Marines In World War II - The Defense Of Wake [Illustrated Edition]

Lieutenant Colonel R.D. Heinl Jr. USMC

• Publisher: Verdun Press
• Year: 2014
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781782892755
• Subtopic: European History
• Index: History

Contains 23 photos and 8 maps and charts.
The story of the immortal heroic defence of the American outpost on Wake Island by a handful of marines and civilians against an overwhelming forces of the Japanese.
"During December 1941, the stubborn defense of Wake by less than 450 Marines galvanized not only the American public but their comrades in arms. In days of disaster then, as of uncertainty later, the thought of Wake and its defenders encouraged Marines to hang on longer, and to fight more resolutely. Small in time and numbers though the action was by comparison with Guadalcanal or the other great battles to come, Wake will never be forgotten.
"To my mind, in addition to the obvious military lessons which may be drawn from any battle, be it victory or defeat, the defense of Wake points up two soldierly characteristics which may well be remembered by Marines. These are military adaptability, and the realization that, first and always one must be prepared to face ultimate close ground combat with the enemy.
"The officers and men of the 1st Defense Battalion on Wake were artillerymen of a highly specialized type; those of VMF-211 were aviation technicians. neither group let its specialized training or background prevent it from fighting courageously and well as basic infantry when the chips were down. Despite its specialization, each group did the best it could with what it had.
"These capabilities and attributes, I submit, should characterize Marines now as they characterized those Marines on Wake, who, though they were outnumbers and eventually overwhelmed, were never outfought.-A.A. VANDEGRIFT, General, U.S. Marine Corps"

Chapter 1: Birth of a Base

* * * the Pacific strategy of 1941 contemplated rendering our bases relatively secure against air raids, hit-and-run surface attacks, or even minor landings. * * * Within and about the structure of such lightly-held but secure bases, the Pacific Fleet was expected to ply, awaiting the moment when battle could be joined with enemy naval forces—"to get at naval forces with naval forces," Admiral Kimmel put it—in decisive action for control of the sea.—United States Marine Corps historical monograph, "The Defense of Wake."

Despite their entire disparity in outcome, Midway and Wake, the two Central Pacific base-defense operations in which the Marine Corps participated during 1941 and 1942, had much in common. Even their differences, the very differences which spelled surrender for Wake and victory at Midway, were those of degree and not of quality.

Each atoll was defended by a combination of Fleet Marine Force base-defense artillery and aviation. From the viewpoint of these defenders, each action was conducted with much the same type of matériel, and based upon identical tactical concepts. Only in that Midway's fortification and development had commenced sooner; that more planes, troops, and weapons were available earlier; that Midway was farther away from island enemy air bases; and, most important of all, that the Pacific Fleet of June 1942, had recovered to some extent from the shock of December 1941—only in these matters of degree did the two operations differ. Yet it was this question of degree—especially in regard to Fleet support—which permitted the successful defense of Midway.

The strategic importance of Midway had long been recognized. In 1938, the famous Hepburn Report, dealing with United States requirements for naval bases, had this to say:

From a strategic point of view, an air base at Midway Island is second in importance only to Pearl Harbor.{1}

The Board, which derived its name from the senior member, Rear Admiral Arthur J. Hepburn, USN, accordingly recommended immediate development of Midway as a naval air and submarine base with facilities for two patrol-plane squadrons; two divisions of submarines; and pier, channel and turning basin within the lagoon for large auxiliaries. In conclusion, the Board included Midway in a select group of projects "necessary of accomplishment at the earliest practicable date,"{2} and recommended for Midway expenditures amounting to $13,040,000, which would by 1943, accomplish the desired development.{3}

Figure 1 - MIDWAY'S CABLE STATION in the days when there was nothing but sand on Sand Island. This picture was taken in the early 1900's before Marines came to Midway.

Lying approximately 1,137 miles northwest of Oahu, Midway, outer rampart of the Hawaiian chain, had been recognized to be strategic as early as 1867 when the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, directed that Brooks Island, as it was then known, be claimed and surveyed for the United States. In 1869, Congress actually appropriated $50,000 for dredging an entrance channel and clear anchorage within the lagoon.{4} On 29 April 1903, its importance was further enhanced by establishment of the Commercial Pacific Cable Co.'s station on Sand Island, where the station still remains.

Shortly after surveys by the U.S.S. Wright in February 1934, Pan American Airways, quick to realize Midway's importance from the viewpoint of Pacific air operations, commenced development of a commercial seaplane base, likewise on Sand Island. Pan American's construction work began on 15 April 1935, and on 6 June of the same year, the first clipper landed at Midway.{5}

Although popularly known as Midway Island, Midway is in fact a circular atoll, about 6 miles in diameter, enclosing two islands, Sand and Eastern. Both were originally sand patches covered by sparse, tough shrub. On Eastern Island, guano had accumulated. As a result of years of experiment, the cable company, aided by the United States Department of Agriculture, discovered that a type of wire grass found on the sand dunes near San Francisco would bind the sands of Midway, and, with this as a starter, it became possible to plant ironwood trees from the Hawaiian Islands and eucalyptus from Australia. As a result, by 1934 Sand Island supported a grove of 40-foot ironwoods, subsidiary growth including grass, and truck gardens about the cable station. At the northeast end of Eastern Island, stood three or four scrub trees. Throughout both islands there grew the scaevola{6} bush—locally described as a dwarf magnolia because of its leaves—and on all sides were to be encountered the ubiquitous "gooney-birds,"{7} actually albatrosses, together with several other species: flightless rails, moaning birds, gannets, frigate birds, terns, and boatswain birds, to name the most common.

Of the two islands, Eastern is the smaller and lower, being one-and-one-quarter miles long and but 12 feet above sea level at its highest point. Sand Island, however, attains a height of 39 feet and is almost two miles in length. Both islands lie in the south half of the lagoon, close aboard the reef. Welles Harbor, the prewar roads, and entrance to the lagoon is just west of Sand Island, the western of the two islands, but a new entrance to the lagoon, Brooks Channel, between Sand and Eastern Island, was dredged in 1938, and is now the only one in use.{8}

From 1935 to early 1940, Midway's development progressed smoothly, first under the aegis of Pan American, and, from mid-1939 on, under the Navy as a result of the Hepburn recommendations. By the end of 1939, heavy construction was well started on Sand Island, and Brooks Channel had been partially blasted and dredged open by United States Army Engineers. Eastern Island, however, remained unchanged, occupied only by two "retired" burros from the cable station.

Figure 2 - MARINES CALLED IT "SKAVOLI"—the dwarf magnolia, or scaevoli bushes, which virtually cover the surface of Sand and Eastern Islands.

Figure 3 - SAND ISLAND IN 1935, when the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, FMF, held amphibious landing exercises at Midway. Note the Marine camp on beach in right foreground.

In early 1939, the military history of the defense of Midway might be said to have commenced when Colonel Harry K. Pickett, assisted by Captain Alfred R. Pefley, was sent to the atoll—as well as Wake and Johnston—to conduct a military reconnaissance and prepare tentative defense plans for fortification of all three.{9} These plans, which were completed almost a year later,{10} were approved by the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Harold W. Stark, USN, who then directed,{11} on 20 December 1939, that the Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District, establish, when practicable, a Marine detachment as a garrison on Midway.{12}

With this very mission in prospect, the 3d Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Pepper, was at this time under orders for movement from the East coast to the Hawaiian area; and the battalion arrived at Pearl Harbor in USS Chaumont after an uneventful voyage from Charleston, S.C., on 7 May 1940.

Following the 3d Defense Battalion's establishment at Pearl Harbor, it became apparent that facilities at Midway were not sufficiently advanced to permit garrisoning the atoll with anything approaching the full strength of a defense battalion, or even an appreciable cadre sufficient in number to commence installation of weapons or construction of fortifications. Colonel Pepper accordingly recommended on 23 May that Rear Admiral Claude C. Bloch, USN, Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District, authorize the sending of an advance reconnaissance party to Midway. This group, to consist of two officers and not more than 16 enlisted Marines, would conduct detailed reconnaissance of the ground, propose up-to-date defensive plans and dispositions for a defense battalion, execute the painstaking surveys required for accurate artillery fire, and would, in addition be available to the Navy's resident officer in charge of the Midway construction project{13}for assistance should emergency arise among the motley group of civilian contract laborers.{14}

Admiral Bloch's reaction to this proposal was immediate. Within a week, on 31 May, Captain Samuel G. Taxis, then commanding the 5-inch seacoast group of the 3d Defense Battalion, was ordered to Midway with a reconnaissance party (First Lieutenant James G. Bishop, eight enlisted Marines and two Navy hospital corpsmen){15} for six weeks of preliminary work. He was to establish a small Marine camp, prepare tentative recommendations for the seacoast defense of Midway by the three 5-inch batteries of his group (as well as certain antiaircraft recommendations), survey the base lines required for accurate fire control, and block out the tactical communication net which would be needed by the defending battalion. Within six weeks, his instructions added, he could expect relief by a similar detachment with further missions.{16}

Shortly after, on 5 June, Admiral Bloch—as a result of Colonel Pepper's further recommendation—ordered Lieutenant Commander Julian Love (MC) USN, the 3d Defense Battalion medical officer, to Midway to carry out a sanitary and medical survey. This officer sailed from Pearl Harbor in the USS Sirius, reached Midway on 11 June, and completed his survey by 16 June. Love's report, an extremely thorough and detailed document, pointed out many aspects of life on Midway, which would become characteristic to future Marines in garrison.

Midway he found to be temperate to tropical in climate, with cool nights. He noted the brilliant, white sand, which resulted in intense ground glare from the sun.{17} Of the birds he stated:

Certain considerations should be made or continued for the preservation of these birds for they are a great source of a...

Table of contents

• Title page
• Table Of Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Birth of a Base
• Chapter 2: War Comes to Midway
• Chapter 3: Girding for Battle
• Chapter 4: The Battle, 4-5 June 1942
• Appendix I: Documentation and Bibliography
• Appendix II: Midway Chronology
• Appendix III: Navy Unit Commendation, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF
• Appendix IV: Events at Battery D, 7 December 1941
• Appendix V: Preparations of MAG-22 for Battle
• Appendix VI: Dive-Bomber Pilot's Narrative, Battle of Midway
• Appendix VII: Staff and Command List, Marine Corps Units Participating in Battle of Midway
• Appendix VIII: Presidential Unit Citation
• REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER