When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in June 1942, the squadron was reassigned to Fort Glenn Army Airfield on Adak Island; and began combat missions over the captured islands of Kiska and Attu.
The facility was abandoned, with most structures dismantled, the usable buildings being reassembled at Naval Air Station Attu.
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On 1 January 1945 2nd Lt. Robert L. Nesmith flying from Alexai Point, crashed his Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning in Temnac Valley, just west of Attu Station while on a low-level training mission over Attu.
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On the morning of 11 May 1943, American forces went ashore on Japanese-occupied Attu in the Aleutian Islands.
Renowned for her weaving of Aleut grass baskets, Anfesia flew to many communities throughout Alaska to teach children the lost art of Attu basket weaving.
Mednyj Aleut is characterised by a blending of Russian and Aleut (primarily Attu) elements in most components of the grammar, but most profoundly in the verbal morphology.
The Japanese forces on Attu, (430 miles from Adak) however, remained only within the range of the B-24 Liberators, although the P-38s could fly escort missions.
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Air support for the Battle of Attu, which took place from 11–30 May 1943 was carried out primarily from Amchitka.
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By the end of October, the Japanese had decided to pull out most of its garrison to Attu, which they believed was worth retaining, and began transporting additional units from Hokkaido to Attu and began upgrading their defenses.
In April 1943, with their training complete, a detachment from the squadron was ordered aboard the USS Nassau (CVE-16) to participate in the invasion of Attu in the Aleutian Islands.
It later was extended though the Aleutian Islands to Alexai Point Army Airfield on Attu to support long-range bombing operations against the Kurile Islands of Northern Japan.
Attu |
Chichagof Harbor, an inlet on Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska
From 1941 to 1943, Colonel Eareckson personally led all of the difficult missions against the Japanese which were located on two other Aleutian Islands, Kiska and Attu.
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After a month, in which the Eleventh Air Force units on Shemya and Attu concentrated on attacking Kiska and forcing the Japanese to withdraw from the island, the next mission against the Kuriles was flown on 11 September 1943.
The Company was tasked with re-supplying camps established to build a telephone line from British Columbia to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, after the Aleutian Islands Attu and Kiska were occupied by Japanese Imperial Forces.
Plagued by bad weather, Japanese aircraft made their only appearance at Attu on 23 May 1943 when 16 naval Mitsubishi G4M (Allied reporting name "Betty") bombers made an unsuccessful torpedo attack against American ships offshore, losing nine of their number.