First Bombardment of Midway

Midway Atoll on November 24, 1941.

Date	December 7, 1941
Location	Sand Island, Midway Atoll, Hawaiian Archipelago, Pacific Ocean
Result	Midway bombarded; IJN destroyers retire.

Belligerents

United States

Japan

Commanders and leaders

Lieutenant Colonel Harold D. Shannon

First Lieutenant George H. Cannon †

Captain Ohishi Kaname

Strength

Land:
unknown marines,
unknown sailors,
unknown shore batteries
Air:
unknown aircraft

2 destroyers

Casualties and losses

4 killed,
10 wounded,
1 aircraft destroyed,
Midway base damaged

unknown human losses,
1 destroyer damaged

The First Bombardment of Midway, or the First Bombardment of Sand Island, or Attack on Midway, was a small land and sea engagement of World War II. It occurred on the very first day of the Pacific War, 7 December 1941, not long after the major attack on Pearl Harbor. Two Imperial Japanese destroyers bombarded Sand Island of Midway Atoll. The Japanese successfully damaged the U.S. Marine base before being engaged by American shore batteries and forced to flee.

Before the beginning of the Pacific War, American marines were stationed on Midway and had established a small base with the ability to service land, sea and air forces. The marines also constructed all of the bases' fortifications; civilian contractors constructed the buildings. They used 5 inch (127 mm) guns, built in 1916, and 3 inch (76 mm) guns of 1921 to defend the islands. Fortifications dating back to 1905 were also manned. Not only were Pearl Harbor, Wake Island and the Philippines attacked in the opening phase of the conflict, but Midway was shelled as well by two Japanese destroyers, Ushio and Sazanami.

The two destroyers were part of the Japanese fleet that had just attacked Pearl Harbor. Overall, the unit was under the command of Captain Ohishi Kaname, though Lieutenant Commander Yoshitake Uesugi skippered Ushio and Lieutenant Commander Hiroshi Uwa skippered the other destroyer. The engagement began at 09:31 and lasted 54 minutes. The American command, communications and power plant building was damaged by a 5 in (130 mm) shell, which deflected off an adjacent laundromat. Battery "H" commander—First Lieutenant George H. Cannon—was hit by shrapnel in the pelvis while inside the command building. By this time, the communications were down from enemy fire, so Lieutenant Cannon refused medical attention until he was assured that the communications were restored to the post and the wounded marines around him were evacuated.

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