Operation Hailstone: Attack on Truk (Chuuk)

Greetings PHG fans, this week we're marking the anniversary of Operation Hailstone, the Allied attack on Truk Lagoon in the Second World War. From 17-18 February 1944, the US Navy's Task Force 58 engaged Imperial Japanese Army and Navy units and destroyed most of the infrastructure, ships, and weapons located there.

A Japanese freighter in Truk Atoll is hit by a Mark XIII torpedo dropped from a Grumman TBF Avenger of Torpedo Squadron 17 (VT-17) from the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), 17 February 1944.

Chuuk, or as its corrupted name came to be used, Truk, was officially absorbed into the Japanese empire along with the rest of the Carolines and most of Micronesia during the opening days of the First World War. Prior to that, Japanese commercial interests and individuals looking to strike out from the old country had found a home here. Mori Koben may be the most famous of these; he moved to Truk in 1892 and only left one time. Truk had been crucial to the Japanese war effort, although Allied reports of the islands being the 'Japanese Pearl Harbor' were somewhat overstated. The IJN and IJA disagreed on the importance of fortifying Truk, and who should pay for it. Still, the huge lagoon was home to a naval presence, and it's easy to see why; the immense dimensions are best shown here, using this screenshot from google maps:

The dimensions of Chuuk Lagoon, showing the possibilities for a large fleet anchorage.

At the same time, Truk's forward presence in the southeast corner of the Japanese empire near the sea lanes connecting Japan to the Solomons was of huge importance to the Japanese war effort. The American advance across the Pacific couldn't avoid Truk either; to draw a line from the Marshall Islands through Palau and Mindanao in the Philippines would almost perfectly intersect the islands.

Roro, marked here in red, is one of the islands of Chuuk State. The approach from east to west across the Pacific, and from Japan to the Solomons, intersect here.

The Allied attack on Truk and the IJN anchorage there was fast and vicious. 40 ships were sunk at anchor or trying to escape, and another 10 damaged. 17,000 tons of fuel oil and 270 aircraft were destroyed. The resources destroyed here could have been put to good use in the Marianas or Philippines campaigns; this was a strategic and costly defeat from which the Japanese did not recover.

Today, Chuuk enjoys independence as part of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Yap; all former Japanese colonies. FSM has a compact of free association with the United States. Due in large part to Operation Hailstone, Chuuk is a popular location for divers looking to explore the numerous ship and aircraft wrecks scattered around the lagoon; this constitutes a large part of their economy on the islands. Here is a great link to some of the dive spots.

A list of historical monuments on Chuuk can be found here. A page dedicated to the Federated States of Micronesia is in the design phase here on Pacific History guide. If you're interested in visiting Chuuk, or have been there and want to share your experience, please let us know!

Tony