World War II Pacific Island Territories: The Aleutins


Figure 1.--Aleuts before the War were little touched by modern civilization. They made their living by sealing. The Akutians are an important habitat for Northern Fur Seals. After the Japanese invasion of Attu and Kiska, the U.S. Navy evacuated 881 Aleuts (Unangax) from nine villages. Atka was just east of Attu and Kiska seized by the Japanese. They were forcibly relocated. The Navy allowed them only one suitcase each. They watches from the transports while U.S. servicemen burned their homes and church so they would not fall into Japanese hands. The villagers did not comprehend how the Japanese might treat them. While in U.S. Navy custody, the Aleuts stopeating hand-made clothing and adopted conventional American dress and life style, a process which had begun earlier but accelrated by the War. Here are two of the Aleuts villagers being returned after the War. Source: U.S. Nvy Photo

The Aleutians Islands streach out from Alaska in thevNorth Pacific toward Siberia. They are a chain of 14 vlolcanic islands and 57 small rocky outcroppings forming part of the Aleutian Arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean. They are the remains of the Bearing Sea ice bridge that allowed Siberian Hunters to reach North America and begin populating the Americas. The Japanese militarists were concerned about possible American attacks from the Aleutians on northern Japan which at the time included part of Sakalin. This fear was hightened by the Doolittle Raid (April 1942). To win approval of his Operation MI (the invasion of Midway Island and final destruction of the Amrican Pacific Fleet), Admiral Yamanoto had to agree to include the invasion of Attu and Kiska in the westetern Aleutians. Yamamoto optimistically thought it might create a diversion. In fact, it diverted Japanese carriers to cover the invasion. These carriers, although not the large fleet carriers, could have made a huge difference at Midway. Japanese carrier aircraft from Junyō and Ryūjō bombed Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island (June 3, 1942). The Japanese invaded Kiska (June 6) and and Attu (June 7). Most of the native population had been evacuated before the invasion and interned in camps in the Alaska Panhandle. Logistics was key to the Aleutian campaign. The United States had only limited military resources in Alaska but rushed the Trans-Alaskan Highway to compltion to facilitate the movement of men and materials. The U.S. Navy deployed a cruiser/destroyer force to interdict Japanese supply convoys The result was the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. After which the Japanese stopped surface supply efforts and reverted to submarines. This was both inadequate and a wasteful use of the subs. The United States built an air base on Adak Island from which Kiska could be bombed (August 1942). The United Stated launched the invasion to retake Attu (May 11, 1943). It proved to be a bloody, prolonged campaign. The Japanese garrison fought to the death. An inconclusive naval engagement was fought west of Kiska--the Battle of the Pips (July 27). The Japanese abandoned Kiska (July 28). The terrible weather conditions in the Aleutians were such that the Americans did not even notice. An American invasion force landed expecting another bitter fight (August 7). Guadacanal in the Solomons was one of the few Pacific islands that the Japanese did not defend to the death. Kiska in the Aleutians was another island abandoned by the Japanese. The other North Pacific islands involved in the Pacific War was the Kuriles. The Ameicans began a sustained bombing campaign against the Kuriles. The primary target was the Japanese base at Paramushiro. The principal impact was to divert 500 Japanese aircraft and 41,000 army troops. The Americans also began amilitary build up in Alaska. The American Army Corps of Engineers began the formidable task of building a highway connectging Washington state with Alaska which becme the famed Alaska Higwway. This included a secion through British Colombia (Canada). Until then there was no overland connection between Alaska and the Lower 48.







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Created: 4:03 AM 7/26/2014
Last updated: 4:03 AM 7/26/2014