On June 7, 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army successfully invaded US territory and occupied it until September 1, 1944. The Japanese invaded two remote Aleutian Islands close to Alaska. Except for the t35,000 personnel of the US and Canadian forces who took part in the liberation of these islands, this passed largely unnoticed in mainstream history books while the world was preoccupied with events in the European theater and other campaigns elsewhere in the Pacific.
Steve Prout explains.
US troops in May 1943 at the Battle of Attu.
On June 7, 1942, Japanese forces assaulted occupied the Alaskan territorial islands of Attu and Kiska, part of the Aleutian Islands chain. Its geographical placing puts it closer to Japan than to the Alaskan mainland or actual US mainland territory, but it was a violation of the US homeland none the less. It was the only land battle in the Second World War that would take place on American soil.
Attu
When the Japanese invaded Attu they commanded a force of over two thousand men but met only about 45 Native Aleuts and two non-native inhabitants, Charles and Etta Jones.
By 1943, the occupation force grew to two and a half thousand men ready to defend against any attempts at liberation from the USA. On May 11, 1943, that day had come with the Battle of Attu.
What seemed a very low-key location and affair resulted in a costly and savage struggle, which was typical of warfare in the Pacific theater, but the fight for this Island brought about in percentage terms the high casualty rates. American forces landed unopposed; however the Japanese dug in at higher ground, lay in wait and consolidated their forces. When the fighting was over, the casualty list was high, with over 500 US deaths and just under 4,000 casualties. The Japanese paid an equally heavy price with just over 2,300 Japanese deaths. Only Iwo Jima would prove to be as costly. On May 29, the battle ended with the Japanese conducting mass banzai charges and large numbers detonating grenades against their chests instead of facing surrender. Less than thirty Japanese soldiers survived, the rest preferring death by suicide or battle.
Within a year of Japanese occupation this Island had been retaken by the US military, making it one of the territories to be liberated from the Axis Powers long before D-Day.
Kiska
Kiska was an entirely different affair. In August 1943, an invasion force of over 30,000 Canadian and American troops landed on Kiska. There was little or no enemy action. In terms of airborne engagements, the Royal Canadian Air Force No. 111 and No. 14 Squadrons saw limited action and recorded only one aerial kill of a Japanese aircraft. There were naval engagements on the part of the Japanese.
In fact, the Japanese forces had left two weeks earlier and evacuated under the cover of foggy weather on July 28, but the US was not aware of this and continued to bomb abandoned positions for almost three weeks.
Curiously, despite the Japanese evacuation, allied casualties on Kiska numbered over 300 personnel. They were injured due to a combination of friendly fire, booby traps, disease, mines, timed bombs set by the Japanese, vehicle accidents, and frostbite. Like Attu, Kiska was an extremely hostile environment and was kind to neither friend or enemy.
Conclusion
As people focus this year on the anniversary of D-Day, they often revisit the history of other major offensives. It is always interesting that there are lost pieces of history waiting to resurface or be rediscovered and this curious little episode has been unintentionally largely forgotten. This is understandable considering the size of the various competing theaters.
These revelations do not change the outcome, nor do they rewrite history but can for a moment challenge our perspective. For example, the above story now tells us that it was is not entirely true that the US homeland was unviolated by enemy action. The current belief, however, is substantially true as the invasion of that small remote area was of a small scale and the occupation by Japanese forces lasted just over twelve months. The same can be applied to Great Britain, which prides itself that the nation was unviolated, when in fact the Germans occupied the British Channel Islands thus dispelling that myth also. Even more fascinating is that these remote islands were some of the first to be liberated by the USA from the Axis forces. This then slightly changes our view that France and Italy were the earlier territories to be freed from Axis occupation.
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