Description Of Truk Island Essay, Research Paper

The island of Truk was 800 square miles of sheltered lagoons and strong

defensive capabilities. (1) In 1944 the island became vulnerable to allied attacks.(2) All

of the warships were subsequently moved away from the island leaving all the forces on

the island without warship protection. Truk was still considered one of Japan?s greatest

naval bases. Vice Adm. Chuichi Hara was in command of the forces on the island.

At this point in the war the allied forces were just moping up the Japanese as they

proceeded to mainland Japan. There was no point in an amphibious assault on an island

that had no military significance. Especially when you could just bomb the island form

afar. The allied forces were not out to crush every Japanese stronghold. They were

making the move towards Japan. It was not necessary to stop at every island and waste

lives. Truk was to be neutralized.

Carrier aircraft from task force 58 attacked Truk. And shot down everything that

was thrown at them. And when they had nothing left to throw at them it was a duck

shoot. They pounded the island. 31 ships were sunk(3). 270 aircraft destroyed(4). The

forces on the island were reduced to nothing in a few short months. Of the forces that

were left instead of fighting the allies they were fighting starvation and disease. 2,000

died of starvation(5)

Bibliography

Work Cited

Hagen, Jerome, War in the Pacific (Ohio: Book Masters, Inc. 1988) 270

Hagen, Jerome, War in the Pacific (Ohio: Book Masters, Inc. 1988) 270

Hagen, Jerome, War in the Pacific (Ohio: Book Masters, Inc. 1988) 270

Hagen, Jerome, War in the Pacific (Ohio: Book Masters, Inc. 1988) 270

Hagen, Jerome, War in the Pacific (Ohio: Book Masters, Inc. 1988) 271