1941: Wake Island, Battle Of

On Jan. 5, 1942, the President of the United States issued this citation: 'The courageous conduct of the officers and men of the Wake detachment of the 1st Defense Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps, under command of Major James P. S. Devereux, and of Marine Fighting Squadron 211 of Marine Aircraft Group 21, under command of Major Paul A. Putnam, who defended Wake Island against an overwhelming superiority of enemy air, sea and land attacks from Dec. 8 to 22, 1941, has been noted with admiration by their fellow countrymen and the civilized world....'

This citation was an official tribute to fourteen days of the most intense, unremitting and heroic fighting against overwhelming odds that has distinguished the Marine Corp's already distinguished record. On Dec. 8, 1941, one day after the surprise bombing attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands, at 11:58 in the morning, Japanese bombers flying from a northern course struck at Wake Island, a small American island outpost in the mid-Pacific, garrisoned by 377 American Marines and the remainder of 1,000 A. F. of L. workmen who had been at work on the island deepening air-raid shelters. The Japanese bombers dropped 100-pound fragmentation bombs, killing 25 American Marines, wounding 7 and destroying 7 planes on the ground. The Marines had been at their battle stations since news of the attack on Pearl Harbor the preceding day, and they remained at their battle stations for the succeeding fourteen days under incessant and furious aerial attacks, naval attacks and attempted landings. On Dec. 11, twelve Japanese ships steamed into Wake harbor. The Americans waited until the ships had closed to 4,700 yards before they opened fire at point-blank range with 5 and 3-inch guns. They sank a light cruiser, two destroyers, and one gunboat, and brought down two bombers. The Japanese then returned with bombing raids, pounding the island in formations of 27, 32, 41, and 37 planes. By Dec. 19, when a U.S. Naval patrol plane made the last trip to the besieged island, 27 of the 49 officers and men of Major Putnam's fighting pilots were dead, 7 were in the hospital, 6 more were wounded but on their feet and the rest, using four planes which they had put together from the tangled wreckage of their original twelve, were still rising to meet each onslaught of the Japanese squadrons. Of Major Devereux's fighting ground Marines, those who could still stand were at their guns, firing away at the naval and landing forces which were slowly closing in on them. Singled out by name among this crew of heroes, Major Putnam mentioned Lieutenant John F. Kinney and Technical Sergeant William J. Hamilton for their work in patching together the squadron's flying equipment. A second report from Major Walter L. J. Baylor, another aviation officer, told of the dramatic day-to-day battles. On Dec. 20, 1941, the Japanese finally landed, and Major Devereux radioed the last message heard from Wake Island: 'The issue is in doubt.'

The Japanese lost altogether seven ships, a light cruiser, four destroyers, a gunboat and a submarine. In the air, the Marine Corps' 4 patched-up planes had knocked 5 Japanese bombers out of the sky.

Of the Marines who survived the engagement a number of wounded were left on Wake Island in care of Japanese surgeons, while the remainder were taken prisoners to Japan. About 300 civilian workmen were left on Wake Island to repair the damage. The balance were transported to Japan for internment. See also JAPAN: War in the Pacific, and UNITED STATES.