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93-570: The core Aleutian Range can be divided into three mountain groups. Listed from southwest to northeast, they are: See Aleutian Islands for the continuation of the range to the west of Unimak Island. Just to the north of the Aleutian Range are the Tordrillo Mountains , the southeasternmost extent of the Alaska Range . Selected mountains: Two volcanoes erupted during the summer of 2008 on

186-580: A Pliocene – Quaternary layer of sedimentary and igneous rock. The islands, known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, include six groups (east to west) All six are located between 51° and 55° N latitude and 172° E and 163° W longitude. The largest islands in the Aleutians are Attu (the farthest from the mainland), and Unalaska , Umnak , and Unimak in the Fox Islands. The largest of those

279-595: A "Subpolar Oceanic Climate" (type "Cfc", as does Reykjavík , Tórshavn , Punta Arenas , Ushuaia and the Auckland Islands ), characterized by the coldest month averaging above 0 °C (32 °F), one to three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F), and no significant precipitation differences between seasons. To the northeast of that point, the climate becomes "Subarctic With Cool Summers And Year Around Rainfall" (type "Dfc", like Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky , Murmansk , St. Moritz , and Labrador City ), where it

372-658: A generation, the day-to-day administration of the Russian-American colonies was largely in the hands of native-born Alaskans. Reversing the usual trend in colonization where indigenous technologies are replaced, the Russians adopted the Aleut kayak, or baidarka , sea otter hunting techniques, and the working of native copper deposits. The Russians instituted public education, preservation of the Aleut language through transliteration of religious and other texts into Aleut via an adaptation of

465-447: A large construction engineer contingent, which was used in the construction of bases. The Army Air Force's Eleventh Air Force consisted of 10 B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers and 34 B-18 Bolo medium bombers at Elmendorf Airfield , and 95 P-40 Warhawk fighters divided between Fort Randall and Fort Glenn. The forward headquarters was set up at Fort Geely , while the rear units were stationed at Fort Richardson . The naval commander

558-626: A part of the region. The climate of the islands is oceanic, with moderate and fairly uniform temperatures and heavy rainfall. Fogs are almost constant. Summer weather is much cooler than Southeast Alaska (around Sitka ), but the winter temperature of the islands and of the Alaska Panhandle is nearly the same. According to the Köppen climate classification system, the area southwest of 53°30′N 167°00′W  /  53.5°N 167.0°W  / 53.5; -167.0 , on Unalaska Island , has

651-594: A voyage of discovery in the Northern Pacific. After the ships were separated by a storm; Chirikov discovered several eastern islands of the Aleutian group, and Bering discovered several of the western islands. Bering was shipwrecked and died in the Komandorski Islands ( Commander Islands ); one of which now bears his name ( Bering Island ), along with the surrounding Bering Sea. The survivors of Bering's party reached

744-466: Is Unimak Island, with an area of 1,571.41 mi (4,069.9 km ), followed by Unalaska Island, the only other Aleutian Island with an area over 1,000 square miles (2,600 km ). The axis of the archipelago near the mainland of Alaska has a southwest trend, but at Tanaga Island (about 178° W) its direction changes to the northwest. This change of direction corresponds to a curve in the line of volcanic fissures that have contributed their products to

837-472: Is because the islands, much like the Falklands and other islands of similar latitudes , experience such strong winds that taller trees are vulnerable to snapping off. Instead of trees, the islands are covered with a luxuriant, dense growth of herbage and shrubs, including crowberry , bluejoint , grasses , sedges , and many flowering plants. There are areas of peat bog near the coasts. Endemic plants include

930-622: Is similar albeit colder, with the coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F). During the winter, the islands become the center of a semi-permanent low-pressure area called the Aleutian Low . The mean annual temperature for Unalaska, the most populated island of the group, is about 38 ° F (3 ° C ), being about 30 °F (−1 °C) in January and about 52 °F (11 °C) in August. The highest and lowest temperatures recorded on

1023-458: The 6th Canadian Infantry Division , and the 1st Special Service Force , a 2,000-strong Canadian-American commando unit formed in 1942 in Montana and trained in winter warfare techniques. The force included three 600-man regiments: the 1st was to go ashore in the first wave at Kiska Harbor, the 2nd was to be held in reserve to parachute where needed, and the 3rd was to land on the north side of Kiska on

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1116-592: The Aleut . The Aleut language is one of the two main branches of the Eskimo–Aleut language family. This family is not known to be related to any others. The 2020 U.S. Census recorded a population of 7,152 on the islands, of whom 4,254 were living in the main settlement of Unalaska . On the less mountainous islands, the raising of sheep and reindeer was once believed to be practicable. There are bison on islands near Sand Point. Sheep raising seems to have died off with

1209-808: The Aleut Islands , Aleutic Islands , or, before 1867 , the Catherine Archipelago —are a chain of 14 main, larger volcanic islands and 55 smaller ones. Most of the Aleutian Islands belong to the U.S. state of Alaska , with the archipelago encompassing the Aleutians West Census Area and the Aleutians East Borough . The Commander Islands , located further to the west, belong to the Russian federal subject of Kamchatka Krai , of

1302-525: The Aleutian Islands Wilderness . Observations have identified sea otters as a keystone species along the coasts of many of the Aleutian Islands. Their presence encourages the growth of kelp forests , as the otters control sea urchin populations (as large populations of sea urchins can create urchin barrens by clearing away kelp stands). The native people refer to themselves as Unangan, and are now generally known by most non-natives as

1395-528: The Aleutians but had no up-to-date information regarding military developments on the islands. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto provided the Japanese Northern Area Fleet , commanded by Vice Admiral Boshirō 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. With that force, Hosogaya

1488-547: The Cannikin , was the largest underground nuclear explosion by the U.S. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act became law in 1971. In 1977, the Ounalashka Corporation (from Unalaska) declared a dividend . This was the first village corporation to declare and pay a dividend to its shareholders. The Aleutian Islands were designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1976. The Aleutians were one of 17 biosphere reserves in

1581-617: The Japanese naval codes , proceeded as if this was just a diversion, and it did not expend large amounts of effort in defending the islands. More than 90 Americans were taken to Japan as prisoners of war. Most of the civilian population (over 800) of the Aleutians and Pribilovians were detained by the United States in camps in the Alaska Panhandle . During the Aleutian Islands campaign , American forces invaded Japanese-held Attu and defeated

1674-659: The Kamchatka Peninsula in a boat constructed from the wreckage of their ship, and reported the islands were rich in fur-bearing animals. Siberian fur hunters flocked to the Commander Islands and gradually moved eastward across the Aleutian Islands to the mainland. In this manner, Russia gained a foothold on the northwestern coast of North America. The Aleutian Islands consequently belonged to Russia, until that country transferred all its possessions in North America to

1767-590: The Kuriles before the end of the war, including the Japanese base of Paramushir , which diverted 500 Japanese planes and 41,000 ground troops. The battle also marked the first time that Canadian conscripts were sent to a combat zone in World War II. The government had pledged not to send draftees "overseas", which it defined as being outside North America. The Aleutians were considered to be North American soil, which enabled

1860-743: The Russian Far East . The islands form part of the Aleutian Arc of the Northern Pacific Ocean , and occupy a land area of 6,821 sq mi (17,666 km ) that extends westward roughly 1,200 mi (1,900 km) from the Alaskan Peninsula mainland, in the direction of the Kamchatka Peninsula ; the archipelago acts as a border between the Bering Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to

1953-597: The US Pacific Fleet from Midway Atoll , as it was launched simultaneously under the same commander, Isoroku Yamamoto . Some historians have argued against that interpretation and believe that the Japanese invaded the Aleutians to protect their northern flank and did not intend it as a diversion. Before the Empire of Japan entered World War II , the Imperial Japanese Navy had gathered extensive information about

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2046-494: The common rosefinch , Siberian rubythroat , bluethroat , lanceolated warbler , and the first North American record of the intermediate egret . The habitats of the Aleutians are largely unspoiled, but wildlife is affected by competition from introduced species such as cattle, caribou , and foxes . Nearly all of the Aleutians are protected as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and

2139-474: The 17th and 32nd Infantry regiments of the 7th Infantry Division and a platoon of scouts recruited from Alaska , nicknamed Castner's Cutthroats . The army air force flew more than 500 sorties in a 20-day period to support the invasion . A shortage of landing craft, unsuitable beaches, and equipment that failed to operate in the appalling weather made it difficult however for the Americans to exert force against

2232-450: The Aleutian archipelago, accurately determined the position of some of the more important islands, and corrected many errors of former navigators. Among the first Christian missionaries to arrive in the Aleutian Islands was a party of ten Russian Orthodox monks and priests, who arrived in 1793. Within two years, a monk named Herman was the only survivor of that party. He settled on Spruce Island , near Kodiak Island , and often defended

2325-585: The Aleutian campaign but did not encounter enemy forces. It is likely that the main Japanese forces left Kiska on the night of 28 July when its radio became silent. During the subsequent two weeks, the Army Air Force and the navy bombed and shelled the abandoned positions. The day before the withdrawal, the US Navy fought an inconclusive and possibly meaningless Battle of the Pips 80 mi (70 nmi; 130 km) to

2418-435: The Aleutians, a disadvantage that it could not compensate for because Japanese aviation units were entirely ground-based. On 15 August 1943 an invasion force of 34,426 Canadian and American troops landed on Kiska. Castner's Cutthroats were part of the force, but the invasion consisted mainly of units from the 7th Infantry Division. The force also included about 5,300 Canadians, mostly from the 13th Canadian Infantry Brigade of

2511-499: The American naval base at Dutch Harbor , the Imperial Japanese Navy occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska , where the remoteness of the islands and the challenges of weather and terrain delayed a larger American-Canadian force sent to eject them for nearly a year. A battle to reclaim Attu was launched on 11 May 1943 and completed after a final Japanese banzai charge on 29 May. On 15 August 1943 an invasion force landed on Kiska in

2604-530: The Americans recovered the Akutan Zero , an almost-intact Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter, which enabled the Americans to test-fly the Zero and contributed to improved fighter tactics later in the war. During the campaign, two cemeteries were established on Attu to bury those killed in action: Little Falls Cemetery, at the foot of Gilbert Ridge, and Holtz Bay Cemetery, which held the graves of Northern Landing Forces. After

2697-424: The Americans suffered significant casualties during their “invasion” – 313 men died as a result of accidents, with many dying due to accidental fire. President Roosevelt visited Adak in 1944, meeting with commanders and eating with soldiers of the garrison. This was his first and only trip to the Aleutian Islands and Alaska as a whole. A rumor spread that FDR had accidentally left his Scottish Terrier "Fala" on one of

2790-421: The Americans. After furious, brutal, often hand-to-hand combat , the Japanese force was virtually exterminated. Only 28 Japanese soldiers were taken prisoner, none of them were officers. American burial teams counted 2,351 Japanese dead, but it was thought that hundreds more had been buried by bombardment during the battle. With its loss of Attu to U.S. forces, Japan was deprived of its only remaining airstrip in

2883-468: The Canadian government to deploy conscripts without breaking its pledge. There were cases of desertion before the brigade sailed for the Aleutians. In late 1944, the government changed its policy on draftees and sent 16,000 conscripts to Europe to take part in the fighting. The battle also marked the first combat deployment of the 1st Special Service Force, but it did not see any action. In the summer of 1942,

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2976-560: The Cyrillic alphabet, vaccination of the native population against smallpox , and science-based sea mammal conservation policies that were ahead of their time. By 1760 the Russian merchant Andrian Tolstykh had made a detailed census in the vicinity of Adak and extended Russian citizenship to the Aleuts. During his third and last voyage in 1778, Captain James Cook surveyed the eastern portion of

3069-466: The Eleventh Air Force. They were escorted by fighter aircraft, including P-38s from Umnak over 600 miles away. Runway construction began immediately following the American landing. After 10 September, fighters and bombers were moved into the new Adak airbase and used to launch more bombing raids against Japanese positions on Kiska. From September to November, American air raids were able to keep

3162-629: The Islands and had to send a destroyer to retrieve the dog, costing taxpayers several million dollars. The President made fun of these rumors during a talk with the Teamsters Union in Washington DC, now known as the "Fala Speech". At this speech the President joked with the crowd saying, "Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them!" June 3, 2002

3255-745: The Japanese contemplated occupying and setting up a new base on either the Semichis or Amchitka but were not able to carry out those plans. In February 1943, the Americans successfully occupied Amchitka and built an airstrip there. Their main losses were a result of bad weather. Ground attack missions were flown from the new island base, starting with P-38s and P-40s before bombers also joined in. Their targets included radar installations, parked aircraft, anti-aircraft artillery positions, railway, submarine base, and moored vessels. The bombings further reduced Japan's ability to supply its bases, hampered its construction of landing strips on Attu and Kiska, and facilitated

3348-438: 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. Startled by the American response, the Japanese quickly released their bombs, made a cursory strafing run, and left to return to their carriers. As a result, they did little damage to the base. On 4 June the Japanese returned to Dutch Harbor. This time,

3441-468: The Japanese pilots were better organized and prepared. When the attack ended that afternoon, Dutch Harbor oil storage tanks were burning, the hospital was partly demolished, and a beached barracks ship was damaged. Although American pilots eventually located the Japanese carriers, attempts to sink the ships failed because bad weather set in that caused the US pilots to lose all contact with the Japanese fleet. However,

3534-458: The Japanese. American and Canadian troops later launched an invasion of Kiska , in which 34,426 men composed of both Americans and Canadian participated; however, Japanese forces had already withdrawn, ending the campaign in the islands. The invasion was an embarrassment for the Allied forces as the entire Japanese force of 5,183 men had left the island on July 28 without the Americans noticing; however,

3627-511: The Japanese. Soldiers suffered from frostbite because essential cold-weather supplies could not be landed, and soldiers could not be relocated to where they were needed because vehicles could not operate on the tundra . Rather than engage the Americans where they landed, Colonel Yasuyo Yamasaki had his forces dig into the high ground far from the shore. That resulted in fierce combat, with a total of 3,829 US casualties, with 549 killed, 1,148 wounded, and another 1,200 suffering severe injuries from

3720-745: The Kula Plate that was trapped when volcanism and subduction jumped south to its current location at c. 56 Ma. The Aleutian island arc formed in the Early Eocene (55–50  Ma ) when the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the North American Plate began. The arc is made of separate blocks that have been rotated clockwise. The basement underlying the islands is made of three stratigraphic units: an Eocene layer of volcanic rock, an Oligocene – Miocene layer of marine sedimentary rock, and

3813-612: The Pacific plate is subducting underneath the North American plate at around 59 mm/year. Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( / ə ˈ l uː ʃ ən / ə- LOO -shən ; Russian : Алеутские острова , romanized :  Aleutskiye ostrova ; Aleut : Unangam Tanangin , "land of the Aleuts "; possibly from the Chukchi aliat , or "island")—also called

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3906-559: The U.S. Navy had offered to evacuate Attu in May 1942, the Attuan Unangax chief declined. Little changed for the Unangax under Japanese occupation until September 1942 when Japan's Aleutian strategy shifted. It was at this point that the Unangax were taken to Hokkaido , Japan, and placed in an internment camp. The invasion of Attu and imprisonment of the local Unangax became the justification for

3999-503: The U.S. in 1867. During the consolidation of the Russian-American Company there was sporadic conflict with the native population (frequently disastrous to the poorly armed and vastly outnumbered Russians). The colonies soon entered a relatively stable state based on cooperation, intermarriage, and official policies that provided social status, education, and professional training to children of mixed Aleut-Russian birth. Within

4092-556: The U.S. islands. Because the islands stretch like a broken bridge from the continent Asia to the continent North America, many anthropologists hypothesize they were a route of the first human occupants of the Americas . However, the earliest known evidence in public recorded history of human occupation in the Americas is found much farther south. The early human sites in the Bering Sea were probably submerged by rising waters and sand during

4185-637: The US military strength in Alaska stood at 45,000 men, with about 13,000 at Cold Bay ( Fort Randall ) on the tip of the Alaska Peninsula and at two Aleutian bases: Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island , 200 miles (320 km) west of Cold Bay, and the recently built Fort Glenn Army Air Base on the island of Umnak 70 miles (110 km) west of Dutch Harbor. Army strength, less air force personnel, at those three bases totaled no more than 2,300, composed mainly of infantry, field and anti-aircraft artillery troops, and

4278-637: The United States in North America during WWII; the Philippines , Guam and Wake Atoll , Pacific territories of the United States , were also invaded. Motion between the Kula Plate and the North American Plate along the margin of the Bering Shelf (in the Bering Sea north of the Aleutian arc) ended in the early Eocene . The Aleutian Basin, the ocean floor north of the Aleutian arc, is the remainder of

4371-757: The United States withdrawn by request of the U.S. government from the programme in June 2017. Russian Aleutians is organized as Aleutsky District in Kamchatka Krai . It comprises Aleutian Islands campaign 1,481 killed 640 missing 3,416 wounded 8 captured 225 aircraft destroyed 3 warships sunk US Navy vessels heavily damaged: US Navy vessels lost: 4,350 killed 28 captured 7 warships sunk 9 cargo/transport ships sunk Imperial Japanese Navy vessels lost: Second Sino-Japanese War The Aleutian Islands campaign ( Japanese : アリューシャン方面の戦い , romanized :  Aryūshan hōmen no tatakai )

4464-570: The United States' policy of forcible evacuation of the Unangax in the Aleutian Islands. Unangan civilians were placed in internment camps in the Alaska Panhandle . Through the rest of the summer of 1942, aerial raids by either side could be flown only when the weather permitted. Japan installed a radar warning system on the islands and continued to resupply them, despite heavy disruptions against its shipping by US bombers and submarines. The establishment of American air bases in Umnak and Cold Bay would add to

4557-484: The advent of synthetic fibers, which lowered the value of wool. During the 1980s, there were some llama being raised on Unalaska. The current economy is primarily based on fishing , and the presence of U.S. military. The only crop is potato . Chickens are raised in barns under protection from the cold. In addition to a partial air service and a ferry service, the Alaska Marine Highway passes through many of

4650-440: The air and on the water—have turned back the tide of Japanese invasion, ejected the enemy from our shores and made a fortress of our last frontier. But this is only the beginning. We have opened the road to Tokyo; the shortest, most direct and most devastating to our enemies. May we soon travel that road to victory. Although plans were drawn up for attacking northern Japan, they were not executed. Over 1,500 sorties were flown against

4743-475: The approaches are exceedingly dangerous, the land rising immediately from the coasts to steep, bold mountains. These volcanic islands reach heights of 6,200 feet (1,900 m). Makushin Volcano (5,691 feet (1,735 m)) on Unalaska Island, is not quite visible from within the town of Unalaska , though the steam rising from its cone is visible on a (rare) clear day. Residents of Unalaska need only to climb one of

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4836-405: The area. Kiska Harbor was the main base for Japanese ships in the campaign and several were sunk there, some by warships but mostly in air raids. On 5 July 1942 the submarine Growler , under command of Lieutenant Commander Howard Gilmore , attacked three Japanese destroyers off Kiska. She sank one and heavily damaged the others, killing or wounding 200 Japanese sailors. Ten days later, Grunion

4929-482: The atmosphere. These emissions formed a sulfate aerosol layer that totaled a transfer of 1.6 Tg of SO 2 into the stratosphere and disturbed flights over this area for a short period following the eruptions. The 7.9 Mw Aleutian Islands earthquake occurred in June 2014 at an intermediate depth of 107 km. The quake was caused by oblique normal faulting along the Aleutian Trench , a convergent boundary where

5022-626: The attack on Dutch Harbor, is listed on the National Register, as is a crash-landed B-24D Liberator on Atka Island . The 2006 documentary film Red White Black & Blue features two veterans of the Attu Island campaign, Bill Jones and Andy Petrus. It is directed by Tom Putnam and debuted at the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno , Switzerland , on 4 August 2006. Dashiell Hammett spent most of World War II as an Army sergeant in

5115-429: The building of the islands. Such curved chains are repeated about the Pacific Ocean in the Kuril Islands , the Japanese chain, and in the Philippines . All these island arcs are at the edge of the Pacific Plate and experience much seismic activity, but are still habitable; the Aleutians lie between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates . The general elevation is greatest in the eastern islands and least in

5208-521: The campaign, either directly or indirectly, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places , and several have been designated National Historic Landmarks . The battlefield on Attu and the Japanese occupation site on Kiska are both National Historic Landmarks and are included in the Aleutian Islands World War II National Monument . Surviving elements of the military bases at Adak , Umnak , and Dutch Harbor are National Historic Landmarks. The shipwrecked SS Northwestern , badly damaged during

5301-406: The cold weather. Also, 614 Americans died from disease and 318 from miscellaneous causes, mainly Japanese booby traps or friendly fire . On 29 May 1943 without warning the remainder of Japanese forces attacked near Massacre Bay. Recorded as one of the largest banzai charges of the Pacific campaign, Yamasaki penetrated so deep into US lines that Japanese soldiers encountered rear-echelon units of

5394-428: The current interglacial period. People living in or on the Aleutian Islands developed skills in hunting, fishing, and basketry. The baskets were woven with shredded stalks of beach rye. Explorers, traders and missionaries arrived from Russia beginning in 1741. In 1741 the Russian government sent Vitus Bering , a Danish-born Russian, and Aleksei Chirikov , a Russian, in the ships Saint Peter and Saint Paul on

5487-450: The eastern Aleutian Islands. On July 12, 2008, Mount Okmok erupted, and it continued to erupt for a month. A giant, rapidly moving ash and gas cloud shot up to a height of 15,240 m as a result of this eruption. Mount Kasatochi was home to the other eruption, which occurred on August 7 and 8. This eruption also sent up a gas cloud about 15,000 high. Together, these two power volcanic eruptions deposited emissions of trace gases an aerosols into

5580-601: The endangered Aleutian shield fern . There is currently almost no naturally occurring forest in the Aleutian Islands, except with the help of human intervention. For example, the Adak Forest on Adak Island is a man-made tree group consisting of 33 trees. The Aleutians are home to many large colonies of seabirds. Buldir Island has 21 breeding seabird species, including the Bering Sea-endemic red-legged kittiwake . Large seabird colonies are also present at Kiska , Gareloi , Semisopochnoi , Bogoslof , and others. The islands are also frequented by vagrant Asiatic birds, including

5673-469: The exception of some stunted willows , the vast majority of the chain is devoid of native trees. On some of the islands, such as Adak and Amaknak , there are a few coniferous trees growing, remnants of the Russian period . While tall trees grow in many cold climates, Aleutian conifers — some estimated to be two hundred years old — rarely reach a height of even 10 feet (3 m), and many of them are still less than 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. This

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5766-401: The first time in history. The striking force was composed of Nakajima B5N 2 "Kate" torpedo bombers from the carriers Jun'yō and Ryūjō . However, only half of the striking force reached their objective. The rest either became lost in the fog and darkness and crashed into the sea or returned to their carriers. Seventeen Japanese planes found the naval base, the first arriving at 05:45. As

5859-551: The future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. I think it is the most important strategic place in the world." The Japanese reasoned that their control of the Aleutians would prevent a possible joining of forces by the Americans and the Soviets and future attack on Japan proper via the Kuril Islands . Similarly, the US feared that the islands could be used as bases from which to launch air raids on West Coast cities such as Anchorage , Seattle , San Francisco , or Los Angeles . Following two aircraft carrier-based attacks on

5952-448: The indigenous peoples of Alaska) in 1924. A hospital was built in Unalaska in 1933 by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs . During World War II , in what were the only two invasions of the United States during the war, small parts of the Aleutian islands were occupied by Japanese forces, when Attu and Kiska were invaded possibly to divert American forces away from the main Japanese attack at Midway Atoll . The U.S. Navy, having broken

6045-421: The islands were 78 °F (26 °C) and 5 °F (−15 °C), respectively. The average amount of annual rainfall is about 80 inches (2,000 mm); Unalaska, with about 250 rainy days per year, is said to be one of the rainiest places within the U.S. The growing season lasts approximately 135 days, from early in May until late in September, but agriculture is limited to the raising of few vegetables. With

6138-401: The nearest field for land-based American aircraft was at Fort Morrow Army Airfield 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 . Making use of weather cover, the Japanese made a two-day aerial bombing of continental North America for

6231-541: The northernmost part of the Pacific Ring of Fire . Physiographically , they are a distinct section of the larger Pacific Border province, which, in turn, is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division. The islands are considered to be among the most geographically-isolated areas of the Northern Pacific. Battles and skirmishes took place during the Aleutian Islands campaign of World War II . The Japanese landing and occupations of Kiska and Attu , in June of 1942 , were one of only two invasions of

6324-428: The other on the Aleutians' westernmost island, Attu , 180 miles (290 km) west from Kiska. Because the Office of Naval Intelligence had broken the Japanese naval codes , Admiral Chester Nimitz learned by May 1942 of Yamamoto's plans, including the Aleutian invasion, the strength of both Yamamoto's and Hosogaya's fleets, and Hosogaya's plan attack the Aleutians on 1 June or shortly thereafter. As of 1 June,

6417-444: The recapture of those two islands later that year. In April 1943 Japanese surface convoys made their final attempt to break through American naval blockade and resupply troops on Attu and Kiska but were forced to abort after being defeated in battle. Future Japanese resupply missions would be conducted exclusively by submarines and limited by how much materiel they could bring. Navy submarines and surface ships had also been patrolling

6510-451: The rights of the Aleuts against the Russian trading companies. He is now known in the Orthodox Church as Saint Herman of Alaska . Another early Christian missionary of the Russian Orthodox Church was Father Veniaminov who arrived in Unalaska in 1824. He was named Bishop Innokentii in 1840 and moved to Sitka . He is now known in the Orthodox Church as Saint Innocent of Alaska . The principal settlements were on Unalaska Island. The oldest

6603-422: The second day of the assault. The 87th Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division , the only major U.S. force specifically trained for mountain warfare, was also part of the operation. Royal Canadian Air Force No. 111 and No. 14 Squadrons saw active service in the Aleutian skies and scored at least one aerial kill on a Japanese aircraft. Additionally, three Canadian armed merchant cruisers and two corvettes served in

6696-487: The smaller hills in the area, such as Pyramid Peak or Mt. Newhall, to get a good look at the snow-covered cone. The volcanic Bogoslof and Fire Islands , which rose from the sea in 1796 and 1883 respectively, lie about 30 miles (50 km) west of Unalaska Bay . In 1906, a new volcanic cone rose between the islets of Bogoslof and Grewingk, near Unalaska, followed by another in 1907. These cones were nearly demolished by an explosive eruption on September 1, 1907. In 2017,

6789-489: The south. Crossing longitude 180° , at which point east and west longitude end, the archipelago contains both the westernmost and easternmost parts of the United States, by longitude ( Amatignak Island and Semisopochnoi Island , respectively). The westernmost U.S. island, in real terms, however, is Attu Island , west of which runs the International Date Line . The Aleutian Islands, with their 57 volcanoes, form

6882-642: The threat faced by the Japanese. Many Americans feared that the Japanese would use the islands as bases to strike within range along the rest of the West Coast . Although the West Coast was subject to attack several times in 1942 (including unrestricted submarine warfare in coastal waters; the bombardment of Ellwood in California; and the bombardment of Fort Stevens in Oregon), the Aleutian Islands campaign of June 1942

6975-404: The total number of enemy aircraft low, usually under 14 frames, despite persistent attempts to reinforce their number by the Japanese. Without supporting carriers in the area, the Japanese were unable to dislodge the American forces on Adak. Even when they had a few air assets to spare, the Japanese generally avoided direct combat. Other supplies were also beginning to run low. After evacuating Attu,

7068-627: The volcanic cone erupted sending ash and ice particles 30,000 feet (9000 m) into the air. Alfred Russel Wallace 's 1879 book Australasia , Ian Todd's 1974 book Island Realm: A Pacific Panorama and Dean Kohlhoff's 2002 book Amchitka and the Bomb: Nuclear Testing in Alaska all associate the Aleutian Islands with the Oceania region due to their status as remote islands in the Pacific. The islands, having biogeographical and ethnocultural affinities to North America , are not ordinarily considered

7161-450: The wake of a sustained three-week barrage, only to discover that the Japanese had withdrawn from the island on 29 July. The campaign is known as the "Forgotten Battle" because it has been overshadowed by other events in the war. Many military historians believe that the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians was a diversionary or feint attack during the Battle of Midway that was meant to draw out

7254-478: The war, the tundra began to take back the cemeteries and so in 1946, all American remains were relocated as directed by the soldier's family or to Fort Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska. On 30 May 1946 a Memorial Day address was given by Captain Adair with a 21-gun salute and the sounding of Taps . The Decoration of Graves was performed by Chaplains Meaney and Insko. Many of the United States locations involved in

7347-456: The weather caused the Japanese to cancel plans to invade Adak with 1,200 men. The Japanese invasions and occupations of Kiska on 6 June and Attu on 7 June shocked the American public, as the continental United States was invaded for the first time in 130 years since 1815 (during the War of 1812 ). The invading forces initially met little resistance from the local Unangax, also known as Aleuts . Though

7440-452: The west. The allied invasion forces encountered no opposition on 15 August, but their total casualties would in the end number 313 due to friendly fire, vehicle accidents, Japanese booby traps and explosives, disease and frostbite. Like Attu, Kiska offered an extremely hostile environment. The loyal courage, vigorous energy and determined fortitude of our armed forces in Alaska—on land, in

7533-498: The western. The island chain is a western continuation of the Aleutian Range on the mainland. The great majority of the islands bear evident marks of volcanic origin, and there are numerous volcanic cones on the north side of the chain, some of them active; many of the islands, however, are not wholly volcanic, but contain crystalline or sedimentary rocks, and also amber and beds of lignite . The coasts are rocky and surf-worn, and

7626-682: Was Iliuliuk (also called Unalaska), settled in 1760–1775, with a customs house and an Orthodox church. After the American purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, further development took place. New buildings included a Methodist mission and orphanage, and the headquarters for a considerable fleet of United States revenue cutters , which patrolled the sealing grounds of the Pribilof Islands . The first public school in Unalaska opened in 1883. The U.S. Congress extended American citizenship to all Native Americans (and this law has been held to include

7719-468: Was Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald , commanding Task Force 8 afloat, who as Commander North Pacific Force (ComNorPac) reported to Nimitz in Hawaii. Task Force 8 consisted of five cruisers , thirteen destroyers , three tankers, six submarines , as well as naval aviation elements of Fleet Air Wing Four . When the first signs of a possible Japanese attack on the Aleutians were known, the Eleventh Air Force

7812-550: Was a military campaign fought between 3 June 1942 and 15 August 1943 on and around the Aleutian Islands in the American Theater of World War II during the Pacific War . It was the only military campaign of World War II fought on North American soil. The islands' strategic value was their ability to control Pacific transportation routes as US General Billy Mitchell stated to the U.S. Congress in 1935, "I believe that in

7905-545: Was assigned to eliminate the Japanese supply convoys. They met the Japanese fleet in March 1943. One American cruiser and two destroyers were damaged, and seven US sailors were killed. Two Japanese cruisers were damaged, with 14 men killed and 26 wounded. Japan thereafter abandoned all attempts to resupply the Aleutian garrisons by surface vessels, and only submarines would be used. On 11 May 1943 American forces commenced Operation Landcrab to recapture Attu. The invasion force included

7998-552: Was attacked by three Japanese submarine chasers in Kiska Harbor, with two of the patrol craft sunk and one other damaged. 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 . At least three Japanese submarines were sunk near Kiska in June 1943, reportedly on the 11th, 13th, and 22nd. A cruiser and destroyer force under Rear Admiral Charles "Soc" McMorris

8091-497: Was celebrated as Dutch Harbor Remembrance Day. The governor of Alaska ordered state flags lowered to half-staff to honor the 43 Americans who died during the two-day Japanese air attack in 1942. The Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Visitors Center opened that month. The U.S. conducted underground tests of nuclear weapons on Amchitka Island from 1965 to 1971 as part of the Vela Uniform program. The final detonation,

8184-509: 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. Once the enemy planes were removed, Naval Task Force 8 would engage the enemy fleet and destroy it. On the afternoon of 2 June, a naval patrol plane spotted the approaching Japanese fleet, reporting its location as 800 nautical miles (1,500 km; 920 mi) southwest of Dutch Harbor. Eleventh Air Force

8277-510: Was placed on full alert. Shortly thereafter bad weather set in, and no further sightings of the fleet were made that day. Before the attack on Dutch Harbor, the Army's 4th Infantry Regiment , under command of Colonel Percy E. LeStourgeon, was established at Fort Richardson. LeStourgeon had previously designed a layout of base facilities—such as isolation of weapons and munitions depots—to protect against enemy attack. According to Japanese intelligence,

8370-524: Was real at the time because the Japanese were nearly invincible and ruthless in Asia and the Pacific. We knew that they bombed China relentlessly and by surprise on Pearl Harbor , so we had to make sure it wouldn't happen here in the continental U.S. similar to what the Germans did over London and Coventry . Lieutenant Bob Brocklehurst of the 18th Fighter Squadron stated: [T]he impression we were given — and this

8463-515: Was the first major operation by a foreign enemy in the American Theater . Lieutenant Paul Bishop of the 28th Bombardment Group recalled: General Simon B. Buckner Jr. [of the Alaska Defense Command ] said to us that the Japanese would have the opportunity to set up airbases in the Aleutians, making coastal cities like Anchorage , Seattle , and San Francisco vulnerable within range to attack by their bombers. The fear of that scenario

8556-455: Was to launch an air attack against Dutch Harbor then follow with an amphibious attack upon Adak Island , 480 miles (770 km) to the west. Hosogaya was instructed to destroy whatever American forces and facilities were found on Adak, but the Japanese did not know the island was undefended. Hosogaya's troops were to return to their ships and become a reserve for two additional landings: the first on Kiska , 240 miles (390 km) west of Adak,

8649-427: Was voiced oral stuff — was that we had nothing to stop the Japanese. [Our commanding officers] figured that the Japanese, if they wanted to, could have come up the Aleutians, taken Anchorage, and come down past down Vancouver to Seattle, Washington. On 31 August 1942 American forces attacked Adak Island after scouting it two days earlier. To keep the Japanese on Kiska occupied, missions were flown there by bombers from

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