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Appendix I: Documentation and Bibliography

For the convenience of those who may wish to give further study to the role of Marines in defense of Midway, a bibliography of the most important source-material available in the archives of the United States Marine Corps Headquarters, is listed below. In this connection, however, two considerations must be emphasized: First, that this bibliography does not essay to cover the entire Battle of Midway any more than did this narrative, which has confined itself closely to Marine Corps matters; second, that the sources listed below do not entirely exhaust even the Marine Corps field. For example, in addition to the categorical items set forth, Marine Corps Headquarters holds more than a hundred detailed comments (by officers who served at Midway in 1941 and 1942) on this monograph itself; many of these are so highly informative as almost to constitute important original sources in themselves. All of this Midway material, however, subject always to security regulations, is available for study and inspection at this Headquarters, and consists of the following major items:

  1. "The War Reports of General Marshall, General Arnold, and Admiral King," Lippincott, 1947.
  2. "The Battle of Midway," combat narrative prepared by the Office of Naval Intelligence, 13 March 1943.
  3. "The Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway," Office of Naval Intelligence, June 1947.
  4. CO, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, official report to CO, Naval Air Station, Midway, on action of 4-5 June, dated 13 June 1942.
  5. War Diary, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, May 1942.
  6. War Diary, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, June 1942.
  7. Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District, letter to Major General Commandant, with CinCPac endorsement, regarding deficiencies of defensive equipment at Midway, 22 March 1942.
  8. Fourteenth Naval District Intelligence Officer's memorandum report of interview with PAA Capt. J.H. Hamilton, pilot of Philippine Clipper, 8 December 1941.
  9. CG, Marine Garrison Forces, Fourteenth Naval District, letter commending Midway Defense Forces, 17 August 1942.
  10. CinCPac serial 0841 to CNO regarding the movement of the 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, to Pearl Harbor, 28 May 1941.
  11. 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, Special Order 10-1941, regarding movement to Midway, 8 February 1941.
  12. "The Campaigns of the Pacific War," USSBS, 1946.
  13. Pacific Fleet Operation Order 3-41, regarding movement of 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, to Midway, 6 February 1941.
  14. CinCPac serial 0214 to Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District, regarding transfer of 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, to Midway, 7 February 1941.
  15. CinCPac serial 0215 to Commander Base Force, Pacific Fleet, directing the availability of USS Antares for Midway movement, 7 February 1941.
  16. CO, 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, letter to Bureau of Ships requesting purchase of motor sampans for Midway boat-pool, 23 August 1940.
  17. Commandant Fourteenth Naval District serial 310 to CO, 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, directing establishment of Midway Detachment, Fleet Marine Force, 19 July 1940.
  18. Commandant Fourteenth Naval District letter of instructions to Capt. Kenneth W. Benner, 9 July 1940.
  19. Love, Julian, Lt. Comdr. (MC) USN, medical and sanitary survey of Midway, 21 July 1940.
  20. Commandant Fourteenth Naval District letter of instructions to Capt. Samuel G. Taxis, 31 May 1940.
  21. Notes compiled from enemy interviews, dates unknown.
  22. CO, 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, memorandum to Commandant Fourteenth Naval District, recommending advance reconnaissance of Midway, 23 May 1940.
  23. CinCPac Mailgram, 7 October 1941.
  24. CinCPac serial 0496 to CNO regarding establishment of permanent Marine defense force at Midway, 3 April 1941.
  25. CNO serial 047412 to CinCPac disapproving reduction of Midway garrison, 6 May 1941.
  26. Fourteenth Naval District Operation Plan 2-41, 4 April 1941.
  27. CNO serial 0638 to CinCPac, directing establishment of entire 3d Defense Battalion, FMF, on Midway, 17 January 1941.
  28. Muster Rolls, United States Marine Corps.
  29. CinCPac serial 0130W to Commander South Pacific Force, regarding lessons learned at Battle of Midway, 20 June 1942.
  30. CO Naval Air Station, Midway, paraphrased despatch regarding battle-damage, Midway 9 December 1941.


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  31. CinCPac serial 01849, to ComInch, action report on the Battle of Midway.
  32. "History of Marine Fighting Squadron Two Twenty One," undated, author not given (but see footnote 4, p. 17)
  33. War Diary, Marine Air Group 22, May 1942.
  34. CO, VMF-221, letter-report of submarine contact, 11 February 1942.
  35. CO, Marine Air Group 21, serial 1173 to the Major General Commandant regarding flight of VMSB-231 from Ewa to Midway, 19 December 1941.
  36. Larkin, Claude A., Col., letter to CinCPac regarding record of MAG-21, 5 April 1943.
  37. Wallace, William J., Lt. Col., personal letter to Col. Claude A. Larkin, 18 January 1942.
  38. Bayler, Walter L.J., Maj., undated memorandum relative to communication installations, Eastern Island air-field, Midway (probably January 1942).
  39. Larkin, Claude A., Col., personal letter to unknown addressee, regarding status of MAG-21, 18 December 1941.
  40. "Report on Need of Additional Naval Bases to Defend the Coasts of the United States, Its Territories and Possessions," House Document No. 65, 76th Congress, 1st Session 27 December 1938 (so-called Hepburn Report).
  41. USSBS Interrogation Nav-13, Capt. Watanabe, Y., IJN, 15 October 1945.
  42. USSBS Interrogation Nav-60, Capt. Toyama, Yasumi, IJN, 1 November 1945.
  43. "Japanese Naval and Merchant Ship Losses During World War II By All Causes," Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANEC), Nav-EXOS P-468, February 1947.
  44. CO, Marine Forces Fourteenth Naval District, serial 09 to Major General Commandant, on reorganization of defense forces Fourteenth Naval District, 5 January 1942.
  45. Pickett, Harry K., Col., report to the Major General Commandant on plans for defense of Midway, 14 October 1939.
  46. Major General Commandant serial 434941-2 to Brig. Gen. Charles F.B. Price, regarding inspection of Pacific units, 12 September 1941.
  47. Pfeiffer, Omar T., Col., undated memorandum (February 1942) regarding status of Marine Forces Fourteenth Naval District.
  48. "Sailing Directions for the Pacific Islands, Volume II," H.O. No. 165, U.S. Hydrographic Office.
  49. CNO serial 0470412 to CinCPac regarding garrisons on Wake and Midway, 23 June 1941.
  50. "Midway--The North Pacific's Tiny Pet," Homer C. Votaw, United States Naval Institute Proceedings, pp. 1606-07.
  51. CO, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, letter to Commandant Fourteenth Naval District, reporting enemy submarine bombardment, 25 January 1942.
  52. CO, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, letter to CG Marine Forces Fourteenth Naval District, reporting enemy submarine bombardment, 8 February 1942.
  53. Commanding Officer, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, letter to CG, Marine Forces, Fourteenth Naval District, reporting enemy submarine bombardment, 10 February 1942.
  54. McGlashan, Robert C., Lt. Col., official reply in two parts to Historical Section questionnaire, 12 August 1947.
  55. CO, VMF-221 letter to CO, MAG-22, report of action at Midway, 6 June 1942.
  56. CO, VMSB-241 report of combat, 7 June 1942.
  57. CO, MAG-21, serial 0111, report of enemy action, Midway, 10 June 1942.
  58. JICPOA Report, "Japanese Land Forces No. 2," 20 October 1942.
  59. CO, MAG-22, preliminary report on battle of Midway, 8 June 1942.
  60. CO, 6th Defense Battalion, FMF, report to CG, Marine Forces Fourteenth Naval District, 10 June 1942.
  61. USSBS Interrogation Nav-4, Capt. Aoki, Taijiro, IJN, 9 October 1945.
  62. USSBS Interrogation Nav-33, Lt. Comdr. Tokuno, Horishi, IJN, 25 October 1945.
  63. USSBS Interrogation Nav-2, Capt. Kawaguchi, Susumu, IJN, 10 October 1945.
  64. CG, Marine Forces Fourteenth Naval District, Memorandum to Commandant Fourteenth Naval District, regarding additional forces for Midway, 20 May 1942.
  65. USSBS Interrogation Nav-38, RAdm Soji, Akira, IJN, 13-14 November 1945.
  66. USSBS Interrogation Nav-108, Comdr. Fujimori, Yasuo, IJN, 23 November 1945.
  67. Historical Section Interview with Lt. Col. Custis Burton, Jr., regarding reinforcement of Midway, 25 September 1947.
  68. Ship's log, USS Lexington, December 1941.
  69. CinCPac serial 02276 to ComInch, supplementary report on the battle of Midway, 25 July 1942.
  70. Cable Station Diary, Midway, Commercial Cable Co.
  71. CNO serial 397 to Commandant Fourteenth Naval District regarding establishment of Marines at Midway, 20 December 1939.
  72. Annual Report to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1904.
  73. Taxis, Samuel G., Lt. Col., official reply to Historical Section questionnaire regarding early development of Midway, 18 August 1947.
  74. War Diary, Naval Air Station, Midway.
  75. Nimitz, Chester W., Admiral, USN, memorandum to Capt. Milo F. Draemel, USN, regarding defense plans for Midway, 23 May 1942.
  76. Davis, Arthur C., Capt. USN, memorandum to CinCPac, regarding defense plans for Midway, 26 May 1942.
  77. Nimitz, Chester W., Admiral, USN, undated memorandum (May 1942) to Capt. Arthur C. Davis, USN, regarding employment of aircraft based on Midway.

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