In the vast, remote stretches of the Aleutian Islands, a strategic outpost named Dutch Harbor became an unlikely, yet crucial, battleground during World War II. Situated on Amaknak Island, adjacent to Unalaska, the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears were vital military installations built by the United States to counter the escalating threat from Japan. This article delves into the history, construction, and the pivotal Japanese attack that forever etched Dutch Harbor into the annals of American wartime history.
A Strategic Arctic Outpost Takes Shape
The decision to fortify Dutch Harbor was made in 1938, with construction commencing in July 1940. The isolated location, approximately 1,000 air miles southwest of Anchorage, presented significant logistical challenges. By May 1941, the first Army troops arrived, finding a nascent Marine Barracks and a U.S. Coast Guard station alongside the small Aleut community of Unalaska.
The island quickly transformed into a bustling military hub. The Army base was officially named Fort Mears on September 10, 1941, honoring Colonel Frederick Mears. It housed troops manning coastal defenses positioned on Ulakta Head to the north and Mount Ballyhoo (known as Bunker Hill) to the south. The Naval Operating Base, occupying the central portion of Amaknak Island, developed an air base, a runway, munitions storage, barracks, a hospital, and a bomb-proof power plant. Additional Army coastal defense facilities like Fort Schwatka, Fort Learnard, and Fort Brumback further fortified the region, making them the only significant military installations in the Aleutian Islands by December 1941.
The Japanese Attack: War Reaches American Soil
Just six months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the war arrived on American soil in the form of a surprise aerial assault on Dutch Harbor. On June 3, 1942, the Japanese Navy launched its planes, initiating the first wartime aerial attack on the continental United States. Despite dense fog, Japanese fighters and bombers descended upon Fort Mears:
- The initial strike resulted in 14 bombs hitting Fort Mears, destroying five buildings and causing significant casualties: 25 soldiers killed and 25 wounded.
- A subsequent strike damaged the naval radio station, killing one sailor and one soldier.
The inclement weather temporarily halted the Japanese offensive. However, on the afternoon of June 4, a second, more concentrated attack unfolded. Japanese forces targeted Dutch Harbor, hitting the S.S. Northwestern, a beached vessel serving as civilian worker housing, destroying it along with an adjacent warehouse. Four new steel fuel tanks and 22,000 barrels of oil, a month’s supply for Dutch Harbor, were also obliterated. The two-day battle claimed the lives of 43 Americans and at least 10 Japanese, with 50 Americans wounded. American air losses included five Army aircraft and six naval Catalinas, while the Japanese reported losing eleven planes.
From Battlefield to Post-War Legacy
In the aftermath of the attack, military planners adapted their housing strategies, dispersing personnel in smaller, camouflaged structures to minimize future targeting. White barracks were painted olive-drab, covered with nets, and even rubbed with mud and water for concealment. Over 5,600 Navy and nearly 10,000 Army personnel eventually converged on Amaknak and Unalaska Islands during peak operations. The Naval Operating Base expanded to include a naval air station, submarine base, ship repair facility, and fleet provision facilities, officially commissioned on January 1, 1943.
Life at Dutch Harbor, though harsh due to the cold, wind, and danger, included efforts to boost morale. Mess halls, theaters, and clubs provided social outlets, and notable USO entertainers like Joe E. Brown, Bob Hope, and Olivia de Haviland visited the remote station. The base played a critical role throughout the war, including controlling Soviet shipping traffic through the Akutan Pass en route to and from Siberia and the United States.
Shortly after World War II concluded in September 1945, Fort Mears and the Naval Operating Base were decommissioned. Abandoned military materials were repurposed by residents to repair homes and other structures. Decades later, with the growth of the king crab fishery in the 1970s, many remaining buildings found new life as warehouses, bunkhouses, and homes. In the late 1980s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funded a site cleanup, demolishing most of the remaining military structures, and the island was largely converted for commercial use. Today, the site stands as one of eight historic landmarks in Alaska commemorating World War II.
Conclusion
The story of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, is a testament to American resilience and strategic foresight during World War II. From its rapid construction as a vital defensive outpost to enduring the first aerial attack on American soil, Dutch Harbor played a critical, though often overlooked, role in the Pacific Theater. Its legacy reminds us of the widespread impact of global conflicts and the profound sacrifices made in remote corners of the world to secure freedom. The remnants and stories of Dutch Harbor continue to serve as a poignant reminder of a crucial chapter in military history.
