Chapter 7 slapstick

After the Battle of the Commander Islands, this kind of daytime battle between surface fleets has never happened again, and other fronts seem to be calm.Now the U.S. military suddenly bombarded the Aleutian Islands, which surprised Okunomiya. He didn't know whether the U.S. military was going to recover the Aleutians, or whether they were going to attack the west under the guise of using it as a cover to launch an attack on other fronts of the Japanese defense line, or even the mainland. The top management of the United Fleet is also at a loss.Lieutenant Admiral Shiro Kawase, commander of the Fifth Fleet, took emergency measures and ordered to strengthen vigilance on the eastern sea of ​​Japan. At the same time, he personally led the fleet to the Paramush Island base.

On May 2, 85 US planes attacked Kiska Island.There are so many air strikes in one day, and such unusual military actions seem to show that the U.S. military still wants to land on Kiska Island. The defenders on the island and the Fifth Fleet are on high alert for a long time, ready to fight at any time. But no one landed, the second day, the third day, a week passed, and there was still no movement.The Combined Fleet was baffled as to what medicine the Americans were selling in their gourds. But the truth is that the US military is indeed here for the Aleutians.The US-British Joint Staff hoped to recover the Aleutian Islands as soon as possible so that when the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, it could build an air relay base in Aleutian, and Kiska Island became the breakthrough point for taking the Aleutian Islands.

But Kincaid's dilemma is that in the past few months, no matter how much he waits, he will not be able to wait for the required battleships and troops. This is embarrassing.Kiskad did some calculations. According to the reconnaissance results, the Japanese army had a stronger force on Kiska Island, with more than 6,000 people. The garrison on Attu Island was only 2,600, less than half of Kiska Island. It has not yet been built, and there are almost no coastal fortifications and air defense facilities. With an idea, Kincaid decided to bypass Kiska Island and go straight to the farther Attu Island with fewer troops.After the plan was reported, it was quickly approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US military, and the landing time was set for May 7.

The previous air raid on Kiska Island was a small-scale smack in the west, just to provide cover for the landing on Attu Island, but why did they miss the appointment again?The reason was that the Aleutian Islands were thick with thick fog, and the landing formation was forced to postpone its departure, and the landing operation had to be postponed accordingly. On May 9, the formation, commanded by Rear Admiral Rockwell, approached Attu Island, but Rockwell then received a report that the landing site was rough and the wind and waves were high, so the operation was postponed for two days.

In the early morning of May 11, under the cover of dense fog, the landing formation approached the coast of Attu Island, and the landing troops landed simultaneously from the north and south of Attu Island.It was originally expected that thousands of Japanese troops would come to prevent the landing. As a result, the first troops to land encountered only very weak resistance. Obviously, the landing on Attu Island caught the Japanese army by surprise.When the United Fleet Command received the relevant telegram, the officers and soldiers were also quite shocked, realizing that this was the second successful amphibious landing operation launched by the US military after Guadalcanal.

The landing force was the Seventh Division of the U.S. Infantry. The division first received basic training in the desert area of ​​Nevada, and then conducted amphibious combat training in the coastal area of ​​​​California, and was mentally prepared for the hardships of combat.However, the actual combat on Atu Island told them that this kind of mental preparation is far from enough. From the landing attack, to the rendezvous, and then to the pursuit of victory, the battle went smoothly at the beginning, but changes occurred in the second half, when the Japanese army withdrew to Chichagov Port.There they fought tenaciously from their positions.

The U.S. Seventh Division has practiced in the desert and along the coast, but it has not practiced in the polar regions. This shortcoming has hurt the soldiers.Their clothes, shoes and other equipment were not suitable for fighting in cold and humid areas. When the armored vehicles went to support them, they were also trapped by the thick semi-frozen moss. A week later, ground forces still failed to break through Chichagov Harbor as planned.The U.S. Seventh Division simply invested in the reserve team, and the offensive force reached 11,000. The force was at a 5:1 advantage, but progress was still very slow.Kincaid was so annoyed that he ordered the replacement of the commander of the ground forces.

Just as the battle of Attu Island was at a stalemate, the United Fleet began a rescue operation.Kawase originally planned to lead the fleet to attack from the Paradise Base, but after inquiring, the opponent was very strong. The Rockwell formation had 3 battleships, 6 cruisers, 19 destroyers, and 1 aircraft carrier. It is thicker than your own waist, and it is free to go up. Kawase didn't dare to hit a stone with an egg, so he could only hand over the problem to the United Fleet Command.