First Bombardment of Midway

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First Bombardment of Midway
Part of the Pacific War World War II
Midway Atoll on November 24, 1941.
Date December 7, 1941 Location Sand Island, Midway Atoll, Hawaiian Archipelago, Pacific Ocean Result Midway bombarded; IJN destroyers retire.
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Lieutenant Colonel Harold D. Shannon First Lieutenant George H. Cannon †	Captain Ohishi Kaname
Strength
Land: unknown marines, unknown sailors, unknown shore batteries Air: unknown aircraft	2 destroyers
Casualties and losses
4 killed, 10 wounded, 1 aircraft destroyed, Midway base damaged	1 destroyer damaged; light casualties

The First Bombardment of Midway, or the First Bombardment of Sand Island, or Attack on Midway, was a small land and sea engagement of World War II. It occurred on the very first day of the Pacific War, 7 December 1941, not long after the major attack on Pearl Harbor. Two Imperial Japanese destroyers bombarded Sand Island of Midway Atoll. The Japanese successfully damaged the U.S. Marine base before being engaged by American shore batteries and forced to flee.