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Attack on Truk
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Vought OS2U-3 "Kingfisher" is recovered by USS Baltimore after she had rescued Lieutenant George M. Blair from Truk Lagoon, 1944-02-18. Blair's F6F "Hellcat", of Fighting Squadron Nine from USS Essex, had been shot down over Truk.
Date 17 February 1944 – 18 February 1944 Location Truk, Caroline Islands Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Marc A. Mitscher	Chuichi Hara
Strength
9 carriers, 45 other warships, 10 submarines, 589 planes	3 cruisers, 8 destroyers, 5 other warships, 50 merchant ships, 350 planes
Casualties and losses
1 carrier damaged, 25 planes destroyed	3 cruisers sunk, 6 destroyers sunk, 3 other warships sunk, 32 merchant ships sunk, 250 planes destroyed

Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air attack launched on 17 February and 18 February, 1944, during World War II against the Japanese naval and air base on Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory. Truk was Japan's main base in the South Pacific as well as the operating "home" base for the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet. The atoll was the only major Japanese airbase within range of the Marshall Islands and was a significant source of support for Japanese garrisons located on islands and atolls throughout the central and south Pacific.

Background

To ensure air and naval superiority for the upcoming invasion of Eniwetok Admiral Raymond Spruance ordered an attack on Truk. Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's Task Force 58 had five fleet carriers (Enterprise, Yorktown, Essex, Intrepid, and Bunker Hill) and four light carriers (Belleau Wood, Cabot, Monterey, and Cowpens), embarking more than 500 planes. Supporting the carriers was a large fleet of seven battleships, and numerous cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and other support ships.

Fearing that the base was becoming too vulnerable, the Japanese had relocated the aircraft carriers, battleships, and heavy cruisers of the combined fleet to Palau a week earlier. However, numerous smaller warships and merchant ships remained in and around the anchorage.

Attack

The U.S. attack involved a combination of airstrikes, surface ship engagements, and submarine attacks over two days and appeared to take the Japanese completely by surprise. Two daylight, along with a nighttime, airstrikes employed fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo aircraft in attacks on Japanese airfields, aircraft, shore installations, and ships in and around the Truk anchorage. A force of U.S. surface ships and submarines guarded possible exit routes from the island's anchorage to attack any Japanese ships that tried to escape from the airstrikes.

In total the attack sank three Japanese cruisers (Agano, Katori, and Naka), six destroyers (Oite, Fumizuki, Maikaze, Hagio, Isogu, and Tachikaze), three other warships and 32 merchant ships. Some of the ships were destroyed in the anchorage and some in the area surrounding Truk lagoon.

Maikaze, along with several support ships, was sunk by U.S. surface ships while trying to escape from the Truk anchorage. The survivors of the sunken Japanese ships reportedly refused rescue efforts by the U.S. ships. Agano was sunk by a U.S. submarine, the Skate while also attempting to escape. Oite rescued survivors from the Agano and returned to Truk lagoon to assist in its defense with her anti-aircraft guns. She was sunk soon after by air attack with the Agano survivors still on board.

Over 250 aircraft were destroyed, mostly on the ground. Many of the aircraft were in various states of assembly, having just arrived from Japan in disassembled form aboard cargo ships. Very few of the assembled aircraft were able to take off in response to the U.S. attack. Those that did were quickly shot down.

The U.S. lost twenty-five aircraft. But, many of the aircrews were rescued by amphibious aircraft or submarines. A nighttime torpedo attack by a Japanese aircraft from either Rabaul or Saipan damaged the Intrepid, forcing her to return to Pearl Harbor and later, San Francisco for repairs. She returned to duty in June, 1944. Another Japanese air attack slightly damaged the battleship Iowa with a bomb hit.

Aftermath

The attacks for the most part ended Truk as a major threat to Allied operations in the central Pacific. Thus, the Japanese garrison on Eniwetok was denied any realistic hope of reinforcement and support during the invasion that began on February 18, 1944, greatly assisting U.S. forces in their conquest of that island. The Japanese later relocated most of their remaining aircraft from Rabaul to Truk. But, U.S. pressure prevented these aircraft from causing signficant problems to Allied forces in the area until the end of the war in August, 1945.

Due to the large number of shipwrecks that remain in Truk lagoon to this day as a result of the attack, Truk has become a popular destination for scuba divers. The book Hailstorm Over Truk Lagoon describes the wrecks of the lagoon.

External links

• US Army Campaigns in World War II: Eastern Mandates
• WW2DB: Attack on Truk
• Moderately brief account of the attack
• Diving site showing where many of the sunken Japanese ships are with background information

• Naval battles of World War II
• World War II operations and battles of the Pacific Campaign
• History of the Federated States of Micronesia