hey jou!

That's one of those things I've read in a spanish blog and make me smile...

I supose that some americans will know this story, but me, as an European guy, didn't.

Kiska is one of the Rat islands that are part of the Aleutian's archipelago. In 1867 the USA purchased from Russian Empire, the continental land of Alaska and their occidental archipelagos, including Kiska island.

In 1942, admiral Yamamoto ordered a surprise attack in Midway islands to set a defensive perimeter against american power. Inside this operation too, was planned as a mesure of distraction to take the Kiska and Attu islands.

We will lay aside the Midway battle and we will focus in the small island of Kiska. The 6th of june of 1942, japanese naval forces took Kiska, guarded by a small force of nine soldiers, one lieutenant... and his dog. It just was a little volcanic island covered by snow... but a thorn in the american pride and besides, very close to the american continental land.


^Marines going to Kiska island. The smiling ones are the newbies.

For several months the Kiska and Attu island were bombed, and the 15th of August of 1943 was initiated the landing operation for cap it. An army composet of:

• 34.426 allied soldiers (5.000 canadian, american marines the rest)
• 95 ships (including three battleships and a heavy cruiser)
• 168 aircraft

In front, the japanese army composed of… nobody. Taking advantage of bad weather in last days that prevented to fly the american reconnaissance planes and the dense fog, they left the island.

But that's not all, because the allied army had 200 casualties and more than 300 injured (team kills, traps, destroyrt USS Abner Read hit a mine

That night, however, the Imperial Japanese Navy warships, thinking they were engaged by Americans, shelled and attempted to torpedo the island of Little Kiska and the Japanese soldiers waiting to embark. Admiral Ernest King reported to the secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, that the only things that remained on the island were dogs and fresh brewed coffee. Knox asked for an explanation and King responded, "The Japanese are very clever. Their dogs can brew coffee."

blog where I read it
more details in wikipedia

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