| Original caption: “Damaged Japanese Navy Type Eighty-Nine five-inch (127 millimeter) / forty-caliber twin dual-purpose gun mount on Mille (Mili), at the time of the island’s surrender in late August 1945. Mille, the target of eighteen months of ceaseless bombing by United States Marine Corps aircraft, was the first Japanese Pacific island to surrender at the end of World War II. Photographed by R.O. Kepler, United States Marine Corps.” The Japanese occupied Mille Atoll in the Caroline Islands in January 1942. Enslaved Korean and Marshallese laborers built a radar station, a radio-direction finding station, a weather station, and an airfield. The garrison consisted of 1,200 officers and men of the Imperial Japanese Navy 66th Guard Detachment, under Captain Masanari Shiga (???? – August 29, 1945) and 1,200 men of the 4th Establish Department Detachment; and 740 officers and men of the 1st South Seas Detachment and 1,500 officers and men of the 107th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army. There were few concrete structures, but the island had 4 Type 94-inch dual-purpose guns, as well as 12-centimeter mortars, 35 heavy anti-aircraft artillery, 70 light anti-aircraft artillery, and scores of machine gun positions. The island’s 1 radar had a range of 50 miles, giving 10 minutes’ warning of any inbound enemy aircraft. The Japanese were clearly expecting a seaborne invasion, but lacked the manpower and resources to build up defenses of the kind found on Betio, Tarawa Atoll, or Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands. Mille was 1st bombed on February 1, 1942, by United States Navy Vice Admiral William F. “Bull”” Halsey Jr.’s (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) Task Force 8 centered around the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) and Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher’s (April 29, 1885 – April 25, 1973) Task Force 17, centered around the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5). Bombing was paused until November 6, 1943, when the 7th Air Force sent 9 Consolidated B-24 Liberators to attack Mille. This marked the start of regular bombing of the atoll. Suppressing Mille’s airfield during the Tarawa and Gilberts operation, the atoll was hit 6 times, every few days, through November 1943. In December, Mille was attacked and bombed 15 times by the 7th Air Force. By January, missions to Mille are flying from Tarawa; on January 29, 1944, B-24s maintain day and night attacks (both multiple-plane missions and single-plane attacks at intervals) against Mille. Also, 12 Bell P-39 Airacobras, operating in flights of 4 aircraft, patrol and strafe Mille all day to deny the Japanese use of Mille Airfield. This is just 1 of 21 missions against Mille in January 1944. In February, March, and April 1944, the 7th Air Force mounted over 50 missions against Mille by light, medium, and heavy bombers. Fighters strafe the airfield, anti-aircraft guns, the radio station, and destroy the storage facilities. On March 18, 1944, United States Navy Task Group 50.10 under Rear Admiral Willis A. “Ching” Lee Jr. (May 11, 1888 – August 25, 1945) built around USS Iowa (BB-61) and USS New Jersey (BB-62) bombarded Mille while carrier aircraft struck targets as well. The next day, carrier aircraft from USS Lexington (CV-16) struck Milli again. By late 1943, supply lines to Mille were cut off, and the Japanese garrison was left to starve. Casualties occurred from air raids, diseases, accidents, and suicides, but mainly from starvation. The bombings destroyed most of the atoll’s defenses and much of the Japanese supplies and installations. Only half of the garrison survived. Following the Empire of Japan’s acceptance of Allied terms, the 1st overseas Japanese post to surrender was that at Mille Atoll. Its surrender took place on August 22 on board the escort ship USS Levy (DE-162), which later hosted such ceremonies at Jaluit and Wake. The United States flag was formally raised over Mille on August 28, and most of the Japanese there began their trip home to Japan the following day. Imperial Japanese Navy Captain Masanori Shiga signed for the entire garrison, surrendering to Captain Harold B. Grow (July 5, 1891 – January 25, 1981) aboard USS Levy (DE-162). There are 7-inch Type 89 guns still in place on Mille; ammunition is still around the guns, making them unsafe to approach. Photographer United States Marine Corps Sergeant Raymond O. Kepler (August 22, 1918 – December 14, 1978) was not only present at the surrender on Mille, but also at the surrender of Wake Atoll on September 4, 1945. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1980.jpg |
| Image Size | 87.07 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 700 x 500 |
| Photographer | Raymond O. Kepler |
| Photographer Title | United States Marine Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 30, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Mille Atoll |
| Country | Marshalls |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | USMC 134057 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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