Midway 's WW II History

                                                More  Midway History

During WW II there were 29 BPY sea planes able to carry a 4000 pound bomb load stationed at Midway. These planes, able to fly only 100 miles per hour, were very slow. Before the days of advanced radar it was decided to load these planes with 4000 pounds of fuel instead of bombs and use them as reconnaissance planes. This way they could fly 2700 miles in 27 hours. Generally they flew a 7 mile radius around the atoll. Since Japanese carriers needed to be within 100 miles of their target this strategy gave the US early warning and advantage of any attack

In March 1942,the Halsey-Doolittle raid bombed Tokyo, which made the Japanese determined to wipe out US carriers. The Battle of Midway took place June 4-6, 1942. Most of the battle took place 100 miles from Midway, but the atoll was bombed again. Both the rebuilt hospital and hanger were again hit. The half of the hanger destroyed was never rebuilt and the hospital for the duration of the war was underground.

The US sank four Japanese air craft carriers plus numerous other ships. Shore artillery hit and damaged two Japanese ships and several aircraft at the atoll. The Battle of Midway lasted three days with the Japanese outnumbering  US forces  4 to 1.  The first Japanese naval defeat in 300 years   was the pivotal turning point of the war in the Pacific. From that point on the Japanese were on the defensive instead of the offensive.

One gun remains

The US lost 307 men, but the Japanese lost 3500 men. We lost the carrier Hornet but the enemy lost a total of 28 ships and 108 planes. Of the 112 American planes sent into battle 40 were lost. 26 ancient WW I planes left Midway, flew over low flying Japanese planes with a good success rate. However, only ten of those planes returned to the island and only two of those were ever able to fly again.

The US had broken the Japanese code and were pretty sure ‘AF’ meant Midway. We sent a false message about a broken water system. When an intercepted Japanese message stated to bring water, the US suspicions were confirmed. Thus the US knew when the Battle of Midway would take place and were off their estimate by only five miles and five minutes!

During the Korean War Midway played an important role as a defensive outpost in the Distant Early Warning (DEW) System, and was a port of call and air traffic center during the Vietnam war.

It was hard to imagine the 1200 acre island supporting 3500 people for three decades!

On Eastern Island we saw what was once a Boy Scout camp/retreat that now has returned to its natural state. On Sand Island the enlisted barracks have been torn down. Only the Bravo and Charlie BOQs remain. Termites ate and destroyed both the chapel and the Cannon school. The Officer in Charge house remains and the Senior Officer housing now houses island staff. By its very nature a golf course is not very bird friendly so is now gone. Most of the operational structures remain.

Memorial to the Gooney Bird

In 1969 President Nixon met secretly with Vietnam’s President Thieu here in the original Officer-in- Charge house. In 1978 the air station became a Naval Air Facility and dependents started to leave.  In 1985 a Pan Am 747 China Clipper II visited Midway to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the first China Clipper flight.

 There are 43 designated historical sites/buildings on Midway. Visitors need to remember that Midway is a refuge and not a resort. A resort puts the needs of its people first and a refuge puts the needs of wildlife first and the needs of people second.

That’s the history of Midway in a nutshell. More about the island and our experience there another day.

SOME MIDWAY ISLAND HISTORY

Three  Great Weeks on Midway Island 

      
           I went to Midway island to help on a couple of research projects and to be a travel companion with a friend. Much to my surprise it turned out to be a fantastic three weeks.   Several foreign nationals have lived on Midway for years. The Thais keep the water system running and the Sri Lankans are the mechanics and carpenters.

            Midway Atoll is 1250 miles northwest of Honolulu, just north of the Tropic of Cancer and east of the International Dateline. The atoll is part of the Hawaiian archipelago but is not part of the state. It consists of three low coral and sand islands with a total land mass of 1600 acres. In 1988 the atoll was designated Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and is now managed by the U S Fish and Wildlife Service.

            The Service has strict guidelines which include a required briefing when you learn all visitors are to stay on paved walkways/ roads and designated trails, and some areas are strictly off limits. The air facility operationally closed in 1993. In 1996 President Clinton gave US Fish and Wildlife jurisdiction of Midway. At the time of my visit, Oceanic Society Expeditions was the exclusive tour operator for Midway working closely with USFWS to realize goals of protecting and preserving fish, wildlife, and historic resources. Several research projects have been conducted at the atoll.

The BOQ our hotel for three weeks

            Not long after my visit (just before the turn of the century) Midway was shut down to tourist because of damage to the ecosystem. Now visitation is possible on a very limited basis through a handful of eco- friendly tour companies.

            All infrastructure is on Sand Island which is 1.8 miles long and 1.2 miles at its widest point.  Besides housing, there is a gym, weight room, basketball court, billiards, bowling, tennis courts, library, carpenter shop, transportation shop, and other necessary maintenance buildings, and a new modern medical facility.

            Eastern Island has no structures left except the overgrown runway. Accessible only by boat (we used a WWII era landing craft) to visit.  Visitation to that island is limited to small guided groups.. Spit Island is tiny, has no significant history and is strictly a bird refuge. The few vehicles on Sand Island are for work and maintenance only. We did have golf cart transport available to us for classes, but generally we walked or rode a bike. This was not a hardship!

            A fun tidbit: The last Easter and New Years services/celebrations in the world occur on Midway. If one crossed the International Date Line, 140 miles away, he could attend the first celebrations, then fly back to Midway and attend the last ones.

The tallest point on the island is the 165 foot water tower. All fresh water is obtained by catchment, stored in three huge tanks, sent through two treatment systems, and then pumped through a system to all faucets.  In the era of 3000 residents on Midway water had to be barged in. Today water is not a problem; there is plenty and water pressure is good.

            Midway was the first off-shore island to be annexed by the US in 1867 under the Guano Act. Since there are no bird rookeries on Midway the collection of guano would have been a tedious, nearly impossible task. However, history would prove this to be a most strategic move.          

In January 1903, in response to complaints of Japanese squatters and poachers, President Teddy Roosevelt placed the atoll under the control of the Navy. That spring the Commercial Pacific Cable Company arrived on the island. After the Navy removed the squatters and poachers they appointed the Cable Company  the island custodians. On July 4, 1903, from this station, President Teddy Roosevelt sent the first around-the-world cable which took nine minutes to complete.

            Pan Am set up a base for its Clipper Seaplane Service on Sand Island in 1935. Midway was a regular fuel stop for Pan Am’s Trans-Pacific route which included Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila. This operation, including a hotel and restaurant was short lived—only 1935-1941. The US Naval Air Station Midway was commissioned in August 1941.

Many people do not realize that on December 7, 1941 in addition to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Midway was also shelled. The hospital was demolished as well as half of the hanger. One fuel tank was hit and smoldered for days, but it served as a beacon for returning US pilots. The communication center took a shell wounding the operator and  temporarily knocking out the whole system.  Lt. George Cannon sustained a crushed pelvis but refused to leave his duty station until communications were restored. Then he was bodily removed by his men, but he later died, having bled to death. He was the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II.

There is much more to tell about this fantastic visit, but this enough for today.