The Pittsburgh Press (February 22, 1944)
Yanks hit last Eniwetok isle
Attack on Marshalls Atoll enters final phase
By William F. Tyree, United Press staff writer
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii –
The speedy American conquest of Eniwetok Atoll, Jap naval and air base 750 miles northeast of Truk, entered its final phase today with an assault on Parry, the last enemy-held island in the Northwestern Marshalls.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, commander of the Pacific Fleet, announced in a communiqué last night that powerful naval forces and swarms of aircraft had begun a crushing bombardment of Parry and it was possible that Marine and Army invasion troops have already driven ashore.
The capture of Parry, and with it, complete occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, was expected within the next 24 hours, giving the United States another stepping stone along the invasion route to Tokyo, 2,200 miles to the northwest.
While U.S. ground forces battered down resistance in the Marshalls, twin-engined Navy Ventura search planes from the Aleutians dropped slightly more than five tons of bombs on Paramushiru, 1,200 miles above Tokyo at the northern end of Japan’s home islands, and adjacent Shumushu.
Anti-aircraft fire was encountered at all targets, but all the raiders returned safely to their bases. The mission was believed largely reconnaissance to photograph repair of damage inflicted during the Feb. 4 naval bombardment and survey enemy shipping in the area.
Elements of the Army 106th Infantry Regiment and 22nd Marine Regiment seized 5,000-yard-long Eniwetok Island at the southern end of the circular atoll of the same name in a little more than 24 hours, Adm. Nimitz reported, leaving Parry the only island in the atoll remaining in enemy hands.
The Japs on Eniwetok, as on conquered Engebi to the north, fought fanatically to the death despite overwhelming odds. Nearly entire garrisons of some 2,000 on the two islands were believed to have been slaughtered.
Few pockets remain
A few small pockets of Japs remained to be mopped up on Eniwetok, last night’s communiqué said, but it was presumed these now have been wiped out. U.S. casualties continued light, totaling only 150 dead and 350 wounded for the entire first five days of fighting on the atoll through Sunday night.
Army Warhawk fighter-bombers and Mitchell medium bombers, along with Navy Venturas, again attacked outflanked, isolated Jap-held islands in the Marshalls east and southeast of Eniwetok Saturday, dropping 24 tons of explosives on three atolls. Airfields were damaged and ground installations hit.
U.S. warships, presumably cruisers and destroyers, joined in the campaign to keep the remaining enemy islands neutralized with naval bombardments Saturday.