Battle for Wake Island

Between the 10th and 12th of February 1942 the much awaited allied counter attack in the Pacific finally took place at Wake Island, which the US high command had decided to retake as a prelude to greater operations and a test of the resolve of their Japanese enemy.

The main landing force was protected by three battlegroups. To the north the battleship New York provided cover for the American flanks while the Yorktown formed the heart of the southern force. The main force of US carriers and battleships never saw action and the landing proceeded to plan on the 10th of February. Taken by surprise by the landings, the Japanese chanced upon the Yorktown with routine patrols, and launched an attack immediately.

A carrier battle developed to the north of the island even as the US forces landed on Wake. The Shokaku launched waves of bombers before retiring in the face of US aircraft bearing down on her, eventually disappearing over the horizon and out of range of the bombers. This also meant death for the Japanese pilots, but they pressed home their attacks with vigour, damaging the Yorktown badly and sinking the cruiser New Orleans.

The US pilots, robbed of their chance to sink a flattop did manage to sing the Japanese cruiser Aoba, but the result of the initial battle was a tactical victory to their enemy. Many Japanese pilots, forced to ditch, were picked up by Japanese destroyers once the US fleet had withdrawn to lick their wounds. Admiral Spruance was concerned, but the landings continued as no major Japanese had yet taken place.

During the night of the 12th however, the Japanese attacked again, this time with the super-battleship Musashi and the battleship Kongo. However the night action favoured the Americans, whose use of radar proved the decisive factor, as well as the presence of two US submarines in the area, who managed to inflict some damage to the Musashi, possibly influencing the Japanese commander to withdraw.

Between the battleships, who barely fired a shot at each other, a furious destroyer battle took place which quickly involved the cruiser Brooklyn. Both sides suffered horrendous casualties in their destroyer fleets, both losing eight escort vessels, and the American cruiser was sunk during the action, the Japanese torpedoes proving deadly. Repeated American torpedo attacks on the Kongo, along with a few salvoes from New York severely damaged the Kongo, and with the Musashi losing A turret out of action and suffering damage below her waterline, the Japanese withdrew. The landings on Wake continued unmolested, and the Japanese committed no more forces to the battle. By the end of February Wake had been retaken, the first step in what the allies hoped would be a fight back in the Pacific.