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Posted on 07/26/2005 8:13:01 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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Plagued by logistical difficulties and lackluster leadership, the battle for the Aleutian island of Attu remains largely forgotten.  In his classic History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Navy Lieutenant Commander Samuel Eliot Morison wrote that the Aleutian Islands campaign could well have been labeled the "Theater of Military Frustration." This phrase aptly describes the American effort to retake the Aleutian island of Attu from the Japanese in 1943. It was a campaign handicapped not only by the island's fanatical defenders and the bitter Alaskan cold but also by the many miscalculations made by the Army itself. Yet this important campaign to take back U.S. soil, which witnessed the first American amphibious assault in the North Pacific as well as one of the first Japanese banzai attacks of the war, has been pushed into the background by many historians. Such obscurity is unwarranted, and an injustice to those soldiers who fought against extremely difficult odds to place the Aleutian Islands firmly back into Allied hands.  Massacre Bay Attu is the westernmost island of the Aleutians, a chain of some 70 islands stretching 1,700 miles from the southwest coast of Alaska and reaching out to within 650 miles of the Kurile Islands. Since purchasing the Aleutians from Russia in 1867, the United States had done little to develop the area, and most of the islands had not even been fully mapped. As a result of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, the United States pledged not to construct any naval fortifications on the islands, a promise that it quickly revoked after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By spring of 1942, there were 45,000 American servicemen in Alaska, 13,000 of whom were stationed on the partially fortified islands of Unalaska and Umnak. The only heavy fortifications were at Dutch Harbor, but even these were defended by a relatively small force.  "Below decks every facility for shipboard training is utilized till the eleventh hour. These troups are seeing in miniature what their ship is carrying them toward--a model reproducing all of Attu except the Japs, whose rifles and machine guns were waiting along these snowbound crags. From the faces, it is evident that even a model of Attu had a sobering influence."(from "The Capture of Attu") In early June 1942, during the Battle of Midway, a Japanese carrier force staged a diversionary attack on Dutch Harbor. Although damaging, the raid failed to divert American carriers from Midway, resulting in a decisive U.S. naval victory there. On the way back to base, however, Vice Adm. Boshiro Hosogaya, commander of the Northern Area Force, ordered Rear Adm. Sentaro Omori to occupy Agattu, Kiska and Attu islands.  "Artillerymen with their howitzer and 105mm ammunition being transferred from transport to landing craft off the Attu beaches. Two leading boats of their wave, dimly seen in the background, are already half swallowed by the fog."(from "The Capture of Attu") As it was American soil, the enemy presence in the western Aleutians was a source of embarrassment and discomfort to the U.S. government. It also brought several theoretical advantages to Japan. Although intense Arctic storms and fog around the islands made any attempt to use the Aleutians as a bridge to the Alaskan coast difficult, a gradual Japanese incursion onto the North American continent was not impossible. The islands also threatened vital shipping lanes between Seattle and parts of the Soviet Union. Finally, and perhaps most important, Japanese presence in the Aleutians meant that the airspace over the Home Islands might be relatively free of major U.S. bombing efforts.  The Pennsylvania softens up Attu prior to the landings, May 1943. (provided by P. Clancey) Shortly after landing, the Japanese withdrew from Agattu and began building airstrips on Kiska. American troops landed on the island of Adak about 210 miles east of Kiska, and built two air bases there. They also occupied the island of Amchitka about 60 miles east of Kiska, although airstrip construction was nearly impossible due to weather and terrain. Because operations in the Central Pacific were of higher priority, American plans for the recapture of Kiska and Attu were shelved for months. By early 1943, however, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided that it was time to dislodge the Japanese from the Aleutians once and for all. Attu was chosen as the first objective, since reconnaissance seemed to show that is was less heavily fortified than Kiska. After Attu was taken, the plan was for troops from that island and Amchitka to jointly invade Kiska.  May, 1943. Aproaching Attu, 7th Division troops crowd the transport deck to get some fresh air or have a relaxing smoke. Fog and somber gray water surround the ship. Crowded conditions made it impossible to exercise aboard ship. (from "The Capture of Attu") The unit chosen to make the landing for what was code-named "Operation Sandcrab" was the Army's 7th Infantry Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Albert E. Brown. The "Hourglass" Division had been reactivated at Fort Ord, Calif., in the summer of 1940 as a motorized infantry division. Following its reactivation, the unit had gone through extensive training in the Mojave Desert in preparation for service against the Italians and Germans in North Africa.  "The first wave of assault boats gropes its way through Aleutian fog toward the unknown Attu beach two miles ahead."(from "The Capture of Attu") In January 1943, after the Allied landings in North Africa, military commanders determined that there was no longer a need for the 7th's services in that theater. The division then began amphibious training on the beaches around Fort Ord. Unfortunately, the comparatively mild climate found along the California coast did little to prepare the men for the dense fog and bone-chilling cold of Attu. When the 11,000 men of the 7th were loaded onto transport vessels in late April 1943, many of the troops believed they were going to Hawaii. This seemed plausible, since most of the soldiers were wearing summer uniforms. The quartermaster general had intended that special winter clothing be issued to the troops participating in the invasion. But the order was rescinded because it was thought that the extra weight of winter uniforms might slow the men down. Although some soldiers were issued special equipment just before the landings, most 7th Division GIs reached Attu in inadequate clothing.  The Pruitt guides landing boats to Attu's Massacre Bay beach, 11 May 1943. (provided by P. Clancey) The convoy arrived at Cold Harbor, at the eastern end of the Aleutians, on April 30. Due to bad weather, the ships stayed in anchorage until May 4, then headed west. Since a gale was pounding Attu at that time, the assault was postponed until May 9, and the convoy took off for the Bering Sea to avoid enemy detection. Japanese submarines operating around Cold Harbor, however, had seen the convoy and had relayed the intelligence to the garrisons on Kiska and Attu. The Attu garrison was put on alert on May 3, and for six days the men stayed in their battle positions. By May 9, it looked as if no invasion was coming, so the alert was called off. The next day, the U.S. convoy left the Bering Sea and arrived offshore of Attu, unaware of its good fortune.  American Troops Landing On Attu, May 11, 1943." George Smith) The Japanese forces on Attu were commanded by Colonel Yasuyo Yamazaki, whose garrison consisted of the 303rd Independent Infantry Battalion, along with engineer, artillery, mountain artillery and service troops. The Japanese were well dug-in, and were supplied with fur-lined uniforms and boots, kerosene stoves and sake. Initial American estimates of enemy strength were set at about 500, although this was later increased to 1,500. Preinvasion reconnaissance had shown that the Japanese were concentrated around Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor in the north and Massacre Bay in the south. Therefore, two landings were planned. The Northern Force, commanded by Lt. Col. Albert Hartl, consisted of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, and its attached artillery and auxiliary units. The Northern Force's objective was to secure Holtz Bay and a valley lying to the southwest.  Soldiers unloading LCPR and LCM type landing craft on the beach at Massacre Bay, Attu, on 12 May 1943. Boats are from USS Heywood (APA-6). Note the Military Policeman overseeing operations from his position near the right side of the image. The Southern Force was the larger of the two and was commanded by Colonel Edward Earle. The force comprised the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 17th Infantry; the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry; and field artillery and auxiliary units. After landing at Massacre Bay, the Southern Force was to go up Massacre Valley, take Clevesy and Jarmin passes, hook up with the Northern Force at Holtz Bay and then destroy the enemy at Chichagof Harbor. The 1st and 3rd battalions, 32nd Infantry, along with some field artillery troops, were to stay on the transports as reserves.
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Watching a space launche still manage to warm my heart.
Morning Snippy.
Morning Valin.
For some reason I keep wanting to say "Gesundheit" every time I say "Attu".
Welcome to the Foxhole, sorry it took me so long to get araound to saying "Hi".
Thanks for all to additional info you've been providing to the threads. I've been looking forward to seeing what you come up with each day.
Get the feeling it was sort of a "last minute" operation?
I have known a few people like that.
My wife's friend's Mother is like it today.
Good morning ALL, another hot, humid day predicted for us here in Memphis today. The heat index for yesterday was 110.
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on July 27:
1612 Murad IV, sultan of Turkey (1623-40)/conquered Baghdad
1768 Charlotte Corday assassin of Jean-Paul Marat
1812 Thomas Lanier Clingman, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1897
1820 John Franklin Farnsworth, Brig General (Union volunteers)
1824 Alexandre Dumas fils France, playwright/novelist (Camille)
1840 Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
1857 Jos‚ Celso Barbosa Puerto Rico, found Federalist Party in 1900
1870 Joseph Hilaire Belloc England, author (Path to Rome)
1880 Donald Crisp Scotland, actor (How Green Was My Valley, Pollyana)
1880 Joseph Tinker baseball Hall of Famer, 1/3 of fame double play combo
1906 Leo (the lip) Durocher, baseball manager (Brooklyn Dodgers, NY Giants)
1916 Kennan Wynn NYC, actor (Dr Strangelove, Absent Minded Professor)
1922 Norman Lear TV writer/producer/leftwing loonytoon...I mean activist(PFTAW) (All in The Family)
1924 Vincent Canby critic (NY Times)
1931 Jerry Van Dyke Danville Ill, actor (My Mother the Car, Coach)
1937 Don Galloway Brooksville Ky, actor (Arrest & Trial, Ironside)
1939 Irv Cross NFL sportscaster (CBS-TV)
1939 James McGee, pathologist/professor (Morbid Anatomy at Oxford)
1944 Bobbie Gentry Mississippi, what did Billi-Jo throw off the bridge
1947 Betty Thomas St Louis Mo, actress (Lucy Baines-Hill Street Blues)
1948 Peggy Fleming San Jose Cal, ice figure skater (Olympic-gold-1968)
1949 Maureen McGovern Youngstown Oh, singer (Got to be a morning after)
Long night bump for the Freeper Foxhole.
Mrs alfa6 is slooooowly getting better, if we could get the leg cramps under control things would move along faster.
BTW Gail at 9am here in Kansas City is was a balmy 64 degrees :-) Hopefully the cold front will make it to Memphis
More later I have to take the Mrs out for her road work.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
balmy 64 degrees
That's just about perfect!
I have to take the Mrs out for her road work.
So you get to play DI for her?
FORWARD....MARCH! :-)
Only if I want to wear a walker arond my neck or a cane up my... you know where
The forecast high for today is 78 degrees with a low of 60 tonite, not bad for the end of July eh
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
78 degrees with a low of 60 tonite
I LIKE It. If I never see 90 again I'll be a happy man.
On the back row from left to right is me, my son the network wizard and the Treadhead logo daughter. On the second row is my #2 daughter, her new baby girl, my dad MR.alfa6 SR and my oldest daughter, the teacher. The bottom row are the Pigeon Pad testers, Anissa, Jared and Katie
Have ya ever seen a finer rougues gallery now, eh?
ANd just to show you how organized we can be here at the alfa6 compound the granddaughters birthdays are July13, 14, 16. The grandson's birthday is May 15th.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
That might explain using improperly trained troops, but some of the decisions were affirmatively bad. The general who canceled the order for appropriate clothing, for example, should have been left in the Alaska wilderness a few weeks in winter in his desert attire. "Some of the GIs who had spent the night on the floor of Massacre Valley were later found frozen stiff, having burned the stocks of their rifles in a futile attempt to keep warm."
I expect the Lt. who ignored the warning got his punishment at the hands of the Japanese. The colonel who got himself shot on the front lines may have had more guts than brains, or he may have been sent up there by the same general who made the clothing decision.
I do note that the troops began to make good progress when the general in charge was replaced. It may have been a coincidence of timing, but the change of command may have had an impact, both substantively and in terms of morale.
Here's another one for the list of bad decisions: "The Americans, who had been ordered a few minutes earlier to leave their positions and have a hot meal at a regimental kitchen, were caught totally off guard. "
The Chaplain sounds like he was a theological liberal who should have spent more time reading the Old Testament.
Just wonderful! What a blessed looking crew . . . way to go Dad!
Thanks for the kind words we left out the Mrs, somebody had totake the pic.
And thanks for the pics from vacation I found them quite interesting
Well have to take Mrs alfa6 to the Dr to see if it's a cramp or a blood clot, hoping for a cramp as blood clots are verrry bad news
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
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