Shelling of Johnston and Palmyra Atoll | |||||||
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Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() | Unknown | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
1st Defense Battalion Various U.S. Navy forces Civilian contractors | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Marine 5-inch coastal guns |
Multiple submarines Possible surface vessels | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 Marine wounded Damaged military installations | Possible damage to Japanese ships |
Johnston and Palmyra are two atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Johnston was claimed for the US in 1858 and Palmyra in 1859 under the Guano Islands Act. Following the 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese navy forces attacked Allied possessions across the Pacific, including Johnston and Palmyra.