Friendly Fire Forces Tunny To Terminate Patrol; Also: Air Power!

THU 30 MAR 1944
Pacific
TF 58 under Commander Fifth Fleet (Admiral Raymond A. Spruance) begins intensive bombing of Japanese airfields, shipping, fleet servicing facilities, and other installations at Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai in the Carolines. During these attacks (that continue until 1 April), planes from carriers Lexington (CV-16), Bunker Hill (CV-19) and Hornet (CV-12) sow extensive minefields in and around the channels and approaches to the Palaus in the first tactical use of mines laid by carrier aircraft.

TF 58 planes sink destroyer Wakatake; repair ship Akashi; fleet tankers Ose, Sata, Iro, Akebono Maru, and Amatsu Maru; submarine chaser Ch 6; auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 22, Cha 26, Cha 53, and No.5 Showa Maru; Patrol Boat No.31; netlayer No.5 Nissho Maru; aircraft transport Goshu Maru; transports Gozan Maru, Nagisan Maru, Raizan Maru, Ryuko Maru, and No.18 Shinsei Maru; tankers Amatsu Maru and Asashio Maru; guardboats Ibaraki Maru and No.2 Seiei Maru; salvage vessel Urakami Maru; torpedo transport and repair ship Kamikaze Maru; army cargo ships Chuyo Maru, Kibi Maru, and Shoei Maru; army tanker No.2 Unyo Maru; and army cargo ships Bichu Maru (outside Palau harbor) and Teisho Maru (in the channel west of Palau), and, at Angaur, small craft No.3 Akita Maru, Chichibu Maru, Yae Maru, Toku Maru, Kiku Maru, Hinode Maru, Yamato Maru, Ume Maru, and Akebono Maru. TF 58 planes damage submarine chaser Ch 35, netlayer Shosei Maru, tanker No.2 Hishi Maru, and army cargo ship Hokutai Maru at Palau, 07°30'N, 134°30'E.

Submarine Tunny (SS-282), while on lifeguard duty off the Palaus, is attacked accidentally by TBF from carrier Yorktown (CV-10) 07°40'N, 134°00'E. Damage suffered in the friendly fire encounter forces Tunny to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Darter (SS-227), despite presence of one escort vessel, sinks Japanese army cargo ship Fujikawa Maru about 175 miles northwest of Manokwari, New Guinea, 01°50'N, 133°00'E.

Submarine Picuda (SS-382) attacks Japanese convoy, and sinks transport Atlantic Maru about 90 miles south-southwest of Guam, 12°20'N, 145°55'E.

Submarine Stingray (SS-186) attacks Japanese convoy and sinks transport Ikushima Maru about 350 miles north-northwest of Saipan, 20°43'N, 143°04'E.

Japanese minelayer Nasami is damaged by aircraft off Rabaul.

Mediterranean
Destroyer Eberle (DD-430) provides gunfire support off Anzio.