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thedrifter
05-16-06, 07:07 PM
May 22, 2006
The lore of the Corps: Devereux’s defense of Wake is legendary

By Robert F. Dorr and Fred L. Borch
Special to the Times

James Devereux courageously defended Wake Island during the beginning of World War II in actions that would become legendary.

Born in Havana in 1908, Devereux enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1923 and was commissioned in 1925.

In January 1941, Devereux reported for duty in Hawaii. As war with Japan appeared more likely, he was sent to the tiny Pacific island of Wake later that year to prepare a defense against possible small-scale Japanese raids.

When Devereux arrived on Wake Island as a major, the Marine garrison consisted of 15 officers and 373 enlisted men who manned six 5-inch coastal guns and 12 3-inch anti-aircraft batteries. In December 1941, 12 F4F Wildcat fighters with Marine Fighting Squadron 211, under the command of Maj. Paul A. Putnam, joined the defense force.


On Dec. 8, Devereux learned that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A short time later, 36 Japanese Mitsubishi G3M Type 96 “Nell” medium bombers arrived from the Marshall Islands and bombed Devereux’s airfield, killing or wounding 34 Marines and destroying seven of the 12 Wildcats — a significant blow.

Devereux quickly organized his assets, and his remaining Wildcats shot down several enemy bombers. He and his men then prepared for what they believed would be a furious Japanese attack.

The attack came Dec. 12, when a Japanese flotilla of three light cruisers, six destroyers and four transports shelled Wake in preparation for an amphibious assault.

Devereux ordered his men to hold their fire until the Japanese were within 4,500 yards of land. The Marines then unleashed a fusillade of deadly fire that sank the destroyer Hayate — the first Japanese ship to be destroyed in World War II. Several other enemy ships were damaged.

As the Japanese withdrew to regroup, Devereux ordered Putnam’s F4Fs in pursuit, and they bombed and sank the destroyer Kisaragi. At the end of the day, Devereux and his men had pulled off an amazing feat — repelling an amphibious invasion backed by sea power.

A naval force sailed from Pearl Harbor on Dec. 15 to relieve Devereux, but it was too late. The Japanese returned Dec. 23 and landed 1,000 men in the pre-dawn darkness. As the Japanese forces waded ashore, Devereux sent his final message: “Enemy on island — issue in doubt.”

Concluding that further resistance would result only in the unnecessary death of all Americans, Devereux surrendered.

The Japanese had “won” Wake Island, but at tremendous cost. Eighty-one Marines were killed or wounded. The Japanese lost four warships, 21 aircraft and suffered more than 1,000 casualties.

Devereux spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in China. After his repatriation in 1945, he was promoted to colonel and assigned to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He retired as a brigadier general in 1948 and moved to Maryland, where he was later elected to three terms in Congress. He died in 1988.

Robert F. Dorr, an Air Force veteran, lives in Oakton, Va. He can be reached at robert.f.dorr@cox.net. Fred L. Borch retired from the Army after 25 years and works in the federal court system. He can be reached at borchfj@aol.com.

Ellie