- 1942
Jun 03 | Japan attacks the Aleutian Islands at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto provided the Northern Area Fleet, commanded by Vice Adm. Boshiro Hosogaya, with a force of 2 small aircraft carriers, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 6 submarines, and 4 troop transports, along with supporting auxiliary ships. US Coastal defenses from the Aleutians to Panama are put on full alert. | Ref: 82 |
Jun 06 | Japan takes Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. | Ref: 82 |
Jun 07 | Japan takes Attu in the Aleutian Islands. | Ref: 82 |
Aug 30 | US sets up airfield at Adak in the Aleutian Islands. | Ref: 82 |
Sep 14 | US starts bombing Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. | Ref: 82 |
Sep 16 | The Japanese base at Kiska in the Aleutian Islands is raided by American bombers. | Ref: 2 |
Nov 01 | Japan increases presence on Kiska and Attu in the Aleutian Islands to 4,000 and 1,000 men respectively. | Ref: 82 |
Dec 20 | In the Aleutians, U.S. Army Air forces began bombing, strafing, and incendiary attacks on Japanese Kiska Harbor installations. | Ref: 37 |
- 1943
Jan 01 | Alaska Command reaches 94,000 soldiers. | Ref: 82 |
Jan 11 | US Army landing on Amchitka Island in the Aleutian Islands. | Ref: 82 |
Jan 26 | Japanese aircraft strafe Costantine Harbor on Amchitka Island in the Aleutians. | Ref: 37 |
Feb 15 | The US airfield on Amchitka in the Aleutian Islands is completed. | Ref: 82 |
Mar 26 | Navy engaged the Japanese in the Battle of Komandorskies, 150 miles west of Cape Wrangell, Alaska, with 3 big transports loaded with supplies escorted by 4 heavy cruisers and 4 destroyers. This is the largest sea fight of the Aleutians. B-25 Mitchell Bombers attack Japanese positions on Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands. | Ref: 37 |
Apr 01 | Gen. DeWitt orders preparations for Operation Landgrab, the invasion of Attu Island. American planes strike Japanese targets on Kiska. | Ref: 37 |
May 11 | Attu and Kiska in Aleutian Islands were retaken by a military expedition launched from San Francisco. The campaign lasted until May 30. | Ref: 37 |
May 20 | All organized Japanese Army resistance ends in the Aleutians. | Ref: 37 |
May 29 | Attu (in the Aleutian Islands) is back in US hands. 2,351 enemy dead, a few hundred were presumed to have been buried in the hills. Japanese surrender. Out of a U.S. force that totaled more than 15,000 men, 549 U.S. had been killed, 1,148 U.S. wounded, 2,100 U.S. men taken out of action by disease and nonbattle injuries. | Ref: 82 |
May 30 | American forces secured the Aleutian island of Attu from the Japanese during World War II. | Ref: 70 |
Jul 28 | Kiska (in the Aleutian Islands) evacuation, almost three weeks before the Allied landing. | Ref: 82 |
Aug 15 | Attack on Kiska (in the Aleutian Islands) to begin. 21 dead and 121 sick and wounded. | Ref: 82 |
Aug 18 | Navy lost 70 dead or missing and 47 wounded when the destroyer Amner Read struck a mine. American casualties totaled 313 men. | Ref: 82 |
Aug 24 | Corlett declared Kisku (in the Aleutian Islands) secure | Ref: 82 |
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