The Wake and Marcus raids proceeded much as expected. Marcus offered little opposition or material target value, but its position deep inside Japanese-controlled waters gave the attack psychological weight. It lay about 600 miles from the Bonin Islands, another important position in Japan's defensive geography. American carriers could penetrate waters that Japanese planners expected to control and threaten places assumed to be secure.
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Wake and Marcus raids penetrate Japanese-held waters
The Wake and Marcus operations exposed the reach of American carriers, with Marcus demonstrating the vulnerability of positions deep inside Japanese-controlled waters.