Japanese occupation of Nauru
Encyclopedia
The Japanese occupation of Nauru is the period of three years (26 August 1942 – 13 September 1945) during which Nauru
, a Pacific island was occupied by the Japanese army
as part of the operations of the Pacific War
during World War II
. With the onset of the War in the Pacific, islands that flanked the Japanese South Seas possessions were of great interest to the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ) with the Imperial Navy section in the lead.
Two objectives were behind this invasion, to use the phosphate resources of the island, and to build up Japanese military defenses in the area. The occupants couldn't manage to relaunch the phosphate industry but they succeeded into transforming this territory into an unassailable stronghold where the United States forces gave up on landing during their reconquest of the Pacific theater of war. The most important infrastructure built by the Japanese was an airfield which presence led to multiple Allied air strikes on Nauru. The war highly affected the local population. Isolated because of the American reconquest and overpopulated because of the concentration of an important military contingent and forced labourers, the island was subject to food shortage. The occupiers enforced a harsh regime, specially for the Chinese which were on the bottom of their racial hierarchy; forced work was generalized. They decided to deport the majority of Nauru indigenous population to the Truk islands, hundreds of miles away, where mortality was extremely high. Although neutralized by the American air strikes, the Japanese troops only surrendered eleven days after the official surrender of Japan.
in charge of the mining jointly with the administration and the Christian missions ensured paternalistic management of the Nauruan people
. Nauruans showed only limited interest in mining employment and generally remained away from the phosphate industry. They continued to rely on their traditional subsistence activities of fishing and agriculture. The BPC instead imported large numbers of indentured workers, mainly Chinese and Pacific islanders.
Modernity entered in Nauru in the form of imported goods which had the effect of making the locals increasingly dependent on the Australian economy. Beginning in the 1920s, the Nauruans started to receive royalties for the mining of their lands, an income that allowed them to cover their needs but was minimal compared with the value of the phosphate exports of the island. The population was decimated by several diseases against which they had no immune defenses. In 1932, they reached the population threshold of that was considered necessary for their survival. This achievement is celebrated as Angam Day
.
In spite of the economic importance of Nauru for Australia and New Zealand, the island was left militarily unprotected, since a stipulation of the League of Nations mandate for Australian administration forbade the construction of coastal defenses. This territory, very isolated geographically, was not under constant surveillance of the Australian navy and was out of reach of aerial patrols. However, before the outbreak of hostilities in the Pacific theater, Nauru didn't seem to be under direct threat.
The Japanese empire became firmly established in a vast area north of Nauru as a result of the South Pacific Mandate
of the League of Nations, and it supplied agriculture in the area with Nauru phosphate.
, Komet
and their supply ship the Kulmerland
headed for Nauru with the purpose of destroying the main infrastructure. Due to bad weather conditions they were unable to make a landing on the island.
and cut the sea road between Australia
and North America
.
The 7th December 1941 took place the attack on Pearl Harbor
which marked the beginning of the entrance of war of Japan against the United States of America. The 8th (which was in fact the same day, the international Date Line
separating the two territories) a Japanese surveillance aircraft was sighted above Nauru. The 9th of December, the first attack took place : three planes flying from the Marshall Islands
bombed the wireless station of Nauru. without managing to provoke damages. The Nauruans, warned by Ocean Island located 350 km eastward managed to go under cover before the attack. The following day, another plane came back, with the same goal. The third day, four planes flying low over the Nauruans skies finally managed to destroy the radio station. During those three days, 51 bombs were dropped on, or close to the station. Following this operation, the governor of the island Chamlers sent a message to Canberra
stating that he thought the Japanese hadn't destroyed the phosphate mines because they intended to occupy the island for it's resources. All maritime contact with the rest of the world was interrupted. The ship Trienza from the BPC
in charge of the supplying was called back. Until the end of February 1942, there were daily visits of Japanese planes over the island.
In other parts of the Pacific Ocean
, the Japanese continued their advance. They occupied the Gilbert Islands
, north-east of Nauru during Christmas 1941, in January 1942, they took Rabaul
, south of Nauru and established there a major base. Nauru was therefore isolated between the two Japanese front-lines. The 19th February 1942 bombing of Darwin took place and, for the first time in its history, Australia was directly targeted on a mass attack by a foreign power. The announcement of this event produced a psychological blow to the Nauruan population.
After the declaration of war ot the Japanese empire, the leadership of the British Phosphate Commission
urged the Australian government to assist them with the evacuation of theirs employees. Though, the authorities were slow to respond. Reports were speculating that an invasion of the island by the enemies was unlikely because of the lack of a deep sea port or airstrip. Their reluctance was also fueled by the fact that they thought that a withdrawal of the Westerners would result into a loss of prestige of Australia for the Nauruans. The decision was finally made at the end of January 1942. The initial plan was to evacuate the Westerners as well as the Chinese. Because of the growing Japanese naval activity on the area, the French destroyer Triomphant, a boat from the Free French Naval Forces
and one of the fastest of that time, was selected for this mission. The ship met with the Trienza, a freighter from the BPC which was camouflaged in a bay of Malekula, in the New Hebrides
islands and loaded 50 tons of supplies for Nauru. Then, it set sail, at full speed toward Nauru which was reached the 23rd of February. The unloading of the goods and the boarding of the civilian took place at a fast pace. Contrarily to the initial plan, it was decided to take inboard only part of the Chinese, because of the cramped conditions. 61 Westerners, 391 Chinese and the 49 members of the British garrison embarked. 191 Chinese were left on Nauru after having been told they would be evacuated latter, which couldn't take place because of the advance of the pace of the events. Before leaving, the employees of the BPC sabotaged the phosphate mining infrastructure.
(Invasion of Nauru & Ocean Island) was the name of the Japanese plan to invade and occupy Nauru
and Ocean islands in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict
of World War II
. The operation was originally set to be executed in May 1942 immediately following Operation MO
and before Operation MI, which resulted in the Battle of Midway
. After a postponement due to interference by Allied forces, the operation was completed in August 1942.
The first failed attempt to occupy Nauru was conducted on 11 May 1942, when the Imperial Japanese invasion force, under the command of Rear Admiral
Shima Kiyohide departed Rabaul consisting of a cruiser, 2 mine-layers and 2 destroyers with invasion troops from the 6th SNLF and Kashima SNLF. The task force was attacked by the United States Navy
submarine
USS S-42
leading to the loss of the Okinoshima
. Attempts by the rest of the task force to continue with the operation were called off after Japanese reconnaissance aircraft sighted the United States Navy
aircraft carrier
s Enterprise
and Hornet
heading towards Nauru.
A second invasion force departed Truk on 26 August 1942 and three days later, a landing party composed of one company (Ariaka Butai) of the 43d Guard Force (Palau) conducted an unopposed landing on Nauru and assumed the duties of the occupation. These were joined by the 5th Special Base Force company who departed Makin
on 15 September and arrived at Nauru two days later to begin garrison duties. By October 1942, there were 11 officers and 249 enlisted Japanese soldiers on Nauru.
as the chief of the natives. The Nauruans were ordered to obey him, otherwise, they would be "skinned and treated as pigs". Detudamo had already held responsibilities in the pre-War administration and was respected by the Nauruans. Under the Japanese regime, he didn't have any autonomy, his duty was only to take orders from the occupants and to apply them. Those who didn't follow the Japanese rules could be severely punished. The Nauruans could witness the beheading of several Chinese, Gilbertese and Japanese which had break the law. The army requisitioned several houses abandoned by theirs inhabitants after the landing as well as all the vehicles owned by the natives. They established a rationing system. The Japanese workers and Nauruans where entitled to 900 grams of rice and 45 grams of beef per day, whereas the Chinese had smaller rations. All mens were obliged to work for the Japanese. They had to build with the Korean and Japanese workers an airstrip. The construction was taking place at a breakneck pace and the forced workers were beaten when they couldn't work as fast as ordered. However, even if the Japanese rule was harsh for the Nauruans, contrasting with the paternalistic Australian rule, it was not as brutal as in other areas controlled by the Japanese. The occupants try to seduce the natives using propaganda, education programs and entertainment. They opened a Japanese school, a language that many Nauruans learned during the war, they hired native dancers for the celebrations they were organizing, which brought the Nauruans extra money. They also invited the islanders to Japanese actualities screening. They decided not to interact with the work of the two European priests which had a great influence on the population. and allowed the religious services to take place. They also hired some of the employees of the former administration. However, the Japanese were particularly harsh with the Chinese were at the bottom of their racial hierarchy. They were underfed and beaten more often and harshly than the others inhabitants.
. They built pillboxes on the beach, bunkers inside the island and an underground hospital. Their main work was an airstrip which was after the war converted into the Nauru International Airport
. In order to built it, they brought Japanese and Korean as well as 300 Nauruans and Gilbertans which were forced to work for the occupants. The creation of the airstrip on the narrow coast belt led to the expulsion of many natives from the districts of Boe
and Yaren
where were located the best lands of the island. The airfield became operational in January 1943. The building of two others airstrips was started in Meneng
and Anabar
, but never finished.
One of the goals of the Japanese when invading Nauru was the takeover of the strategical phosphate industry. The 29th August 1942, few days after their landing, the occupants brought over 72 employees of the Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha (South Sea Development Company) to assess the condition of the mining infrastructure sabotaged by the Australian before their departure. They could recover some machinery parts and ordered some Chinese to start collecting phosphate. However, in June 1943 the employees left after some frictions with the army. It seems that no shipment of phosphate was loaded during the Japanese occupation.
Nauru was therefore only use as a link in the chain of the Japanese defense line in the central Pacific ocean.
The Japanese set up a huge garrison compared to the size of the island. In June 1943, there were unhabitants, 2000 more than in 1940. This figure includes military and Korean and Japanese workers, as well as 400 Pacific islanders and Chinese, formers employees of the BPC
. The Nauruans were therefore a minority on their own island. At the end of the month, other military were brought in Nauru.
The authorities, fearful of starvation in an overpopulated island, and kept under a successful blockade decided to deport the whole Nauruan population. Shortly after the arrival of the last military convoy, the Japanese called together a Nauruan council and made the announcement of the deportation of part of the islanders under the leadership of Timothy Detudamo
. They refused to tell the Nauruans about their destination which increased anxiety among the population. The families selected were the ones who couldn't meet theirs expanses in Nauru. They were told that the island to which they would be sent had an abundance of food. Just before departure, Nakayama, second in the military hierarchy of the island, gave to Timothy Detudamo a letter bearing the seal of the emperor Hirohito
indicating that the Nauruans where under his protection. This document was later used as a safe-conduct by the exiles.
The , 600 Nauruans and 7 Chinese were brought together in the island harbor and taken on board, by night, to avoid Allies attacks, of the freighter Akibasan Maru. The boat set sail the following day for an unknown destination, convoyed by a small military ship and headed to the Truk Islands located 1600 km north-west of Nauru in the Caroline Islands
where the headquarters of the central Pacific Japanese forces was based.
Following this departure, the Japanese committed what is considered as their worst war crime on Nauru, the massacre of the lepers
. They were living in a leper colony built by the Australians and located in Meneng
. Before the arrival of the Japanese, they could receive visits from their families, and in in certain instances, their children where living with them. The occupants who where very fearful of contagion isolated them completely as soon as they landed and decided to include their families in the first boat toward Truk. The 12 July 1943, they ordered the 49 lepers to swim toward a dilapidated boat which they towed on open sea and then shelled until it would sink.
The next month, 659 emaciated Banabans were brought in Nauru from their neighboring island, Ocean Island which was also under Japanese occupation. They told the Nauruans about the drought in their land which had become barren because of the Japanese presence, forcing them to eat grass and tree bark for survival.
A new contingent of 1200 soldiers arrived the 6th of August 1943 and the same day, another group of 601 Nauruans, mainly women and children led by the two catholic priests, Alois Kayser
and Pierre Clivaz where sent in exile. Meanwhile there was not yet any news of the whereabouts of the first group. Inboard of the boats bringing the Nauruans to the Truk islands, life conditions were bearable apart from the cramped conditions. For the vast majority of the exiles, it was the first time they would leave their isolated island. Therefore, besides the general anxiety, there was some excitement among the Nauruan youth.
The 11th of September, the boat which would be used to deport the remaining Nauruans, arrived on the coast of the island when suddenly, the Nauruans saw it up in flames, an explosion caused by a torpedo
launched by an American submarine. This attack prevented the Japanese from carrying through their plan to send away the whole Nauruan population in order to let onto the island only uprooted populations without specific rights over the land.
1943 was therefore a year during which important movements of population took place. Nauruans left, but they were replaced by a larger number of Japanese and Banabans.
Occupied Nauru was at the very end of a long supply line linking Pacific islands to Japan. The growing efficiency of the American submarines and their march toward the western Pacific made the supplying operations of Nauru increasingly difficult. In September 1943, a 6000t freighter sent to provide supplies to the Japanese garrison was sunk offshore of Nauru, and of the 450 people inboard, only 21 survived. In addition, the annual monsoon rains largely failed during the 1943-1944 season, resulting in a severe drought on the island. During the beginning of January, 1944, only two Japanese supply ships made their way to Nauru. The second boat arrived on the 10th of January, and was the last surface ship to resupply the base for the duration of the war.
This situation led the inhabitants to look for alternative to their isolation through the development of self-sufficiency. Their main concern was to compensate for the lack of food supplies, especially the rice that was the staple food under the Japanese occupation.
would handle the surrender to speed up the return to normalcy. Thus, the surrender had to be accepted on behalf of the commander in chief of the Pacific fleet. The Australian commander twice signed the document, first as the representative of the United Kingdom
, second on behalf of the American command.
On 8 September, Australian planes dropped tracts giving notice of the coming of three boats in charge of surrender operations. Only five days later, on 13 September, the frigate arrived offshore, escorted by the frigate and the corvette . Onboard were well-known figures of the colonial administration, including William Bot, the administrator of the local unit of the BPC
, and Thomas Cude, head of the Nauruan police. Returning with them were five young Nauruan who had spent the war in Australia, where they had been studying when the war started. As the boat approached the islands, the passengers could see the devastation on the island. By means of signals, they agreed with the Japanese to set up the surrender ceremony at 02H00 PM. The Australian commander J. R. Stevenson, accompanied by P. Phipps from the Royal New Zealand Navy
representing the New Zealand government, plus Albert Ellis
and Bissett, respectively representative and New Zealand director of the British Phosphate Commission
, received the surrender of Hisayuki Soeda, commandant of the Nauruan Japanese troops. As a sign of submission, he handed his katana
to Stevenson. The weapon was placed on the center of the table and the instrument of surrender was then read in English and in Japanese. The commandant Hisayuki Soeda bowed in sign of agreement, signed the document and rapidly left the boat, leaving his officers on board so that they could be interrogated.
The following day, a contingent of 500 Australian soldiers landed. They were greeted by a jubilant crowd while the Japanese where confined into their barracks. For the first time since the beginning of the Japanese occupation, the Union Jack was hoisted during a military ceremony that afternoon. The executives of the British Phosphate Commission
surveyed the island to discover the extent of the damage caused by the war on the mining infrastructure, and found the phosphate factory totally destroyed. However, they found that the health of the population was much better than could have been expected based on the testimonies of the two Japanese which had fled the island in June 1945.
Between the first and the third of October, the Japanese and Koreans on the island where taken on board allied ships heading for Bougainville Island
in the Solomon Islands
. During the transfer, the former occupants where molested by the Nauruans in charge of the boarding operations. They were also violently attacked with canes by Chinese seeking revenge on their former tormentors. The abusers were harshly pushed back by the Australians.
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, a Pacific island was occupied by the Japanese army
Operation RY
Operation RY was the name of the Imperial Japanese plan to invade and occupy Nauru and Ocean islands in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict of World War II. The operation was originally set to be executed in May 1942 immediately following Operation MO and before Operation MI, which...
as part of the operations of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. With the onset of the War in the Pacific, islands that flanked the Japanese South Seas possessions were of great interest to the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ) with the Imperial Navy section in the lead.
Two objectives were behind this invasion, to use the phosphate resources of the island, and to build up Japanese military defenses in the area. The occupants couldn't manage to relaunch the phosphate industry but they succeeded into transforming this territory into an unassailable stronghold where the United States forces gave up on landing during their reconquest of the Pacific theater of war. The most important infrastructure built by the Japanese was an airfield which presence led to multiple Allied air strikes on Nauru. The war highly affected the local population. Isolated because of the American reconquest and overpopulated because of the concentration of an important military contingent and forced labourers, the island was subject to food shortage. The occupiers enforced a harsh regime, specially for the Chinese which were on the bottom of their racial hierarchy; forced work was generalized. They decided to deport the majority of Nauru indigenous population to the Truk islands, hundreds of miles away, where mortality was extremely high. Although neutralized by the American air strikes, the Japanese troops only surrendered eleven days after the official surrender of Japan.
Pre-War situation
Phosphate mining operations started in 1906. Nauru was at that time part of the German colonial empire. The island started then to be coveted for this strategical resource used as fertilizer. During the First World war, Nauru went under domination of the British crown, becoming a trusteeship of the League of Nations and effectively administrated by the Australian dominion. The British Phosphate CommissionBritish Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
in charge of the mining jointly with the administration and the Christian missions ensured paternalistic management of the Nauruan people
Nauruan people
The indigenous peoples of Nauru are an ethnicity, which inhabit the Pacific island of Nauru. They are most likely a blend of other Pacific peoples....
. Nauruans showed only limited interest in mining employment and generally remained away from the phosphate industry. They continued to rely on their traditional subsistence activities of fishing and agriculture. The BPC instead imported large numbers of indentured workers, mainly Chinese and Pacific islanders.
Modernity entered in Nauru in the form of imported goods which had the effect of making the locals increasingly dependent on the Australian economy. Beginning in the 1920s, the Nauruans started to receive royalties for the mining of their lands, an income that allowed them to cover their needs but was minimal compared with the value of the phosphate exports of the island. The population was decimated by several diseases against which they had no immune defenses. In 1932, they reached the population threshold of that was considered necessary for their survival. This achievement is celebrated as Angam Day
Angam Day
Angam Day is a holiday recognized in the Republic of Nauru. It is celebrated yearly on October 26.-Etymology:The Nauruan word angam means "jubilation", "celebration", "to have triumphed over all hardships" or "to have reached a set goal" or "coming home".-General:Angam Day is a day of celebration...
.
In spite of the economic importance of Nauru for Australia and New Zealand, the island was left militarily unprotected, since a stipulation of the League of Nations mandate for Australian administration forbade the construction of coastal defenses. This territory, very isolated geographically, was not under constant surveillance of the Australian navy and was out of reach of aerial patrols. However, before the outbreak of hostilities in the Pacific theater, Nauru didn't seem to be under direct threat.
The Japanese empire became firmly established in a vast area north of Nauru as a result of the South Pacific Mandate
South Pacific Mandate
The was the Japanese League of Nations mandate consisting of several groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean which came under the administration of Japan after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.-Early history:Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, after the start of World...
of the League of Nations, and it supplied agriculture in the area with Nauru phosphate.
| Chinese | Westerners | Pacific Islanders | Total immigrants | Nauruan people Nauruan people The indigenous peoples of Nauru are an ethnicity, which inhabit the Pacific island of Nauru. They are most likely a blend of other Pacific peoples.... |
total population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1350 | 192 | 49 | 1591 | 1761 | 3552 |
| Source : | |||||
German attacks
The Second World war first reached Nauru in December 1940 when two German armed merchantmen disguised as civilian freighters targeted the island. Their aim was to disrupt production of phosphate and therefore weaken the agriculture of Australia and New Zealand, which were dependent on this for fertilizer. The OrionGerman auxiliary cruiser Orion
Orion was an auxiliary cruiser of the German navy which operated as a merchant raider during World War II. Built by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg in 1930/31 as the freighter Kurmark, she was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine at the outbreak of World War II and converted into the auxiliary cruiser Orion,...
, Komet
German auxiliary cruiser Komet
Komet was an auxiliary cruiser of the German Kriegsmarine in the Second World War, intended for service as a commerce raider...
and their supply ship the Kulmerland
Kulmerland (ship)
The Kulmerland was a supply ship of the Kriegsmarine that operated during the Second World War in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. It was named after the Kulmerland region of Prussia, with the city of Kulm, which in 1920 was made part of the Polish Corridor.It supplied German auxiliary ships ...
headed for Nauru with the purpose of destroying the main infrastructure. Due to bad weather conditions they were unable to make a landing on the island.
Declaration of war of Japan
For the Japanese empire, the importance of Nauru was twofold : they were interested in acquiring the phosphate deposits of the island ; on the other hand, Nauru had the potential to be a good base to lead aerial attacks against the Gilbert IslandsGilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
and cut the sea road between Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The 7th December 1941 took place the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
which marked the beginning of the entrance of war of Japan against the United States of America. The 8th (which was in fact the same day, the international Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
separating the two territories) a Japanese surveillance aircraft was sighted above Nauru. The 9th of December, the first attack took place : three planes flying from the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
bombed the wireless station of Nauru. without managing to provoke damages. The Nauruans, warned by Ocean Island located 350 km eastward managed to go under cover before the attack. The following day, another plane came back, with the same goal. The third day, four planes flying low over the Nauruans skies finally managed to destroy the radio station. During those three days, 51 bombs were dropped on, or close to the station. Following this operation, the governor of the island Chamlers sent a message to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
stating that he thought the Japanese hadn't destroyed the phosphate mines because they intended to occupy the island for it's resources. All maritime contact with the rest of the world was interrupted. The ship Trienza from the BPC
British Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
in charge of the supplying was called back. Until the end of February 1942, there were daily visits of Japanese planes over the island.
In other parts of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the Japanese continued their advance. They occupied the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
, north-east of Nauru during Christmas 1941, in January 1942, they took Rabaul
Battle of Rabaul (1942)
The Battle of Rabaul, also known by the Japanese as Operation R, was fought on the island of New Britain in the Australian Territory of New Guinea, in January and February 1942. It was a strategically significant defeat of Allied forces by Japan in the Pacific campaign of World War II...
, south of Nauru and established there a major base. Nauru was therefore isolated between the two Japanese front-lines. The 19th February 1942 bombing of Darwin took place and, for the first time in its history, Australia was directly targeted on a mass attack by a foreign power. The announcement of this event produced a psychological blow to the Nauruan population.
Evacuation of the Westerners and Chinese
British Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
urged the Australian government to assist them with the evacuation of theirs employees. Though, the authorities were slow to respond. Reports were speculating that an invasion of the island by the enemies was unlikely because of the lack of a deep sea port or airstrip. Their reluctance was also fueled by the fact that they thought that a withdrawal of the Westerners would result into a loss of prestige of Australia for the Nauruans. The decision was finally made at the end of January 1942. The initial plan was to evacuate the Westerners as well as the Chinese. Because of the growing Japanese naval activity on the area, the French destroyer Triomphant, a boat from the Free French Naval Forces
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
and one of the fastest of that time, was selected for this mission. The ship met with the Trienza, a freighter from the BPC which was camouflaged in a bay of Malekula, in the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
islands and loaded 50 tons of supplies for Nauru. Then, it set sail, at full speed toward Nauru which was reached the 23rd of February. The unloading of the goods and the boarding of the civilian took place at a fast pace. Contrarily to the initial plan, it was decided to take inboard only part of the Chinese, because of the cramped conditions. 61 Westerners, 391 Chinese and the 49 members of the British garrison embarked. 191 Chinese were left on Nauru after having been told they would be evacuated latter, which couldn't take place because of the advance of the pace of the events. Before leaving, the employees of the BPC sabotaged the phosphate mining infrastructure.
Japanese Invasion
Operation RYOperation RY
Operation RY was the name of the Imperial Japanese plan to invade and occupy Nauru and Ocean islands in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict of World War II. The operation was originally set to be executed in May 1942 immediately following Operation MO and before Operation MI, which...
(Invasion of Nauru & Ocean Island) was the name of the Japanese plan to invade and occupy Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
and Ocean islands in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The operation was originally set to be executed in May 1942 immediately following Operation MO
Operation Mo
Operation Mo or the Port Moresby Operation was the name of the Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea during World War II as well as other locations in the South Pacific with the goal of isolating Australia and New Zealand from their ally the United States...
and before Operation MI, which resulted in the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
. After a postponement due to interference by Allied forces, the operation was completed in August 1942.
The first failed attempt to occupy Nauru was conducted on 11 May 1942, when the Imperial Japanese invasion force, under the command of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Shima Kiyohide departed Rabaul consisting of a cruiser, 2 mine-layers and 2 destroyers with invasion troops from the 6th SNLF and Kashima SNLF. The task force was attacked by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
USS S-42
USS S-42 (SS-153)
USS S-42 was the first member in the third group of S-class submarines of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 16 December 1920 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 30 April 1923 sponsored by Mrs. Henry A...
leading to the loss of the Okinoshima
Japanese minelayer Okinoshima
was a large minelayer of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was in service during the early stages of World War II. She was named after the Okinoshima Island in the Sea of Japan and the earlier...
. Attempts by the rest of the task force to continue with the operation were called off after Japanese reconnaissance aircraft sighted the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
and Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
heading towards Nauru.
A second invasion force departed Truk on 26 August 1942 and three days later, a landing party composed of one company (Ariaka Butai) of the 43d Guard Force (Palau) conducted an unopposed landing on Nauru and assumed the duties of the occupation. These were joined by the 5th Special Base Force company who departed Makin
Makin (islands)
Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands.-Geography:...
on 15 September and arrived at Nauru two days later to begin garrison duties. By October 1942, there were 11 officers and 249 enlisted Japanese soldiers on Nauru.
New order
The Japanese decided soon after their arrival to appoint Timothy DetudamoTimothy Detudamo
Timothy Detudamo was a Nauruan politician and linguist. He was the father of Buraro Detudamo. He is known as the founder of modern Nauruan society.-Religious and linguistic activities:In his younger years he was a pastor....
as the chief of the natives. The Nauruans were ordered to obey him, otherwise, they would be "skinned and treated as pigs". Detudamo had already held responsibilities in the pre-War administration and was respected by the Nauruans. Under the Japanese regime, he didn't have any autonomy, his duty was only to take orders from the occupants and to apply them. Those who didn't follow the Japanese rules could be severely punished. The Nauruans could witness the beheading of several Chinese, Gilbertese and Japanese which had break the law. The army requisitioned several houses abandoned by theirs inhabitants after the landing as well as all the vehicles owned by the natives. They established a rationing system. The Japanese workers and Nauruans where entitled to 900 grams of rice and 45 grams of beef per day, whereas the Chinese had smaller rations. All mens were obliged to work for the Japanese. They had to build with the Korean and Japanese workers an airstrip. The construction was taking place at a breakneck pace and the forced workers were beaten when they couldn't work as fast as ordered. However, even if the Japanese rule was harsh for the Nauruans, contrasting with the paternalistic Australian rule, it was not as brutal as in other areas controlled by the Japanese. The occupants try to seduce the natives using propaganda, education programs and entertainment. They opened a Japanese school, a language that many Nauruans learned during the war, they hired native dancers for the celebrations they were organizing, which brought the Nauruans extra money. They also invited the islanders to Japanese actualities screening. They decided not to interact with the work of the two European priests which had a great influence on the population. and allowed the religious services to take place. They also hired some of the employees of the former administration. However, the Japanese were particularly harsh with the Chinese were at the bottom of their racial hierarchy. They were underfed and beaten more often and harshly than the others inhabitants.
Military works
The organization of the island's defense was the first task of the occupants. They set up 152 mm artillery around the coast as well as 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns at the top of the island on the Command RidgeCommand Ridge
Command Ridge is the highest point of Nauru, with an altitude of .-External links: , Topoworld.com....
. They built pillboxes on the beach, bunkers inside the island and an underground hospital. Their main work was an airstrip which was after the war converted into the Nauru International Airport
Nauru International Airport
Nauru International Airport is the sole airport on the island of the Republic of Nauru. The airport's former ICAO code was ANAU.- Location, designation and future :...
. In order to built it, they brought Japanese and Korean as well as 300 Nauruans and Gilbertans which were forced to work for the occupants. The creation of the airstrip on the narrow coast belt led to the expulsion of many natives from the districts of Boe
Boe
- Abbreviations, acronyms or initialisms :* Bank of England, the central bank of the United Kingdom* Barrel of oil equivalent, a unit of energy* Bastards of Evil, a comic book supervillain team* Bill of Exchange* Blades of Exile, a computer role-playing game...
and Yaren
Yaren
Yaren, in earlier times Makwa/Moqua, is a district and constituency of the Pacific nation of Nauru. It is the de facto capital of Nauru.Yaren is located in the south of the island . Its area is 1.5 km², and its population was 1,100 in 2003...
where were located the best lands of the island. The airfield became operational in January 1943. The building of two others airstrips was started in Meneng
Meneng
Meneng is a district located in the Meneng Constituency in the country Nauru.The constituency returns 2 members to the Parliament of Nauru in Yaren.-Noted Features:...
and Anabar
Anabar
Anabar may refer to:* Anabar District, Nauru* Anabar Constituency, Nauru* Anabar River, Russia...
, but never finished.
One of the goals of the Japanese when invading Nauru was the takeover of the strategical phosphate industry. The 29th August 1942, few days after their landing, the occupants brought over 72 employees of the Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha (South Sea Development Company) to assess the condition of the mining infrastructure sabotaged by the Australian before their departure. They could recover some machinery parts and ordered some Chinese to start collecting phosphate. However, in June 1943 the employees left after some frictions with the army. It seems that no shipment of phosphate was loaded during the Japanese occupation.
Nauru was therefore only use as a link in the chain of the Japanese defense line in the central Pacific ocean.
Population movements
British Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
. The Nauruans were therefore a minority on their own island. At the end of the month, other military were brought in Nauru.
The authorities, fearful of starvation in an overpopulated island, and kept under a successful blockade decided to deport the whole Nauruan population. Shortly after the arrival of the last military convoy, the Japanese called together a Nauruan council and made the announcement of the deportation of part of the islanders under the leadership of Timothy Detudamo
Timothy Detudamo
Timothy Detudamo was a Nauruan politician and linguist. He was the father of Buraro Detudamo. He is known as the founder of modern Nauruan society.-Religious and linguistic activities:In his younger years he was a pastor....
. They refused to tell the Nauruans about their destination which increased anxiety among the population. The families selected were the ones who couldn't meet theirs expanses in Nauru. They were told that the island to which they would be sent had an abundance of food. Just before departure, Nakayama, second in the military hierarchy of the island, gave to Timothy Detudamo a letter bearing the seal of the emperor Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
indicating that the Nauruans where under his protection. This document was later used as a safe-conduct by the exiles.
The , 600 Nauruans and 7 Chinese were brought together in the island harbor and taken on board, by night, to avoid Allies attacks, of the freighter Akibasan Maru. The boat set sail the following day for an unknown destination, convoyed by a small military ship and headed to the Truk Islands located 1600 km north-west of Nauru in the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
where the headquarters of the central Pacific Japanese forces was based.
Following this departure, the Japanese committed what is considered as their worst war crime on Nauru, the massacre of the lepers
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. They were living in a leper colony built by the Australians and located in Meneng
Meneng
Meneng is a district located in the Meneng Constituency in the country Nauru.The constituency returns 2 members to the Parliament of Nauru in Yaren.-Noted Features:...
. Before the arrival of the Japanese, they could receive visits from their families, and in in certain instances, their children where living with them. The occupants who where very fearful of contagion isolated them completely as soon as they landed and decided to include their families in the first boat toward Truk. The 12 July 1943, they ordered the 49 lepers to swim toward a dilapidated boat which they towed on open sea and then shelled until it would sink.
The next month, 659 emaciated Banabans were brought in Nauru from their neighboring island, Ocean Island which was also under Japanese occupation. They told the Nauruans about the drought in their land which had become barren because of the Japanese presence, forcing them to eat grass and tree bark for survival.
A new contingent of 1200 soldiers arrived the 6th of August 1943 and the same day, another group of 601 Nauruans, mainly women and children led by the two catholic priests, Alois Kayser
Alois Kayser
Alois Kayser was a German/French Roman Catholic missionary who spent almost 40 years on Nauru and wrote a Nauruan grammar . In 1943 he was deported along with most of the Nauruan population by the Japanese to Micronesia, where he died...
and Pierre Clivaz where sent in exile. Meanwhile there was not yet any news of the whereabouts of the first group. Inboard of the boats bringing the Nauruans to the Truk islands, life conditions were bearable apart from the cramped conditions. For the vast majority of the exiles, it was the first time they would leave their isolated island. Therefore, besides the general anxiety, there was some excitement among the Nauruan youth.
The 11th of September, the boat which would be used to deport the remaining Nauruans, arrived on the coast of the island when suddenly, the Nauruans saw it up in flames, an explosion caused by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
launched by an American submarine. This attack prevented the Japanese from carrying through their plan to send away the whole Nauruan population in order to let onto the island only uprooted populations without specific rights over the land.
1943 was therefore a year during which important movements of population took place. Nauruans left, but they were replaced by a larger number of Japanese and Banabans.
Survival in Autarky
This situation led the inhabitants to look for alternative to their isolation through the development of self-sufficiency. Their main concern was to compensate for the lack of food supplies, especially the rice that was the staple food under the Japanese occupation.
Japanese surrender
Consultations to prepare the surrender of Nauru and neighboring island Ocean Island took place. Australians and New Zealanders highlighted the fact that both islands where critical for their economy and that there was a need to resume phosphate mining as fast as possible. In spite of the fact that the zone was under American command and that it had been planned that US troops would liberate the islands, it was agreed that the Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
would handle the surrender to speed up the return to normalcy. Thus, the surrender had to be accepted on behalf of the commander in chief of the Pacific fleet. The Australian commander twice signed the document, first as the representative of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, second on behalf of the American command.
On 8 September, Australian planes dropped tracts giving notice of the coming of three boats in charge of surrender operations. Only five days later, on 13 September, the frigate arrived offshore, escorted by the frigate and the corvette . Onboard were well-known figures of the colonial administration, including William Bot, the administrator of the local unit of the BPC
British Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
, and Thomas Cude, head of the Nauruan police. Returning with them were five young Nauruan who had spent the war in Australia, where they had been studying when the war started. As the boat approached the islands, the passengers could see the devastation on the island. By means of signals, they agreed with the Japanese to set up the surrender ceremony at 02H00 PM. The Australian commander J. R. Stevenson, accompanied by P. Phipps from the Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
representing the New Zealand government, plus Albert Ellis
Albert Ellis
Albert Ellis was an American psychologist who in 1955 developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy . He held M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University and American Board of Professional Psychology . He also founded and was the president emeritus of the New York...
and Bissett, respectively representative and New Zealand director of the British Phosphate Commission
British Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
, received the surrender of Hisayuki Soeda, commandant of the Nauruan Japanese troops. As a sign of submission, he handed his katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
to Stevenson. The weapon was placed on the center of the table and the instrument of surrender was then read in English and in Japanese. The commandant Hisayuki Soeda bowed in sign of agreement, signed the document and rapidly left the boat, leaving his officers on board so that they could be interrogated.
The following day, a contingent of 500 Australian soldiers landed. They were greeted by a jubilant crowd while the Japanese where confined into their barracks. For the first time since the beginning of the Japanese occupation, the Union Jack was hoisted during a military ceremony that afternoon. The executives of the British Phosphate Commission
British Phosphate Commission
The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...
surveyed the island to discover the extent of the damage caused by the war on the mining infrastructure, and found the phosphate factory totally destroyed. However, they found that the health of the population was much better than could have been expected based on the testimonies of the two Japanese which had fled the island in June 1945.
Between the first and the third of October, the Japanese and Koreans on the island where taken on board allied ships heading for Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands (archipelago)
The Solomon Islands are an archipelago in the South-Western Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia, in the region known as Melanesia. The archipelago is currently divided between two countries; Papua New Guinea, in which they make up the autonomous province of Bougainville; and the Solomon Islands,...
. During the transfer, the former occupants where molested by the Nauruans in charge of the boarding operations. They were also violently attacked with canes by Chinese seeking revenge on their former tormentors. The abusers were harshly pushed back by the Australians.
| Japanese soldiers | Japanese and Korean workers | Pacifics Islanders (Gilbertins, Banabans) | Chinese | Nauruans | total population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2681 | 1054 | 837 | 166 | 591 | 5329 |
| Source : | |||||