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Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, HI beginning at 7:53a.m. and lasting until 9:45a.m. Casualties: 2,335 service-members, 68 civilians
Wounded: 1,178 people Information and photo courtesy of:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pearl.htm &
Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol.22, No. 4. -
Period: to
World War II
This time line can be used for a guided study on the United States involvement in World War II, with a more focused concentration on how Alaska became involved in the war. This timeline only scratches the surface. A good intro to a unit study. -
The United States Declares War on Japan
The United States officially enters WWII with President Roosevelt's declaration of war on Japan. Photo courtesy of http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/tmirhdee.html -
Japanese Attack Dutch Harbor
On June 3rd, the Japanese perform airstrikes on Dutch Harbor; home of two United States military installations. Photo courtesy of https://www.nps.gov/aleu/learn/historyculture/raid-dutch-harbor.htm -
2nd Wave of Bombing on Dutch Harbor - U.S. Counterattack on the Japanese
On June 4th, the Japanese began wave 2 of bombing on Dutch Harbor; however, the United States had a secret airfield on Umnak Island and counterattacked. As the Japanese were en-route to attack, a bomb was prematurely released and hit the hospital in Unalaska; there were a total of 35 American casualties.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of: http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Aleutians/USN-CN-Aleutians-1.html -
Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG)
The ATG was organized after the bombing of Dutch Harbor. 6,368 Native Alaskans from 107 villages became members of an unpaid volunteer force known as the Alaska Territorial Guard. Information from: https://alaskahonorguard.wordpress.com/alaska-territorial-guard-atg-information/ Photo from: Archives from University of Alaska Fairbanks -
Japanese Occupation of Kiska Island
1,200 enemy soldiers occupied Kiska in the evening. The next morning they captured 10 American prisoners of war (POWs); they were shipped to a POW camp in Japan.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occupation_of_Kiska -
Japanese Occupy Attu
1,200 enemy soldiers landed and captured the island and residents of Attu. The residents were later shipped to Kiska and sent on to a Prisoner of War camp in Japan.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryPorn/comments/3nxfu6/a_japanese_officer_with_the_native_aleuts_from/ -
Evacuation of Atka
The residents of Atka were hastily taken from their homes with few belongings to the makeshift refugee camp at Killisnoo Herring Plant near Angoon. The villagers watched in horror as their village was burnt down due to wartime policy to destroy anything useful to the enemy. The conditions at this camp were deplorable; 17 deaths were reported. Information & photo courtesy of :
Mobley, Charles M. World War II Aleut Relocation Camps in Southeast Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Natl Park Svc., 2012. -
Evacuation of St. George & St. Paul Residents
The residents if St. George & St. Paul departed on the Delarof with only one suitcase per person and sent to Funter Bay cannery on Mansfield Peninsula where they were housed in a makeshift refugee camp. Conditions were very harsh and deplorable. There were 30-40 deaths during their stay. Information from and photo courtesy of:
Mobley, Charles M. World War II Aleut, Relocation Camps in Southeast Alaska. Anchorage, AK: National Park Service, 2012. -
Allied Troops Land on Adak
Allied troops land on Adak and build a runway that is completed by September 12, 1942. This puts us with 250 miles of Kiska.
- Naval Historical Center. The Aleutians Campaign: The Official Navy History of the Only World War Two Invasion of US Soil. St. Petersburg, FL: Red and Black Publishers, 1943. Photo courtesy of: http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Aleutians/img/USN-CN-Aleutians-6.gif -
Alaska Highway Completed
On November 20, 1942 the Alaska Highway project is completed to be used for a supply route during the War. Photo courtesy of: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byday/fhbd1120.htm -
Landing on Amchitka Island
On January 12, 1943, allied troops landed on the shores of Amchitka Island to begin preparations for reclaiming Attu and Kitska Islands. Troops begin building an airfield.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of: http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/aleut/aleut.htm -
1st Bombers Land on Amchitka Island
The first allied bombers land on the newly built airfield on Amchitka Island in preparation to reclaim Attu and Kiska Islands.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amchitka_Air_Force_Base -
Battle of Komandorski Islands
The Battle of Komandorski Islands lasted for 3.5 hours on March 26, 1943. This was the first daylight surface battle . The U.S. was outnumbered, but was able to stop Japan's ability to resupply by surface. Another step in reclaiming Attu and Kiska Islands.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/CA/CA-25_SaltLakeCity.html -
Kiska Attacks
During the month of April 1943, Kiska Island was attacked by the United States 83 times, but the Japanese were able to hold their ground; this changed the United States' focus to reclaiming Attu Island.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/468.html -
Battle of Attu Island
On May 11, 1943, American troops landed on the shores of Attu Island ready to reclaim the precious Alaska land. They were met with no resistance on the first day. The battle to reclaim the island lasted 18 days.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of:
http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/08/world-war-ii-battle-of-midway-and-the-aleutian-campaign/100137/ -
American's Reclaim Attu Island
On May 29, 1943, the American troops took ownership of Attu Island from the Japanese.
2,350 Japanese soldiers died on Attu Island
29 Japanese Prisoners of war
549 American lives lost
1,148 American's wounded
Rebuilding of Attu begins.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II in Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No. 4. Photo courtesy of:
http://georgy-konstantinovich-zhukov.tumblr.com/post/96847547171/a-frostbitten-soldier-is-carried-to-an-aid-station -
Attak on Kiska
On August 15, 1943, American and Canadian troops landed on Kiska Island without resistance. The scoured the island for two days and found no Japanese troops present. With two weeks of the allied troops landing on the island, the Japanese troops made their escape through the dense fog.
- Alaska Geographic. World War II on Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Geographic, 1995, Vol. 22, No.4. Photo courtesy of:
https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/28th-field-hospital -
Hitler Dies
On April 30, 1945 Hitler commits suicide. Photo courtesy of: http://www.historybuff.co.uk/death-of-adolf-hitler-a-burning-desire/ -
Nazi Germany Surrenders
On May 7, 1945, General Jodl signs a surrender document bringing WWII in Europe to an end. Photo courtesy of: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/history/ww2clips/news/german_surrender -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On Aug 6th and 9th, 1945, United States planes dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Photo courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki -
Japan Surrenders
On August 14, 1945, Japan offers an unconditional surrender of World War II. Photo courtesy of: http://vaviper.blogspot.com/2015/08/70-years-ago-end-of-wwii-august-14-1945.html -
Formal Surrender of the Japanese of World War II
On September 2, 1945, the Japanese formally signed a surrender of war aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. Photo courtesy of: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/events/wwii-pac/japansur/js-8k.htm -
Attu Prisoners of War (POW) Return to Alaska
On December 21, 1945 only 16 of the 50 prisoners of war returned to Atka, Alaska. They were unable to return to Attu because there were so few of them to resettle the village. Twenty-six Alaskans died in Japan while they were held in the POW camp. Several of the residents were left in the states for medical treatment upon their release. Info and photo courtesy of: https://www.nps.gov/akso/nature/science/ak_park_science/PDF/2011Vol10-2/attu-a-lost-village-of-the-aleutians.pdf -
Three Attu Island Survivors Reunite
The three last Attu resident survivors of the Japanese invasion of the island are: George Kudrin (left), Gred Golodoff (center), Nick Golodoff (right) Photo courtesy of https://www.nps.gov/aleu/learn/historyculture/lost-villages.htm
