When did Operation Hailstone take place?
Operation Hailstone took place on the 17th of February 1944. Admiral Raymond Spruance ordered Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force to raid Truk Lagoon on this date.
Questions about Operation Hailstone
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who commanded American forces during Operation Hailstone?
Admiral Raymond Spruance put himself in tactical command of Task Group 50.9 to engage fleeing Japanese ships directly. His force included four destroyers, heavy cruisers Minneapolis and New Orleans, and battleships Iowa and New Jersey.
What was the outcome for Japanese shipping losses at Truk Lagoon?
Shipping losses totaled almost 200,000 tons including several precious fleet oilers with dwindling numbers by early 1944. Vessels sunk at Truk represented almost one-tenth of total Japanese shipping losses between the 1st of November 1943 and the 30th of June 1944.
Why did Admiral Masami Kobayashi lose his command after Operation Hailstone?
Admiral Masami Kobayashi faced blame from the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff and was relieved of command two days later. He went into reserves on the 31st of May 1944 following his removal from active service.
How many warplanes were committed to Operation Hailstone by the United States?
Three of four carrier task groups committed over 500 warplanes to the operation. Five fleet carriers and four light carriers formed the core of this massive striking force.