Seaplane Base At Makin Island Was Wiped Out

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1942, Page 3

Seaplane Base At Makin Island Was Wiped Out

Pearl Harbour, Aug. 28. Graphic first-hand accounts of the United States marines' recent raid on the Japanese seaplane base at Makin Island are given by Lieut.-Colonel Evans Carlson. who led the raiders, and Major James Roosevelt. I The marines wiped out the seaplane, base and installations and destroyed j three radio stations and 1000 barrels of aviation petrol, bombs and foodstuffs, said Major Roosevelt. Only two Japanese out of a force of 300 survived the marines' sudden attack. The American losses were less than 10 per cent. of the enemy's. Colonel Carlson revealed that the marines were on the island 20 minutes before they were discovered, although the Japanese had maintained a continuous alert with snipers strapped to the tops of 70-foot coconut trees for days. "We fought, until 11.30 a.m. the first day, when the first Japanese air raiders came over," he said. "Meanwhile we had sunk a 3500-ton Japanese transport and a gunboat. The Japanese planes strafed and bombed confusedly, dropping more on their own troops than on us. . The fight ended at 4 p.m. on the second day. "There were 1700 hatives. on the island and they had been ill-treated by the Japanese. The natives looked upon the Americans as deliverers and served as an auxiliary intelligence corps. One of my hardest jobs was to keep my reserves from entering the firing lines because they all wanted to shoot. "By accident an oificer and men in a boat got lost and came up at the rear of the Japanese. They shot eight and knocked out a Japanese radio station. They spent the day cutting enemy communications, killing Japanese messengers and generally raising hell. The battlefield was some sight when they left— dead Japanese were behind almost every coconut tree." Colonel Carlson said that the Japanese were able to operate against Samoa and the Australian lifeline' from Makin. As the marines destroyed everything the base was not much use at' present. Apparently several British subjects had been on the island when the Japanese landed but the marines found no indication of their fate.