Truk Lagoon Before the Storm: Japan’s Pacific Fortress

Newsreel combat footage of the U.S. air, surface ship, and submarine attack on Japanese shipping in Truk Lagoon of the Caroline Islands (codenamed "Operation Hailstone") on February 17-18, 1944 (📽: British Pathé). According to sources, Japanese losses in the attack amounted to ~270 aircraft, ~191,000 tons of shipping, three light cruisers “, six destroyers, three smaller warships, two submarines, and 32 transports and merchant ships. During the main strike, 21 American aircraft were lost to ant