Operation Hailstone

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)