Date). Three of the atolls were raided twice during the day.

Army fighters and dive-bombers made a low altitude morning attack on Mille, striking shore installations with bombs and machine gun fire. No enemy fighters were encountered, and we lost no aircraft. A small scale attack was made on Mille in the evening by heavy bombers. We suffered no losses.

Wotje was attacked by Army Mitchell bombers in the afternoon, with bomb hits on gun emplacements, airfield facilities, and living areas. All planes returned to their base. There was no enemy fighter opposition. A

 

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small scale heavy bomber attack was also made on Wotje in the evening, with no fighter opposition and no losses to our forces.

Army medium bombers attacked Taroa, in the Maloelap Atoll, bombing airdrome facilities and destroying one fighter on the ground. A total of thirty enemy fighters were encountered, of which at least one was shot down. All of our planes escaped. Army heavy bombers raided Taroa in the evening, dropping over 20 tons of bombs on shore installations. This time there was no fighter opposition, and none of our planes was lost.

A Navy search Liberator encountered three small enemy warships with air cover of five fighters near Ailinglapalap, and shot down three of the fighters.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 240, JANUARY 27, 1944

 

Seventh Army Air Force aircraft attacked Kwajalein, Maloelap and Mille Atolls in the Marshall Island on January 25 (West Longitude Date). Heavy bombers dropped more than 35 tons of bombs on Kwajalein in a late afternoon raid starting fires among ground installations. No enemy fighters were encountered and we lost no planes.

Medium bombers attacking Taroa in the Maloelap Atoll in mid-afternoon struck airdrome facilities and wrecked one enemy bomber on the ground. Approximately 30 fighters attacked our planes. One of these was shot down, three were possibly shot down and several more damaged. Damage to our planes was moderate and all returned. Mille was attacked by dive bombers and fighters in a mid‑morning raid which caused several fires among ground facilities. There was no fighter opposition and none of our planes was lost.

Navy search planes attacked an oiler escorted by two small ships south­east of Eniwetok Atoll. The oiler was severely damaged and may have been sunk. One of the escorting ships was sunk.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 241, JANUARY 28, 1944

 

A force of nine medium bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked Taroa Island in the Maloelap Atoll in the afternoon of January 26 (West Longitude Date). Storage buildings and airdrome facilities were bombed. Eleven of the 20 enemy fighters which attempted to intercept our planes were destroyed, a twelfth was probably shot down.

On retirement our forces were pursued by enemy planes which engaged in a running fight for fifty miles or more. During that period our bombers and fighters shot down five additional planes, including one torpedo plane, and probably destroyed five others of the enemy force. All our planes re­turned.

Medium bombers of the Seventh Army Air Force made a bombing and strafing attack on Imieji Island in the Jaluit Atoll in the afternoon of Janu­ary 26. We suffered no losses.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 243, JANUARY 28, 1944

 

Aircraft of the Seventh Army Air Force attacked Nauru Island, west of the Gilbert group, and Wotje, Mille, and Maloelap Atolls in the Marshall islands on January 27 (West Longitude Date).

Medium bombers attacked Nauru in a daylight morning raid, bombing ground installations. We suffered no loss.

 

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Wotje was attacked in the afternoon by medium bombers. Fires were started among ground facilities. Our losses were light.

Dive bombers and fighters made a late afternoon attack on Mille, bomb­ing and strafing airdrome installations and gun emplacements. One of our bombers was shot down.

Heavy bombers dropped more than 20 tons of bombs on Taroa, in the Maloelap Atoll, at dusk, causing damage in the cantonment area. All of our planes returned. No fighter opposition was encountered by our forces in these attacks.

 

 

JANUARY 28, 1944

 

GERMAN U‑BOAT SUNK IN ATLANTIC AFTER  27‑HOUR CARRIER‑PLANE‑DESTROYER BATTLE

 

A German U‑boat has been sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, after a 27‑hour battle, in which planes from an escort carrier and destroyers of its Task Force played vital roles.

The undersea craft was sighted by two of the carrier's planes, and the submarine fought back vigorously during the course of the lengthy battle which         ensued. More than 200 depth charges were dropped during the fight.

 

 

CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 25, JANUARY 29, 1944

 

Pacific Fleet carrier task forces have made attacks on Marshall Island bases today, including Taroa, Wotje, and Kwajalein.

 

 

N. D. COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 500, JANUARY 31, 1944

Pacific and Far East.

 

1. U. S. submarines have reported the sinking of fourteen enemy vessels in operations against the enemy in these areas, as follows:

 

Sunk:

2 large transports

1 medium transport

1 medium tanker

1 medium naval auxiliary

1 small freighter

1 medium cargo transport

7 medium freighters

 

2. These actions have not been announced in any previous Navy Departmen­t Communiqué.

 

 

CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 26, JANUARY 31, 1944

 

Our carrier task forces today continued their attacks on Kwajalein, Roi, Maloelap and Wotje.

During the day surface forces bombarded the same objectives while car­riers extended their operations to include bombing of Eniwetok.

 

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CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 244, JANUARY 31, 1944

 

During the night of January 28 and 29 (West Longitude Date) Liber­ators and Mitchells of the Seventh Army Air Force and search Liberators and Mariners of Fleet Air Wing Two carried out operations against Wotje, Kwajalein, Jaluit, and Maloelap Atolls.

Army heavy bombers dropped more than 27 tons on Wotje, a total of 17 tons on Roi and Kwajalein Islands and 3 tons on Jaluit.

No fighter or antiaircraft opposition was encountered.

A Navy Mariner Patrol Plane bombed Taroa during the night without opposition. A flight of Navy search planes over Taroa in the afternoon of January 28 was attacked by nearly a dozen fighters of which at least two were shot down and three others damaged. We suffered no losses.

Army medium bombers attacking Taroa the same afternoon bombed air­drome and cantonment structures, damaged 11 planes on the ground and set fire to a small craft. Six fighters attacked our planes and one fighter was damaged. Our losses were light.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 245, JANUARY 31, 1944

 

Aircraft of the Seventh Army Air Force and search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two made attacks on principal Marshall Island bases during the night of January 29‑30 (West Longitude Dates). These raids were coordinated with the attacks of carrier‑based squadrons of the past two days.

In the evening of January 29, Army Mitchell bombers struck shore in­stallations and small craft at Maloelap and Wotje, while Army Dauntless dive bombers and Warhawk fighters struck Imieji Island in the Jaluit Atoll. No enemy fighters were encountered, and antiaircraft was ineffectual.

During the night Army Liberators dropped 45 tons of bombs on Kwaja­lein Atoll, and nearly 10 tons on Wotje. Liberators and Navy Catalina and Ventura search planes struck Mille and Taroa with a total of 21 tons of bombs, and a single Liberator hit Jaluit with an additional three tons.

 

 

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 246, JANUARY 31, 1944

 

Two squadrons of Coronado seaplanes of Fleet Air Wing Two made a strong attack on Wake Island during the night of January 30‑31 (West Longitude Date). All bombs hit in or near the target area and no planes were lost.