Evening star., 1945-09-05
Wake
Continued From First Page.


signed formal surrender document
aboard the Levy.
Thus did Wake return to Ameri-
can 1862 days after II
fell, despite one of the wars most
courageous fights waged by Marine
Maj. James P. S. Devereux, and 37a
officers and men of his 1st Marine
Defense Battalion.
Some Reported Alive.
Maj. Devereux and some others
of the Wake Marines have been re-
ported alive in Japanese prison
camps in China.
Sakaibara said Wake had cost the
japanese 5000 lives-1,0 900 killed ir
the japanese invasion and by sub
sequent American air raids and ma
val bombardment, and 1000 Of NAL.
nutrition and disease.
He surrendered 1900 troops. He
said all were suffering from malnu-
triton, that their last supplies were
only half of a submarine cargo
brought in months ago, and that all
were so weak they could not have
sabotaged their installations if they
had wanted to. Surrender terms spe-
cifically forbade sabotage. They had
only II days short rations left.
Wake has been bombed frequently
by Army and Navy flyers since 7th
Air Force Liberators made Amer
ica's first neutralizing raid on the
atoll-there are three small islands
Wake, Peale and Wilkes-on Christ.
mas eve, 1912. Carrier planes have
dropped thousands of bombs ontt
the tiny island and some OF the
Nays biggest guns have shelled 1t
The Japanese, thoroughly subduee
since they fought their way ashore
against such fierce resistance thai
they estimated the Marine garrison
at 1000 defenders, assumed an atti'
tude of perfect politeneSs. There
we're repeated fourishes, bows ane
Salutes.
Sakaibara, who came out to thu
American ship in a weather-bat'
tered small boat, greeted Gen. San
derSon:
81 regret that Japan had to sur.
render, but I am glad 1t is to th'
Americans"
He said that when the last sub
marine brought supplies, it had un
loaded only half of its small carg'
when it was forced to submerge be-
cause of the approach Of Unite'
States submarine. He managed
smile as he told how the American
submarine had frightened the gar
riSon.
Commanders of all six Marine di
visions in the Pacific had requeste'
the assignment to reoccupy Wake
Meague Defenses Recalled.
To every man in the Marin
Corps, Wake was a symbol of fight
ing courage. With only II Wildca
fighter planes and six 5-inch nava
guns, Maj. Devereux's garrison he'll
out. day by day, against repeate'
Japanese bombings. It turned bacl
one invasion task force.
There were 1,787 Americans o.
Wake. There were 1900 civilial
contract workers constructing
channel, 10 Pan American Airway
employees and SIT servicemen: TIL
379 officers and men of the Is
Marine Battalion, naval medics
group of 7, an Army Signal de
tachment of 6, Navy shore per
sonnel totaling "a, II officers an
enlisted pilots OF Marine Fighte
SQUADRON al and 40 ground ere
men.
The japanese dropped one hun
dred 100-pound bombs in the f1rs
five hours Of the war, on Decembe
8 (Wake tirne). Many on Wax
were killed. Others died In th
daily bombings.
On December 10, the Japanes
sent a task force Of IL warship
Mai. Devereux let them approach
4,50o yards. Then the islands lit
guns sank two destroyers and CUR
boat. Marine flyers sank a ligl
cruiser. The japanese fled, some (
their surviving ships smoking frol
damaging hits.
Thirteen days later, Maj. Devereu
reported, Island under gunflre, al
parently landing" At 5 am. /
sent his famous last message:
Enemy on island. Issue
doubt"
Every one of the u Marine plan
had been lost. Even with the Jal
anese ashore, they would have COZ
tinued the fight with their bal
hands, one survivor said recentl
but they feared the unarmed civi
ians would be slaughtered. All