January 1944 (3)

Shaggy Ridge

22-26 January – the fresh men of the Australian 15th and 18th Brigades captured Kankiryo Saddle on the western tip of the New Guinea Finesterre Range.  This important enemy position placed the men only 20 miles from the coast.

8-31 January – a US Navy communiqué reported that American submarines had sunk 10 Japanese vessels, including an oil tanker on the 8th alone.  The enemy cruiser IJN Kuma was sunk by the British sub, HMS Tally Ho on the 11th, in Solomon Island waters.  And the US Marines were continuing to battle the enemy on Bougainville.

USMC map

Click on images to enlarge.

31 January – Operation Flintlock, a well-planned and very large action started off with shells from the battleships and aircraft from Tarawa and Makin.  They knocked out the airstrips on Jaluit and Mili.  Adm. Spruance’s 4 carrier groups hit Wotje and Maloelap.

The leadership of this huge operation:  Adm. K. Turner had the overall command of the amphibious operation; MGen. C. Corbett led the Kwajalein Southern Force; RAdm. R. Conolly commanded the Northern Force of the newly formed 4th Marine Division for the twin islets of Roi-Namur; Adm. Hill led the assault on Majuro Atoll with one Battalion of the US Army 27th Division, 2 Marine battalions and one regular Corps and then on to Eniwetok.

Adm. Mitscher’s Task Force 58 included 12 carriers, 8 fast battleships, 6 cruisers and 36 destroyers.  They had sailed from Pearl Harbor on the 22nd to meet and destroy any Japanese vessel that dared to leave Truk in defense.

view of part of the 5th Fleet

Adm. Spruance had overall command of the 5th Fleet (“The Big Blue Fleet), with 375 ships at his disposal, 700 carrier-based and 475 land-based aircraft.  His mission was to get 53,000 assault troops on shore at 3 islands that were separated by over 300 miles of open Pacific.

At 0950 hours, Adm. Hill signally that Majro Atoll was secure.  Kwajalein, after 3 days of bombing, one sailor said, “…it looked as if it had been picked up 20,000 feet and then dropped.”  But 5,000 fanatical Japanese troops survived and this would cause casualties to the 4th Marine Division, despite the enemy’s lack of organization.

Japanese Kawanishi H8K seaplane downed after strafing the beach of Kwajalein.

More on these battles in February 1944.

9-30 January – in the CBI, the British 14th Army took the port of Maungdaw on the Bay of Bengal.  Although, despite their success, the troops were left exposed on their left flank.  The Japanese just happened to be amassing right there.

Stilwell’s Chinese troops continued to advance and by the end of the month, the Chinese 22 Division had captured Taro, Burma.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Japanese Propaganda – used in attempts to demoralize the Australian troops and divide the Allies

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Edwin ‘Bud’ Bosshart – Silverton, OR; US Navy, WWII, PTO, SeaBee

Johnny Cambell – Hutto, TX; Korea, 187th RCT

Joseph Druke – Buffalo, NY; US Army, Korea

John Goble – Brighton, AUS; RA Navy (Ret. 51 yrs.), WWII, PTO & ETO, Commodore

Michael Korenko – Mentor, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI

Donald Marks, Boca Raton, FL; US Army, WWII

Michael Monsoor – Long Beach, CA; US Navy SEAL, Iraq, Petty Officer, KIA, Medal of Honor

Frank Petersen Jr. – Topeka, KS; USMC, Korea, Vietnam, Lt.General (Ret. 38 yrs.), pilot

John Tasso Sr. – Saugus, MA; US Navy, WWII

Frederick Walker Jr. – Decatur, GA; US Army, WWII, ETO, 3rd Army antiaircraft

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