Battle of Wake Island

The Battle of Wake Island was a Japanese invasion and capture of the U.S.-held atoll from December 8 to 23, 1941. Its defenders resisted two amphibious assaults before surrendering.

Wake Island airfield: A military airfield on Wake Atoll built by the United States before World War II. U.S. aircraft based here struck the first Japanese invasion force.
Attack on Pearl Harbor: A Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The attack began the Pacific War as Japan moved against Wake and other U.S. positions.
James P. S. Devereux: A U.S. Marine officer who commanded the Marine defense of Wake Island in December 1941. Devereux directed the island’s Marine forces during both Japanese assaults.
Japanese occupation of Wake Island: Japan’s military control of Wake Atoll from December 1941 until its surrender in September 1945. The occupation began with the battle and held surviving defenders and civilians captive.
Amphibious warfare: Military operations that move forces from sea to land using ships, aircraft, and landing troops. Japanese forces had to land under fire to seize the atoll.
Pacific War: The Second World War’s major theater of conflict between Japan and the Allied powers across the Pacific and East Asia. Wake’s capture formed part of Japan’s early campaign across the Pacific.
Winfield Scott Cunningham: A U.S. Navy commander who led the overall American defense of Wake Island in 1941. Cunningham was the senior U.S. commander who surrendered the atoll.
Wake Island massacre: The execution of 98 American civilian prisoners by Japanese forces on Wake Island on October 7, 1943. The massacre was a wartime crime committed during Japan’s occupation of the captured atoll.
Martin PBM Mariner: A U.S. Navy patrol flying boat used for reconnaissance, antisubmarine patrols, and rescue during World War II. A Mariner carried the only relief expedition’s senior commander away from Wake.
Japanese expansionism: The growth of Japanese imperial control in East Asia and the Pacific from the late nineteenth century through World War II. Japan sought to neutralize U.S. bases and secure its expanding Pacific perimeter.

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