In the Center

In the center of the Pacific front the Navy shook a heavy fist at Japan's front door. One of the most powerful task forces the Pacific has ever seen reached out to within 1,200 miles of Tokyo, sent off carrier planes to bombard Marcus Island.

Three days later the force turned up at Wake Island, pounded that battered Japanese-held way station just to keep it battered.

In all, the planes of Rear Admiral Al fred E. Montgomery's force made 727 sorties, lost only four aircraft.

Japanese naval caution was explained in part by new statistics in the silent, relentless war by U.S. submarines. The U.S. Navy Department announced 15 more Japanese vessels sunk by subs. Total sinkings of Japanese war and merchant ships since Pearl Harbor: 1,288 sunk, probably sunk, and damaged.

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