The Battle of Wake Island 1941 - Animated

december 8 1941 a u.s army communications radio operator on wake island receives a disturbing message sos sos japs attacking oahu this is the real thing no mistake major james devereaux of the first marine defence battalion believes wake will be next and orders his men to man their defensive fortifications u.s marine wildcat fighters of marine fighting squadron 2-1-1 are quickly dispersed around the airfield and island defenses are prepared this video is sponsored by war thunder a free to play military vehicle online combat game simply download free and play cross platform on pc xbox series x and s playstation 5 and the previous console generation take command of a vast fleet of more than 2 000 historically accurate playable tanks aircraft helicopters and ships from the 1920s to the present day against more than 50 million global players in exciting combat arms battles enjoy great graphics authentic sound effects and realistic physics and damage models instead of general hit points vehicles suffer damage to their components that affect their fighting ability i've been playing war thunder since 2015 and still love jumping in a spitfire and doing battle with some mates follow the link to download the game now and receive a free premium tank aircraft or ship and three days of premium the empire of japan has declared war on the united states of america marking the us's entry into the second world war following the pre-emptive strike on pearl harbor japan sets her eyes on wake guam the philippines and hong kong between december 8th and 11th wake endures daily air raids by japanese bombers of the 24th air flocilla departing from their base at roy wake island is a strategically important island with a naval port and airfield usc and air power can be projected into the northern pacific ocean the japanese know that wake must be captured quickly in the skies around wake the wildcats of vmf-211 perform bomber intercepts and routine reconnaissance patrols in the hopes of spotting any approaching naval invasion or strike force despite japanese bombers taking substantial losses wake is still subject to large amounts of aerial bombardment with a 25 000 gallon aviation fuel tank set a light and eight of the 12 wildcats destroyed on the ground defenses around the three islands which constitute the wake at all are bolstered with six in place five inch gun batteries and multiple 3-inch aa batteries the primary defenses against naval invasion the us navy submarines triton and timber are deployed into the waters surrounding the island to provide early warning of a japanese assault with wake under bombardment and at risk of invasion and with much of the u.s pacific fleet at pearl harbor destroyed or damaged after the recent pre-emptive strike task force 14 comprising carrier uss saratoga and a number of cruisers is on route from san diego the task force races to wake's aid hoping to arrive on the 23rd in the early morning of december the 11th ships are sighted off the southern shore of wake island a major devereaux sounds general quarters rear admiral kajiyoka and his invasion force has arrived his bombardment force comprising his flagship the cruiser yubari cruises tatsuta and tenru six destroyers and two patrol boats move forward to their bombardment positions and begin a savage bombardment of wakes defences as some 450 japanese marines board their daihatsu landing craft however foul weather makes the loading of troops near impossible as men fall into the water and craft are overturned the us marine wildcats scramble to defend the island from any air attack as the loading fiasco continues the japanese bombardment squadrons begin parallel runs of the southern shores they continue to pull naval gunfire on targets along the southern coast of wake the american emplaced guns remain silent as they track the progress of the currently out of range japanese ships as daylight breaks kajioka's force reverses their course and closes distance now conducting a west to east bombardment run this maneuver brings yubari well within the range of battery a's 5-inch guns and the order to fire is finally given the opening salvo forces the yubari to turn and steam away she returns fire her shells straddling battery a yubari retreats battery a strikes her port side and she immediately begins to belch smoke she sustains a further two hits as she turns to try to evade the incoming fire patrol boats 32 and 33 escorting yubari attempt to lay a smoke screen behind her as she desperately tries to sail towards safety in doing so patrol boat 33 is herself struck by a shell forcing her to retreat as yubari receives further hits to her forward turret as you bury duels with battery a battery l now opens fire on destroyer division 29 and cruiser division 18 having executed a westerly turn from their run towards the southern beach the leading ship hayate comes under fire from battery l exploding and splitting her in two within minutes her 167 man crew disappear beneath the waves hayate becomes the first japanese surface vessel to be sunk by the us navy during the second world war battery l immediately turns to the oyete which by now is close enough to engage with their 50 caliber machine guns oyete lays a smoke screen and retreats struck once by american guns the remaining ships of destroyer division 29 follow oyte's lead sustaining multiple punishing hits from battery l meanwhile destroyer division 30 now comes within range of battery b which opens fire scoring hits against the yayoi matsuki and kisaragi again all are forced to retreat to safety with kajiyoka's invasion fleet fleeing south beyond the range of wake's guns the four marine wildcats dive in to punish the retreating vessels destroyer kisaragi is singled out and is struck by bombs which penetrate her deck the explosions within the ship immediately render kisaragi a raging inferno the remaining wildcats dive on cruisers tenru and tatsuta scoring accurate hits on both kisaragi changes from a ship to a ball of flame it doesn't take long for her to disintegrate in a violent explosion and she sinks to the bottom of the pacific ocean the evasion attempt has been a total failure for the japanese losing two destroyers and 407 casualties but while the americans on the island enjoy their success their situation is still precarious aerial bombardment will continue between the 12th and 22nd of december desperately needed resupply and equipment will not arrive and the bombing will hit and degrade all of the island's defenses works on the island defenses continue as japanese reconnaissance aircrafts track progress to make matters worse task force 14 is still some three days from wake its speed is limited by its slowest ship the euler uss natchez the us submarine group is ordered to leave to avoid unnecessary risk with news arriving of a heavy concentration of aviation in the marshall islands and reported japanese carrier aircraft from one or many undiscovered japanese carriers spotted over wake task force 11 is diverted to support task force 14 on route the time has run out on the 21st of december the skies above wake fill with japanese carrier aircraft from the fleet carriers hear you and saw you 29 ig bombers and 18 zero fighters strike the island's defenses with japanese carriers now confirmed in the area without doubt task forces 14 and 11 are ordered to abandon their relief mission to wake the us carriers can't be risked against what could be a superior enemy force and must be withdrawn to fight another day desperately needed men ammunition aircraft and equipment will never arrive the 400 men of the first marine defence battalion on wake island are alone on the night of the 22nd of december rear admiral kagioka's much reinforced fleet arrives for a second and heavily committed attempts to take the island at his disposal are the carriers hear you saw you heavy cruisers tone chakuma alba keiko and furataka light cruisers yubari tatsuta and tenru nine destroyers the two patrol boats 32 and 33 and four auxiliary ships at midnight lookouts witness vivid irregular flashes cruises tenryu and tatsuta conducting diversionary bombardments the japanese marines are going to attempt a night amphibious assault aiming to take out the defensive guns on wake using ground forces immediately reports from peacock point arrive of march-like shapes in the darkness offshore hearing these reports lieutenant poindexter deploys his men in a defensive line at the end of the airstrip at camp 1 another defensive line is established north and south of the airfield access road facing east to prevent any japanese advance west lieutenant clever's men are also dug in northwest of them lies two machine gun positions covering the airstrip with another two positioned on the eastern end meanwhile lieutenant hannah and major putnam arrive at the southern beach and man a three inch gun with the sounds of landing craft approaching and the searchlights now illuminated patrol boat 32 and 33 are spotted fast approaching the southern shore of wilkes island wake's defenses open up with machine guns peppering the incoming boats as the patrol boats slam onto the beach japanese marines disembark and charge ashore under the fire from lieutenant poindexter's men spotting patrol boat 32 hannah engages with his three-inch gun the first shell striking the bridge's superstructure hannah fires a further 14 shells until the patrol boat detonates in a violent explosion with japanese men of the ukida and italia companies still disembarking those of the ukida company who make it a shawl advance eastward until they encounter putnam's defensive line which holds with a confused situation and not knowing that 1 500 japanese marines are in the process of coming ashore or even their landing locations major devereaux presumes the landings are focused on the southern shore and orders a section of reinforcements from battery d to the command bunker meanwhile the blazing patrol boat 32 illuminates a portion of the ukida advancing towards the airstrip immediately poindexter's machine gun sections engage the enemy forcing them to disappear back into the darkness simultaneously machine gun fire erupts from camp 1 where machine gun positions begin to engage enemy landing craft attempting to cross the reef and land east of wilkes channel to add to the confusion japanese troops somewhere in the darkness sever overground communication lines isolating the dispersed american defenses and hindering their ability to react quickly and in a coordinated manner putnam's men are under such pressure that they are forced to retreat to putnam's east another company of japanese marines comes ashore between peacock point and his position now surrounded and with nowhere else to go he remarks this is as far as we go putnam's position will stand and fight meanwhile batteries a and e now come under mortar and machine gun fire japanese troops have crossed the airstrip towards the lagoon and attack the battery e position battery e successfully silences an enemy machine gun but the incoming fire persists forcing lieutenant lewis to aggressively take a squad of infantry forward against them after 50 yards lewis squad is forced to ground forming a new ad hoc defensive line the machine gun sections east of the airstrip and on the eastern shore now begin to engage japanese forces advancing up the short road meanwhile poindexter's men are finally overwhelmed and withdraw towards camp 1. as dawn breaks putnam's men are completely enveloped by the japanese with wake under increasing pressure a new defensive line is formed south of the command post as daybreak comes lieutenant cleaver's position repels a bayonet charge killing numerous japanese soldiers over on peel island only battery b remains under the command of lieutenant kessler in the daylight they spot japanese ensigns on wilkes island however this does not dissuade them they spot an open fire on patrol boat 33 setting her alight the ships of destroyer division 30 follow and move within range of battery b battery b still fighting with hard determination opens fire striking matsuki and forcing the destroyers to retreat in the skies above carrier aircraft now arrives to strike the island defenses with all of the wildcats now destroyed and only one aa position remaining the bombers will be free to attack their positions near unmolested the position on wake is now untenable multiple sections are surrounded communications are degraded japanese aircraft are arriving above the horizon is filling with heavily armed warships and enemy troops are now advancing on the command post itself commander of all u.s forces on the island commander cunningham takes the decision that wake island will immediately surrender to japanese forces at the battle of wake island 52 americans were killed 12 aircraft lost and a further 433 captured killed wildcat pilot captain henry elrod credited with the sinking of destroyer kisaragi and several other heroic actions during the defense of wake is awarded a posthumous medal of honor the japanese lose two destroyers two patrol boats and take over 400 casualties this significant outpost in the centre of the pacific ocean now allows the imperial japanese navy and air force to exert their influence toward midway and the johnson at all and threatens any u.s naval forces that transit in between wake would remain in japanese hands until the end of the war play war thunder for free on pc ps5 and xbox series x and s follow the link to download the game and get a free premium tank aircraft or ship and three days of premium now

Channel: The Operations Room

Views: 1,092,851

Keywords: Time-Lapse, History, Second World War, ww2, Documentary, Aircraft Carrier, Pearl Harbor, aircraft, time lapse, animated, war, midway, the pacific, battle of wake island

Id: 85LhtBxm1dE

Length: 15min 24sec (924 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 01 2022