| Show Occupation of Aleutian Islands by hy Japanese r Constitutes S Serious rious Menace to Entire U. U S. S Battle of Kiska Island Main Jap a Stronghold Unique in Warfare By CHARLESA A. A n Released b by Western rn Newspaper Union The Aleutian islands or Catherine Catherine Catherine Cath Cath- erine Archipelago pelago are a bow- bow shaped chain of small islands in inthe inthe inthe the North Pacific which point forever towards Japan This geographical fact took on military military mili mili- military tary significance after the Jap attack on Dutch Harbor last June The Aleutians extend west from Alaska toward peninsula la for nearly a thousand miles There are about 70 islands and 80 inlets inlets inlets in in- lets all of which are included in the territory of Alaska The largest of these islands is is the port of entry for western Alaska Alaska Alaska Alas Alas- ka and the center of the fur trade Desolate rocky and forbidding the Aleutians apparently are a continuation continuation continuation con con- of the main Alaskan range This is a land of streaked snow-streaked vol vol- i canoes The climate resembles that of Iceland Iceland Iceland Ice Ice- land mean temperature July 50 degrees January 35 Rainfall is is heavy and clouds and fogginess are almost constant All summer long the fog lies thick over the land During the winter gales lash the seas Practically treeless the islands are rich in berry-bearing berry shrubs The Aleutian natives live in rude huts and spear fish Indians and Eskimos in the interior live on reindeer reindeer rein reindeer rein rein- deer while the Aleuts for the most part make their living at fishing It may be said with a full degree of certainty that this is one place in the world where the fishing is usually very good There is no need for alibis III Trouble Starts for Aleuts Things were going along nicely for forthe forthe forthe I the Aleuts up to the time of the Japanese invasion and then their whole world began tumbling about their ears the war had come to the Far North It was almost unthinkable a few years ago that this land of fog and Contractors camp along the Alaskan highway job Camps are so I I located that the thick poplar growth serves as protection against winter storms The camp area is graded to assure proper drainage I solitude would some day become a aland aland aland land of incredible battles in the air and on the sea that sea that some day along these dangerous fog-bound fog coasts one of the worlds world's greatest concentrations concentrations concentrations concen concen- of cruisers would steam without the benefit of destroyer smoke-screen smoke and without air support support support sup sup- port right up to the enemy's guns gunson on Kiska island and carry the war warto warto warto to Japan i U. U S. S destroyers were in that battle battle battle bat bat- tle line too but they didn't lay down any smoke screen The Almighty had taken care of that 1 The Aleutian islands came into the world spotlight last June when the J Japs aps made their attack on Dutch Harbor from aircraft carriers This was a hit and run attack and the carriers disappeared in the mists As we now stand the Japs are occupying Kiska Attu and Kiska island is some 20 miles long I I and is separated from Little Kiska by a narrow strait Kiska appears to be the main Jap stronghold in inthis inthis inthis this area When the Japs moved in inthey inthey inthey they renamed this island or or Kiska as we prefer to call calI it has it-has has had considerable atI attention attention at at- I from the U. U S. S navy since the J Japs ps took possession under cover of Kiska's fogs For on the very same day the battle for the Solomon islands began at the other end of the world a U. U S. S navy task force glided through the fog almost up to the very guns of the invaders and hurled N F j L a 4 w ul f Fa y tv JAP ZERO COMES TO NAUGHT Somewhere in the barren Aleutian islands this Japanese Zero fighter plane finds its final resting place Downed by defenders during a recent raid its battered remains are shown being examined The plywood belly tank for gas to give it greater range lies in the foreground tons of steel and TNT into Jap I shipping and shore installations in m in Kiska harbor wreaking great havoc on Jap ammunition and oil dumps I and on her runways for land-based land planes Battle of Kiska Unique The battle of Kiska was one of the few battles in this greatest of all wars where ships went to bat in the old-fashioned old way relying on the punch of their guns The navys navy's drive right up to Kiska's enemy guns was nothing short of brazen and has few if any parallels in the history history history his his- tory of naval warfare It was a a. hit and run attack built on sheer nerve and courage but it more than accomplished accomplished accomplished ac ac- ac- ac its objective Pearl Harbor was a stab in the back The Kiska attack was not an act of national national national na na- na- na treachery but a bold frontal assault which should have been expected expected expected ex ex- but evidently was not The Japs were as completely surprised as the U. U S. S forces were at Pearl Harbor American submarines too have done splendid work in the Aleutian area having sent many Jap cargo vessels transports and warships to the bottom The Jap invasion of the Aleutian islands is a constant threat to Alas- Alas f i f t s 4 s jL 4 F w. w h hWA WA IP x 7 X V A WT i 42 y v y I ka and American cities and while the navy has done remarkable work up to the time it may take a combined combined combined com com- land and sea operation to get them out When the occupation of the Aleutians first was made it was assumed that such occupation was merely a saving face-saving gesture to pacify the Son of Heaven in Tokyo for the bombing of the Japanese capital But as the invasion persisted persist persist- ed and grew in force this idea was abandoned and the real danger to America in the presence of the Japs in the Aleutians became apparent Japs on Kiska It has been estimated that at least Japs have occupied the island of Kiska alone Many of these no doubt have been taken care of by the fleets fleet's heavy guns and by the navys navy's big Catalina flying boats and the army's B 17 and B 24 bombers that dare the dangers of fog and mountain to dump their loads of explosive on the venturesome Japs The Cats condemned by some as slow lumbering and outmoded have been the hero planes in the defense defense de- de of Alaska searching out the Japs in hide-away hide islands and sp spending spending spend spend- nd- nd ing endless gruelling hours on patrol duty When the Cats and the Flying Flying Fly Fly- ing Fortresses go roaring through the soup as the fog is called in Alaska there is hell to pay on Kiska However trying to bomb the Japs out of the fog-covered fog Aleutians has F 3 6 y r rA A heavy weapons unit shown on a hour four-hour practice march in Alaska cost the U. U S S. S some brave fliers and some good bombers It is a constant constant constant con con- stant fight with the weather and fogs and mountains have taken a bigger toll of our planes and fliers than have the Japs Some are of the opinion that the Japs may be holding Kiska to guarantee guarantee guarantee guar guar- antee their position in northern waters waters waters wa wa- from which they take great quantities of fish with which to feed the empire of Japan This view is not held by Sen M. M C. C D of Washington member of the military affairs subcommittee that visited Alaska Senator claims that the Japs must be driven from the Aleutians before a North Pacific offensive can be launched said Occupation of three of the larger islands at the tip of the Aleutian chain puts the Japs squarely across our bridge to Russia The Japs must be persuaded with gunfire and bombs the only language language language lan lan- guage they understand that the Aleutian islands are unhealthy for any but Aleuts and Americans and this is being done as fast as feasible At present the Japs menace Alaska and Alaska is of strategic importance importance importance tance to the safety of continental United States Alaska lies athwart an any Jap ap invasion of this continent and is the route by which America may most easily strike against Japan and pay payoff off some old scores And yet the only way to get supplies sup sun plies plies- and men to this vital area isby isby is isby by plane or boat Americas America's Burma Road Very fortunately for Alaska and America the Alaskan highway is isnow isnow isnow now well weIl under construction This highway the greatest wilderness undertaking undertaking undertaking un un- un- un in American history will wilI enable the U. U S S. S to rush munitions to guard the bases that lie closest to Japan Today bull dozers and logging crews are hacking a wide swath into MacDonald's Wilderness creating a corridor for troops and equipment to roll to the Far North This highway will link the U. U S S. S to its Arctic outpost and will be of immense strategic im im- im- im We may all be grateful that Donald Donald Don Don- ald aId MacDonald an elderly engineer was so determined in his purpose to get a highway through to Alaska As if gifted with prophetic vision for 20 years MacDonald promoted the idea To prove that his idea was sound and perfectly feasible he made a trip to Alaska on foot at great personal danger While an Alaskan highway commission was created some years ago with MacDonald MacDonald MacDonald Mac- Mac Donald as one of its members it was not until December 7 1941 that anything was done about building the highway The attack on Pearl Harbor brought into sharp relief the military importance of a highway to this northern U. U S S. S outpost outpost and and Americas America's Burma Road was begun Work Vork Proceeds Apace The highway was started at Dawson Dawson Dawson Daw- Daw son Creek just across the British Columbia line from Alberta and will extend along the east side of the The work is now proceeding proceed proceed- ing apace the ring of the axe and the blast of dynamite now being familiar sounds in wilderness fastnesses fastnesses fastnesses fast fast- nesses which for centuries knew only the howl of the timber wolf and the crashing of the brush as the lordly moose went by Uncle Sam has a way of getting things done in a big way when he rolls up his sleeves and while this is a stupendous undertaking it will not be so very long before the North American lifeline to Alaska will be bean bean bean an accomplished fact one fact one more gigantic stride in the direction of the conquest of ambitious Japan When completed soldiers and armored armored armored ar ar- ar- ar mored equipment will reach Fairbanks Fairbanks Fair Fair- banks in 80 hours from Edmonton Alberta This trip by ocean n from Seattle takes eight days to Anchorage and another day to Fairbanks The cost of the highway will be less than the cost of one battleship Brig Gen William Villiam Morris Hoge is in charge of the construction of the highway which follows almost mile for mile the route MacDonald blazed through the forest fastnesses years ago The men on the construction construction construction tion job are living much as our forefathers forefathers forefathers fore fore- fathers did depending to a considerable considerable considerable consid consid- erable extent upon their ability as hunters and fishermen Surrounding forests provide both fuel and shelter I |
