FSM HistoryLesson pack 5 of 10
World War II 1941–1945
Summary
Chuuk Lagoon was a Japanese fleet base until February 1944, when US carrier planes wrecked it, and the US then bypassed the islands, so none of the four was invaded. Chuukese remember the war mostly through food shortages, and Yapese through bombing, labor drafts and “suffering.” After the surrenders of September 1945, almost all Japanese settlers were sent home, though children of mixed families stayed.
Main topics: Truk was a fleet base until February 1944; Bypassed islands faced hunger, labor and bombing; Surrender emptied the islands of settlers.
Mini-timeline
| 1941 | (15 Jan) The Navy’s 4th Signal Unit is formed under the Truk-based 4th Base Force. [JACAR, 4th Base Force] |
|---|---|
| 1942 | (April) The Navy’s 42nd Guard Unit is formed for Ponape, with a Kusaie detachment. [JACAR, 4th Base Force] |
| 1943 | (5 Nov) Palau and Yap branches merge into the Western Branch; Yap becomes its sub-office. [JACAR, Yap branch] |
| 1944 | (4 Feb) A US reconnaissance flight over Truk prompts Admiral Koga to pull the Combined Fleet back, mostly to Palau. [NHHC, H-Gram 026-3] |
| 1944 | (February) An Okinawan father is drafted locally; his evacuated wife and children survive a strafed, burning ship. [Ryukyu Shimpo] |
| 1944 | (30 Mar) A US raid wrecks the Asor weather station; the Japanese then remove 84 men and 15 women from Ulithi. [Habele, Ulithi] |
| 1944 | (April) About 7,000 Japanese soldiers arrive to defend Woleai and its airfield. [Habele, Woleai] |
| 1944 | (9 Jul (or May)) The Army’s 49th Independent Mixed Brigade is formed to guard Yap’s naval airfield. [JACAR, 49th IMB] |
| 1944 | (17 Dec) The Navy’s 43rd Guard Unit is reorganized with units based at Yap. [JACAR, 4th Base Force] |
| 1945 | (2 Sep) Truk’s commanders, including Lt. Gen. Mugikura Shunzaburō, surrender aboard USS Portland; navy units record a ceasefire. [NHHC photo via ibiblio] |
| 1945 | (4–6 Nov) The Hikawa Maru arrives at Kusaie on 4 November, takes on Japanese personnel and leaves 6 November. [WW2DB, Kusaie] |
| 1945 | The central and eastern Carolines hold 14,066 Japanese, Okinawan and Korean civilians plus about 8,000 troops. [Wikipedia, Japanese settlement in the FSM] |
Discussion questions
Why was Chuuk Lagoon so important to Japan’s navy?
What did ‘bypassing’ an island mean for the people who lived there?
How did hunger and forced labor shape islanders’ memories of the war?
None of the four islands was invaded. How did the war still reach them?
What happened to Japanese settlers and their Micronesian families after the surrender?
Quiz
Circle one letter for each multiple-choice question. Write short answers on the lines. For ordering questions, fill the boxes in order, earliest first.
What was Operation Hailstone?
- A A US carrier air attack on Truk (Chuuk) in February 1944
- B A Japanese landing on Kosrae
- C The evacuation of settlers from Pohnpei
- D A US invasion of Yap
None of the four island groups was invaded. Why, and what did the war mean for them instead?
What do Chuukese memories of the war center on, and what happened to farm food in the last months?
Where did Truk’s Japanese commanders surrender on 2 September 1945?
- A Aboard USS Portland
- B In Kolonia
- C Aboard USS Hyman
- D In Koror
Put these surrenders in order, earliest first: Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk.
Earliest Latest