the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

convoy is intercepted the barges scatter. As the planes seldom have enough
bombs to chase all of the barges, usually a number get by. This system has
kept a number of Japanese detached posts from starvation and has supplied
them with ammunition and some stores.
NORTH AND CENTRAL PACIFIC AREA
Palau Islands
At the beginning of the period an amphibious expedition had landed the
1st Marine and 81st Inf Divs on Angaur and Peleliu Islands at the south
end of the group, and had almost occupied both of these islands.
Principal enemy resistance was on Peleliu, where the Japs were dug in
deeply and closely. The weather was very hot—men used as many as 20
salt tablets a day. The Japs were supplied at night by barges which were
run ashore. Extensive mangrove swamps along the coast limited the
fighting areas.
On 21 Sep the 1st Marine Div attacked the enemy on a ridge
along the west side of Peleliu. Although the attack was continued on
the following day no appreciable
progress was made. During the
balance of Sep a small advance was gained and more than three-
quarters of the island was
occupied, the enemy being penned in the
north end.
The offensive was continued. The enemy-held
ridge became known as
Bloody Nose Ridge. Progress w as very slow and
was indeed bloody. The
enemy
was partly in caves, partly in well constructed
trenches. A similar
situation, on a much smaller scale, existed on Angaur. By 7 Oct, the
enemy's estimated death losses were 11,083 on Peleliu and 1,128 on
Angaur. 214 prisoners had been captured.
A new attack was made on 8 Oct, after an air preparation using 1,000lb.
bombs. It failed to have much success. At the end of the period the
enemy still held his positions on Peleliu and Angaur.
Central Pacific Area
American troops from Palau occupied Ulithi on 20 and 21 Sep.
There was no opposition. The enemy had already abandoned this
island group.
In the Caroline Islands
Yap, Truk, Puluwat, and Ponape have been
repeatedly
bombed. In the Marshall Islands the Jap bases at Maloelap,
Mili, Wotje, and Jaluit have been also bombed. Pilots report that Japanese
AA fire has increased in volume and accuracy. These Jap-held islands are
reported as supplied by submarines having a cargo capacity of 400 tons.
There are also small Jap subs which carry 35 to 40 tons of cargo, including
deck loads lashed on.
North Pacific Area
Operations have been limited to occasional bombing of Marcus, Wake,
and Paramushiro. Mission of the
bombings is to neutralize the enemy air
bases and thereby interfere with his air reconnaissance. Dates of bombing
are adjusted to fleet operations,
when it is desired to prevent the enemy
from learning the whereabouts
of our ships.
Operations of the Pacific Fleet
The Pacific Fleet, now of vast size, is divided into sub-fleets which are
numbered. They contain numerous airplane carriers. Fleets have trains,
which maintain a supply system enabling combat vessels to remain at sea
for considerable periods. Operations of the Fleet have been the main
military operation in the Pacific.
On 21 Sep the 3d Fleet arrived east of Luzon. It launched about 500
planes which made two attacks, one in the morning and the other in the
afternoon, over Manila and adjacent air and naval bases, including Cavite,
Subic Bay, and Clark and Nichols air fields. Another attack was delivered
next day. The reported result was the sinking of 51 ships, only one of
which was a naval vessel (a destroyer), and the damaging of 58 ships,
one
of which was a destroyer. Two floating dry docks were damaged. 169
enemy planes were reported downed, plus 188 destroyed on the ground.
American losses were 26 planes.
On 10 Oct the same fleet (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) was off
Luzon Strait. An air sweep was made over the Ryukyu Islands seeking
out all enemy vessels. Five were sunk including 1 destroyer, and 24
(mostly small vessels) were damaged. 19 enemy planes were downed in
air fights and 75 were reported destroyed on the ground. In the Ryukyu
Islands the enemy has a main base on Okinawa Island, near the south
end of the chain.
836 FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL—December, 1944
Oct 10th American carrier planes took the Japanese by surprise in a strike
at the Ryukyu Islands (1). They sank or damaged
58 vessels and destroyed
89 planes, 75 of them on the ground. To the south, American fighter planes
and PT-boats smashed 18 barges trying to reinforce the Japanese on
Morotai
(2). Liberators bombed Kupang on Timor (3).
The same command on 12 Oct attacked Taiwan (Formosa) in all day
raids from 0700 until 1500 hrs. An estimated 1,000 planes were used,
which is a record for a sea-borne expedition. This attack was continued
on the 13th. The Japanese air force discovered the ships, and attacked.
They also engaged in air fights with the American planes. Net result was
that the Japanese are reported to have lost in the 2 days 221 planes
downed plus 175 destroyed on the ground. 27 Japanese ships were sunk
and 36 others damaged. American losses were 45 planes, with no ships
lost. On the last day the American attack was extended to the Pescadores
Islands just west of Taiwan, where the enemy has another naval base at
Mako.
On 14 Oct the 20th Air Force (flying from China
fields) continued the
attack
on Taiwan, centering on the Okayama air base. Two super-bombers
were lost. The 3d Fleet made minor attacks this day and included Aparri,
on Luzon. 11 enemy planes were downed, 30 more were reported
destroyed on the ground. The Jap air force again attacked the ships during
the afternoon, losing 30 planes. The 20th Air Force again attacked Taiwan
Einansho airfield on the 17th.
On 15 Oct another fleet, the 7th, was east of Luzon and sent its planes
out to attack the vicinity of Manila. These planes were intercepted but the
American planes were not stopped—they bombed
the airfields near Manila
and attacked other targets. Meanwhile Japanese
planes attacked both
American fleets to the east of Luzon and Taiwan,
and continued again next
day.
To include 16 Oct the American fleet reported that
the total loss
inflicted
on the enemy since 10 Oct was
planes downed near ships 256
downed near targets 269
destroyed on ground 350
——
total
875
The enemy also lost
at least 5 ships sunk
and 32 damaged,
nearly all small.
American loss was 21 planes and
reported superficial
damage to ships.
On 18 Oct air raids were renewed over the Philippines, to include
Aparri and Lauag airfields at the north end of Luzon;
Camiguin Island near
northeast
corner of Mindanao; Mabalacat, Angeles, and Tarlac on the
Luzon plain; Manila and Legaspi at the south end of Luzon.
JAPAN
Extensive steel works near Anshan, Manchukuo, were bombed by the
20th Air Force on 26 Sep.
CHINA
Chekiang
On 20 Sep a Japanese land force reached the coast and captured
Wenchow (Yunkia on some maps). Chekiang Province appears to be now
largely under Japanese control.