Thursday, January 31, 2019

Operation FLINTLOCK

MON 31 JAN 1944
Pacific
Marines and Army troops (Major General Holland M. Smith, USMC) land on atolls of Kwajalein and Majuro, in the Marshalls, in Operation FLINTLOCK. The operation is under the overall command of Commander Central Pacific force TF 50 (Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) and is composed of Southern Attack force TF 51 (Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner), Northern Attack Force TF 53 (Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly), and Reserve Force and Majuro Attack Group TF 51.2 (Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill). Landings are supported by carrier-based aircraft TF 58 (Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) and land-based aircraft TF 57 (Rear Admiral John H. Hoover).
Aircraft from fast carrier group TG 58.3 (Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman) bomb aircraft and airfield facilities at Engebi Island, Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls. Attacks by this carrier group continue on the first three days of February and afterward by Rear Admiral Samuel P. Ginder's carrier group TG 58.4 through 7 February. TG 58.3 aircraft and destroyer Harrison (DD-573) sink Japanese auxiliary netlayer Katsura Maru off Eniwetok.
U.S. air strike on Nauru, in support of the Marshalls operations, sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 25 and Cha 33.

Cargo ship Enceladus (AK-80) is damaged by storm, Solomons, 08°09'N, 157°38'E.

Submarine Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine depot ship Yasukuni Maru northwest of Truk, 09°21'N, 147°02'E, and damages destroyer Michisio, 09°50'N, 147°06'E.

Submarine Tullibee (SS-284) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayer Hiro Maru north-northwest of Saipan, 15°23'N, 145°35'E.

USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese guardboat Seisho Maru off Celebes.

Japanese plane carries out high-level bombing raid on U.S. shipping in Langemak Bay, New Guinea; freighter Stephen Crane is damaged by bomb that glances off her stack and explodes in the water nearby. One Army passenger is killed; 22 men (including one merchant seaman and one of the 29-man Armed Guard) are injured.

No comments: