_1stLt John F. Kinney (seen here circa September 1941), became
engineering officer for VMF-211 upon 1stLt Graves’ death on 8
December, and, along with TSgt William H. Hamilton and AMM1c James F.
Hesson, USN, kept Wake’s dwindling number of battered Wildcats flying
throughout the bitter 15-day siege._]
That afternoon, over at Battery D, Godbold’s men repaired damaged
emplacements, improved the director position, and accepted delivery
of gas masks, hand grenades, and ammunition. Later that afternoon, 18
civilians reported for military duty. Godbold assigned 16 of them to
serve under Sergeant Walter A. Bowsher, Jr., to man the previously
idle Gun 3, and assigned the remaining pair to the director crew as
lookouts. Under Bowsher’s leadership, the men in Gun 3 were soon
working their piece “in a manner comparable to the Marine-manned guns.”
Gunner Hamas and his men, meanwhile, carted ammunition from the
quartermaster shed and dispersed it into caches, each of about 20 to
25 boxes, west of Camp 1, near Wilkes Channel, and camouflaged them
with coral sand. Next, they dispersed hundreds of boxes of .50- and
.30-caliber ammunition in the bushes that lined the road that led to
the airfield. Before nightfall, Hamas delivered .50-caliber ammunition
and metal links to Captain Herbert C. Freuler and furnished him the
keys to the bomb and ammunition magazines.
About 25 civilians with trucks responded to First Lieutenant Lewis’
request for assistance in improving his battery’s defensive position.
Then, Lewis ordered his men to lay a telephone line from the battery
command post (CP) to the battery’s heightfinder so that he could obtain
altitude readings for the incoming enemy bombers, and relay that
information to the guns.
Commander Campbell Keene, Commander, Wake Base Detachment, meanwhile,
reassigned his men to more critical combat duties. He sent Ensigns
George E. Henshaw and Bernard J. Lauff to Cunningham’s staff.
Boatswain’s Mate First Class James E. Barnes and 12 enlisted men joined
the ranks of the defense battalion to drive trucks, serve in galley
details, and stand security watches. One of the three enlisted men
whom Commander Keene sent to VMF-211 was Aviation Machinist’s Mate
First Class James F. Hesson. Kinney and Technical Sergeant Hamilton
soon found the Pennsylvanian with light brown hair, who had served in
the Air Corps before he had joined the Navy and who had just turned
35 years of age, to be invaluable. VMF-211 also benefitted from the
services of civilians Harry Yeager and “Doc” Stevenson, who reported to
work as mechanics, and Pete Sorenson, who volunteered to drive a truck.
For the remainder of the day and on into the night, in the contractor’s
hospital in Camp 2, Naval Reserve Lieutenant Gustave M. Kahn, Medical
Corps, and the contractors’ physician, Dr. Lawton E. Shank, worked
diligently to save as many men as possible. Some, though, were beyond
help, and despite their best efforts, four of VMF-211’s men--including
Second Lieutenant Conderman--died that night.
At Peacock Point, that afternoon, just down the coast from
the airfield, “Barney” Barninger’s men had completed their
foxholes--overhead cover, sandbags, and chunks of coral would come
later. Later, at dusk, Barninger evidently sensed that the atoll
might be in for a long siege. Thinking that they might not be in camp
again for some time, he sent some of his men back to Camp 1 to obtain
extra toilet gear and clothing. In the gathering darkness, he set his
security watches and rotated beach patrols and observers. Those men not
on watch slept fitfully in their foxholes.
That night, Wake’s offshore guardians, _Tambor_ to the north and
_Triton_ to the south, surfaced to recharge batteries, breathe fresh
air, and listen to radio reports. From those reports the crews of the
_Tambor_ and _Triton_ finally learned of the outbreak of war.
The 9th of December dawned with a clear sky overhead. Over at the
airfield, three planes took off on the early morning patrol, while
Kinney had a fourth (though without its reserve gas tank) ready by
0900. A test flight proved the fourth F4F to be “o.k.,” since she
withstood a 350 mph dive “without a quiver.” It was just in the nick of
time, for at 1145 on the 9th, the _Chitose Air Group_ struck again, as
27 Nells came in at 13,000 feet. Second Lieutenant David D. Kliewer and
Technical Sergeant Hamilton attacked straggling bombers, and claimed
one shot down. Battery D’s number 2 and 4 guns, meanwhile, collectively
fired 100 3-inch rounds. The Marines damaged 12 planes, but the enemy
suffered only very light casualties: one man dead and another slightly
wounded.
[Illustration: