NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Battle of Wake Island

The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on December 23, 1941, with the surrender of the American forces to the Japanese. Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) British India (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Mongolia (1945) Empire of Japan (from 1937) Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Image File history File links USMC-M-Wake-17. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (358th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Shigeyoshi Inoue (1889-1975) was a Japanese admiral of the navy during World War II. He was commander of the Fourth Fleet and later Vice-Minister of the Navy. ... Sadamichi Kajioka (May 18, 1891 â€“ September 12, 1944), was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He directed Japanese forces involved in the invasion of Wake Island in December, 1941. ... Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara (died June 18, 1947) was the Japanese garrison commander on Wake Island during World War II. Anticipating an American invasion, on October 7, 1943 Sakabara ordered the execution of 98 American civilians on the island (who had been captured when the Island surrendered almost three years... Winfield Scott Cunningham (16 February 1900 â€“ 3 March 1986) was the Officer in Charge, Naval Activities, Wake Island when the tiny island was attacked by the Japanese on 8 December 1941. ... VMA-211 began as Fighter Squadron 4M in 1937, flying the Grumman F-3F biplane fighter aircraft at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN), Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN), Mitsuo Fuchida (IJNAS), Shigekazu Shimazaki (IJNAS) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 8... Combatants British Army, Indian Army, Australian Army, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces Imperial Japanese Army Commanders Arthur Percival Tomoyuki Yamashita Strength 140,000 70,000 Casualties 5,000 killed, 50,000 prisoners of war no more than 34,000 The Battle of Malaya was a conflict between a Commonwealth army... Combatants British Army Canadian Army British Indian Army Imperial Japanese Army Commanders Mark Aitchison Young Christopher Michael Maltby Sakai Takashi Strength 15,000 troops 50,000 troops Casualties 4,500 killed 8,500 POWs 705 killed 1,534 wounded The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign... The Netherlands East Indies campaign was the shortlived defence of the Netherlands East Indies by Allied forces, against invasion by the Empire of Japan in 1941-42. ... It has been suggested that Japanese Raids into Indian Ocean be merged into this article or section. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders James H. Doolittle Hideki Tojo Strength 16 B-25 Mitchells Unknown number of troops and homeland defense Casualties 3 dead, 8 POWs (4 would die in captivity); 5 interned in USSR About 50 dead, 400 injured Lt. ... The Solomon Islands Campaign was a large series of battles that occurred in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This was the first large-scale campaign in the War in the Pacific, and the victories achieved by the Americans in the battles of this campaign helped secure vital bases... Combatants United States Navy Royal Australian Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Frank J. Fletcher John G. Crace Shigeyoshi Inoue Takeo Takagi Strength 2 large carriers, 3 cruisers 2 large carriers, 1 light carrier, 4 cruisers Casualties 1 fleet carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 oil tanker sunk 543 killed 1 light carrier... Combatants United States of America Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€ Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties... The Pacific Ocean theater was one of four major theaters of the Pacific War, between 1941 and 1945. ... Combatants United States of America Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€ Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties... Combatants United States Canada Empire of Japan Commanders Thomas C. Kinkaid (navy), Francis W. Rockwell (landings), Albert E. Brown (army), Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. ... In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns, from November 1943 through February 1944, were the first offensive operations of the United States Navy and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. ... In the Pacific theater of World War II, the American Marianas Campaign, known as Operation Forager, pushed westward from the Marshall Islands in the summer of 1944 to capture the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. ... The Volcano and RyÅ«kyÅ« Islands campaign was a series of battles and engagements between Allied forces and Imperial Japanese forces during the Pacific campaign of World War II from around January, 1945 until June, 1945. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN), Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN), Mitsuo Fuchida (IJNAS), Shigekazu Shimazaki (IJNAS) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 8... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (358th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...

It was fought on and around the atoll formed by Wake Island and its islets of Peale and Wilkes Islands by the air, land and naval forces of the Empire of Japan against those of the United States of America, with marines playing a prominent role on both sides. Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... A Marine is an elite warrior whose primary function is to serve aboard a ship and/or assault the land from the sea in amphibious warfare. ...

The island was held by the Japanese until September 4, 1945, when the remaining Japanese garrison surrendered to a detachment of United States Marines. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ...

Prelude

In January 1941, the United States Navy constructed a military base on the atoll. On August 19, the first permanent military garrison, elements of the 1st Marine Defense Battalion, totaling 449 officers and men, were stationed on the island, under Navy Commander Winfield S. Cunningham. Also present on the island were 68 U.S. Navy personnel and about 1,221 civilian workers. The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For people named Garrison, see Garrison (disambiguation) Garrison House, built by William Damm in 1675 at Dover, New Hampshire Garrison (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, to equip) is the collective term for the body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but... Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. ... Winfield Scott Cunningham (16 February 1900 â€“ 3 March 1986) was the Officer in Charge, Naval Activities, Wake Island when the tiny island was attacked by the Japanese on 8 December 1941. ...

The Marines were armed with six old 5" (127 mm) cannons, removed from a scrapped cruiser, 12 3" (76.2 mm) M3 antiaircraft guns (with only a single working anti-aircraft sight between them), 18 Browning M2 heavy machine guns and 30 heavy, medium and light water- and air-cooled machine guns of various manufacture and operating condition. A small cannon on a carriage, Bucharest. ... Ship breaking or ship demolition involves breaking up of ships for scrap. ... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser (really an uprated guided missile destroyer), launched in 1992. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... Sight of a Sig 550 rifle (muzzle) Sight of a Sig 550 rifle (stock) A sight is an optical device used to assist aim by guiding the eye and aligning it with the weapon or other item to be pointed. ... This article is about the . ... The M2 machine gun with a tripod weighs 58 kg (128 lb). ...

On December 8, 1941, the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor (Wake being on the opposite side of the International Date Line), 36 [1] Japanese medium bombers flown from bases on the Marshall Islands attacked Wake Island, destroying eight of the twelve F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft belonging to Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF-211 on the ground. All of the Marine garrison’s defensive emplacements were left intact by the raid, which primarily targeted the naval aircraft. December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ... The International Date Line around 180Â° This article is about the line dividing time zones; see Dateline (disambiguation) for other meanings, including the television program. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping boobs. ... F4F-3 Wildcat of Lt. ... A Squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft (including balloons), or naval vessels. ... VMA-211 began as Fighter Squadron 4M in 1937, flying the Grumman F-3F biplane fighter aircraft at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. ...

First landing attempt

Early on the morning of December 11, the garrison, with the support of the four remaining Wildcats, repulsed the first Japanese landing attempt by the South Seas Force, which included the light cruisers Yubari, Tenryū, and Tatsuta; the destroyers Yayoi, Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Hayate, Oite, and Asanagi; two old destroyers converted to patrol boats (Patrol Boat No. 32 and Patrol Boat No. 33), and two troop transport ships containing 450 Special Naval Landing Force troops. Image File history File links Yubari_WakeIslandflagship_NHC92098. ... Image File history File links Yubari_WakeIslandflagship_NHC92098. ... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser (really an uprated guided missile destroyer), launched in 1992. ... The Yubari was a single light cruiser built between 1922 and 1923 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The South Seas Force, also known as the Japanese Fourth Fleet, was the Empire of Japans combined sea, land and air formation, first used in December 1941, during the invasions of Wake Island, Guam and the Gilbert Islands, during the opening stages of the Pacific theatre of World War... The Yubari was a single light cruiser built between 1922 and 1923 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... IJN TenryÅ« (å¤©é¾) was the lead ship in the TenryÅ« class of light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Tatsuta was the second of two cruisers built between 1917 and 1919 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Kisaragi was a Japanese destroyer during World War II in the Pacific, which had the distinction of being the second major Japanese warship sunk in the Pacific on December 11, 1941 during the Japanese attempted invasion of Wake Island. ... Hayate was a Japanese destroyer, one of nine built between 1921 and 1925 as part of the Kamikaze-class destroyers for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF), (海軍陸戦隊 Tokubetsu Rikusentai) were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and was only part of the IJN Land Forces. ...

The U.S. Marines fired at the invasion fleet with their six 5-inch (127 mm) coastal artillery guns. Cunningham ordered the gunners to hold their fire until the enemy moved within range of the coastal defenses. They succeeding in sinking the Hayate with a direct hit to her magazines and striking the Yubari's superstructure eleven times. The four Wildcats also succeeded in sinking another destroyer, the Kisaragi, by dropping a bomb on her stern where the depth charges were stored. Both Japanese destroyers were lost with all hands and Hayate was the first Japanese naval ship sunk during World War II. The Japanese force withdrew before landing. This was the first Japanese defeat of the war. The first battle of Wake Island also marked the only occasion in all of World War II when an amphibious assault was repulsed by shore-based guns. 19th century coastal artillery guns preserved in Suomenlinna fortress in Helsinki Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating mobile anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. ... The Yubari was a single light cruiser built between 1922 and 1923 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

After the initial raid was fought off, American news media reported that Cunningham had quipped “Send more Japs!” when queried about reinforcement and resupply. In fact, Commander Cunningham sent a long list of critical equipment—including gunsights, spare parts, and fire-control radar—to his immediate superior: Commandant, 14th Naval District.^[4] A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ... This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll. ...

But the continuing siege and frequent Japanese air attacks on the Wake garrison continued, without resupply for the Americans. The initial resistance offered by the garrison prompted the Japanese Navy to detach two aircraft carriers (Sōryū and Hiryū) from the force that attacked Pearl Harbor to support the second landing attempt. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: å¤§æ—¥æœ¬å¸åœ‹æµ·è» Shinjitai: å¤§æ—¥æœ¬å¸å›½æµ·è» or æ—¥æœ¬æµ·è» Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... Four aircraft carriers, (front-to-back) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, supercarrier USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences. ... SÅryÅ« (Japanese KyÅ«jitai: è’¼é¾, Shinjitai: è’¼ç«œ, sÅryÅ«, meaning blue {or green} dragon) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... HiryÅ« (Japanese: é£›é¾, meaning flying dragon) was a SÅryÅ«-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

Task Force 14

The projected U.S. relief attempt by Admiral Wilson Brown’s Task Force 14 (TF-14) consisted of fleet carriers Saratoga and Lexington, the fleet oiler USNS Neches, the seaplane tender Tangier, the cruisers Astoria, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, and ten destroyers. The convoy carried the 4th Marine Coastal Defense Battalion, the VMF-221 fighter squadron equipped with F2A “Brewster Buffalo” fighters, along with 9,000 five-inch (127 mm) rounds, 12,000 three-inch (76.2 mm) rounds, and 3,000,000 .50 cal. (12.7 mm) rounds as well as a large amount of ammunition for mortars and other battalion small arms. The fifth USS Saratoga (CV-3) was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ... The fourth USS Lexington (CV-2), nicknamed the Gray Lady or Lady Lex, was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ... An oiler is a ship, also called a tanker, that can carry a liquid cargo of petroleum, or a naval support vessel that carries fuel to other naval ships steaming at sea, and can transfer the fuel during underway RAS improved fleet operations reliability, availabiltiy and serviceability. ... The first USS Neches (AOâ€“5) was laid down 8 June 1919 by the Boston Navy Yard; launched 2 June 1920; sponsored by Miss Helen Griffin, daughter of Rear Admiral Robert Griffin; and commissioned 25 October 1920, Comdr. ... The second USS Tangier (AV-8) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 51) as Sea Arrow on 18 March 1939 at Oakland, Calif. ... The second USS Astoria (CA-34) was a United States Navy New Orleans-class heavy cruiser that participated in both the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, but was then sunk in August 1942 at the Battle of Savo Island. ... The second USS Minneapolis (CA‑36) was laid down 27 June 1921 by Philadelphia Navy Yard; launched 6 September 1933; sponsored by Miss Grace L. Newton; and commissioned 19 May 1934, Capt. ... See USS San Francisco for other ships of the same name. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps in World War II. During the war, they flew the Brewster Buffalo and. ... A Squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft (including balloons), or naval vessels. ... The Brewster Buffalo, or Brewster F2A, was a U.S. fighter plane which saw extensive service with both Allied and Axis air forces during World War II. The fighters, derided by some American servicemen as flying coffins,[1] had a reputation for poor construction and performance, though they were relatively... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ...

On December 22 at 21:00, the task force received controversial orders signed by Vice Admiral William S. Pye, the Acting Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, to return to Pearl Harbor for fear of losses, so no naval battle took place. December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Vice Admiral William S. Pye, USN Vice Admiral William Satterlee Pye, USN, (1880-1959) William Satterlee Pye was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 9 June 1880. ... The United States Pacific Command operates from suburban Honolulu in south central Oahu at the Nimitz-MacArthur Pacific Command Center. ... The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is part of the US Navy. ...

Second landing and American surrender

The second Japanese invasion force came on December 23, composed mostly of the same ships from the first attempt with some new additions, plus 1,500 Japanese marines. The landings began at 02:35 hours where, after a preliminary bombardment, the ex-destroyers Patrol Boat No. 32 and Patrol Boat No. 33 were beached and burned in their attempts to land the invasion force. After a full night and morning of fighting, the Wake garrison surrendered to the Japanese by mid-afternoon. Image File history File links GrummanF4F_VMF211_WakeIsland_NAP80G179006. ... Image File history File links GrummanF4F_VMF211_WakeIsland_NAP80G179006. ... Henry Talmage Elrod (27 September 1905 – 23 December 1941) was a Marine aviator. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (358th in leap years). ... The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF), (海軍陸戦隊 Tokubetsu Rikusentai) were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and was only part of the IJN Land Forces. ...

The U.S. Marines lost 49 killed during the entire 15-day siege while three U.S. Navy personnel and at least 70 civilians were killed. The Japanese losses were recorded at between 700 to 900 killed with at least 1,000 more wounded, in addition to the two destroyers lost in the first invasion attempt, as well as at least 20 land-based and carrier aircraft. The Japanese captured all men remaining on the island, of whom the majority were civilian contractors employed with Morrison-Knudsen Company. Washington Group International provides integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. ...

Captain Henry T. Elrod, one of the pilots from VMF-211, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his action on the Island during the Japanese landings on the 23rd for shooting down two Japanese A6M Zero fighters. A special military decoration, the Wake Island Device was also created to honor those who had fought in the defense of the island. Henry Talmage Elrod (27 September 1905 – 23 December 1941) was a Marine aviator. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Model 52 The Mitsubishi A6M was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... The Wake Island Device is an award of the United States military which is presented as a campaign clasp to both the Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Medals. ...

Japanese occupation and eventual surrender

Fearing an imminent invasion, the Japanese reinforced Wake Island with more formidable defenses. The American captives were ordered to build a series of bunkers and fortifications on Wake. The Japanese even imported a heavy artillery piece, captured from the British, from Singapore. The United States Navy established a submarine blockade instead of an amphibious invasion on Wake Island, as a result the Japanese Garrison starved and some soldiers starved to death. One soldier recalled weighing just 80 pounds^{[citation needed]}. On February 24, 1942, USS Enterprise attacked the Japanese garrison on Wake Island. The United States forces bombed the island from 1942 until Japan’s surrender in 1945. On July 8, 1943, B-24 Liberators in transit from Midway Island bombed the Japanese garrison on Wake Island. George H. W. Bush also conducted his first mission as an aviator over Wake Island. Afterwards, Wake was occasionally raided, but never attacked en masse. Image File history File links Wake_Artillery. ... Image File history File links Wake_Artillery. ... Download high resolution version (590x740, 53 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (590x740, 53 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara (died June 18, 1947) was the Japanese garrison commander on Wake Island during World War II. Anticipating an American invasion, on October 7, 1943 Sakabara ordered the execution of 98 American civilians on the island (who had been captured when the Island surrendered almost three years... Image File history File links Wake_Island_Surrender. ... Image File history File links Wake_Island_Surrender. ... Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara (died June 18, 1947) was the Japanese garrison commander on Wake Island during World War II. Anticipating an American invasion, on October 7, 1943 Sakabara ordered the execution of 98 American civilians on the island (who had been captured when the Island surrendered almost three years... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... USS Enterprise (CV-6) was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh US Navy ship of that name. ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II and still holds the record as the most produced allied aircraft. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ...

War crimes

On October 5, 1943, American naval aircraft from USS Yorktown conducted an extremely successful raid. Two days later, fearing an imminent invasion, Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara ordered the execution of 98 captured American contract workers remaining on the island who had been doing forced labor for the Japanese. They were taken to the northern end of the island, blindfolded and machine-gunned. One of the prisoners (whose name has never been discovered) escaped the massacre, apparently returning to the site to carve the message 98 US PW 5-10-43 on a large coral rock near where the murdered Americans had been hastily buried in a mass grave. This unknown American was recaptured within a few weeks, after which Sakaibara personally beheaded him with a katana. The inscription on the rock can still be seen and is a Wake Island landmark. After the war, Sakaibara and his subordinate, Lieutenant-Commander Tachibana, were sentenced to death for this and other crimes. Several Japanese officers in American custody had committed suicide over the incident, leaving written statements that incriminated Sakaibara. Tachibana’s sentence was later commuted to life in prison.^[5] The murdered civilian POWs are buried in Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii. October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (279th in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... USS Yorktown (CV/CVS-10) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, and is now a museum ship at Patriots Point , Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. ... Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara (died June 18, 1947) was the Japanese garrison commander on Wake Island during World War II. Anticipating an American invasion, on October 7, 1943 Sakabara ordered the execution of 98 American civilians on the island (who had been captured when the Island surrendered almost three years... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

On September 4, 1945, the remaining Japanese garrison surrendered to a detachment of United States Marines. In a brief ceremony, the handover of Wake was officially conducted. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ...

Wake in media & popular culture

Cinematic portrayal

The Paramount studio began work on a movie before the real life battle for Wake Island was over. The resulting 1942 film, directed by John Farrow, tacks unrelated romantic subplots onto a straightforward re-telling of the Battle of Wake Island. The film contains factual errors, leaving viewers with the impression that the island's defenders fought to the last man. However, the film succeeded in its primary purpose of creating a stirring patriotic film. Wake Island was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture. Farrow won the 1942 New York Film Critics Circle Award for best director. The film was released on DVD by MCA Home Video in 2004. Image File history File links WakeIsland_(1942_movie)_cover. ... Image File history File links WakeIsland_(1942_movie)_cover. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... John Farrow was an award-winning film director, producer and screenwriter, born John N.B. Villiers-Farrow on February 10, 1904 in Sydney, Australia. ... Wake Island is a 1942 film which tells the story of the United States military personnel who were stationed at Wake Island when it was attacked by the Japanese following the attack on Pearl Harbor. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... New York Film Critics Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. ... DVD (commonly known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ...

A 2003 television documentary, Wake Island: Alamo of the Pacific, included interviews with both U.S. Marines and Japanese sailors who took part in the fighting. (The film received a 2004 Emmy nomination for music and sound.) Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... An Emmy Award. ...

In the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, Captain Koons (Christopher Walken) mentions to a young Butch Coolidge that his grandfather was killed fighting the Japanese at the Battle of Wake Island. This article is about the film. ... Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943) is an Academy Award-winning American film and theatre actor. ...

Video games

Several games based on World War II scenarios make mention or even feature a 'Wake Island' map or location. The most noted of these is the Digital Illusions CE/Electronic Arts game Battlefield 1942. Wake Island quickly became a favorite among players of Battlefield 1942 because of its immense size, and the fact that it allows for spectacular aerial dogfighting between the two opposing teams. This map offers action between the Japanese and American military, with the Americans defending the island and the Japanese attacking from an aircraft carrier and a destroyer. EA's game, Battlefield 2, added a new map to the original line-up called Wake Island 2007, included in a upgrade patch to version 1.03 released on the 5th of October, 2005. Based on its BF1942 counterpart, this version of Wake Island features the Chinese People's Liberation Army initially defending the island against the amphibious assault by the United States Marine Corps, and the island's defenses are updated with advanced technologies of modern warfare, including features consistent with all BF2 maps, such as land-based artillery. Wake Island 2007 differs from its older sister in that the land-based anti-aircraft guns have been replaced by manned heat-seeking missile launchers, a small island in the mouth of the lagoon has been added to hold the American artillery howitzers, some bridges can be temporarily destroyed, and the Wasp-class Assault Carrier (USS Essex), unescorted, is immobile and indestructible. As a consequence, the shore guns from the BF1942 version have been removed from the island and replaced with bunkers. Wake Island 2007 still has remnants left from World War 2 version, including the bunkers, huts, and several wrecked Japanese Zeros throughout the island and in the lagoon. Like its BF1942 counterpart, it is also a favorite among players. The Wake Island 2007 map correctly depicts the overall shape of Wake Island, but doesn't accurately reflect the modern state of the island. Notably the orientation of the airfield is depicted as running North - South, where in reality it runs close to East - West.The game Heroes of the Pacific features the campaign called Wake Island. For other uses of DICE, see Dice (disambiguation). ... EA redirects here. ... Battlefield 1942 is an expansive first-person shooter (FPS), set in World War II, developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows (2002) and Apple Macintosh (2004). ... Battlefield 2 (abbreviated to BF2) is a computer game in which players fight in a modern battlefield using modern weapon systems. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... The Wasp class amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy are designed to land forces on hostile shores, and they are the largest vessels of this type in service anywhere in the world. ... USS Essex (LHD-2) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1992. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ... Heroes of the Pacific is an aerial combat simulator game set in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. // The game allows the player to assume the role of a combat pilot named William Crowe as he experiences the various phases of the Pacific War with Japan, beginning...

References

Notes

^ Naval and air personnel not included.
^ A small unit of civilian volunteers fought also.
^ Fifty-two military & seventy civilians killed and thirty-seven military & twelve civilians wounded.
^ Robert J. Cressman, A Magnificent Fight: Marines in the Defense of Wake Island, World War II Commemorative Series, ed. Benis M. Frank (Marine Corps Historical Center: Washington, D.C.:1998). Electronic version - accessed 6-10-2006
^ Hubbs, Mark E.. Massacre on Wake Island. Retrieved on 2006-06-03.

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ...

Books

Web

USMC Historical Section Publications

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Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Conflicts in 1941 | Far East naval theatre of World War II The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini era. ...

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