Operation Hailstone

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Operation Hailstone was a major U.S. Navy air and surface attack in February 1944 that devastated the Japanese naval and air base at Truk Lagoon in the Pacific Theater.

Aliases (1)
  • Attack on Truk ×1

Statements (45)
Predicate Object
instanceOf military operation
naval air operation
alsoKnownAs Attack on Truk
belligerent Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Imperial Japanese Navy
United States Navy
codeName Operation Hailstone
commander Marc A. Mitscher
Raymond A. Spruance
conductedBy United States Navy carrier task groups
conflict World War II
country United States of America
destroyed Japanese aircraft at Truk
Japanese merchant ships at Truk
Japanese warships at Truk
shore installations at Truk
endDate 1944-02-18
followedBy Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
force Fast Carrier Task Force
U.S. Fifth Fleet
location Caroline Islands
Chuuk Lagoon
Truk Lagoon
notableFor creation of large ship graveyard at Truk Lagoon
scale of carrier air power employed
objective destroy Japanese air power at Truk
destroy Japanese shipping at Truk
neutralize Truk as a Japanese naval base
partOf Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific War
island-hopping campaign
precededBy Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
result Truk neutralized as major Japanese forward base
decisive American victory
destruction of Japanese base at Truk Lagoon
startDate 1944-02-17
strategicEffect contributed to isolation of Rabaul
reduced Japanese ability to project naval power in Central Pacific
target Japanese Combined Fleet units at Truk
Japanese airfields at Truk
Japanese fuel and supply depots at Truk
theater Pacific Ocean
typeOfAttack carrier-based air strike
surface ship bombardment
year 1944

Referenced by (5)

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