Wake Island's improvised Marine air defence

Carrier reinforcement missions had moved Marine aircraft away from Ewa before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Twelve F4F-3 Wildcats of VMF-211 had reached Wake from Enterprise on 4 December, but their pilots had only recently converted from F3Fs. Many ground personnel were ordnance men drafted from a scout-bomber squadron, while the mechanics waiting in Hawaii could no longer reach the island. Wake's narrow runway allowed only single-aircraft takeoffs, fuel had to be pumped by hand, and the absence of radar required continuous scouting patrols. Japanese bombers approached through rain and destroyed seven Wildcats on the ground, with another put out of action while taxiing. The remaining fighters intercepted later attacks, claiming early Marine air victories on 9 and 10 December. Shortages of aircraft, trained personnel, and support equipment left the garrison dependent on reinforcements that had yet to arrive.