Operation Inmate

Operation Inmate
Part of Pacific War, World War II
Shells from a British Pacific Fleet cruiser falling on Japanese oil tanks at Truk during the 15 June 1945 bombardment
Date 14–15 June 1945 Location Truk 7°20′21″N 151°53′05″E / 7.3393°N 151.8846°E / 7.3393; 151.8846Coordinates: 7°20′21″N 151°53′05″E / 7.3393°N 151.8846°E / 7.3393; 151.8846 Result Allied force achieved its goals
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Canada  New Zealand  United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
E.J.P. Brind	Shunsaburo Mugikura Chuichi Hara
Casualties and losses
2 killed 1 aircraft destroyed in combat 6 aircraft destroyed in accidents	Damage to airfields and other infrastructure 2 aircraft believed destroyed

Operation Inmate was an attack by the British Pacific Fleet against Japanese positions on Truk Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean during World War II. The attacks against the lightly defended islands on 14 and 15 June 1945 were conducted to provide combat experience for the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable and several of the fleet's cruisers and destroyers ahead of their involvement in more demanding operations off Japan.

On 14 June 1945 British aircraft conducted a series of raids against Japanese positions at Truk. During the next morning several islands in the atoll were bombarded by cruisers, though only one of the four warships involved achieved any success. Further air strikes took place in the afternoon and night of 15 June before the Allied force returned to its base.

The attack on Truk was considered successful for the Allied force, with the ships and air units involved gaining useful experience while suffering two fatalities and the loss of seven aircraft to combat and accidents. The damage to the Japanese facilities in the atoll, which had been attacked repeatedly during 1944 and 1945, was considered to be modest.

The British aircraft carrier HMS Implacable was dispatched from the United Kingdom in February 1945 to reinforce the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). The ship arrived at the BPF's main base at Sydney in Australia on 8 May. At this time, the main body of the BPF was operating off Okinawa in the North Pacific. On 24 May Implacable departed Sydney, and arrived at the BPF's forward base at Manus Island on the 29th of the month. Several days later the remainder of the BPF arrived at Manus to refuel before most of its ships continued to Sydney for a period of rest and maintenance.

As part of the preparations for the BPF's return to combat, Admiral Bernard Rawlings – the commander of the fleet's combat force – decided to dispatch Implacable and several other recently arrived warships to attack the Japanese positions at Truk. The purpose of this operation was to ensure that the warships' crews had recent combat experience before the BPF commenced operations off Japan during July.

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Wikipedia