Various Photos about Alaska

These are photos from various government archives about the war. Note: the word "Jap" is part of the original descriptions.

"This 105-mm gun and its crew poured more than 2000 rounds of shells into Jap positions in the course of four days battling at Attu. Jap positions blasted were in the Massacre-Chichagof Pass. With the Aleutian base again in American hands, Japs stationed on Kiska are becoming the center of attraction for our bombers in the cold country."

"Attu Island -- With a roar, a Japanese shell explodes near a U.S. position. The Nips fought furiously and clung to their foxholes with the tenacity of cornered rats -- but they were doomed men. Credit line (Acme) (WP) 6-9-43 (ML) Full DJH LV MIL. MON 687869 WP New York Bureau"

"A jeep noses its way shoreward from a snub-nosed landing barge. By occupying this island which is only about an hour's flying time from Japanese-occupied Kiska, the American Airmen are able to keep the Nipponese under constant aerial bombardment.

"An American doughboy looks at a tiny Japanese graveyard found on Attu when he reached the west arm of Holtz Valley after a drive over the mountains to complete a victory."

"Soldiers at a U.S. Army base in the Aleutians do a little old-fashioned snow shoveling to clear important points after a williwaw (howling blizzard to you) that has covered their huts with snow. Winds that reach 100 miles an hour, squalls and fog as thick as clam chowder are some of the natural enemies combatted by American soldiers on the island chain that stretches across the North Pacific like stepping stones between Japan and Alaska."

Aerial view of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska.

"Victims of war are these Aleuts who were evacuated from their homes during the installation of Alaskan defenses. Natives earned money in sealing operations, became customers of mail-order stores. Native costumes and handicraft have yielded to factory-made articles." [handwritten on the back]"Agnes Lekanoff of the Pribiloff Islands;" "Anna Lekanof;" "People evacuated from St. George Island."

"All that remained of a 24-bed hospital at Unalaska after Japanese bombers struck June 4. Fortunately, all patients had been removed to underground shelters. The photo, just released by the Navy Department, shows what happened to beds and other sickroom equipment under the impact of "New Order" assault. The hospital had been operated by the American Bureau of Indian Affairs."

"Occupation of Amchitka Island in the Aleutians provides U.S. airmen with a base only 63 miles from Jap-held [ Japanese held ] Kiska and within 1700 miles of Tokyo. Here American war planes are shown on a newly constructed airfield on the island."

"This photo, released in Washington today, shows columns of smoke rising from Japanese installations on Kiska Island in the Aleutians, after a recent heavy raid by U.S. Army Air Forces Bombers. The raid badly damaged the Jap's secondary seaplane hanger. Note giant Jap four-engined seaplane, its tail section missing and washed up on the beach (near top, right corner of photo), and four float type Zero fighter on the water just off the beach, (between wrecked seaplane and center of photo).

"As Americans advanced on Holtz Bay. Attu Island -- When American forces landed on Attu Island early last May at two points, Massacre Bay, and north of Holtz Bay, the Jap garrison on the fog-shrouded Aleutian outpost began living on borrowed time. Today, with the exception of a mere handful of prisoners, every Nip [ Nipponese ] on the island is dead and the U.S. troops are in complete control. Now, the U.S. is directing its attention to wiping the Japs from Kiska, the Main stronghold in the Aleutians. These photos, (above), were taken during the actual fighting, as Americans who landed north of Holtz Bay, clawed their way up and over precipitous cliffs under heavy sniper, machine gun and anti-aircraft gun fire, to smash and capture the Nip [ Nipponese ] base on Holtz Bay. Within one week, forces under Col. Frank Culin, of Tucson, Ariz., and Maj. Albert V. Hartl, of Bismarck, N.D., advanced over the difficult terrain and captured the well-stocked and well-fortified Japanese Holtz Bay base. (Passed by Censors). An American fighting man takes cover among the rocks as a Jap anti-aircraft shell bursts overhead, (top, center). This photo, taken on the third day of the advance, shows the almost impassable terrain over which the U. S. forces had to attack. Credit line (Acme) (WP) 6-9-43 (ML) Full DJH LV MIL MON 687870 WP"

Fires rage in Jap installations on rocky Kiska following a severe pounding by U. S. Army planes on the Nip outpost in the Aleutians. Note the seaplanes resting on the water offshore.

Attu - Japanese entrenchment.

Title taken from front. Two Japanese soldiers pose in snow on Attu Island, Alaska, during World War II. Photo among those later found on Attu Island after its capture by United States. From verso: "Property of Cook Inlet Historical Society." 1943. Original photograph size: 5" x 3 3/4".

"This is the first picture to arrive here showing bombs from an American plane heading for the flight strip which the Japs have been building on Kiska, in the Aleutians. Day in and day out our fliers harass the enemy at this important outpost and rain bombs on the runway, but the Japs keep repairing the field. Note bomb craters on the runway.

View of bombing of Fort Mears at Dutch Harbor, Unalaska Island, Alaska, during World War II. From verso: "News release. Headquarters, Alaskan Command. Public Affairs Division, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska 99506. Phone Anchorage, Alaska (907) 752-9215 or 752-9222. Historical photo series. Japanese bombing attack - Not only was Pearl Harbor unprepared on the "Day of Infamy," December 7, 1941, but Alaska lay practically defenseless. Nowhere in its vast reaches could be found a single Army, Navy or air base ready to repel the enemy. Dutch Harbor was bombed by carrier-based Zeros of the Imperial Northern Force of the Japanese Navy on June 3-4, 1942. This photo was taken of Fort Mears following a bombing attack. Three days later, and exactly six months after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese landed almost 2,500 crack troops before dawn on the beaches of Kiska and Attu in the Aleutians -- U.S. soil." 1942. Photographer: Alaskan Command. Original photograph size: 8" x 10".

"American and Canadian troops have occupied Kiska, vast Japanese stronghold in the Aleutians, without meeting opposition from the enemy, it was announced on Aug. 21st. This photo just received from the front shows high ranking officers of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Corps, who planned Invasion B land, sea and air as they met shortly before the start of invasion in Admiral Kinkaid's conference room at North Pacific Fleet Headquarters at an Aleutian port. Left to right -- seated around table -- Maj. Gen. J.B. Murchie, Canadian Army; Commodore L.E. Gehres, Commanding Officer of Fleet Air Wing Four; Maj. Gen. Holland M. Smith, Commanding General U.S. Marine Amphibious Corps; Brig. Gen. James W. Barnett, (hidden) Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt, Commanding General 4th Army; Rear Admiral Grancis W. Rookwell; Vice-Admiral Thomas Kinkaid, Commander of the U.S. North Pacific Fleet; and Commander-in-Chief of the Kiska Invasion; Major General Charles H. Corlett; Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.; Major General William Butler; Maj. Gen. George Randolph Pearkes, Commanding Canadian forces: (standing in rear) Col. G.B. Erskine; Commander R.L. Dennison; Capt. O. S. Colclough; Col. Carl T. Jones; Brig. Gen. E.D. Post; Brig. Gen. J. L. Ready. (50) Credit Line (Acme) (WP) 8/21/43"

"As American troops landed on Attu, Aleutian Islands, May 11, 1943, a Navy combat photography unit accompanied the first wave of American troops ashore at Japanese-occupied Attu, the westernmost island of the Aleutian chain. Some of the photos were made under fire -- and we too had our casualties. A detail of soldiers from an advanced command post carry back a wounded comrade. This picture clearly reveals the rough terrain over which we went after the Japanese. Their snipers kept just above the fog line and hi[s] in crev[i]ces. (50) 5/26/43Credit line (U. S. Navy official photo from Acme.)"

"As American Troops landed on Attu, Aleutian Islands, May 11, 1943, a navy combat photography unit accompanied the first wave of American troops ashore at Japanese-occupied Attu, the westernmost island of the Aleutian Chain. Some of the photos were made under fire -- as Jap snipers attempted to wing our men. In this photo landing boats are shown pouring out scores of soldiers and their equipment onto the black volcanic sand of Massacre Bay. This picture represents but part of the southern landing force." (50) 5/26/43. Credit line (U S Navy Official Photo from Acme)

"As American troops landed on Attu, Aleutian Islands, May 11, 1943, a navy combat photography unit accompanied the first wave of American troops ashore at Japanese-occupied Attu, the westernmost island of the Aleutian chain. Some of the photos -- such as this -- was made under fire as the Japanese snipers in the hills in the background - half hidden by fog attempted to wing our men shown in the foreground near Massacre Beach. The Japs skillfully camouflaged came down to the line of fog and fired from the crevices in the rocks. Credit line (U. S. Navy official photo from Acme) 5/26/43. (50) W10133"

"As American troops landed on Attu, Aleutian Islands, May 11, 1943, a navy combat photography unit accompanied the first wave of American troops ashore at Japanese-occupied Attu, the westernmost island of the Aleutian chain. This photo was made at the start of the attack and shows that landing boats having been put over the side of the transports are beginning to move towards the beach. The searchlight of the destroyer cuts thru the fog like a pencil.

Washington D.C. -- This photo, one of the first taken of the landing of U.S. Troops on Jap-held [ Japanese held ] Attu Island last May 11th, was taken by a navy combat photographer and released in Washington today. Cameramen who took these photos of the landing at two points on the island, Massacre Bay and Holtz Bay, were under Jap fire many times. Here, by crawling on his stomach, photographer was able to get this closeup of American machine gun nests in the front lines of Attu.

"This photo, one of the first taken of the landing of U.S. troops on Jap-held [ Japanese held ] Attu island last May 11th, was taken by a navy combat photographer and released in Washington today. Cameramaen who took these photos of the landing at two points on the island, Massacre Bay and Holtz Bay, were under Jap fire many times. Here, heavily-laden landing boats, with soldiers crouching down out of line of sniper fire, approach the west arm or Holtz Bay."

"Washington D.C. -- This photo, one of the first taken of the landing of U. S. troops on Jap-held [ Japanese held ] Attu Island last May 11th, was taken by a navy combat photographer and released in Washington today. Cameramen who took these photos of the landing at two points on the island, Massacre Bay and Holtz Bay, were under Jap fire many times. Here, U.S. troops advance in the face of enemy fire. This is a front line shot made just as a bank of fog came rolling in. While this photo was taken, Jap bullets were singing by.

"Here in one of the first offical Dutch Harbor bombing photos released by the U.S. Navy is shown a series of bomb explosions in the bay where raiders "unsuccessfully" attempted to silence machine gun fire." Date attributed to this photo notes when censors released image for reproduction. Attack here probably happened in early June 1942.

"Tokyo -- Japanese troops are raising their flag after the landing in the Aleutian islands, according to the original caption accompanying this photo, which was received in New York from neutral Portugal, August 1. Lisbon described it as a radiophoto from Tokyo to Berlin.

"Jap plane down in the Aleutians. Aleutians Islands -- This Jap warplane is shown after it crashed in the Aleutians Islands in which it pilot was killed."

"Jap bombs fall harmlessly into the bay during a raid on Dutch Harbor, June 3-4. Jap bombardiers missed by a mile when they tried to silence machine gun emplacements. Ship in left background staved off enemy attack with continued withering machine gun fire. Photo is one of first to be released."

"Fuel tanks at Dutch Harbor are ablaze after being hit by Jap bombs during the attack there, June 3-4. Note Jap dive-bomber directly over radio tower. This is one of the first photos of the Jap attack on the harbor."

Title from caption. Photograph of a burning Japanese ship in Kiska Harbor after U.S. Army Air Forces raided Japanese-held Kiska Island. Caption on front of phototgraph reads: "Kiska Harbor, Aleutian Island, Alaska, -- Jap transport burns fiercely after rcving [sic] direct hit from U.S. Army bomber. -- Photo made from Navy plane shortly after. Official U.S. Navy photo from Acme." Verso reads: "Here's one result of hard-hitting retaliation by U.S. forces against Japanese invaders of the Aleutian Islands. A Jap transport in Kiska Harbor burns fiercely after receiving a direct hit from an American bombing plane. The picture, an official U.S. Navy photo, was made from a Navy plane shortly after the bombing."

"Attu -- Guns in hand, a mop-up squad moves in to clean up this Jap gun emplacement on the west arm of Holtz Bay. The two Japs who held the position refused to surrender. Smoke can be seen still risinig from the spot where hand grenades were tossed to wipe out the stubborn pair of Nips.

"Moving forward cautiously, the American mop-up squad examines this Jap dougout [sic] with makeshift, tent-like roofs. It was an enemy gun emplacement held by two Japs who refused to surrender. Smoke still rising is from hand grenades tossed in to wipe out the opposition. FULL credit line: passed by Army Censor --WP -- (Acme) 6/11/43 (EO)."

Title by Cataloguer. A group of Japanees detainees are seen some time after their detention. The location is thought to be a detention camp in Crystal City, Texas. Further information was provided by Ron Inouye, co-investigator on the Alaska's Japanese Pioneers Oral History Project, December 10, 2005, in Fairbanks AK. "During World War II, Japanese men, legally barred from U.S. citizenship, were separated from their families and Japanese-Americans, and placed in Department of Justice internment camps. Several Alaskans were taken from rural Alaska to these camps in Crystal City, TX and Santa Fe, NM. A permanent memorial to the internees was dedicated in Santa Fe in 2002."

Title taken from information with photo. Aerial view of Kiska harbor and surrounding area, Kiska Island, Alaska, during Japanese occupation, World War II. From verso: "A[laska] A[ir] C[ommand] History Office." Photographer's number 51696. 1942-1945. Possible photographer: Alaskan Air Command? Original photograph size: 8" x 10".

View of Japanese soldier skiing, Attu Island, Alaska, during World War II. Photo among those later found on Attu after its capture by the United States. From front: "Attu, 1943." 1943. Original photograph size: 7" x 5".

Photograph of smoke rising from a small island (Kinnaw) after a bombing run. Verso reads: "Smoke rises from fires started by American air and ground forces on the small island of Kinnaw, off Chicagof Harbor, Attu, where the Japanese made their last stand. A U.S. Navy plane flew over the shell and bomb pocked hills to make this photo on May 31st. NY LON SA MX SJ #12 6/16/43 Credit line (official U. S. Navy photo from Acme). W688586"

"Right in the thick of action on Attu, hurling their trench mortar shells over a ridge into a Japanese position, these soldiers go about their job casually. Note the expressions as two of them wait tensely for the explosion. A third, with head down, speaks into a field telephone, a cigarette dangling from his lips. This is the first close-up of land battle action on Attu to be released. NY LON SA 12 MUR 6/4/43 (JR) credit (Official U. S. Navy photo from Acme) W 687397"

Title from verso. Photograph of men and landing craft during the liberation of Kiska Island. Verso reads: "Canadian and American troops landed from these craft on Kiska beach go to hunt Japs, only to find that the little men weren't there. This picture was taken as landing operations were under way August 15th. Little dots on the hillside slopes are advance patrols seeking Japs they thought were 'playing possum'.

Accession Number: 96-26 Descriptive Narrative: Paper cut-out in the shape of a paulownia leaf, printed in gold, black and green. Background printed on each side is a photographic reproduction of a leaf in gold and black. In the center is a black rectangle with green border around Japanese characters. Inscription: inscription in Japanese Notes: Loose translation of Japanese text: "Leaves of paulownia tree will drop--an ill omen--Japanese military government will be destroyed. Sorrow and sadness forever. Before spring comes, American bombs will fall like leaves, bringing in much sadness and unhappiness."These leaflets were dropped over Japanese-occupied Kiska and Attu during the Aleutian Campaign of World War II by Patrol Squadron VP45 USN. Dimensions: H: 6.25 in, W: 5 in

Title from verso. Photograph of bomb damage from an air raid on Kiska Island. Verso reads: "Aleutian Islands -- Pillars of smoke rise from Japanese barracks and military installations on the Island of Kiska, as bombs from U.S. Army Consolidated B-24 bombers blast them into kindling wood. Note Jap seaplanes riding at anchor on the bay, (center of photo). Renewed Jap [Japanese ] military activity in the Aleutians, indicates attempts to reinforce Nip [ Nipponese ] outposts, and American bombers have been busy trying to blast them out of the islands.

Title from verso. Photograph of marines in a trench during a raid on Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Verso reads: "U. S. Marines are on the alert in their trenches during the Jap attack on Dutch Harbor, June 3 and 4. Black smoke in the background is coming from fuel tanks, set afire by Jap dive-bombers."

"Attu -- Every one a bloody, gruesome corpse with a part of his body torn away, these Japs died by their own hand in a mass suicide on Attu, in the Aleutians. Most of the Nips [ Nipponese ] died when they held hand grenades to their chests. The smoke in background rises from an American supply dump left burning by the Japs .

"Americans occupy island 63 miles from Kiska Amchitka Island, Aleutians--In the cold waters of Constantine Harbor, Yank landing boats head toward Amchitka Island in the Aleutians only 63 miles from Jap-held [ Japanese held ] Kiska. The ocupation, announced today (May 7) by the Navy, took place last January. No opposition was given the Americans who carried out the landing party according to plan. Amchitka is now the nearest U.S. base to Tokyo and places our long range bombers within theoretical range of the Jap capital.

"American war planes are all set to have a go at Japs on Kiska, only 63 miles away from them on this new landing field constructed on Amchitka Island. The Navy's announcement today of the January occupation of the rocky isle, in the Rat group, explains how Yank pilots have been able to keep up their continuous aerial attacks on Jap installations on Kiska. In air distance, 63 miles is just like running next door."



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