Japanese occupation of German colonial possessions

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Japanese occupation of German colonial possessions" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Japanese occupation of German colonial possessions
Part of the Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I
Japanese Warships traveling the ocean.
Date 29 September – 21 October 1914 Location German New Guinea, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau Islands, Caroline Islands Result Japanese victory Territorial changes Japanese occupation of Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau Islands, Caroline Islands
Belligerents
Japan	German Empire  German New Guinea
Commanders and leaders
Matsumura Tatsuo Yamaya Tanin	Albert Hahl
Strength
2 Naval detachments "Nankenshitai"	German colonial officers with only small police forces of local Pacific islanders defending.

Japan joined World War I in order to acquire Pacific colonies.^[1] During October 1914, the Japanese sent vessels to occupy German colonies in the Mariana, Marshall, Palau and Caroline Islands.^[2] These islands were later used for strategic advantage in World War II.