How Did the Battle of Wake Island Shock the World?

• Wake is a tiny coral atoll.
• Small Marine force defended it.
• They fought for over two weeks.
• The Japanese lost several ships.
• The island fell in late December.

The attack on Wake Island began in December 1941. This was only three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan wanted to control the entire Pacific Ocean. They needed the island to build an air base for their planes. The United States Marines were stationed there to protect the land. They had few supplies and only a small group of soldiers. The Japanese military expected an easy win over the tiny force. They believed they could capture the island in just a few hours.

On December 8, 1941, Japanese planes bombed the island for the first time. They destroyed most of the American airplanes on the ground. Three days later, the Japanese navy sent ships to land their troops. The Marines were ready and waited for the enemy to get close. They fired their coastal guns with great aim and sank two Japanese ships. The Japanese were shocked and forced to retreat to their base. This was the first time Japan lost a naval battle in the war. The Japanese returned on December 23 with a much larger fleet. They landed thousands of soldiers and heavy tanks on the beaches. The brave Marines fought until they ran out of ammunition. They were outnumbered and could not stop the landing. The commander finally ordered the troops to stop fighting to save lives. It was a sad day for the United States, but the defense of the island showed great spirit.

The bravery of the defenders gave the American people hope during a very dark time. It showed the Japanese that Americans would fight hard even when they were outnumbered.

• US Marine Corps
• US Navy
• Japanese Imperial Navy
• Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces

• 1.Urwin, Gregory. Facing Fearful Odds
• 2.Naval History and Heritage Command
• 3.National Park Service