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| Attu |
Alaska is one of the least populated states in the United States, but its largest in terms of land area. It consists of a mainland and an island chain known as the Aleutian Islands.
However the westmost island, Attu, laid around 2000 km from the Japanese Home Islands. Therefore it was a natural target when the United States and Japan went to war.
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| Attu (in red) and its relative position from Japan |
The invasion of the Aleutian Islands
The Japanese plans for the Aleutian invasion was two-fold: they were to (A) distract the United States from the more precious occupied Southeast Asia, and (B) were to be a potential staging ground for a full invasion of the United States by a joint Japanese-Soviet task force. At the time of planning (January 1942), the Japanese and Soviets were not at war.
The invasion of the Aleutian Islands would be the first time the United States was invaded by a foreign state since 1812 (by the British).
On 7 June 1942, about 1000 Japanese soldiers landed on Attu. This surprised the 40-50 inhabitants who mainly lived in Chichagof Harbor. There was only one pistol between the residents (who were mainly the native Aleuts), so they surrendered with no resistance. One resident, a weather reporter named Charles Foster Jones was savvy enough to destroy the only radio on Attu. The Japanese executed him for refusing to repair it for their usage.
All the inhabitants were taken Japan as prisoners.
The United States only realised Attu was lost a few days later but poor weather conditions and lack of strategic importance meant that any counter would have to wait.
The Japanese were also reluctant to proceed further, and actually abandoned Attu in September 1942, only to reoccupy it with nearly 3000 men a month later (in preparation for an American strike).
It would take the Americans nearly a year to finally recapture the Aleutian Islands.
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