Operation of Cooperation

"To me," said Admiral Nimitz, "this operation epitomizes the complete unity with which all the fighting forces in the Pacific --the Army and Navy, the Marine Corps and Coast Guard--are coordinating their strength and skill against the enemy."

The operation to which CINCPAC referred was an air raid on Wake. It was perhaps the best evidence yet of interservice cooperation. Enough four-motored bombers (censors released a picture showing one of the crews in front of a Liberator) took part in the night flight from "an advanced airfield" (probably Midway) and back to carry seventy-six 1,000-lb. bombs. No Jap anti-aircraft was met until well after the first bombs had waked the Japs.

The bombers were Army planes under the command of Colonel William A. Matheny. But they flew at the request of the Navy, to implement naval strategy. They attacked, as the Navy would have them, at low level. The Army raid was announced by the Navy. Army D.F.C.s were pinned on six Army chests at the Army's Hickam Field by the Navy's Nimitz.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.