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| Location Gagil-Tamil Island in the Yap Island Group (Yap Islands) surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Also known as simply Gagil Island or Tamil Island. Borders Yap Island (Yappu) to the west and southwest. To the north is Maap Island and beyond Rumung Island. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in the Caroline Islands. Today located in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Prewar Germany administered the Caroline Islands after the Spanish-American War. During World War I during 1914, British warships shelled the German plantation owner's radio station. On October 7, 1914, a Japanese Expeditionary Squadron landed on Yap and occupied the island. Afterwards, a secret treaty agreement between Japan and Britain guaranteed Japanese control over all Pacific islands north of the Equator was incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. By 1920, Japanese settlement began on Yap. After Japan withdrew from the League of Nations on March 27, 1933, Yap was fortified as a military base. During the Japanese occupation, Yapese natives were forced to work in labor gangs at nickel, bauxite and phosphate mines on the island. Occupied by the Japanese until the garrison surrendered on September 5, 1945. On August 16, 1944 during the night, USS Burrfish (SS-312) surfaced and five frogmen deployed a rubber boat and paddle towards the coast of Yap. The frogmen swam onto the reef and back and determined that discolored patches visible in aerial photography were only sea grass and would not imped landing craft if the location was used as a landing site. On August 18, 1944 during the night, USS Burrfish (SS-312) surfaced two miles off eastern Yap and five frogmen deployed a rubber boat and paddle within a quarter mile of shore and found a fringing reef just below the surface and anchored leaving Chief John Ball aboard while the other four swam ashore Fifteen minutes later, Black brought Carpenter back to the boat due to fatigue then rejoined MacMahon and Roeder. The three frogmen were never seen again. This was the only mission where frogmen were lost and their remains never recovered. In fact, while hiding ashore all three were captured by the Japanese on August 20, 1944 and became Prisoners Of War (POW) and were taken to Palau and executed. Japanese Lighthouse at Dalaap (Dalaap) This Lighthouse was built by the Japanese on at hilltop at Dalaap (Dalaap) inland from the eastern coast of Gagil-Tamil Island for navigation. During the Pacific War, used as a landmark by American bombers and fighters and frequently targeted. During 1944, the lighthouse was toppled by the Japanese using dynamite. References Micronesian Diary by Dr. Felicia R. Beardsley - Yap State, FSM - April 1999 (photos) MissingAircrew - Toppled Japanese Lighthouse at Dalap, Yap Island (photos) Contribute
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