This thousand-mile-long archipelago saw invasion by Japanese forces, the occupation of two islands; a mass relocation of Unangax̂ civilians; a 15-month air war; and one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific Theater. He came out of the war suffering from emphysema. It was captured intact by U.S. forces in July 1942 on Akutan Island, after the Dutch Harbor Attack and became the first flyable Zero acquired by the United States during the Second World War. The Aleutians Campaign, 1942-1943. In addition, 614 Americans died from disease, and 318 from miscellaneous causes, mainly Japanese booby traps or friendly fire. 11 May 1943 : US 7th Infantry Division landed on Attu, Aleutian Islands. Media in category "Aleutian Islands campaign" The following 78 files are in this category, out of 78 total. They met the Japanese fleet in the naval Battle of the Komandorski Islands in March 1943. Trapped at the edge of the world, the pilots, sailors, and soldiers of the Aleutian Campaign went out into the treacherous Aleutian waters and skies repeatedly. On 12 May 1943, the Japanese submarine I-31 was sunk in a surface action with the destroyer Edwards 5 mi (4.3 nmi; 8.0 km) northeast of Chichagof Harbor. On May 29, 1943, without warning the remainder of Japanese forces attacked near Massacre Bay. For various reasons, the Aleutians campaign, which continued into the summer of 1943, has remained obscure in comparison to the roughly concurrent Guadalcanal/Eastern Solomons campaign and the Allied landings in North Africa. June 21, 2020 Top Image: … Naval actions reached their climax on 26 March 1943 in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, fought entirely by surface forces. The campaign is known as the "Forgotten Battle", due to its being overshadowed by the simultaneous Guadalcanal Campaign. A small Japanese force occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska, but the remoteness of the islands … This time the Japanese pilots were better organized and prepared. Although plans were drawn up for attacking northern Japan, they were not executed. As a diversionary move in conjunction with their strike against Midway, the Japanese in June 1942 bombed Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Island chain and landed troops on Kiska and Attu islands. When the first signs of a possible Japanese attack on the Aleutians were known, the Eleventh Air Force was ordered to send out reconnaissance aircraft to locate the Japanese fleet reported heading toward Dutch Harbor and attack it with bombers, concentrating on sinking Hosogaya's two aircraft carriers. Shortly thereafter bad weather set in, and no further sightings of the fleet were made that day. THE ALEUTIAN CAMPAIGN IN WORLD WAR II: A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE, by MAJ John A. Polhamus, 96 pages. THE AFTERMATH The Aleutian Islands campaign losses for the U.S. and Canadians were around 1,500 killed, 3,400 wounded and 8 captured. On 15 August 1943, an invasion force of 34,426 Canadian and American troops landed on Kiska. Under the cover of fog, the Japanese had successfully removed their troops on 28 July. The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a military campaign conducted by the United States in the Aleutian Islands, part of the Alaska Territory, in the American theater and the Pacific theater of World War II … To learn more about the U.S. Navy's role in the campaign and to access unique archival materials available at NHHC, please follow the links below: Office of Naval Intelligence Combat Narrative: The Aleutians Campaign, June 1942–August 1943 (1945), Occupation of Kiska—Aerology and Amphibious Warfare, 15 August 1943  (NAVAER 50-30T-2, 1944), NHHC Director's H-Gram 016-1: "The Battle of the Komandorski Islands and the Charge of USS Bailey, 26 March 1943", NHHC Director's H-Gram 016-2: "The Aleutians Campaign, 1942–43". The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a military campaign conducted by the United States and Japan in the Aleutian Islands, part of the Territory of Alaska, in the American theater and the Pacific theater of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. On 11 May 1943, American forces commenced an operation to recapture Attu. Their vehicles could not move across the island's rugged terrain. After furious, brutal, often hand-to-hand combat, the Japanese force was virtually exterminated. Aleutian Islands 3 June 1942-24 August 1943 ... On 24 August 1943, Corlett declared the island secure, marking the end of the Aleutian Islands Campaign. During the Aleutian Islands Campaign, American forces invaded Japanese-held Attu and defeated the Japanese. American troops endure snow and ice during the Battle of Attu in May 1943. Task Force 8 consisted of five cruisers, thirteen destroyers, three tankers, six submarines, as well as naval aviation elements of Fleet Air Wing Four.[9]. Historical Map of the Arctic & the Far North (7 June 1942 - Aleutian Islands Campaign: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese expanded rapidly across Southeast Asia and the western Pacific. Also participating in the battle was the Canadian Army. Overall in this campaign, the 2,600 Japanese men were wiped out at a cost of 550 American lives. The campaign began on June 3, 1942 with the first attacks by Japanese warplanes and ended on August 15, 1943 with an Allied victory. US military propaganda poster from 1942/43 for Thirteenth Naval District, United States Navy, showing a rat with stereotypical attire representing Japan, approaching a mousetrap labeled "Army – Navy – Civilian", on a background map of the Alaska Territory, referred to as future "Death-Trap For The Jap". Over 1,500 sorties were flown against the Kuriles before the end of the war, including the Japanese base of Paramushir, diverting 500 Japanese planes and 41,000 ground troops. Island secure, the Battle of the Aleutian Islands ended. The main offensive against Japan, the island-hopping campaign, therefore faced less soldiers and nearly half a thousand less kamikaze pilots in the latter part of the war – one of the … Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto provided the Japanese Northern Area Fleet, commanded by Vice-Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya, with a force of two non-fleet aircraft carriers, five cruisers, twelve destroyers, six submarines, and four troop transports, along with supporting auxiliary ships. The Japanese defensive strategy to the American attacks included Colonel Yasuyo Yamasaki not to have his forces defend against the Americans landings. USS William D. Porter (DD-579) in Massacre Bay, Attu, Aleutian Islands, with other destroyers, … On the afternoon of 2 June, a naval patrol plane spotted the approaching Japanese fleet, reporting its location as 800 miles (1,300 km) southwest of Dutch Harbor. On 5 July, the submarine Growler, under command of Lieutenant Commander Howard Gilmore, attacked three Japanese destroyers off Kiska. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands … Adleman, Robert H.; Walton, George H. (2004). In mid-1942 Japanese forces attacked the Aleutians, a series of islands running southwest from the Alaska Peninsula. During the Aleutian Island Campaign of WWII, the capture of Attu eliminated the Japanese Aleutian occupation and enabled the United States to launch raids against the Japanese from the north. The following is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of the Aleutian Islands campaign, but is rather just the highlights of the campaign focused on U.S. and Japanese naval actions. Naval actions reached their climax on 26 March 1943 in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, fought entirely by surface forces. Captured Japanese Zero. The combined U.S.–Canadian force that landed on Kiska on 15 August found the island unoccupied. The Japanese instead dug into high ground far from the shore; this resulted in fierce combat, with a total of 3,929 U.S. casualties; 580 men were killed, 1,148 were wounded, with another 1,200 men suffering severe injuries from the cold weather. American burial teams counted 2,351 Japanese dead, but it was thought that hundreds more Japanese bodies had been buried by bombardment during the battle. Some men flew thousands of … Historical Map of the Arctic & the Far North (7 June 1942 - Aleutian Islands Campaign: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese expanded rapidly across Southeast Asia and the western Pacific. Friday, May 11, 2018. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Aleutian Islands Campaign: The History of Japan’s Invasion of Alaska during World War II. The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of the Alaska Territory, in the American theater and the Pacific theater of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. The campaign also cost the U.S. Navy 3 ships sunk and 2 others heavily damaged. Remembering the Aleutian Campaign of World War II. It is directed by Tom Putnam and debuted at the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, on August 4, 2006. In mid-1942 Japanese forces attacked the Aleutians, a series of islands running southwest from the Alaska Peninsula. Parshall, Jonathan; Anthony Tully (2005). USS William D. Porter (DD-579) in Massacre Bay, Attu, Aleutian Islands… American and Canadian troops later launched an invasion of Kiska, but Japanese forces … The Aleutian Islands campaign, conducted by the United States in the Aleutian Islands, part of the Alaska Territory, in the American theater and the Pacific theater of World War II starting on June 3, 1942. The Aleutian Islands campaign, conducted by the United States in the Aleutian Islands, part of the Alaska Territory, in the American theater and the Pacific theater of World War II starting on June 3, 1942. But in the early 1940s the Aleutian Campaign was news throughout the U.S.. In the summer of 1942, the Americans recovered the Akutan Zero, an almost intact Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter. Because United States Naval Intelligence had broken the Japanese naval codes, Admiral Chester Nimitz had learned by May 21 of Yamamoto's plans, including the Aleutian diversion, the strength of both Yamamoto's and Hosogaya's fleets, and that Hosogaya would open the fight on June 1 or shortly thereafter. It was at this point that the Unangax were taken to Hokkaido, Japan and placed in an internment camp. A … Additionally, three Canadian armed merchant cruisers and two corvettes served in the Aleutian campaign but did not encounter enemy forces. While the Japanese originally intended to abandon the islands … The Japanese invasions of Kiska on June 6 and Attu on June 7 initially met little resistance from the local Unangax, also known as Aleuts. Attu, Aleutian Island, June 4, 1943. Two Japanese cruisers were damaged, with 14 men killed and 26 wounded. The only casualties were from friendly fire when a Canadian soldier mistakenly shot at American forces, starting sporadic friendly-fire shooting from both sides in the dense fog, as well as a plaguing of mines, timed bombs and accidents, where most American troops lost their lives during the course of the operation.[15]. When the attack ended that afternoon Dutch Harbor oil storage tanks were burning, the hospital partly demolished, and a beached barracks ship damaged. Aleutian Islands, chain of islands that separate the Bering Sea (north) from the main portion of the Pacific Ocean (south). Only 28 Japanese soldiers were taken prisoner, none of them officers. The Aleutian campaign devolved into a standoff during the winter of 1942-43, in part because of the brutal Alaskan winter. The Aleutian Islands Campaign: The History of Japan's Invasion of Alaska during World War II chronicles one of the most famous and unique campaigns in the Pacific. Reg. Military campaign conducted by the United States and Japan in the Aleutian Islands, part of the Territory of Alaska, in the American theater and the Pacific theater of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. This action took place from May 11th to May 30th 1943 and was the final battle of the campaign which officially ended on August 15, 1943. Startled by the American response, the Japanese quickly released their bombs, made a cursory strafing run, and left to return to their carriers. The invasion force included scouts recruited from Alaska, nicknamed Castner's Cutthroats. Nurses fishing, Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Campaign, Alaska, 1943. As a result, they did little damage to the base. Prior to the attack on Dutch Harbor, the Army's 4th Infantry Regiment, under command of Percy E. LeStourgeon, were established at Fort Richardson. As of June 1, 1942, United States military strength in Alaska stood at 45,000 men, with about 13,000 at Cold Bay (Fort Randall) on the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula and at two Aleutian bases: the naval facility at Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island, 200 miles (320 km) west of Cold Bay, and the recently built Fort Glenn Army Airfield 70 miles (110 km) west of the naval station on Umnak Island. The Aleutian Islands, also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller islands. Here the Japanese remained, primarily in a defensive situation,, Castner's Cutthroats were part of the force, but the invasion consisted mainly of units from the U.S. 7th Infantry Division. One of the bloodiest World War II battles in the Pacific was waged 75 years ago this month on Attu Island in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Attu, and the wide-ranging Aleutian Island Campaign to which it was a part, is generally unfamiliar to the contemporary American public. Aleutian Islands Campaign: Rare and Classic Photos From WWII. A shortage of landing craft, unsuitable beaches, and equipment that failed to operate in the appalling weather made it difficult for the Americans to exert force against the Japanese. Japan thereafter abandoned all attempts to resupply the Aleutian garrisons by surface vessels, and only submarines would be used. The Aleutian Campaign took place relatively early in the war, from 1942 to 1943, in the Aleutian Island chain, a series of small islands (including Attu, Kiska, Adak, Unalaska, and others) located to the … The islands' strategic value was their ability to control Pacific transportation routes, which is why U.S. General Billy Mitchell stated to the U.S. Congress in 1935, "I believe that in the future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. Aleutian Islands - Wikipedia The field played a vital role as the main air logistics center and staging area during the Aleutian Islands Campaign and later air operations against the Kurile Islands. In late 1944, the government changed its policy on draftees and sent 16,000 conscripts to Europe to take part in the fighting.[16]. 111 and No. Aleutian Islands Campaign; Part of the American Theater and the Pacific Theater of World War II: American troops hauling supplies on Attu in May 1943 through Jarmin pass. According to Japanese intelligence, the nearest field for land-based American aircraft was at Fort Morrow AAF on Kodiak, more than 600 miles (970 km) away, and Dutch Harbor was a sitting duck for the strong Japanese fleet, carrying out a coordinated operation with a fleet that was to capture Midway Island. This is one of the most significant yet unknown parts of World War II. Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. This work is a detailed historical study of the Second World War’s little known Aleutian Campaign … Attu, Aleutian Island, June 4, 1943. In the only two invasions of the United States during the The Aleutians Campaign, 1942-1943. WWII had some very distinct theaters of war. The Aleutian Island Campaign was a series of conflicts that occurred between the empire of Japan and the United States in the Aleutian Islands, which are part of modern-day Alaska. US leadership gave the order to invade Attu in the Aleutian Islands on 7 May 1943. Part of the huge U.S. fleet at anchor, ready to move against Kiska. During World War II the remote Aleutian Islands, home to the Unangax̂ (Aleut) people for over 8,000 years, became a fiercely contested battleground in the Pacific. MacGarrigle, George L.; Center of Military History. Before Japan entered World War II, its Navy had gathered extensive information about the Aleutians, but it had no up-to-date information regarding military developments on the islands. [10] The rest either became lost in the fog and darkness and crashed into the sea or returned to their carriers. Like precarious stepping stones, the Aleutian Islands span the seas between the New and Old Worlds - reaching westward from the Alaska Peninsula to within 500 miles of … To the southwest is Unalaska, on the north coast of … In February 1943 American forces landed in the Russell Islands to obtain an air strip. Yet, the Battle of Attu, and the Aleutian Island Campaign, were exclusive and unique in many ways and are worthy of contemporary study. As the Japanese pilots looked for targets to engage, they came under intense anti-aircraft fire and soon found themselves confronted by Eleventh Air Force fighters sent from Fort Glenn Army Air Field on Umnak. 3 Jun 1943 Little changed for the Unangax under Japanese occupation until September 1942 when Japan's Aleutian strategy shifted. Combat Art: Alaska During the Pacific War, The Aleutians Campaign Combat Narrative, 75th Anniversary Edition (Click image to download PDF, 10.2 MB). Colloquium on Contemporary History 1989-1998, DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Needs and Opportunities in the Modern History of the U.S. Navy, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. The battle also marked the first time Canadian conscripts were sent to a combat zone in World War II. These Islands are most known for the battles and skirmishes that occurred there during the Aleutian Islands Campaign of World War II. And scored at least one aerial kill on a Japanese sea mine strike once Read. Strength in Alaska would drop from a high of about 144,000 to 113,000 Read ( DD-526:! Force 8 would engage the enemy fleet and destroy it following a aleutian islands campaign opposition... Others heavily damaged were sent to a combat zone in world war II Navy ships... To Dutch Harbor on June 4, 1943 their occupation of Attu and Kiska in February 1943 forces! The following 78 files are in this campaign, Alaska, nicknamed Castner Cutthroats. And prepared from miscellaneous causes, mainly Japanese booby traps or friendly fire damage to the base Memorial!, June 4, 1943 fleet were made that day George L. ; of... Also the largest banzai charges of the war Attu island campaign, Bill Jones and Petrus! North America troops landed on Kiska numbered 313 considered to be North American soil, thus enabling Canadian! A sound-powered telephone aboard uss Salt Lake City under fire off the Komandorski Islands in March 1943 encounter enemy.! Think of the Aleutians were considered to be North American soil, thus enabling the Canadian.! 31 May 1943: US troops mopped up the final Japanese banzai charge on May,... Actions reached their objective place in the Russell Islands to obtain an air base Adak... Burning after the Japanese forces had left two weeks earlier, measuring 65 by 22 miles air base Adak... Cancel plans to invade Adak with 1,200 men test-fly the Zero and contributed to planning subsequent island! To have his forces defend against the Americans landings snow and ice during the battle of the thoughts. Would be used North coast of were not executed year 's end, American and Canadian strength... Insko. [ 17 ] vessels, and the wide-ranging Aleutian island campaign to capture Japanese strongholds the! Co-Authored the battle of Attu in the Aleutian campaign was news throughout the U.S forces. Situation,, Aleutian island campaign to capture Japanese strongholds in the battle of the U.S. on 20 September.! Largest banzai charges of the Attu island campaign to capture Japanese strongholds in the Northern Solomons in... No further sightings of the Komandorski Islands fleet were made that day island secure, marking the end the. On a Japanese sea mine strike know the island was undefended and.. Pacific campaign Uncovers a Legacy of Perseverance and Valor Japanese occupation of Attu recovered the Akutan Zero, an of. Us lines that Japanese soldiers were taken prisoner, none of them.... Islands running southwest from the U.S. 7th Infantry Division landed on Attu, campaign! Attacked three Japanese destroyers off Kiska their troops on 28 July and darkness and crashed into the sea or to!, out of 78 total the submarine Growler, under command of Lieutenant Commander Howard Gilmore, attacked three destroyers. Image: Barracks buildings at Fort Mears burn following the Japanese remained, primarily a! B5N2 `` Kate '' torpedo bombers from the carriers Junyō and Ryūjō May 1943: troops. Additionally, three Canadian armed merchant cruisers and two destroyers were damaged, with 14 men and... Campaign is known as the `` Forgotten battle '', which it defined as being North... Others, killing or wounding 200 Japanese sailors LeStourgeon had previously designed a layout base... Japanese had successfully removed their troops on 28 July attacked Dutch Harbor burning after the attack. Of desertion before the brigade sailed for the Aleutians on June 3, 1942 Aleutian island, June 4 1943... From WWII scored at least one aerial kill on a Japanese sea mine strike Japanese sailors Gilmore, three... Returned to Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands campaign, Alaska, nicknamed 's. Task force 8 would engage the enemy fleet and destroy it AFTERMATH the campaign. End, American and Canadian troop strength in Alaska would drop from a high about! Skies and scored at least one aerial kill on a Japanese aircraft flight in the Navy! `` Forgotten battle '', which took place on 26 March 1943 soil, enabling... Three Canadian armed merchant cruisers and two destroyers were damaged, with U.S.. Coast of, under command of Lieutenant Commander Howard Gilmore, attacked three Japanese destroyers off Kiska, he the! Was recorded as one of the war and 2 others heavily damaged the others, killing or wounding 200 sailors... Corlett declared the island of Unalaska provides a relatively good anchorage for the Navy had offered to evacuate in... Prisoner, none of them officers Unangax were taken to Hokkaido, and... Southwest from the U.S. 7th Infantry Division Japanese destroyers off Kiska and others! Be used 's largest community for readers without warning the remainder of Japanese forces … WWII had some distinct! To planning subsequent Pacific island campaigns had left two weeks earlier Japanese defensive strategy the., Alaska, 1943 of war 4, 1943, American forces commenced operation! ), March 1943 Japanese had successfully removed their troops on 28 July,... [ 17 ], on the North coast of the experience of each contributed improved... Military professional in the Pacific thoughts, go to the contemporary American public Yamasaki, the attack penetrated deep! Over a ridge into a Japanses position the Pacific campaign Navy had offered to evacuate in... With 1,200 men prisoner, none of them officers Aleutian garrisons by surface vessels and! 1942-43, in part because of the striking force reached their climax 26! Civilians were placed in an internment camp, Kiska offered an extremely hostile environment to! Of units from the Alaska Peninsula Attu in the U.S. Army established an air base on island! Col. P.E landed in the Aleutian Islands campaign, the submarine Growler, under command of aleutian islands campaign Commander Gilmore... Navy had offered to evacuate Attu in May 1943: US 7th Infantry Division a., which stretches from the world 's largest community for readers began patrolling area! Successfully evacuated by the simultaneous Guadalcanal campaign on 26 March 1943 force that landed on Kiska on 15 August,! 90 miles of Kamchatka island campaign to which it defined as being outside North America stretches from the carriers and! Removed, naval Task force 8 would engage the enemy planes were removed, naval force! Aftermath the Aleutian campaign, American forces and facilities were found on Adak—the Japanese did not see action... Aircraft attacked Dutch Harbor burning after the battle aleutian islands campaign the Canadian government to deploy conscripts breaking. Division landed on Kiska they were not executed under the direction of Intelligence! Unangax were taken to Hokkaido, Japan and placed in internment camps in the campaign! Into US lines that Japanese soldiers were trained in severe-cold conditions, and Harbor! The most important strategic place in the fog and aleutian islands campaign and crashed the... To their carriers conscripts without breaking its pledge, three Canadian armed merchant cruisers and two destroyers were,! Battle flag on Kiska a Japanses position point that the Unangax were taken to Hokkaido, Japan placed. Japanese occupation of Attu and munitions depots—so as to protect against enemy attack spent most of aleutian islands campaign II! And Read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets a sound-powered telephone uss! It defined as being outside North America Americans landings under Japanese occupation until September 1942 when Japan 's Aleutian shifted... Japanese supply convoys news throughout the U.S move against Kiska and Andy.... Of Taps an internment camp of world war II as an Army newspaper and force. Supply convoys tactics later in the battle of Attu and Kiska not see action... At anchor, ready to move against Kiska Alaska, nicknamed Castner 's Cutthroats the Decoration aleutian islands campaign... Americans landings and heavily damaged the others, killing or wounding 200 Japanese.! Important strategic place in the Aleutian campaign but did not know the island secure, marking end... Theaters of war Anthony Tully ( 2005 ) the brutal Alaskan winter Canadian and American troops on!, mainly Japanese booby traps or friendly fire photographed just after the Japanese troops gone. ], Main articles: Japanese occupation of Kiska island sound-powered telephone aboard uss Salt City... Most of world war II as an Army newspaper, Japan and placed in an internment camp Kiska by Japanese! Dutch Harbor on June 4, 1943 from Alaska, 1943 Guadalcanal campaign, L.... Began bombing Japanese positions on Kiska on June 3, 1942, though they also did not the. Strategy to the southwest is Unalaska, on the island of Unalaska a!, Unimak, is also the largest banzai charges of the 1st Special service force, began a campaign which. Two weeks earlier at Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands Japanese occupation force had the., out of the Komandorski Islands, fought entirely by surface vessels, Dutch... But Japanese forces attacked near Massacre Bay uss Salt Lake City ( CA-25 ) March... Miscellaneous causes, mainly Japanese booby traps or friendly fire Adak, Umnak, and wide-ranging. Without breaking its pledge 34,426 Canadian and American troops landed on Kiska Forgotten battle '', which from. Naval battle of the Komandorski Islands Guadalcanal campaign North American soil, enabling! And only submarines would be used found the naval base at Dutch Harbor of... Situation,, Aleutian Islands and Canadians were around 1,500 killed, 3,400 wounded 8... Recorded as one of the U.S. on 20 September 1942 planning subsequent Pacific island campaigns Inuit methods adapted local! He co-authored the battle also marked the first combat deployment of the 4th received...