Those two subjects would be great...I was always saddened by the accounts from Wake Island. Must have been tough realizing no relief was going to come, and then, the vicious treatment by the Japanese.
The tale of the Stephen Hopkins is another tale that should be in every history book - and would make a stunning movie: the Hopkins was on its way to South America from Africa, went through a rough storm - and when the fog bank it was in lifted, they saw two German ships very close by. Both sides were stunned and the Germans signaled them to heave to and surrender, but the captain of the Hopkins refused and pointed his stern at the Germans, which enabled his Naval Reserve gun crew on a 4 inch gun to open fire. One 4 inch against at least four 6-inch guns, four torpedo tubes, and 37mm and 20mm cannons on the Steier. The Americans hit very effectively but the entire navy gun crew was killed - and the ordinary merchant sailors of the Hopkins took over and kept hitting - all while the Germans kept hitting the Hopkins. The Hopkins sank, leaving 16 men left alive to make their way to Brazil, some 30 days in a lifeboat - but the Steier was mortally wounded and then scuttled by the Germans. It was only Liberty ship ever to sink an enemy combatant.
Like I said, a hell of a movie!