Was WAKE ISLAND Surrendered Prematurely?

Sea Classics, Dec 2005 by Cunningham, Gregory R

It was 6:15. Wake's silence was over. "What are we waiting for, John? Cut loose at them!" Gunner Hamas relayed the orders to the batteries around the atoll and the 5-in guns opened up.

Corporal Martin Greska, USMC, had an important job that morning of 11 December. He acted as the sight for the 5-in guns, Battery B, Toki Point, on Peale Island, under Lt. Kessler. Corporal Greska also confirmed the above orders given by Cmdr. Cunningham. Corporal Greska said, "On the eleventh, the Japanese tried to invade us with a small fleet. Our officer (Kessler) was told to hold fire until Cmdr. Cunningham gave the word. When we began to fire, we hit two of the ships. One blew up and sank while we watched (the Japanese destroyer Hayate. that 'blew up' was actually destroyed by the 5-in Battery L on Wilkes). Our guns and the Wildcat fighters sank another ship. After the cruiser (flagship Yubari) was fit by a 5-incher, the Japs turned around and steamed out of range in what the Japanese called one of the worst defeats in Japanese Naval history."

Battery B was able to damage the destroyer Yayoi, and the destroyer Kisaragi was destroyed by Capt. Elrod in his Wildcat.

Theodore A. Abraham, Jr. would write in his book, Do You Understand, Huh? A POW's Lament, 1941-1945, a similar description of the trap that Cunningham set for the Japanese. Abraham worked as the medical secretary at the hospital under Dr. Lawton Shank. After the second Japanese bombing raid on 9 December destroyed the hospital they were ordered to move to an underground bunker to protect the wounded. Dr. Shank (the contractors' surgeon) and Lt. Gustave Mason Kahn (only surgeon attached to the Marine Detachment) had their hands full.

Abraham overheard a conversation held between Dr. Kahn and Cmdr. Cunningham made on the hospital's field phone soon after the raid attempt on 11 December. Dr. Kahn said, "Spiv, this is Gus. What in the hell is going on out there? Are the Japs about to invade us?" When Dr. Kahn hung-up he was visibly relieved as he retold his conversation to the staff present. The Japanese had attempted a landing. They had several transports, destroyers and light cruisers. Commander Cunningham had given orders not to fire on them until they were well within range. When we opened up on them, we inflicted considerable damage. Commander Cunningham ended by telling Dr. Kahn, "We beat them back, but you can be sure that they will be back."

The Japanese tried to attempt a landing with 450 troops, but they were in for a surprise. They believed that their bombers had destroyed the island's defensive weapons. When the island did not respond to there own bombardment they grew bold and came in close. When the Wake defenders opened up they hit hard and devastating. Despite a heavy sea, the Japanese were beginning to put their troops into small boats when Wake opened up. The commander of the invasion fleet, R/Adm. Sadamichi Kajioka, was on the light cruiser Yubari when one of the first salvos slammed into his ship. As Adm. Kajioka pulled his battered flagship out of range he left behind the destroyer Hayate that was sunk by Battery L on Wilkes. The destroyers Oite, Kisaragi, Yayoi, a Naval transport, a patrol boat, and one of Adm. Marumo's light cruisers limped away. Captain Elrod of the Marine fighter squadron flew out and sunk the retreating Kisaragi, which had depth charges lining its deck.