Martin Bender
The Aleutian Island chain extends approximately 1,200 miles west from the Alaskan Peninsula into the northern Pacific Ocean. At the beginning of World War II, America reasoned the sea routes in the northern Pacific to be vulnerable without control of the islands. Additionally, the west coast of the United States would face a very real increased threat of attack by air or even a land invasion if Alaska and the western Canadian provinces were not secure. The Japanese saw occupation of the Aleutians as protection on their northern flank. The Japanese presence in the Aleutian Islands would also cause the Americans to hold back significant combat resources should they be needed for the all-out defense of the west coast.
Simultaneous with his attack on Midway Island in the South Pacific, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto ordered the bombing of U.S. Navy and Army installations at Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island in early June 1942. On June 6 and 7 the Japanese captured Kiska Island and Attu Island, two of the westerly most Aleutian Islands.
To counter the presence of the Japanese on American territorial soil, air operations from Dutch Harbor and other Alaska airfields were immediately initiated. By September 1942, an airstrip was completed on Adak Island within 680 miles of Kiska, significantly cutting the striking distance for the American fighters and bombers.
By March 1943, the U.S. Navy successfully defeated Japan’s ability to resupply Attu and Kiska by surface shipping. The Japanese had to rely on the submarines for their logistical support of the two islands.
An American force of 11,000 landed on Attu on May 11, 1943, and was met by heavy Japanese resistance. Cut off from resupply and without any avenue of retreat and without any hope of seeing reinforcements or rescue, the Japanese commander ordered a suicidal “Bonzai” charge on May 29. In the Attu conflict nearly 2,500 Japanese soldiers died or committed suicide. Only 28 were captured. American losses numbered nearly 1,300 killed in action, as victims of Japanese booby traps, disease, or “friendly fire.” Additionally, more than 1,200 soldiers were casualties of frostbite due to a lack of appropriate cold weather gear.
To avoid seeing the larger Japanese force on Kiska also annihilated, the Japanese Navy sent a 12 ship rescue armada into Kiska Harbor in a dense fog on the afternoon of July 29, 1943. Within 55 minutes all 5,138 Japanese soldiers from Kiska were loaded aboard. Kiska was secretly left unoccupied.
Not fully convinced by intelligence reports that Kiska had been abandoned, a combined American and Canadian landing force of 35,000 came ashore on Kiska unopposed on Aug. 15, 1943. Fearing a trap or ambush, jumpy soldiers scoured the caves and bunkers on the island for eight days. The operation cost 28 lives to “friendly fire” and 4 by Japanese booby traps. On Aug. 17, 71 sailors were lost when the destroyer USS Abner Read hit a floating mine in the harbor.
In August 1943, after 15 months, the World War II Aleutian Campaign was over with the Japanese totally expelled and the islands back in American control.