Wake Island Stand: Marines Hold Against Huge Japanese Assault
Wake Island defense during early December 1941 to December 1942 is recounted, detailing a lone Marine garrison of under 400 officers and men facing overwhelming Japanese air and sea assaults. Despite intense bombardment and dwindling aircraft, Marines sank a cruiser and a destroyer, shot down several bombers, and maintained a stubborn defense for 14 benumbed days before the last installations fell.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wake
Guam
Navy Medical Corps
Wake Island
Junker
Naval Headquarters
Anese
Uas
Mariveles
Corregidor
Dark Day Heroes: Fliers of 1942 Haruna Strike
A World War II feature honors three U S heroes from the early war period. The leading story notes an Army airman who sacrificed his life blasting the Japanese battleship Haruna during the war’s critical first week.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
U. S
Defenders Of Philippines Heroic Yet Doomed
AP Newsfeatures recalls the Philippine defense after Pearl Harbor. MacArthur and Wainwright led scarce forces on Luzon and Bataan, delaying Japan as Corregidor endured brutal bombardments. By May 3 Corregidor fell after a 26 day siege, ending a doomed, yet disciplined effort.
Midway Defenses Hold Against Repeated Japanese Attacks
The Midway garrison in 1942 with Marine and Navy units repelled multiple Japanese sea and air assaults. Shore batteries, artillery and searchlights shattered enemy ships near shore, earning commendations for Cmdr. Cyril T. Simard and Lt. Col. Harold D. Shannon as the U S Navy prepared for a major fleet approach off the islands. The defense preserved the American flag as a turning point in the Pacific.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Midway Islands
Pacific
Marine
Navy
Honolulu
America
Hawaii
Midway
Aleutians
Nippon
Cyril T. Simard
Naval Air Station
Harold D. Shannon
Marine Defense Battalion
Adm
Chester W. Nimitz
U. S. Navy
Fall of Singapore a Major Blow to Allied War Efforts
The 1942 Japanese takeover of Singapore ended Britain's safe naval hub in Asia. The base allowed Jap ships access to the Indian Ocean, threatening India Australia supply routes and hampering Allied Burma China efforts. Singapore’s loss pushed fleets back to perimeter bases in the southwest Pacific and delayed offensive actions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ing
Burma
China
Singapore
Malta
U. S
Pearl Harbor
United Nations
Pacific
Japanese Won Low-Priced Victories
AP News notes Japan achieved early Pacific victories with minimal manpower. Startled by limited force use, they fielded about 400000 of 3000000 Army, while facing American and Filipino troops three to one in the Philippines. Many wins came against garrisons under a thousand men.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
AP News
Pacific
Philippines
Conquests Hit Source Of U S War Goods
IPPON S sweep across the Pacific in early 1942 hit home at Americans. When they took the Philippines, the Japanese also took the main U S source of abaca Manila hemp essential for ropes and cables on naval vessels. They also shut off the supply of coconut oil used in paints varnishes soaps and many industrial products. America lost almost her sole source of natural rubber when Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies fell and also had to look elsewhere quickly for the world s No 1 source of quinine Java was lost. Raw silk vital in many industrial operations was cut off from Japan. Scores of other products like tapioca and East Indian spices and sisal fiber used in making binder twine for farmers went on the virtually unobtainable list. To offset these losses a vast synthetic rubber program got under way a substitute at brine was developed for quinine hemp was home grown and South American sources were cultivated for quinine and tin. Production of products like Nylon more than filled the silk bread. And after the coconut oil losses Americans took to saving kitchen fats. Because of the tremendous use of these substitutes in war production however civilians saw little or nothing of them during the war.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ippon
Pacific
Philippines
U. S
Manila
America
Malaya
Netherlands East Indies
Java
Japan
Allied Forces Fell In Jungle Blitz As Rising Sun Spread To New Guinea
AP Newsfeatures recounts Nippon's early 1942 sweep across the Pacific, detailing Tokyo’s rapid conquests from Thailand to the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea, the fall of Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, Corregidor, Guam, Wake, and Burma, and the Allied response culminating in late 1942 as counteroffensives began.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Guinea
Japanese war leaders and imperial honors after Pearl Harbor
Field Marshal Count Julieh Terouchi became commander in chief of all Japanese land forces in the southwestern Pacific shortly after Pearl Harbor. He helped drive campaigns in Burma, Malaya, and the Philippines. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was believed mainly responsible for the Pearl Harbor attack. After Corregidor fell, he and Terouchi received a rare citation from the Emperor.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Count Julieh Terouchi
Pacific
Pearl Harbor
Burmha
Malaya
Philippines
Adm
Lsoroku Yamemoto
White House
Terauehi
Also Mentioned on This Page
Pacific Alamo
AP Wiewe
Alamo
Hirohito
pHs
Dark-Day Heroes
Colin Kelly
John D. Bulkeley
Gen
Douglas MacArthur
Arthur Wermuth
Bataan
U.S
Robert E. Johns
Hawai
MacArthur
Luzon
Pringal
Aparri
Linegayen Gulf
Peninsula
Subic Bay
Australia
Jonathan Wainwright
Wainwright
Emy
Camp O'Donnell
Tange
Neuws
Britain
Dunkerques
East Indies
Indian Ocean
India
Richard Tompkins
Southeast Asia
Dutch Indies
Solomons
Hong Kong
Thailand
Shanghai
Bangkok
Kota Bharu
Prince of Wales
Kuala Lumpur
Federated Malay States
Johore Strait
Lingayen Bay
Ma Gen
Rangoon
Cupy
Lashio
Joseph W. Stilwell
British North Borneo
Sarawak
Celebes
Bali
Timor
Batavia
Sutmatra
Guinea
Buna
Goa
Port Moresby
Milne Bay
Owen Stanley
Solomon Islands
Tue Jagi
Florida Island
Gilbert Islands
Marshalls
Kiska
Attu
Agatta
Alaska
United States
Guadalcanal
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