Dutch Harbor Then and Now, Part II - WWII Attack on Dutch Harbor
Monday, August 25 2008 | Comments (0)
The Attack on Dutch Harbor
during World War II
Before the Discovery Channel series, before Captain Sig and his crew of sea cowboys hit the water, before Crab Fishing was the main attraction, Dutch Harbor was more than a fishing town. The Fort Mears Naval base at Dutch Harbor played a major role in World War II, as a site of a major attack, and a site for a key finding for U.S. military intelligence.
800 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska, lies the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears Military Base on Amaknak Island. This island is one of the Aleutian Islands. The base was not fully built until 1940, after slowly building over the course of 30 years, from a simple Navy radio station to the full Naval and Military base. The site proved to be an important addition to the Military’s bases, as it was the U.S.’s only line of defense in the Aleutian Islands. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the civilian residents of Amaknak Island were relocated. Six months after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Dutch Harbor was attacked.
A WWII pilot stationed in Dutch Harbor, shields himslef from the wind and ice,
common to this region's weather.
The attack on Dutch Harbor was actually a diversion attack of the Japanese, meant to draw American attention from the ordered attack on the Midway Islands. The U.S. was able to crack Japanese codes, and learned of the plans, and alerted the Dutch Harbor base. The base was still attacked, as planned, on June 3 and 4, and American Lives were lost, but the attack was lessened by the surprise counter fire from the Americans. The Japanese had not planned on this, and abandoned the missions after several attempts.
Three attacks came on June 3, killing 25 soldiers, and wounding 25 more. The attacks left moderate damage of the base. The attacks on the second day killed nearly 20 more Americans. Several buildings at the base were also damaged, and over 20,000 barrels of oil were destroyed. Four Japanese planes were shot down, and one Japanese plane was forced to land on American soil. The pilot died, but the plane, a Zero plane, had been a consistent problem for the allies previously in the war. American intelligence was able to study it and learn from it. This was an important gain for the Allies, giving them insight into the Japanese technology.
The Japanese went on to occupy Kiska and Attu islands, also Aleutian Islands, but 1,000 miles away from Amaknak Island. Of the original residents of these Islands who were relocated prior to and before the attacks, 100 of them did not survive. It is said, however, that among the servicemen who were stationed at Dutch Harbor and the troops that were deployed to back up these bases, it was the harsh weather that claimed the most American lives, and not the Japanese.
The remnants of these bases are still there, though no longer active. The former runway is now the site of the commercial airport. And Dutch Harbor is no longer known for deploying naval fleets, but fleets of fishing boats. And Unalaska is a beautiful and strong Alaskan community, with a unique history that, unfortunately, so few know about.
To learn more about these historical events, visit the National Parks Service listing about Dutch Harbor here.
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