Kiska is a small island near the western end of the Aleutian Islands. Although it is regularly subject to stormy weather and fog, it features one of finest harbors in the area. At the time of World War II, Kiska was occupied by United States Navy weather station with a complement of ten men. On June 6–7, 1942, in actions designed to roughly coordinate with their attack on Midway Island, Japanese forces occupied both Kiska and Attu against no opposition. Although they had originally planned to withdraw from both islands before the onset of winter, the Japanese high command decided to hold them. Both islands were fortified, and Kiska was made their administrative center for further operations in the Aleutian Islands Campaign. On Kiska, they built an airfield, a series of coastal and antiaircraft defenses, a submarine base, seaplane base, and quarters for troops. Naval facilities were concentrated on the northwestern shore of Kiska Harbor, with army facilities at Gertrude Cove. Dummy defenses were constructed all over the island, while real defenses were concentrated around the main bases and at the North Head of Kiska Harbor.