Show Wake Wale Raid Called Heaviest Heavies Ever Hurled in Pacific PEARL HARBOR T. T H H. Oct 11 11 UP J occupied Japanese Wake island languished Monday in the wreckage of a battering probably more severe evere and certainly more mored d destructive than any ever visited upon upon the gallant Ameri American au marines marines ma ma- rines rifles who for the first two weeks of the war held that pinpoint against overwhelming enemy force The United States navy delivered delivered ered the blow in a two-day two ship-plane ship assault starting starting starting start start- ing last Tuesday Three Thre hundred and twenty torts of bombs believed to be the greatest weight of explosives explosives ex ex- plosives ever unloosed in a single operation against an enemy emy t tar tar- rg r- r g tin irr the Pacific we were propped dropped on n the t e tiny liny atolls that ke up u Wake Walt island nd By the ti tine time e the attack ended Admiral Clester Chester W W. Nimitz re reported reported reported re- re ported in ra fa a which gave the first details more than 61 Japanese planes h had f been destroyed destroyed de de- dc- dc and two ships one of them a 8 gasoline tanker had been left in ruins Machine shops barracks barracks bar bar- racks and supply dumps throughout through through- out the three small islands were red with flame Antiaircraft and coastal defense guns were heaps of shattered metal And one naval flier reported We saw a considerable number of dead Japs scattered around the landscape For this destruction Admiral Nimitz said the navy paid a cost of 13 planes all lost in combat Figh Fighter ter escorted Avenger torpedo torpedo torpedo tor tor- bombers and Dauntless dive bombers from a carrier task ask force under the command of Rear Admiral Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- miral Alfred E Montgomery mery initiated initiated ini mi- the attack at dawn Tues Tues- day A str strong ng force of Japanese planes challenged the navy raiders but American fighters went after the enemy and shot down at least 30 while the carrier bombers concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- on Japanese aircraft still aground Simultaneously the escort vessels vessels ves yes sels in the carrier force drew close to shore and let go with their big guns against the exploding island Late in the afternoon a squadron squad squad- ron of land-based land navy four-en- four Liberators possibly from Midway island 1000 miles distant joined in the party By the time they arrived Admiral Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- miral Nimitz said enemy defenses were so neutralized neutralized neutral neutral- zed that the heavy bombers encountered encountered encountered en en- countered only weak ineffective antiaircraft fire and n opposition tion After dropping their bomb loads however the Liberators swept down to feet and with their machine guns blasted whatever remnants of opposition they could find |