June 1942 (2)

Alaska

The Japanese Second Mobile Force retired to cruise a support area about 400 miles south of Kiska.  On the second day of attack on Dutch Harbor, two occupation forces moved up to positions from which they could run their objectives.  The first was the Adak-Attu Occupation Force and the second, the Kiska Occupation Force.  As a result of the defeat at Midway [to be dealt with after this preliminary Alaska situation], the Adak occupation was canceled and the Adak-Attu Force was directed to only seize Attu, where a battalion of Army troops went ashore about 0300 hours, 7 June.  The Kiska Force landed a battalion from their Navy at Reynard Cove at 1500 hours, 6 June.

Due to the weather and the attention given to the attacks on Dutch Harbor, US air reconnaissance did not discover that the occupation of Kiska and Attu was taking place until 4 days later.  The PBYs led off the bombing of Kiska, followed by B-17s and the longer range B-24s as soon as they could be concentrated on at the strip on Umnak Island.  This airfield was expanded to suit the purpose being as ironically there was no airfield on Unalaska Island which had 2 harbors.

contributed by Pierre Lagace

The initial Japanese landings were made with combat and labor troops totaling approximately 1,200 men at each location.  But, by the end of June, the Kiska garrison had doubled.  Antiaircraft and communication personnel were added as well as submarine base personnel and six midget submarines.

The US wanted to shift its aerial resources to protect bases and attack enemy ships, aircraft and installations.  They requested that a Canadian squadron take over the job of protecting the Alaskan coastline.  Canada responded by supplying two bomber squadrons and two fighter squadrons.  The 111(f) Squadron was one of the later.

RCAF 111 (f) Squadron in Alaska, 1942

The Canadian 111 Squadron hurriedly trained at Patricia Bay (present site of Victoria International Airport, Vancouver Island) and were soon operational.  They flew their Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks north, under Arthur Deane Nesbitt, DFC, and operated out Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska.  Nesbitt was then promoted to Wing Commander.  As the fighting increased, the 111 moved forward, their mission being to protect the US installations.  The Aleutian Campaign was now an Allied effort.

P-40E Kittyhawk, RCAF 111Sq.

The new Squadron Leader, J.W. Kerwin was killed weeks later, along with 4 other pilots who became caught up in the unusual weather created by the cold Bering Sea meeting up with the warm Japanese Pacific, causing dense fog and violent winds.  Flying conditions  were extremely difficult and casualties were high.  The RCAF 111th is credited with destroying a float-equipped Nakajima A6M2-N “Rufe”.

Japanese Nakajima A6MM2-N “Rufe”

The 111 Squadron headquarters moved to Kodiak Island.  They also had temporary detachments at Umnak, Adak and Amchitka Islands where they served as reinforcements to the US Army Air Corps and were included in various other offensive operations on Kiska.  (The 111 would remain in Alaska for nearly 2 years and will be heard of in later operations as well, but then they would be deployed to Europe at the end of 1943 and receive the new squadron number 440.).

The Alaska Territorial Guard, more commonly known as the Eskimo Scouts, was a military reserve force component of the US Army organized in response to the attacks on American soil.  The ATG operated until 1947 and is said to have had 6,368 volunteers [from the official rosters – thousands more participated], from 107 communities.  These included a variety of ethnic groups which included: Aleut, Athabaskan, White, Inupiaq, Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Yupik.  Among their tasks: To safeguard the only source of platinum in the Western Hemisphere; secure the terrain around the Lend-Lease air route between the US and Russia; and they placed and maintained survival caches along the transportation routes and coastal areas.

Anne, Gallivanta,  has contributed the “Report From the Aleutians” newsreel which can be seen HERE!

Judy Hardy at Greatest Generation Lessons had her Uncles Ced and Dan in Alaska back then, check her out.

Click on images to enlarge.

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 Military Humor –   Out In The Cold

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Farewell Salutes – 

Leonard Amico – Uttica, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Evelyn Brown – Jackson, MI; US Army WACS, WWII

Aloys Dosch Jr. – So.Auburn, WA; US Army (Ret. 23 years), Korea, Vietnam

Charles Garland – Philadelphia, PA; US Army, LtCol. (Ret.), Vietnam

Thomas Homan – Richfield, MN; US Army, Sgt., WWII, Purple Heart

Vernon Mountcastle – VA; US Army, battlefield surgeon, neuroscientist

Ernest Ronaldson – TeKuit, NZ; RAF # 4213929, WWII

Beatrice Rowe – Carbonear, New Foundland; British WAAF, ETO

Bruce Smith – Coffs Harbour, AUS, RA Army #VX67260/6460, Korea

Eugene Walsh – Boynton Bch, FL; US Navy, WWII, PTO

Ramon Ysursa – Boise, ID; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO

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