WASHINGTON, Dec. 23-The Japanese forces that have been battering a small Navy garrison on Wake Island since Dec. 7 effected a landing there on "the morning of the twentythird" the Navy Department reported today, but it appears that the garrison was still fighting back at its attackers tonight. The landing came twenty-four hours after a strong air attack on the garrison, in the course of which "several enemy planes were shot down." (Wake Island was "completely occupied" yesterday morning, according to a Tokyo broadcast recorded by the United Press. Two destroyers were lost in the attack, it was said.) Lack of news concerning Midway Island, northeast of Wake Island, which also has been under almost constant attack, was taken to indicate that the garrison there still held its ground. Wake Island is about 3,000 miles west of Honolulu on the path to Manila. The war changed it from a link on the air route to a pinpoint of defense. Its connection with the Philippines was cut off by the capture of Guam, which was the next westward stopping point en route to Manila. It was known at the outbreak of the war that the garrison of Wake consisted of only a few hundred men. Their equipment must have been excellent for them to hold out as they have. Early in the fighting their planes sank a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer. Mystery There are two mysteries in connection with Wake Island that may be explained only after the war is over. One is the manner in which this tiny garrison has withstood a dozen bombardments by air, shelling by hostile ships, and other attempts at a landing. The other is the reason why no American naval units have been reported as going to the assistance of Wake Island. If naval strategy called for defense of the island to the last man in order to force the Japanese to expend maximum energy in an attempt to reduce the island while American forces operated elsewhere, it would appear that the island has rendered a greater account of itself than possibly could have been expected. The Wake Island is V-shaped, each arm of the V extending for a little more than two miles. This creates an excellent bay of sheltered water, formerly used by Pan American Clippers, but it also poses for the defenders the problem of defending a coastline that is out of proportion to the size of the territory. Japanese Claim All Wake SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 23 (UP) - The Japanese Navy admitted the loss of two destroyers in landing operations at Wake Island, according to a Tokyo radio broadcast heard tonight by the United Press listening post. The Japanese claimed the island was "completely occupied" this morning... Back to Table of Contents -- Combat Simulation Vol 2 No. 3 Back to Combat Simulation List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1996 by Mike Vogell and Phoenix Military Simulations. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com