Was WAKE ISLAND Surrendered Prematurely?

Sea Classics, Dec 2005 by Cunningham, Gregory R

After the war a Japanese authority would write, "It was one of the most humiliating defeats our Navy had ever suffered." It was the first victory of the war for our forces. The two destroyers that were sunk were the first enemy ships to be sunk by US Naval forces since the fighting had begun. In fact it was the only Japanese invasion force repelled at the beaches in the whole war. The fact that little Wake Island had turned back an invasion fleet would be an incalculable boost to the morale of a nation dazed by the destruction at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese were beaten, but they would return.

The Wake defenders were elated, but they were not out of the frying pan. Air raids continued and inflicted huge amounts of damage. A Navy PBY bomber arrived on Wake Island, 20 December at 3:30, bringing secret orders relating to a relief force that was on its way to Wake. Commander Cunningham had a report typed up marked CONFIDENTIAL pertaining to the conditions at Wake and what the relief forces would find when they arrived on 24 December. It would fly out on the returning PBY. The Commander did not know it at the time, but it would be the final written report from Wake Island. The report read as follows:

CONFIDENTIAL

From: Commanding Officer, NAS Wake.

To: Commandant, 14th Naval District.

Subject: Report on Conditions at Wake Island.

1. The first raid on Wake came just before noon, 8 December 1941. Wake had four fighters in the air, and the battery was in condition one. Remaining eight fighters were on ground spotted about 100-yd apart. They were being serviced with ammunition and bombs. A force of about 27 two-engine landplanes glided out of low clouds directly over landing field and released a heavy load of light and a few heavy bombs. An extremely heavy and accurate strafing attack was carried on at the same time. Four planes received direct bomb hits and three others were set on fire. The eighth was struck several times, but was later put into commission. Tents about the field were riddled. Two large gasoline tanks and a large number of filled drums were set on fire. Three officers and 21 men on the field were killed or received wounds from which they died. One 1500-gal gas truck was destroyed.

2. The formation continued over Camp Two, strafing this area. Immediately thereafter Pan Air was heavily bombed and machine-gunned. The hotel burned and nearly all facilities were burned or wrecked. A large number of gasoline drums were fired. Five Camorra employees of Pan Air killed.

3. The Pan Air Clipper, Capt. Hamilton commanding, had been unloaded preparatory to use as a patrol plane. At about 1250 he took off for Midway with all Pan Air white personnel, and all passengers excepting Mr. H.P. Havener of the Bureau of the Budget, who remains and is well.

4. Immediate steps were taken to disperse personnel, distribute food and water supplies, and get aviation gasoline divided into small amounts. These measures have been continued to date, together with construction of open banked-up plane emplacements and two covered hangers in which work can be done at night, though they are by no means bomb-proof.