U.S. Navy Department (April 7, 1944)
CINCPAC Communiqué No. 42
Supplementing Pacific Ocean Areas Communiqué No. 41, the following information is now available concerning operations of USPACFLT forces under the tactical command of Adm. R. A. Spruance, USN, against enemy installations and forces in the Western Carolines. The Palau Islands were attacked on March 29‑30 (West Longitude Date); Yap and Ulithi Islands on March 30 and Woleai Island on March 31 by planes from carrier task forces commanded by VAdm. Marc A. Mitscher, USN. Damage to enemy surface ships at Palau included:
SUNK: 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, one patrol vessel.
DAMAGED: One destroyer.
BEACHED AND BURNING: One large repair ship, one medium oiler, two small oilers, one small cargo vessel.
BURNING: Two small cargo vessels.
BEACHED AND DAMAGED: One large cargo vessel, two medium cargo vessels, five small cargo vessels.
BEACHED: One small cargo vessel.
GROUND INSTALLATIONS DESTROYED AT PALAU: Forty buildings at Arakabesan; at seaplane base four hangars and small buildings; at Malakal, more than twenty warehouses destroyed and extensive damage to docks and numerous large fires; at Koror, warehouses, dumps and hangars destroyed; at Angaur, phosphate plant damaged including docks and storage buildings; at Babelthuap, ore dock damaged.
ENEMY AIRCRAFT CASUALTIES AT PALAU: Destroyed airborne, 93; destroyed ground or water, 39. Probably destroyed or damaged airborne, 29; probably destroyed or damaged on ground or water, 20.
At Ulithi, several small vessels were sunk, the dock, radio station and other buildings damaged.
At Yap, airdrome facilities and buildings in the settlement were damaged.
At Woleai, seven planes were destroyed and five probably destroyed and extensive ground installations were damaged on Mariaon and Woleai Islands, including stores, dumps, buildings, and small craft.
During the night preceding and following our attacks on Palau, our carrier aircraft shot down 17 attacking enemy planes and four were shot down by ships’ anti-aircraft batteries. Three small enemy ships were also sunk at sea by ships’ gunfire.
During the night of March 28 (West Longitude Date), one of our submarines torpedoed an enemy battleship of unidentified class departing Palau under escort. Although she suffered considerable damage, she was able to escape at moderate speed under protection of her destroyer escort.
Our combat losses in these operations were 25 planes and 18 aircraft personnel. There was no damage to our surface ships.
CINCPAC Press Release No. 342
For Immediate Release
April 7, 1944
Forty‑four tons of bombs were dropped on Wake Island by Liberators of the 7th Army Air Force on the night of April 5‑6 (West Longitude Date). Large explosions were observed in storage areas and in an area devoted to repair and maintenance of aircraft.
On the same day, Mitchell bombers of the 7th Army Air Force bombed Ponape Island starting a large fire on one of the airfields.
Four enemy positions in the Marshall Islands were bombed and strafed by Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two, Dauntless dive bombers and Corsair fighters of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Mitchell bombers of the 7th Army Air Force, and Navy Hellcat fighters. Runways were hit and gun positions strafed. All of our planes returned from all of these operations.
