The Battle Of

Wake Island

Wake Island is small atoll, one of the most remote places on earth, a V-shaped tendril of sand, scrub, and coral rock.

Pacific Ocean

Japan

Korea

China

Philippines

Hawaii

Wake Island

2300 miles

2000 miles

Mar

shal

l Isla

nds

600 miles

Wake

Northern Marshall IS.

After Pearl Harbor the Japanese had taken the Philippines, Guam, and the northern Marshall Islands.Wake was now within range of Japanese bombers.

Who and how many are defending Wake Island?Will there be reinforcements from Pearl Harbor?Will the Navy attempt an evacuation of Wake?The Japanese are most assuredly going to attack and invade Wake……and soon.

We will answer those and other questions as we begin our study of

The Battle of Wake Island

The Lagoon

Shark -infested, Too shallow and thickly strewn with coral heads to accommodate ships of any draft.

20 feet peak elevation

No palm trees.No fresh water source.Produced no food other than fish.Populated only by flightless birds, hermit crabs, and rats.

How did the rats get on the Island?a. No one knows

b. Deserters from visiting ships

c. Brought to the Island to take care of the flightless birds.

d. Feed for the natural snake population.

The Garrison on Wake Island.On Peale:

1000 civilian construction workers who were expanding the Pan-Am facilities and airfield.

On Wake and Wilkes:450 officers and men of the

1st Marine Defense Battalionstationed at shore batteries and defensive works at the

southern beaches of Wake and Wilkes islands.

The entire air force:12 F4F Wildcats

How did the Wildcats arrive at Wake?a. They flew from Pearl Harborb. Transported by aircraft carrier

c. Built by parts on Wake.d. On huge transports

They had flown in from the USS Enterprise, and only four days before the attack.

Major James Devereux

Invasion landing: Eiji Goto Tamon Yamaguchi Personnel:

450 Marines 68 US Navy1221 civilian workers for the

Morrison-Knudsen Company construction

35 Pan Am Airline employees 45 Chamorro employees working

construction for Pan Am

Japanese plan:Bombing and strafing of each

of the islands: Wilkes, Peale, and Wake, for three days, followed by an amphibious landing of invasion troops.

US forces on Wake

Cmdr Winfield Scott Cunningham

Attacking force:

Adm. Shigeyoshi Inoue

Adm. Sadamichi Kajioka

Wake Island will be attacked by 34 G3M Japanese medium bombers operating from the island of Roi in the Marshall Islands.

34 Japanese “Nell” Medium Bombers attack Wake from the south.

How long after the 10am attack on Pearl Harbor will the Japanese attack Wake Island?

a. Two hours

b. Four hoursc. 12 hours

d. 24 hours

NoonDecember 8th (local time), just a two hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor-

How could “two hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor” be on December 8th, 1941?

No choices …..you should know why.

lagoon

Battery A

Battery B

Battery L

3” & 5” guns

PanAm Bldg

Camp 2

Civilianhospital

Camp 1

airstrip

Guns placement on the islands.

US Armaments 6 5” 51 cal pieces12 3” 50 cal anti-air guns18 .50 browning heavy

machine guns30 .30” heavy, medium and light machine guns

3” & 5” guns

The attack on Wake at noon, December 8th, 1941

34 Japanese “Nell” Medium Bombers attack Wake from the south.

Wake

Roi Island

Part of the Kwajalein Atoll

600 miles

No one saw or heard them until less than a minute before the first bombs fell.How was that possible?

a. Incompetence b. They were too high to be seen.

c. Waves were too noisy d. Scouts were expecting the attack from the west.

Strange but true, the troops on look-out could not hear the approaching planes because of the tremendous din of the booming surf.

Also, the planes came in below cloud cover at 1500 feet.

Also, four of Wake’s Wildcats were at 12,000 feet above the clouds.

Does it seem mathematically near impossible that the four Wildcats were in the air the exact minutes of the Japanese attack? It makes sense though under what scenarios?

a. Pearl Harbor had been attacked just hours earlier. Wake was on full alert!

No need for any other choices.

The Attack

lagoon

Battery A

Battery B

Battery L

3” & 5” guns

PanAm Bldg

Camp 2

Civilianhospital

3” & 5” guns

Camp 1

airstrip

The Japanese bombing attackof December 8th-Two hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Eight F4F Wildcats destroyed on the ground.

The F4F Wildcats were parked wingtip to wingtip offering the attacking Japanese planes an easy target. Why were the F4F Wildcats parked next to each other and not dispersed?

a. Just a coincidenceb. No room on the airfield to park them any other way.c. Just like at Pearl Harbor, it was a bad decision by the

commander.d. The pilots could more quickly reach their planes in a

scramble.

Just a guess; how much damage did the Wake Island defenders put on the Japanese bombers?

a. The guns weren’t even fired.

b. Lots of firing, but no hits.

c. One bomber was downed by the 5” guns.

d. Every Japanese bomber was either shot down or damaged. Why were the guns not fired?

a. The firing bolts were not in the guns, just like the guns on the ships at Pearl.

b. All the gunners were at a meeting.

c. The Japanese planes’ altitude was out of range of the guns.

d. The attack happened so quickly there was no time to use the guns.

5:30amOpens fire

Light Cruiser Yubari

Firing runs

Battery A

Yubari hit eleven times

6:10

Destroyers Hayate and Oite 6am

Battery L

Hayate sunk

For the record book:a. First Japanese

deaths in WW 2.b. First Japanese

amphibious attack on US territory.

c. Last ship to be sunk at the Battle of Wake Island.

d. First Japanese ship sunk in the Pacific Theatre. Oite hit

5:30 to 6:15am

Battery A

Battery L

Battery B

Cruiser Yubari hit eleven times

Destroyer Hayate SUNK! Oite hit

Destroyer Yayoi hit

Destroyer Mutsuki hit

Cruiser Tatsuta hit

6:00 to 6:30

Battery A

Battery L

Battery B

Cruiser Yubari hit eleven times

Destroyer Hayate SUNK! Oite hit

Destroyer Yayoi hit

Destroyer Mutsuki hit

Cruiser Tatsuta hit

6:15 to 6:45

PT Boats #32 and #33 sunk

Another First:

a. An amphibious attack was repulsed.

b. PT boats were sunk by shore batteries.

c. Record eleven hits on the Yubari and didn’t sink it.

d. Japanese bombers missed everything.

Another First: Marine Pilot Hank Elrod shot down a Japanese G3M Medium bomber. The first air to air kill of the Pacific Theatre.

Battery A

Battery L

Battery B

Cruiser Yubari hit eleven times

Destroyer Yayoi hit

Destroyer Mutsuki hit

6:15 to 6:45

Destroyer Hayate SUNK! Oite hit

Cruiser Tatsuta hit

PT Boats 32 and 33 sunk

Cruiser KisaragiSunk by Four Wildcats

Marine Captain Hank Elrod

Battery A

Battery L

Battery B

Cruiser Yubari hit eleven times

Destroyer Yayoi hit

Destroyer Mutsuki hit

7:10am

Destroyer Hayate SUNK! Oite hit

Cruiser Tatsuta hit

PT Boats 32 and 33 sunk

Cruiser Kisaragi

Sunk by Wildcats

What did the Japanese do next?

a. Continued with attempted amphibious landing.

b. Cancelled the operation, turned around and headed back to Roi.

c. Of the eleven Japanese ships, two had not been hit and with those hit, but not sunk, they continued to fire on the islands.d. The Japanese carriers were not too far out.

Japanese aircraft destroyed a 125-ton dynamite cache, and the resulting explosion caused damage to coastal batteries.

After turning back the Japanese invasion force, Cmd. Cunningham sent a message to Hawaii.

a. We can hold the island.

b. Send us more Japs.

c. Send reinforcements and supplies to help us defend.

d. Evacuate us, and hurry.

What happens over the next 4 days?

a. Efforts to evacuate the Wake personnel failed.

b. Efforts to resupply Wake were successful.

c. Japanese bombing raids continued without resupply of Wake.

d. Japanese attempts of an amphibious landing fail.

Dead and wounded:

Japanese: around 500 dead; 1000 wounded.

Wake Island forces:…….take a guess……”How many died?”

a. One b. Ten c. 67 d. 96Amazingly

Only ONE deathand four wounded

Results of the first Japanese attackPan Am Terminal building damaged

several Pan Am buildings and nearby facilities destroyed.Ten Pan Am employees killed.

Seven Wildcat fighters destroyed.Two large fuel tanks set ablaze.Dozens of drums of gasoline hit. 23 aircrew killed, 11 wounded.Not one aircraft mechanic escaped injury.Not one defensive gun suffered any damage.

d. Pan Am evacuated only the top twenty in seniority.

c. Native employees of Pan Am were not evacuated, only the Caucasians.

b. Black employees of Pan Am were ordered to move all the dead bodies.

a. Pan Am workers of Japanese descent were imprisoned.

An act of 1940s racism occurred after the bombing of the Pan Am facilities.

Following the raid;

What happened to the Pan American Airbase employees?

a. They were evacuated to Hawaii

b. They were quickly taught to handle weapons. c. They were ordered to construct their own bomb shelter, and quickly.

d. They refused to be evacuated and heroically volunteered to help in the defense of the island.

Why move the guns?a. The Marines feared the Japanese had photographed the location for the next bombing.b. The Marines anticipated the Japanese attack would come from the north.

c. The Marines wanted the guns closer to their barracks.d. The Marines wanted all the guns on Wilkes moved southeast to be alongside the guns at the southern-most point on Wake Island.

Following the raid, knowing the Japanese would return, the Marine commander began to

a. Evacuate the marines.

b. Demand more troops, and an aircraft carrier.

c. Move the guns

d. Build more bomb shelters.

And then replaced their 3 and 5 inch guns with wooden replicas.

Japan’s future plans:

a. Build up their invasion fleet and try again.

b. Continue the bombing and strafing until the island submits.

c. A night invasion.

d. Cancel all invasion operations.

Soryu Hiryu

The second invasion operation was scheduled for December 23.

The Japanese would bring two full sized aircraft carriers……..filled with aircraft and ammunition.

The plans of the US Navy and Marines:

a. “We can’t take a chance, we will surrender Wake Island to the Japanese.”b. “To take pressure off Wake Island defenses, we will attack their home-Roi Island in the Marshalls.”

c. “We will resupply and reinforce Wake Island and maintain control.”

d. “We will resupply and reinforce Wake Island and evacuate everyone to Hawaii.”

Both

Admiral Frank Fletcher’s Task Force 11 (TF 11)

USS Saratoga

Admiral Wilson Brown’s Task Force 14 (TF 14)

USS Lexington

US Navy Relief Attempt

Saratoga Lexington

Fleet Oiler Neches Seaplane

Tender Tangier

Heavy CruiserAstoria

Heavy CruiserMinneapolis

Heavy Cruiser San FranciscoTen Destroyers

And More………………………………….

4th Marine Defense BattalionVMF-221 fighter squadron-Brewster Buffaloes

And interesting numbers of ammunition:

9,000 five “ rounds 12,000 three “ rounds 3,000,000 .50 in rounds

Plus large amounts of ammunition for mortars and other small arms

Should that be enough?a. Yesb. Yesc. Yesd. Yes

Do you recall the other part of the relief operation?

a. Evacuate

b. Training

c. A second “load” of supplies.

d. Attack on Roi.

HawaiiWake

Roi

Relief Force

Diversion Force

Diversion Force:Admiral Wilson BrownUSS Lexington3 Heavy Cruisers8 DestroyersOne oiler

TF 14

TF 11

Why did neither Task Force have any battleships?

Answer: with a touch of sarcasm, do you remember Pearl Harbor?

lagoon

The Second Attack-Dec. 9th,

The hospital took at least one direct hit, probably several, and quickly burst into flames. The patients and medical corpsmen were moved into two empty magazines, dark and airless chambers where a least they could count on some protection against bomb shrapnel.

Results of the second Japanese attack27 G3M Japanese bombers bombed from high altitude, about 12,000 feet, with accuracy.

The remaining buildings of Camp 2 in smoking ruins.

Antiaircraft battery at Peacock Point knocked out. Fire control equipment for one of the 5 “ shore guns was damaged.

All surviving Wildcats were in the air to receive the enemy.Marine antiaircraft batteries shot down two Japanese bombers, one damaged.

No damage to the airstrip. Barracks building of Camp 2,

machine shops, and warehouses flattened.Civilian Hospital took at least one direct hit- burst into flames.

All the wounded of the previous attack were there when the bombs fell again.

lagoon

Battery A

Battery B

Battery L

3” & 5” guns

PanAm Bldg

Camp 2

Civilianhospital

3” & 5” guns

Camp 1

airstrip

x x

The defenders of Wake were aware of bombings to come. The Third Japanese

bombing attack

Two Japanese bombers shot down by the Marine shore batteries.

Results of the third Japanese bombing attack.

The Mitsubishi G3M Medium bombers dropped a bomb directly onto a Wilkes Island storage shed that held 125 tons of dynamite.The colossal blast dismounted one of the antiaircraft guns and detonated all of the marine ammunition within a quarter mile.Only one death and four wounded.

Of what use was the dynamite to Wake Island?

a. Break down the coral. b. Dredge the lagoon c. Setting mines d. Tunneling.

Japanese bombing runs would continue every day,

The first invasion Attempt-

dawnDecember 11th

“Black ghosts slowly moving around out there in the ocean.” Sergeant Charles Holmes.

What did the men think they were?

a. Enemy ships

b. Rescue ships from Pearl.

c. Supply ships from Pan Am

d. Whales

Enemy ships

When to illuminate the enemy ships?a. Immediatelyb. When they are within range of the guns.c. As they hit the beaches.d. Don’t illuminate.

Within range.Historical note: the decision to illuminate when they are within range was attributed to whom?

a. Cunningham b. Devereuxc. Both agreed on the decision. d. The answer

Both claimed credit for the decision, leading to hard feelings after the war.

The Japanese invasion force had sailed two days earlier from Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, under the command of Radm Sadamichi Kajioka.

Thirteen ships in the column: six destroyers, three light cruisers, and four transports carrying 450 troops.

Kajioka brought his ships directly in to the southern beaches. He was being led into an ambush- Wake’s shore guns were ready.Q: Why did Kajioka sail into the ambush?

a. He had assumed that the shore guns had been destroyed by the previous three days airstrikes.

b. He had his orders and would obey them regardless.c. He believed he had the power to overrun the Wake shore guns.d. He was incompetent and reacted foolishly.

Shore Batteries sunk two ships and forced the invasion force

of the Japanese to abandon the mission.

Predict the level of success of the

Relief Force.

a. Complete success.

b. Suffered a massive defeat.

c. Abandoned the effort.

d. A “no decision”- a tie.

The answer will be withheld as we study the slides to come.

Japanese bombing and strafing continued every day after the failed amphibious landing.

What are the thoughts of the men on Wake Island?

a. Optimistic that they can hold on.b. Confident in their being evacuated soon.

c. Grim hopes of rescue.

d. Totally hopeless, all will die.

December 14th: Pre-dawn: Recon flying boats from Wotje and Roi, Marshall Islands

bombed Wake Island. Daylight: More Japanese land-based attack aircraft struck

the atollDecember 15th:

Recon flying boats bombed Wake.

December 16th: Japanese land-based aircraft bomb Wake.

December 17th:Japanese aircraft bomb Wake.

December 19th:Japanese aircraft bomb Wake.

December 21st:29 Japanese planes from the Hiryu and Soryu bomb Wake.

Four hours later- 33 land-based planes bomb Wake.

December 22nd: 33 dive bombers and 6 fighters from the two carriers attack Wake.

December 23rd: THE INVASION

Damage: one Wildcat, Camp 1, the airfield.

Damage: none

Damage: none

Damage: diesel oil tank exploded, evaporator unit. Which means?????

NoFresh water

Damage: Defense Battalion facilities at Camp1

Damage: Battery D on Peale Island.

Damage: One Wildcat shot down; one Wildcat destroyed on the ground

The Relief Operation would be plagued by a series of delays, blamed on……………………

a. The weather b. Refueling mishaps c. Submarine scares d. inexperience

The Answers

Bad weather and inexperience led to a failure to refuel any ships.

The Lexington Task Force was recalled to Hawaii.

The Saratoga’s Task Forcewas delayed as well.For what single reason?

a. The carrier could not handle well enough in the bad weather.

b. The high, rough seas caused 80% of the sailors to be sea-sick.

c. The carrier’s escort destroyers could not handle at all in the rough seas.

d. The order for the Lexington’s Task Force to return to Hawaii forced them to delay.

The Saratoga was only sailing at 13 knots (very slow for any ship). The cause?

a. They could only go as fast as the oil tender Neches.

b. Bad weather

c. Engine trouble

d. Orders from Nimitz to slow the entire plan.

With all the delays with weather, fueling,

the diversion plan cancelled, the

Saratoga’s TF had barely sailed west at all in TEN HOURS!

Now what?a. The Saratoga TF will get it right…..and soon.

b. The Saratoga TF will be recalled and the Relief Operation abandoned.

c. The Lexington TF will be refueled in Hawaii and the operation will continue, albeit later.

d. The Lexington TF will be refueled but then will join the Saratoga.

Aband

on

Other reasons would justify the abandonment of Wake.

Hawaii was still vulnerable.

We were not “ready for war.”

Vice-Admiral William Pye was the interim commander of the operations, awaiting the arrival of Nimitz.

Pye was mindful that he was only keeping the seat warm for Nimitz and felt a heavy obligation to deliver the carriers safely into the hands of the new boss.

Adm. Chester NimitzVice-Adm William Pye

December 23rd-------------After many days of bombing and strafing……with no relief in sight, no hope………the Japanese invasion begins.

What hope is there for the defenders of Wake Island?

a. NONE

b. NONE

c. NONE

d. Prayer

The views of the “Defense of Wake Island” in the newspapers in America.

“The stubborn defense of Wake Island had been a balm to the wounded spirits of the American people, who seized upon every new shred of censor-approved news from the embattled atoll. President Roosevelt had hailed their actions.” Ian Toll

American journalist were comparing the gallant stand at Wake Island to………..

a. The Alamo b. Pearl Harbor

c. Stalingrad d. Gettysburg

A list of ops that were either cancelled, or withdrawn, or abandoned.

1. The diversion op.2. The relief op.3. American carriers kept 200 miles from Wake.4. Launch aircraft from carriers at 200 miles.5. Transport Tangier sent to evacuate the island.6. Repair of the communication cables.

What was the reaction of the Task Force military personnel?

a. Joy, their lives would not be in danger.

b. Talk of mutiny

c. Much crying and sadness

d. No reaction, they were just following orders.

The

Invasion

Same ships for the Japanese as in their first landing attempt.

But….with the two carriers Hiryu and Soryu.

Do you recall how many Japanese marines will be attempting the landing?

a. 500 b. 1000 c. 1500 d. 2500

1500

December 23rd: THE INVASION

Before Dawn

Preliminary Bombardment

The Defenders of Wake Island

Following the bombardment the Japanese troops landed on Wake Island.Characterized the chances of the Wake Island defenders:

a. They can hold on for three days. b. Their only chance is evacuation.

c. They can hold on for a week. d. They have only two hours.

Fourteen days of bombardment, no sign of relief,no sign of needed supplies,no sign of ammunition;

the Marines had little left.

There were many famous quotes taken from WW II. A radio-man at Wake is credited with one of them. What was that quote, wired to Hawaii after one hour of holding on against the Japanese invaders?

a. “Send us more Japs.” b. “Another date that will live in infamy.”

c. “Enemy on island, situation in doubt.” d. “We will not capitulate.”

Brian Donlevy played Major Devereux in the movie.

The Battle for Wake Island ended in a Japanese victory. Within two hours the military and civilian forces were captured. The heroic defense of Wake has been glorified in the media, and rightfully so.

Many of the POWs were shipped back to Japan

Many of the POWs were held captive for over three years on Wake

U.S. forces bombed the island periodically from 1942 until Japan’s

surrender in 1945.

Memorials

USA accepts the surrender of Japan at Wake Island-1945

The End

Miscellaneous pictures and caricatures follow.

Ishii