Nauru in World War II

Map of phosphorite mining in Nauru

Mining on the island began in 1906, at a time when the island was part of the German colonial empire . The raw materials extracted here were one of the highest quality in the world and were used for the production of fertilizers, which made the island’s deposits important for agriculture in Australia and New Zealand . As a result of World War I, Nauru, which was formerly part of German New Guinea , became the mandated territory of the League of Nations under Australia's control on December 17, 1920 (formally with Great Britain and New Zealand ) ^[2] . British Phosphate Commission together with the Australian authorities and Christian missionaries, she adhered to the paternalistic principles of local government. Those, in turn, preferred to engage in traditional crafts; phosphorite mining did not attract them. Instead of using local labor, the company brought to the island disenfranchised employees, mainly Chinese and Aboriginal people from other Pacific islands.

The islanders depended on the Australian economy, as goods were imported to the island from there. Beginning in 1920, Nauruans began to receive wages for phosphorite mining work, which covered their needs, but was underestimated in comparison with the real cost of such labor ^[2] . The local population suffered from diseases introduced by Europeans, but already on October 26, 1932 the number of indigenous Nauruans reached 1.5 thousand people (as it was then believed - the minimum number necessary for the physical survival of the nation). To this day, Nauruans celebrate this date as Angama Day .

Despite the importance of Nauru to Australia and New Zealand, the island was not militarily defended, as the terms of the League of Nations mandate prohibited the Australian authorities from erecting coastal defenses. The geographically isolated island was not covered by the Australian fleet and was outside the patrol zone of military aircraft. However, prior to the outbreak of war in the Pacific theater of operations, Nauru was believed to be in no danger. ^[3]

Japan gained control over a large mandated territory in the South Pacific , and agricultural development over the Japanese-ruled islands was supported by fertilizers produced from raw materials mined on Nauru ^[4] .

German attacks of Nauru

World War II affected Nauru in 1940. At this time, two German auxiliary cruisers disguised as cargo ships set sail for the island. Their goal was to upset the supply of phosphorites. " Orion " , " Comets " and the supply ship " Kumerland " Were sent here with the goal of destroying the transport infrastructure. Due to bad weather, they were unable to land on the island, but they managed to flood several merchant ships. On December 27, “Komet” approached the island, and, despite the fact that the landing did not take place, upset the mining work and disappeared unscathed. The administrator of the island and its defense commander was Frederick Royden Chalmers , former colonel of the Australian army and a participant in World War I ^[6] .

Japan's declaration of war

For the Japanese, the island was important for two reasons: firstly, they were interested in capturing the island’s rich phosphate deposits, and secondly, the island could become a base for airplanes attacking the Gilbert Islands and sea ​​convoys between Australia and the USA ^[7] .

On December 8 (in Hawaii and in the USA it was still December 7) 1941, Japanese troops attacked Dutch, Australian, American and British bases in the Pacific Ocean . On the same day, a Japanese observation aircraft was spotted over Nauru ^[8] . The first attack took place on December 9: three Japanese aircraft taking off from an air base on the Marshall Islands bombed the island’s communications building ^[9] , but to no avail ^[7] . Observers from Banaba Island warned the Nauruans about the attack, and the latter managed to take refuge before it began ^[7] . The next day, one plane made a new attack on the communications building. Two days later, aviation finally destroyed the target ^[7] . During these three days, 51 bombs were dropped on the station. The island's governor, Frederick Chalmers, sent a message to Canberra that the mining equipment was not damaged, as it is obvious that the Japanese command intends to seize the island to gain access to the field. Without communication, the island was cut off from the world. The Trienza ship , which was sailing to Nauru, was recalled. Until the end of February 1942, Japanese planes flying over the island were monitored ^[7] .

In other parts of the Pacific, Japanese forces have already advanced. At the beginning of 1941, the Gilbert Islands located southeast of Nauru were occupied, the port of Rabaul located southwest of the island was captured . The island of Nauru was isolated. The bombing of Darwin showed that the Japanese Empire was aimed at capturing Australia, which became a cause of concern for the Nauruans ^[7] .

Evacuation

After Britain entered the war with Japan, the leadership of the British Phosphate Commission called on the Australian government to assist in the evacuation of company employees ^[7] . The authorities were in no hurry to evacuate, as they considered it unlikely that Japan would invade Nauru: there was no landing strip or port on the island that would allow large ships to land ashore. Authorities also feared that Australia's prestige in the scientific field would be affected by the evacuation of engineers. The final decision on the evacuation was made at the end of January 1942 ^[7] . It was originally intended to evacuate all the Whites and Chinese. For the mission, the destroyer Triumph was chosen » Free French Naval Forces . He met with the Trienza transport, sheltered in the bay on Malekula , New Hebrides and loaded with 50 tons of cargo. After accepting part of the cargo , Triumphant set off for Nauru at full speed and arrived on the island on February 23. Unloading and boarding people went quickly. Contrary to the original plan, it was decided to take on board only part of the Chinese population due to limited space on the warship ^[7] . On board were taken: 61 white, 391 Chinese and 49 people of the British garrison. 191 Chinese remained on Nauru ^[10] . Seven whites, including Chalmers and two missionaries, chose to stay on the island, since they felt that their duty was to help the islanders. Prior to the evacuation, members of the British Phosphate Research Commission blew up mining equipment ^[11] .

Start of occupation (1942)

Japanese invasion

The Japanese invasion of the islands of Nauru and Banaba took place as part of Operation "RY" . Originally ^{[ specify ] the} operation was planned for May 1942 - after the capture of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the framework of Operation Mo and before the capture of Midway Atoll as part of Operation Mi.

The first landing attempt on the island was made on May 11. Two mine-layers, two destroyers and a cruiser with a marine corps on board under the command of Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima left Rabaul. On the way to Nauru, the group was attacked by the American submarine S-42 that sank the Okinoshima trap . After the aircraft carriers Hornet and Enterprise were discovered approaching Nauru, the operation was stopped.

On August 26, Japanese troops left the Truk Islands, and after 3-4 days, the 43rd Guards ^{[ specify ]} landed on Nauru, not meeting resistance, and established an occupation regime. On September 17, the 5th Special Base Army Group joined him. By November 1942, there were 11 officers and 249 Japanese soldiers on the island ^[1] . On March 7, 1943, Captain Takenau Takenouti took command of the garrison, but due to his illness, he was bedridden throughout his control of the garrison, and in fact the troops were commanded by Lieutenant Hiromi Nakayama, who led the first landing operation. Arriving on July 13, Captain Hisayuki Soeda assumed command of the garrison and retained it until the end of World War II ^[12] .

Five Australians who decided to stay on the island (Lt. Col. F. R. Chalmers, Dr. B. H. Quinn, Medical Assistant V. Sh. Shug, and Engineer F. Harmer and Inspector W. H. Dole, Working for the Phosphorite Mining Company ) were placed under guard in a house located near a local hospital. Two missionaries, Father Alois Kaiser and Father Pierre Klivaz, were allowed to continue their religious work indefinitely ^[12] .

New Order

Timothy Detudamo was appointed chief of the islanders . Under the threat of reprisal, the Nauruans were ordered to obey him ^[13] . During the occupation, he obeyed the orders of the Japanese command ^[14] .

The Japanese requisitioned several houses left by their residents after the eviction, as well as all vehicles owned by the Nauruans. They established a food distribution system according to which Japanese workers and Nauruans were entitled to 900 grams of rice and 45 grams of beef per day. The Chinese received less food. All men were obliged to work for the Japanese, and together with Korean and Japanese workers were immediately sent to work - the construction of the runway. Construction took place at a rapid pace, and forced workers were subjected to corporal punishment if they could not work as fast as required ^[14] .

Japanese rule in Nauru was not as tough as in other occupied territories ^[15] . Propaganda, educational programs and entertainment, the invaders tried to attract the islanders to their side ^[14] . They opened a Japanese school on the island ^[15] and invited performers of traditional Nauruan dances to their holidays, which brought the islanders extra income ^[14] . The invaders preferred not to interfere in the work of two European priests, who had great influence among the population ^[16] and allowed religious services. The military also left some employees of the previous administration at their posts. However, the Japanese were especially severe with the Chinese, who were at the bottom of the racial hierarchy in the perception of the Japanese. The Chinese were more and more severely subjected to corporal punishment ^[13] .

Military construction

The organization of the defense of the island was the first task of the occupying forces. The Japanese deployed 152 mm artillery positions along the coast, and 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns were installed on the ridge of Command Ridge . Bunkers were built on the beaches, bunkers and an underground hospital were created in the depths of the island. Construction of the runway was underway, which involved the efforts of 1,500 Japanese and Korean workers, as well as local residents, the population from the Gilbert Islands and from China. The airfield was commissioned in January 1943. Due to the construction, many islanders living in the Yaren and Boeh districts, the most comfortable for living, were evicted ^[7] . The construction of airfields in Meneng and Anabar counties also began, but it was not completed.

One of the goals of the Japanese invasion was to capture phosphorite deposits. A few days after their landing, the invaders attracted 72 employees of the company Nanyo Kokhatsu to assess the condition of equipment blown up by Australians before evacuation ^[17] . The Japanese restored some of the equipment and forced the Chinese to begin mining. In June 1943, Japanese engineers left the island due to disagreements with the military. Apparently, not a single batch of raw materials was sent during the Japanese occupation ^[17] .

Therefore, the island was used as an outpost of Japanese defense ^[18] .

1943-1944

American Offensive

By the time the attack on Nauru was carried out, the Japanese offensive in the Pacific was stopped: the Japanese army was exhausted by battles in the Coral Sea , over the Gulf of Milne and atoll Midway ^[19] . When in 1943 the Americans landed on the Marshall Islands and on the Gilbert Islands located in the immediate vicinity of Nauru, the garrison of the island began to strengthen the defense, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to refrain from landing on the island. Historian Samuel Elliot Morison wrote ^[20] :

It was unreasonable to leave the island with an airfield located 380 miles from Tarawa to the enemy. The more Nauru was explored, the less popular was the idea of ​​attacking the island. Nauru - a continuous island without a harbor or lagoon, in the shape of a hat, with a narrow coastal strip; here the enemy deployed his airfield and coastal artillery. The hilly terrain was replete with underground cavities and caves, as well as quarries where phosphorites were mined - a favorite defense area for the Japanese

Original text

it seemed unwise to leave an island with an airfield only 380 miles from Tarawa in enemy hands. But, the more Nauru was studied, the less anyone liked the idea of ​​assaulting it. For Nauru is a solid island with no harbor or lagoon, shaped like a hat with a narrow brim of coastal plain where the enemy had built his airfield, and a crown where he had mounted coast defense artillery. The hilly interior was full of holes and caves where phosphate rock had been excavated - just the sort of terrain that the Japanese liked for defensive operations.

Despite the fact that the landing was delayed, the island was bombarded from the air. It was becoming increasingly difficult to supply the advancing American forces. From mid-November 1943, Americans bombed Nauru for six weeks. The main objective was the airfield. From December 1943 to January 1945, air raids occurred almost daily ^[21] .

Execution of the Australians

On March 25, 1943, 15 US Air Force bombers bombed an airfield and destroyed eight Japanese bombers and seven fighter jets. After this attack, five Australians imprisoned on the island were executed by the Japanese ^[12] .

In May 1946, a trial was held in Rabaul of the Japanese lieutenant Hiromi Nakayama, he was sentenced to death for participating in the execution of Australians in Nauru, he was hanged on August 10, 1946 ^[12] .

Deportation

The Japanese garrison of Nauru was quite numerous for such a relatively small island. In June 1943, there were 5187 people on the island (2000 more than in 1940), of which: 1388 Japanese troops (ethnic Japanese and Koreans), about 400 civilians who came from various islands of the Pacific Ocean, and 1848 indigenous Nauruans ^[17] . At the end of June 1943, another 1,000 soldiers arrived on the island ^[17] .

The Japanese occupation authorities, fearing hunger on an isolated island, decided to deport all the indigenous Nauruans from the island. After the last supply ships left the island, the Japanese convened a meeting and announced that they were going to deport the indigenous people from the island. The Nauruans were not informed of their destination (they were only informed that there was a lot of food on the island where they would be sent ^[17] ), which increased concern among the population. Shortly before his departure, Nakayama handed Detudamo a letter with the seal of Emperor Hirohito , in which it was reported that the indigenous population was under his protection. Later, the Japanese used this document to protect themselves from liability ^[22] .

On the night of June 29, 1943, 600 Nauruans and 7 Chinese ^[17] were boarded the Akibasan Maru ship, which the next day sailed from the island accompanied by a small warship ^[22] and headed to the base of Japanese troops on the Truk Islands ^[17] .

After that, the Japanese committed what is considered a war crime during the occupation of Nauru: they killed 39 lepers living in a colony in the northeast of the island. Patients had the opportunity to visit their families ^[22] . The Japanese, fearing infection, immediately isolated the patients after landing, and after sending the families of patients to Truk, drove the lepers onto a fishing vessel that was towed from the island, and then began to shell this vessel from a 50-mm gun and 7.7-mm machine gun. Those on board the ship died, and the ship itself rolled over and sank. Lieutenant Nakayama, who actually ordered the killing of the sick, later reported to the commander of the garrison Soed that the lepers died as a result of the typhoon during their departure to Jaluit ^{[12] [17] [22]} .

The following month, 659 people arrived on Nauru from Banaba Island , occupied by the Japanese ^[17] .

On August 6, 1943, 1.2 thousand Japanese soldiers arrived on the island ^[22] , on the same day 601 Nauruans (mostly women and children, led by Catholic priests Alois Kaiser and Pierre Klivaz) were expelled from the island ^[22] .

On September 11, the ship on which the last remaining Nauruans were supposed to be deported from Nauru was sunk by an American submarine. This prevented the Japanese plan from expelling the native islanders from Nauru, leaving only the non-native population on the island who did not have rights to the island’s land ^[22] .

In 1943, there were 1,200 Nauruans on the island ^[23] , but they were in a minority compared with the Japanese and Banabans living there ^[17] .

Isolation

The occupied island was at the end of the supply routes linking the Pacific islands with Japan. The American advancement and activity of submarines made supply more and more difficult ^[24] . In September 1943, a 6000-ton cargo ship loaded with supplies for the Japanese garrison sank near the island ^[24] . In addition, a severe drought began on the island. In early January 1944, only two Japanese supply ships approached Nauru. The last food vessels arrived in Nauru in September 1944. ^[21]

The situation on the island forced its inhabitants to seek an alternative to overseas goods. The main task was to overcome the shortage of food, especially rice, the product of consumption of the Japanese ^{[24] [25]} .

One way to get food was by farming. Soon, the entire free space of the island was seeded with corn, pumpkin, eggplant and potatoes ^[26] . In order to increase agricultural productivity, the crops were fertilized with “ night gold ” ^[25] , which the Chinese workers collected from the population ^[26] . This method turned out to be effective due to the tropical climate of the island, but as a result of it dysentery began to spread, with several people becoming a victim. Plantations attracted many flies and created an unbearable smell ^[26] . Palm wine made by fermentation from coconut juice was a valuable food supplement, and sometimes the only food ^[27] . All palm trees were inventoried and distributed among the population: three for the Japanese, two for the islanders, and one for the Chinese. Palm juice was used so often that palm trees no longer had the nutrients to grow coconuts ^[27] . Having learned that the fruits of the rubber tree are edible, the Japanese forbade the inhabitants of the island to collect them and began to consume them themselves ^[27] .

As a way of survival, the islanders increasingly began to use fishing, hunting and gathering. Men hunted for black nods , and women gathered seafood on the reef ^[27] . Ropes were made from coconut fiber, and with their help they built houses and canoes . Pandan leaves were used as tissue ^[24] .

1945

By January 1945, the number of air attacks on Nauru decreased, the front line in the Pacific moved west ^[19] . As a result of the bombing, about 40 Nauruans were killed, many were injured ^[21] . The famine on the island was exacerbated by diseases spreading due to unsanitary conditions. However, the living conditions of Nauru Nauru were significantly better than the islanders deported to Truk.

The islanders deported from Nauru were sent to the islands of Tariq , Tol and Fefan and other islands of the Truk archipelago ^[21] . Like Nauru, they worked for the Japanese and faced food shortages. The Truk Islands were also bombed and cut off from supply routes. Despite all the efforts of Timothy Deludamo, Kaiser’s father, Klivaz’s father and others, living conditions deteriorated due to lack of medical facilities and staff, and the islanders were considered powerless. Local residents were reluctant to share food, and the Japanese treated them worse than their relatives in Nauru. The islanders were sent to forced labor to build defense and grow food for Japanese soldiers.

Even after the announcement of surrender in Japan on August 15, 1945, people from Nauru had no choice but to continue working for the Japanese for several weeks. While Detudamo was asking the Allies for help, the Nauruans continued to die from malnutrition and starvation. About 6 islanders died in 6 months ^[12] .

In January 1946, the deported islanders were returned to Nauru on the Trienza ship. Of the 1,200 people deported in 1943, less than 800 remained.

While the war in the Pacific was drawing to a close, the allies had not yet agreed on who should accept the surrender of the Japanese to Nauru and the neighboring island of Banaba ^[28] . Both islands were in the area of ​​responsibility of the United States, and earlier it was decided that the islands would free American troops; however, Australians and New Zealanders emphasized the fact that both islands are important for their economies and that phosphate rock production should be resumed as soon as possible ^[28] . Thus, it was decided that this task would fall on the Royal Australian Navy , while the Australian commander would twice sign a document on the surrender of the garrison: first as a representative of the United Kingdom , and then on behalf of the American commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet ^[28] .

On September 8, Australian planes dropped leaflets informing them of the arrival of three ships with diplomats to monitor the surrender procedure ^[29] . Five days later, on September 13, Australian ships arrived at the island: the frigate “ Diamantina ” "And the frigate" Berdekin "And the corvette" Glenelg " ^[29] . On board were famous figures of the colonial administration, including William Bot, administrator of the local branch of the British Commission for the production of phosphate rock and Thomas Cud, chief of Nauru police ^[29] . Five young Nauruans returned with them, who fought in Australia, where they were educated ^[29] . When the ship approached the coast, passengers were able to see the damage caused to the island ^[29] . With the help of signals, the Australians agreed with the Japanese to hold a surrender ceremony at 2 pm ^[29] . The Australian commander, Brigadier J.R. Stevenson, accompanied by P. Phipps of the Royal New Zealand Royal Navy and representatives of the British phosphate rock mining commission, accepted the surrender from Hisayuki Soeda, commandant of the Japanese garrison of Nauru. As a sign of submission, he handed over his katana to Stevenson ^[29] . The weapon was placed on the center of the table, after which the surrender document was read in English and Japanese. Soeda bowed in agreement, signed the document, and quickly left the ship, leaving her officers for interrogation ^[29] .

The next day, 500 Australian soldiers landed on the island. A jubilant crowd greeted them, while the Japanese were locked in barracks. That day, during a military ceremony, for the first time in three years, the Union Jack was raised over Nauru ^[29] . The leaders of the British Phosphorite Commission examined the island to determine the extent of military damage to mining infrastructure and found that the phosphorite plant was completely destroyed ^[30] . However, they also noted that the condition of the population was better than expected based on the testimony of two Japanese who left the island in June 1945 ^[29] .

On October 1–3, 3,745 Japanese and Koreans on the island were taken aboard the Allied ships bound for the Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands ^[28] .

After the completion of the Japanese occupation, the island remained with guns and bunkers stationed by the Japanese to defend the island ^[32] . After the war, workers of the British phosphate company, restoring the production of phosphate rock, destroyed the island's fortifications ^[32] .

Nowadays, the Nauru Phosphate Corporation finances the construction of a museum on the island dedicated to Japanese occupation ^[32] .

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