The Palau raids as a blow to Japanese sustainment

Tanker and oiler losses at Palau restricted the Combined Fleet's range and Japan's ability to move oil from the Netherlands East Indies. They followed further tanker losses at Truk only six weeks earlier. The loss of the repair ship Akashi and other support vessels also reduced the fleet's ability to sustain operations. American claims for aircraft destroyed or rendered unusable remained disputed, so they require more caution than a straightforward total suggests.