The Japanese Invasion of Alaska: Aleutian islands campaign

The Aleutian islands campaign, is one of the most significant yet unknown parts of World War II. In this video, we delve into what happened in the Aleutian Islands during World War II while also explaining how significant these events were to the rest of the World War.

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Before Japan entered World War II, its Navy gathered extensive information about the Aleutians and the military developments on the islands, even still, little was really known about establishments on the island chain. With what little knowledge they had, Japan sent it's northern fleet, consisting of 30 war ships and 8,500 troops, against the Aleutians. Launching an air attack on Dutch Harbor on June the third. Followed by an ambitious landing on Adak Island. Adak was uninhabited, and while the Japanese technically scored a victory at Dutch harbor, the foggy weather which prevented American air responses, also meant that only around half of the Japanese bombs reached their target.

What was substantial was that a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero, the most common Japanese fighter, was damaged during the attack crash landed. The Americans managed to repair the plane, and used it to study the weaknesses of the Zero fighter. Following this, the Japanese invaded the islands of Kiska and Attu, meeting little resistance. Japan made Kiska harbor their main naval base, and the Americans established an air base on Adak island where they bombed Japanese positions and naval convoys. Following the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, where the Americans damaged two of the Japanese cruisers, it was decided that the Japanese forces in Alaska would no longer be supplied by surface ships, and submarines were the only way to re-supply the forces.

On May the 11th of 1943, the Americans launched an operation with the goal of re-capturing attu with 15,000. The landing was fraut with supply issues, and many men died of frost-bite due to lack of cold supplies, and many units were fed in piecemeal due to the lack of landing craft. The Japanese in-turn, occupied the high ground far from the shores, and a bloodbath ensued, with nearly 3,900 American Casualties. Even still though, the Americans managed to push the Japanese, who never numbered more then 3,000 back to a harbor over the weeks of fighting. With no hope of rescue, the Japanese launched one of the largest Banzai charges of the Pacific campaign on May the 29th, one that nearly succeeded in pushing the Americans back, but they were ultimately defeated after heavy fighting. With only 28 Japanese soldiers being captured. Leaving potentially 2,500 Japanese dead.

On August the 15th , Over 34,000 Canadian and American troops successfully landed on Kiska, but met nothing but an abandoned island, as the Japanese had left the island 18 days prior to their arrival un-benownst to the allies. Even still, the Americans and Canadians came out with over 300 casualties. All from Friendly fire, Japanese traps, disease and frostbite.