Operation Hailstone

Overview

Operation Hailstone was a large-scale United States Navy air and surface attack on Truk Lagoon on 17–18 February 1944, conducted as part of the American offensive drive against the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Hailstone was a large-scale U.S. Navy air and surface assault on Truk Lagoon in February 1944, targeting what had been a major Imperial Japanese Navy base in the Pacific. The operation was part of the broader American offensive drive against Japanese naval power in the Pacific theater. Japanese casualties reached approximately 4,500, reflecting the scale of losses inflicted on forces defending the lagoon. By striking directly at Truk, U.S. forces degraded a key node in Japan's Pacific defensive perimeter, supporting the wider American campaign to advance across the central Pacific.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)