Forgotten Battle 5

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This month's Forgotten Battle is...

The Battle of Attu

Intro

The battle of Attu was fought in the Aleutian Islands from May 11 to May 30, 1943. It was fought between the American Army and the Japanese Army. It was the largest and bloodiest land battle to be fought on American soil during World War II.

Part I

Six months after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Army sent a couple battalions to occupy two of the Aleutian Islands. On June 3, 86 Japanese aircraft launched an attack on Alaska's, Dutch Harbor. The attack severely damaged the American military base and enabled the Japanese to move ships into the area. Later that month, several thousand Japanese soldiers landed unopposed on the islands of Attu and Kiska and built fortifications on them.

By the year 1943, the tide of the War in the Pacific had turned in favor of the United States. The Japanese Navy had suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Midway. And the Guadalcanal Campaign had ended in a hard-fought victory for the Americans. This victory was the first major success of the Allied island hopping strategy across the Pacific. Further attacks on other strategic islands were immediately planned; among them were the Aleutian Islands, Attu and Kiska.

Part II

Although the Japanese garrison did not present a major threat to mainland America, it was seen as a threat to those living in Alaska. Many generals feared that the Japanese could use the islands as airbases to threaten the Americans stationed there and interfere in ship movements from that territory. Also, they were highly irritated that a piece of American territory was under Japanese occupation. After several months of consideration, they decided to launch Operation Landcrab and retake the Aleutian Islands occupied by Japan. The first target was, Attu. 

Attu is an uninhabited volcanic island with only a few trees. It frequently has 100-mile-an-hour gusts and rain storms. The Japanese garrison on the island numbered 2,650 soldiers from the IJA 2nd District under the command of, Colonel Yasuyo Yamasaki. After taking control of Attu, Yamasaki ordered his soldiers dig in on the high ground away from the beaches. Knowing that his army was severely outnumbered and outgunned, Yamasaki was prepared to give the last full measure.

It was decided that the assault of Attu would be carried out by the American 7th Infantry Division. Spearheading the attack would be the 32nd Infantry Regiment (aka: the Buccaneers). Although they had not been trained for winter warfare, this attack was to be their baptism of fire. Very few of them had any idea of what they were about to face.

Part III

The assault began on May 11, just after 7 AM. In just over an hour, the first wave had all landed without encountering any resistance. This was due in part to a heavy fog that covered the beaches and obscured the Americans from the Japanese defenders. Once the Americans began moving off the beaches, the battle began.

The Americans had superior numbers and better equipment. However, their advance was hampered by bad weather and freezing temperatures. As a result, many soldiers suffered trench foot and frostbite. This coupled with highly fortified Japanese positions in the island's tundra, caused them to suffer heavier casualties than they anticipated. As they moved further inland, the fighting only got worse. In the thick of it, was Private Joseph (Joe) Pantillion Martinez.

Originally from Taos, New Mexico, Joe was only 22 years old. He had been assigned to Company K of the 32nd Infantry Regiment. On May 25, Martinez and his regiment were attempting to capture a mountain pass called, Fish Hook Ridge. This position was one of the strongest defenses in the Japanese lines. Behind this pass was Chichagof Harbor, the Japanese last line of defense. With his regiment pinned down by heavy machine-gun fire, Martinez decided to take the initiative. He crawled away from his comrades and began to climb the pass toward the Japanese position. After reaching it, he killed five of the machine-gunners. Unfortunately, Martinez received a lethal wound to his head while charging the last Japanese foxhole on Fish Hook Ridge (he would die the next day). 

After capturing Fish Hook Ridge, the Americans finally began advancing on Chichagof Harbor. On May 28, the Japanese prepared to launch a suicidal counterattack (a banzai charge). Colonel Yamasaki penned a final letter to his wife, Shigeko. It read, "We have been married for more than 30 years and I would like to thank you for all the good time we could spend together. You have been an excellent wife to me and a gentle mother to our children. I will always think back of that time with much pleasure". On May 29, what remained of the Japanese garrison launched its banzai charge. They managed to break through the first American line and vicious hand-to-hand fighting followed. However, the Americans quickly recovered and annihilated the Japanese attack with overwhelming firepower. By the next day, the battle of Attu was finally over.

Epilogue

The Americans had emerged victorious in the battle for Attu. However, the 19-day operation had cost both armies dearly. The American casualties were 548 killed, 1,148 wounded, and more than 1,800 frostbitten and sick. Of the Japanese garrison of 2,600, only 28 survived to be taken prisoner. The rest (including Colonel Yamasaki) all died fighting or committed suicide. As a percentage of the number of soldiers involved, this was the second-deadliest battle fought between the Americans and the Japanese in the Pacific (with only Iwo Jima being worse).

For his valor on Attu, Private Joe Martinez was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He would be the only American servicemen to receive the medal for this battle. Three months later, the Americans prepared to invade the Aleutian island, Kiska. Upon landing on the beaches however, they found the island completely devoid of enemy troops (the Japanese had evacuated the garrison two weeks earlier). This concluded the Aleutian Islands campaign of World War II.

The battle of Attu was the last major combat action of the Aleutian Islands campaign. All further actions against the Japanese would occur in the South Pacific Ocean. The American victory at Attu was largely overshadowed by their campaigns in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. When World War II was over, the Americans abandoned Attu as they had little use for it. Today, the island's only residents are its wildlife. And they only hint of the terrible battle that was fought in May of 1943, are a few small monuments to the fallen of both armies.

https://www.army.mil/article/256615/7id_and_the_invasion_of_attu

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-attu

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/05/24/thousands-of-japanese-soldiers-fought-the-only-wwii-battle-on-u-s-soil-just-28-survived/

https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=168

https://evergreenpodcasts.com/medal-of-honor/pvt-joe-p-martinez-fighting-an-uphill-battle

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/battle-of-attu-60-years.htm