be opened to commerce and trade. In 1899, following the Spanish-American war, Germany purchased the Carolines from Spain and attempted to develop the copra industry.
All the while, Japan had an eye covetously watching the Carolines. Her opportunity to seize them was during the first World War when, fighting against Germany, she sent a naval squadron to occupy them. After the treaty of Versailles, Japan was given a mandate over the islands.
Although Japan was given no right to fortify the islands she nevertheless proceeded to do so, She refused to allow ships of other nations to visit ports in the islands and discouraged travel here by non-Japanese.
In the tense days prior to World War II, Japan moved down into the Carolines with serious intention: hurriedly she built a powerful navel base at Truk; Ponape, Kusaie, and Yap were fortified with strongly-entrenched Jap troops; at Ulithi, a Japanese radio and weather station was built, with Ulithi's broad lagoon serving as an emergency naval and seaplane base.
During World War II, Ulithi was first attacked by United States forces on March 30 and April 1, 1944, by a task fleet of carrier planes. For three months it rested from American strikes; on July 24–27, another fleet of carrier planes bombed it. The third strike was 5, 6, 7 September. This was the last "routine" strike. Next came invasion.
Among the 'now it can be told' stories is the taking of Ulithi without opposition when the Japanese abandoned it as worthless. When American forces moved into the Marianas and Peleliu, the Japs conscripted all able-bodied Ulithians
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