The Aleutians

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23673, 25 June 1942, Page 4

The Aleutians

Three weeks ago, at the same time as they attempted their attack on Midway Island, the Japanese began to move against the Aleutian Islands, in far northern Pacific waters. Their first attack was an air raid on Dutch Harbour, or Unalaska, westernmost of the new United States naval and air bases off the coast of Alaska. Since then it has become apparent that the islands of Attu and Kiska at the western end of the Aleutian chain, and not Dutch Harbour, were the immediate objectives, and that the attack on Dutch Harbour was either a feint or a secondary blow designed to hamper action by United States forces against Japanese landings in the outer islands. It was admitted fairly early by United States communiques that the Japanese had succeeded in landing on Attu, but only this week has a similar admission been made about Kiska. As the .communiques state, the continued bad weather and heavy fogs characteristic of far northern Pacific waters at this season are probably responsible for the inability of the main opposing forces to get to grips except through occasional air activity. In spite of this, United States aircraft are reported to have struck fairly heavy blows at Japanese naval units, particularly in the harbour at Kiska. Last week Lieu-tenant-General H, H. Arnold, Commander of the United States Army Air Forces, said a cruiser Had been sunk and hits had been scored with torpedoes on a Japanese aircraftcarrier in the Aleutians. Other official announcements reported the

damaging in air attacks of three Japanese cruisers and a number of smaller vessels, and further damage to Japanese ships was reported on Monday. Even though it may not have been achieved without loss, the important thing is that the Japanese have now achieved the occupation of Kiska. American commentators, ever since the action began, have decried the importance of the small and remote islands of Attu and Kiska, emphasising that their permanent white population is negligible. Yet in the early days of the war with Japan most American reviews of offensive strategy directed against the Japanese mainland discussed with enthusiasm the possibility of an attack from Alaska, in which the outermost Aleutians, and particularly Attu and Kiska, would play an important part as intermediate bases for aircraft. Certainly these two islands were not included in the United States programme for the construction of naval and air bases in Alaskan territory—chief among these being Sitka, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbour, apart from others on the northern mainland —but they have been stated to possess good landing grounds, and Kiska has a good harbour. The Japanese purpose in occupying these two islands is more likely to be defensive than offensive, and before the war started- German strategists suggested that if Japan were ever engaged in war with the United States she should at an early stage seize the outer Aleutians but be content to hold them for defence rather than to try to push on to Alaska. Holding these islands, Japan has advanced reconnaissance bases which may be as useful to her in anticipating any southward move of American, naval forces towards Japan as Port Moresby has been to the Allied forces protecting the north-eastern coasts of Australia. At the same time they may serve, should the situation justify it, as advanced striking positions for attacks on United States bases in Alaskan territory. The claim made in some American comment that the loss of these islands is unimportant, as the Japanese can always be dislodged from them if they become dangerous, is not supported by recent events in the Pacific. The heavy losses suffered by the Japanese navy in the Midway Island battle are sufficient proof of the.extreme vulnerability of even the best-prepared naval forces at the hands of modern land-based aircraft. The Japanese will certainly lose no time in seeing that the air defence of Attu and Kiska is/adequate.