japanese invasion on Wake Island

1. Flight Lieutenant HSPB Kuragamuwa
No 40 JC & SC
BATTLE
OF
WAKE ISLAND

2. CONTENTS
6/3/2014 2
• Aim
• Location
• Background of wake island
• Military Importance
• Military Garrison
• Key Characters
• First attack

3. CONTENTS
6/3/2014 3
• First invasion attempt
• Second invasion attempt
• Battle damage
• Aftermath
• War crimes
• Retrospect
• Conclusion

4. AIM
6/3/2014 4
Educate the audience about the Battle of Wake
Island and analyze the consequence.

5. • Northern Pacific Ocean
• 2004 Nm from Hawaii.
• 1029 Nm from Midway.
• 1723 Nm from Tokyo.
LOCATION
6/3/2014 5
Wake Island
New Guinea
Japan
Hawaii

6. CHARACTERISTICS
6/3/2014 6
 V-Shaped atoll
 2.85 sq. miles
 Composed of three islands:
 Wake
 Peale
 Wilkes
 12 miles of defendable
coastline
 21 miles of total coastline
Wilkes
Peale
Wake

7. • “Alvaro de Medina” - first to discover in 1586.
• Rediscovered by the English sailor “Samuel Wake” in
1796.
• America took official possession in 1899.
BACKGROUND
6/3/2014 7
Alvaro de Medina

8. • In 1935 Pan American airways started a refueling point
for Trans-Pacific air service.
• They built a hotel and pier for sea planes.
BACKGROUND
6/3/2014 8

9. • A strategic advantage for both the United States and
the Japanese.
• If war broke out between Japan and the United States,
Wake could;
• Provide for a defensive outpost.
• Enable long range reconnaissance deep into enemy
territory.
• Enable the disruption of shipping.
• Serve as staging ground for offensive operations.
• Be utilized as an emergency air station.
MILITARY IMPORTANCE
6/3/2014 9

10. • August 1941, Marine and civilian workers began to
construct barracks, defensive fortifications, and an
airfield.
• All construction was conducted under the highest priority.
MILITARY GARRISON
6/3/2014 10

11. • Wake Island was soon transformed from a desolate
expanse to a formidable military garrison.
• 15 officers and 444 enlisted men.
• Four 3-inch antiaircraft batteries.
• Three 5-inch seacoast batteries.
• Appropriate automatic weapons.
• One SCR-268 fire-control radar, and one SCR-270B search
radar.
• 12 new F4F-3 (Grumman Wildcat) fighters.
• The 1st Marine Defense Battalion and VMF-211 were
assigned to the defense of Wake.
MILITARY GARRISON
6/3/2014 11

12. MILITARY GARRISON
6/3/2014 12
Fortifications

13. Commander Winfield S. Cunningham
• Officer in Charge, Naval Activities
Wake Island.
• Assumed command of Wake Island
on November 28, 1941
• Received the Navy Cross for his
leadership during the defense of
Wake.
KEY CHARACTERS
6/3/2014 13
The Defenders

14. Major James Devereux
• Commanding Officer of the 1st
Defense Battalion.
• Received the Navy Cross for
his leadership during the
defense of Wake Island.
6/3/2014 14
KEY CHARACTERS
The Defenders

15. Major Paul A. Putnam
• Commanding Officer of Marine
Fighting Squadron 211
• A "model of strong nerves and the
will to fight"
• Received the Navy Cross for his
heroism during the defense of
Wake Island.
6/3/2014 15
KEY CHARACTERS
The Defenders

16. Rear Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka
 Commander, Wake Island Invasion
Force.
 2,500 soldiers of the Imperial Special
Landing Force (both landing attempts).
 3 light cruisers.
 6 destroyers.
 2 patrol boats.
 2 transports.
 2 carriers (second landing attempt).
6/3/2014 16
KEY CHARACTERS
The Attacker

17.  At 0650hrs on 08 December 1941 - a “call to arms”
alerting that Pearl Harbor was under attack.
 Approximately 1200hrs, the first Japanese air attack
began.
 36 Japanese long-range bombers.
 Eight out of the twelve Marine fighters were destroyed.
 One out of Four damaged on landing.
 the airstrip was severely damaged.
 Pan Air facility was destroyed.
 VMF-211 had sustained nearly sixty percent causalities.
 Weather made early detection impossible for marines.
FIRST AIR ATTACK
6/3/2014 17

18.  Air attacks continued for three days.
 The defenders tackled Japanese tactics and employed
their defense accordingly.
 Resulted in limited Japanese successes and shot downs.
Civilians willingly supported to defend.
FIRST AIR ATTACK
6/3/2014 18

19.  0300hrs on 11 December 1941.
 Wake Island Invasion Force.
 Flagship - Yubari.
 Three light cruisers - Yubari, Tatsuta, Tenryu
 Six destroyers - Oite, Hayate, Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Mochizuki, Yayoi
 Two patrol boats - No. 32 , 33
 Two transports - Kongo Maru ,Konryu Maru
 450 men of the Special Naval Landing Force 5
FIRST INVASION ATTEMPT
6/3/2014 19

20. FIRST INVASION ATTEMPT
6/3/2014 20
• Commander Cunningham ordered to hold fire until ships come
well within the range.
• 0500 hrs - Japanese started firing.
• 0515 hrs - 4 aircrafts took off to RV ( 12000 ft over Toki point).
• 0615 hrs - firing orders for defenders.
• Flagship “Yubari” got two hits .
• 0652 hrs - destroyer “Hayate” got hit
and sunk within 2 minutes with 185
crew.

21. FIRST INVASION ATTEMPT
6/3/2014 21
• 0700 hrs - Admiral Kajioka ordered a withdrawal.
• Wildcats came in to play.
• Heavy attack on retreating task force.
• 10 shuttles carried out.
• Destroyer “Kisaragi” was sunk and other ships were
damaged by air attacks.
• Marines remained only with 2 aircraft.
THE FIRST JAPANENESE DEFEAT IN
WORLD WAR II!

22. SECOND INVASION ATTEMPT
6/3/2014 22
• Japanese continued to bomb after defeat.
• Requested reinforcement from Pearl Harbor.
• 16 December Task Force 14 commenced sailing to Wake under
the orders of Admiral Kimmel.
• Carrier “Saratoga” commanded by Admiral Fletcher.
• Three heavy cruisers.
• Nine destroyers.
• Seaplane tender.
• Fleet oiler.
• Members of the marine corps fighter squadron 221 with 18 “Brewster
Buffalo” planes.
D day at Wake
1030 hrs on
23 December

23. SECOND INVASION ATTEMPT
6/3/2014 23
• Rear Admiral Kajioka re-organized for second assault.
• 2 aircraft carriers along with their escorts.
• 6 heavy cruisers.
• 6 destroyers.
• 3 light cruisers.
• 2 patrol boats.
• 2 transporters.
• 1,500 soldiers of the Imperial Special Landing Force.

24. SECOND INVASION ATTEMPT
6/3/2014 24
• 21 December carrier based aircraft started assaulting.
• Marines Lost 2 remained aircrafts.
• 22 December mid night – Japanese arrived off Wake.
• Task Force 14 was 425 miles away from Wake.
• Around 0200 hrs Japanese started landing.
• 0700 hrs on 23 December Commander Cunningham took
decision to surrender.
• 1500 Japanese marines battled some 300-400 Americans for 12
hours until their inevitable surrender.

25. US MARINES
• 58 Marines.
• 11 Sailors.
• An undetermined number of
civilians.
• Twelve aircraft.
• Three 5-inch coastal guns.
• Six 3-inch anti-aircraft guns.
JAPANESE IMPERIAL NAVY
• Over 1,000 soldiers.
• Four warships sunk.
• Eight more ships damaged.
• Twenty-one aircraft.
BATTLE DAMAGE
6/3/2014 25

26. AFTERMATH
6/3/2014 26
• Total of 1,537 Marines, Navy, Army, and civilian personnel were
taken as POW.
• 98 civilians were kept at Wake for construction.
• Rest were sent to POW camps in China.
• US never attempted to recapture Wake but bombed on and off.
• US re-took a possession as Japanese surrendered in 1945.

27. • Aircraft from the USS Yorktown raided Wake on October 5, 1943.
• Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara ordered the execution of the
98 remaining laborers.
• One prisoner escaped the massacre and carved the message
“98 US PW 5-10-43” on a rock before being killed.
• After the war, Sakaibara and his subordinates were sentenced to
hang for this massacre.
WAR CRIMES
6/3/2014 27

28. RETROSPECT
6/3/2014 28
Japanese side
• Underestimated the enemy – got first defeat in WW II.
• They had to capture it however,
• Strategic importance.
• To save face.
• Finally made the strategic interest of the country
• With heavy losses.
• Learned that US is not easy to defeat.

29. RETROSPECT
6/3/2014 29
US side
• Showed the courage, determination and heroism.
• Moral booster for Americans after Pearl Harbor attack.
• Poor intelligence.
• Showed the cost of timely decision and leadership.
• Tactical victory Vs. strategic loss –Wake or Carriers.
• Dip in moral of both US Citizens and military.

30. CONCLUSION
6/3/2014 30
• Japanese took the possession of strategic interest.
• Heavy losses.
• First defeat.
• Americans declared tactical defeat over strategic victory.
• Had enough time to prepare long and costly war.
• It would be both tactical and strategic victory.
• Betrayed own troops for strategic interest ?

31. 6/3/2014 31

32. BATTLE OF
WAKE ISLAND
6/3/2014 32
Flight Lieutenant HSPB Kuragamuwa
No 40 JC & SC