Battle of Wake Island
Wake Island atoll, central Pacific Ocean
What happened
A small US garrison of Marines, sailors and civilian workers under Commander Winfield Cunningham and Major James Devereux fought Japanese naval forces under Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue and Sadamichi Kajioka. Within hours of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft bombed Wake Island. On 11 December 1941, the defenders drove off a Japanese landing and sank two destroyers. Japan returned with a larger force including aircraft carriers, and on 23 December the garrison was overwhelmed and surrendered.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The first landing attempt was Japan's first setback in the war against the United States. It showed that a small, determined garrison could hold off an invasion fleet.
What came next
Over 1,600 people were taken prisoner, most of them civilian workers, and most were sent to camps in Asia. Japan held Wake until its garrison surrendered on 4 September 1945.
Did you know?
Because Wake lies across the International Date Line, it was attacked on Monday 8 December, while Pearl Harbor, only hours earlier, was attacked on Sunday 7 December.
Timeline
- 8 December 1941Japanese aircraft first bomb Wake Island.
- 11 December 1941The defenders drive off the first landing.
- 23 December 1941Japanese forces land and the garrison surrenders.
- 4 September 1945The Japanese garrison on Wake surrenders.