History 

Japan invaded Kiska Island in June 

1942. Japanese troops struggled for 

a year against harsh weather, terrain, 

inadequate clothing, and attack. 

While the Allied forces planned a 

final invasion of Kiska, the Japanese 

evacuated troops, under the cover of 

fog. Expecting intense fighting and 

heavy losses, American and Canadian military forces invaded on August 15, 1943, only to be greeted by 

abandoned Japanese camps, weapons and equipment. 

Caution For Island Visitors

Large amounts of ordnance and explosives were stored, used and disposed of on Kiska and Little Kiska 

Islands. During the first half of 

1943, Allied planes dropped over 3 

million pounds of bombs on both 

Kiska and Little Kiska islands. 

Many of these bombs may not have 

exploded as intended. Other ordnance left on the islands after military demobilization included countless numbers of Japanese and Allied 

artillery, mortars, small munitions, 

grenades and land mines as well as 

Japanese booby traps. 

Although military activities on Kiska 

and Little Kiska were concentrated in 

certain areas, ordnance and explosives 

may be encountered anywhere on and 

around these islands. Military shipwrecks are located in the water or onshore around the islands; among them a 

Japanese mine-carrying vessel, midget 

submarine, and merchant ship. Remnants of military aircraft, bunkers, tunnels, guns and munitions can also be 

found on the islands. When war operations in the Aleutians were halted, much 

of the remaining ordnance was buried 

by the American military; these dumps 

contain shells, fuzes, bombs and other 

explosives. But even long-buried items 

can eventually be brought to the surface 

by natural events such as earthquakes, 

storms, wave action or soil erosion. 

Military ordnance and explosives are 

designed to destroy equipment and kill/

maim people. Regardless of harsh conditions or age, explosives remain lethal 

and can become more sensitive to 

movement. Weather and soil conditions 

may alter appearances so that today 

shells and fuses may appear rusty and 

be difficult to recognize. Many items 

may be partially or totally buried, with 

little or no portions visible through the 

vegetation or soil. These items may 

appear as rusty pipes or pipe fittings. 

All types of explosives represent serious hazards; they can be more 

deadly than when initially dropped or 

fired during battle. For your safety 

and the safety of others, assume that 

all ordnance and explosives are live 

and may explode. 

Until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts site investigations 

and attempts to remove known military ordnance and explosives, the 

public should take extreme caution in 

accessing these islands. 

 

Please report all findings to either: 

Alaska Maritime 

National Wildlife Refuge 

95 Sterling Highway, Suite 1 

Homer, Alaska 99603 

(907) 235-6546 

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife 

Refuge - Aleutian Islands Unit 

Box 5251 

Adak, Alaska 999546 

(907) 592-2406 

Department of the Army 

176th Ordnance Detachment (EOD) 

Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-6078 

(907) 384-7603 or (907) 384-2307

Kiska Island 

CAUTION - Military ordnance and explosives from World War II remain on Kiska 

and Little Kiska Islands. These items are extremely dangerous and should not be 

touched, picked-up or moved.

What You Should Do 

If you discover something you think 

may be military ordnance: 

• DO NOT TOUCH, REMOVE OR 

DISTURB 

• If possible, identify area on map 

• Record size and shape WITHOUT 

TOUCHING 

• Take a photograph of the item

Artillery shells litter the island. 

Piles of abandoned ammunition. 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service