To Hell and Back: Wake During and After World War II

Marshall's Digital Micronesia.

This is a long paper so I'll only put up a few highlights.

Wake Island began as a civil air station, but its status was changed to a naval air station by Executive Order in 1935. On February 4, 1941, another Executive Order made it a national defense area.

At the time of the Japanese attack, the Wake Atoll Naval Air Base had not been completed. Japanese bombing raids to soften up the island were held on Dec. 8th, 9th and 10th, between the hours of 11 and 12.

A landing attempt was made on Dec. 11th but was repulsed.

The second Japanese assault was on the night of Dec. 22nd/23rd.

Wake Island surrendered on Dec. 23rd.

Marine casualties were 120 killed, 49 wounded and 2 missing. Exact Japanese casualties are unknown, but include at least 500 when two destroyers were sunk. Another 100 were killed by gunfire during the second assault. It's possible as many as 843 Japanese died, with 320 wounded.

12 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, compared to 21 Japanese planes. The Japanese also lost two destroyers and one submarine.

On Jan. 12th, 1942, the Marines and some civilians were transported to Japan and then to China to POW camps. Many of them died before they were liberated.

The fall of Wake gave the Japanese a base from which to launch attacks against Midway and the Johnston Atolls.

When the war turned against the Japanese, resupply of their troops on Wake became somewhat difficult. Submarines were used for the resupply efforts. The first US carrier strike against Wake was on Feb. 24, 1942. Another strike was on Oct. 5th and6th of 1943.

The Japanese on Wake surrendered on Sept. 7th, 1945.

The Japanese beheaded a civilian worker in 1942, and killed 98 civilians on Oct. 7, 1943. On Nov. 5, 1945, Rear Admiral Sakaihara and 15 of his officers were shipped to Kwajalein to await trial for war crimes. Two of the officers killed themselves en route. Gakaibara and his aide were found guilty and sentenced to hang, and they were executed on June 19, 1947.



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