Pacific · United States vs Japan
Raid on Truk (Operation Hailstone)
17 February 1944 – 18 February 1944
Nine fast carriers struck the Japanese fleet anchorage at Truk in the Carolines for two days. The Combined Fleet's heavy ships had left a week before, but about 40 merchant and naval vessels were sunk and some 250 aircraft destroyed. Truk was never again used as a fleet base.
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Day by day
— The sweep
Seventy-two Hellcats come in over the atoll at 06:00 and clear the air of it in an hour; the bombers work the anchorage all day, and there is no fleet in it. Koga took the heavy ships to Palau on 10 February, warned by a reconnaissance flight, and what is left is 50 merchantmen, tankers and light warships. Spruance takes two battleships and two cruisers round the outside of the reef and catches the light cruiser Katori and the destroyer Maikaze trying to run.
— The night attack
A torpedo aircraft found Intrepid in the dark on the 17th and put a torpedo into her rudder; she goes home for repair. At 02:00 twelve Avengers of Enterprise's squadron bomb the anchorage by radar from 250 feet, the first night carrier attack the United States has flown, and hit eight ships in a quarter of an hour. The strikes end at midday and the task force turns away, leaving about forty ships and 250 aircraft destroyed.
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