7 June 1942
Japanese Forces Land in the Aleutian Islands
At the end of May Admiral Yamamoto ordered a small striking force to head for the Aleutian Islands, which are part of Alaska. His goal was to divert U.S. attention away from Midway by launching an air strike against the American naval base at Dutch Harbor. However, because U.S. cryptanalysts had by this time broken the Japanese code, Admiral Nimitz knew that Yamamoto’s main thrust was headed for Midway, and he ignored altogether the threat to the Aleutians. The strike on Dutch Harbor took place on June 4, but did only minor damage. Three days later the Japanese occupied two of the westernmost islands—Attu and Kiska. They met no opposition at either location.

Given that the attack on the Aleutians had been meant purely as a diversionary tactic, there had originally been no intention of holding on to either Attu or Kiska. However, in light of the disaster at Midway, the Japanese military decided that it might be best to remain in the Aleutians, if only to prevent the Americans from using them as bases for attacks on Japan.

Histories:
History of World War II in the Aleutians
The Aleutian Campaign

Photograph:
Bleak, mountainous Attu had a population of only about forty people prior to the Japanese invasion