Written for the soldiers who were serving in the Aleutians at the time of this publication's production. It exlains what the action was like in the Aleutians between June 1942 when the Japanese attacked U.S. airfields in Dutch Harbor, among the easternmost islands, and August 1943 when allied forces occupied Attu, one of the westernmost of the Aleutian chain. It has been estimated that one hundred thousand copies were printed in 1944 for free distribution to troops stationed on the chain. (per information contained on pages 193-194 in Shadow man : the life of Dashiell Hammett / by Richard Layman. New York, 1983. In fact the last line reads: "The story of the Aleutians in this war is not yet finished".

An account of the only military activity in North America during World War II.

In 1942 Attu, the westernmost island in the Aleutian chain, was home to two Americans and forty-five Aleut hunters and their families. Located one thousand miles from the Alaska mainland and isolated by year-round damp fogs which manage to survive the constant high winds, Attu was called by an early visitor "the lonesomest spot this side of hell". In June 1942 Attu and the nearby island of Kiska were invaded by the Japanese in the hopes of accomplishing several goals: forestalling use of the islands by the Americans, hindering U.S.-Soviet cooperation, and establishing bases for attacks on the American mainland. On 11 May 1943, the U.S. effort to retake Attu began. The struggle was essentially an infantry battle. The ever-present fog, rain, and high wind limited the use of air power, and the craggy terrain made mechanized equipment next to useless. The infantry retook the island foot by foot.

This is a new release of the original 1949 edition.

Includes the Aerial Warfare In Europe During World War II illustrations pack with over 180 maps, plans, and photos. Gen Henry H. “Hap.” Arnold, US Army Air Forces (AAF) Chief of Staff during World War II, maintained diaries for his several journeys to various meetings and conferences throughout the conflict. Volume 1 introduces Hap Arnold, the setting for five of his journeys, the diaries he kept, and evaluations of those journeys and their consequences. General Arnold’s travels brought him into strategy meetings and personal conversations with virtually all leaders of Allied forces as well as many AAF troops around the world. He recorded his impressions, feelings, and expectations in his diaries. Maj Gen John W. Huston, USAF, retired, has captured the essence of Henry H. Hap Arnold—the man, the officer, the AAF chief, and his mission. Volume 2 encompasses General Arnold’s final seven journeys and the diaries he kept therein.