Operation Hailstone - Japan gets Pearl Harbored

AtlantisEmpire
Published on Sep 26, 2021
When the United States attacked Truk Lagoon in February of 1944 as part of an operation against Japanese forces during World War II, comparisons to the Pearl Harbor attack were immediate.

Located in the Caroline Islands, Truk was used by the Japanese Navy to store oil and supplies and served as an anchorage for its massive Combined Fleet.

The coral atoll surrounding the islands provided a safe harbor. It was so heavily protected by anti-aircraft guns, airfields, and shore batteries that it earned the nickname of the â€˜Gibraltar of the Pacific.â€™

However, by 1944 the island became unsustainable as the Allied forces were closing in, and Japan began a slow withdrawal of troops and supplies.

The American attack took the Japanese forces by surprise, and their defenses were completely torn apart.

To this day, Truk Lagoon is regarded as one of the biggest graveyards of ships in the world.