Evening star., 1943-06-01
Lessons From Attu

AtIu Is ours again. 1nlS Te1nOCeSC
bit of American soil has been wrested
from the Japanese invaders after
they had possessed it for almost a
year. The reconquest took eighteen
days of bitter fighting under almost
unimaginably difficult conditions of
terrain and weather which inflicted
heavier casualties from exposure and
frostbite than from Japanese bullets.
Once our troops had sWarmed ashore
on Attu's fog-Wrapped beaches and
began storming the rocky heights in
land, the actual fighting was done
almost entirely by our ground forces.
Persistent fog and drizzling rain pre-
vented much effective aid from
either our air or naval arms. That
a Well-entrenched enemy was over
come in less than three weeks under
such handicaps reflects great credit
on our soldiers and their leaders. AS
on Guadalcanal and in New Guinea,
American troops have met Japanese
forces specially trained for excep-
tional conditions of territory and
climate, and have proved themselves
as good or better than the enemy.
That is a heartening conclusion, of
which there can be no doubt.
Nevertheless, the Attu campaign
yields other lessons less comforting
in character, which should not be
bllnked. In the first place, this
grim episode is bitter fruit of our
national unpreparedness. Military
and naval strategists have long
pointed out the Importance of the
Outer Aleutlans in a war against
Japan, which, for a full generation.
has been a chronic possibility. But
nothing was done to fortify them;
SO the japanese landed unopposed on
Attu and kiSka last June, and were
given ample time to turn both is
lands into strongholds retakable only
after elaborate preparations and at
high price, We should understand
that klska is much stronger than
Attu IN every respect and means a
proportlOnately harder lob. The
abundance Of munitions, food and
warm clothing with which the Japa-
neSe garrison on Attu were supplied
makes the reduction of Kiska by
mere blockade unlikely, at least
within the short three-month sum-
mer span ahead, after which an in
VaSlon Will be impracticable before
next spring. So long as KiSka. with
It's alrtleld, its submarine base, and
It's garrison OF some 10000 troops,
remains japanese thorn in our side,
we cannot make full use of the Outer
AleuuanS, especially for offensive
purposes. Not until it has fallen will
our strategic position in the North
Pacific be secure from either the
offensive or defensive point of view.
Furthermore, larger lesson
emergeS behind those technical con-
slderatlOnS. This is another strik-
ing confirmation of the nature of
IVA e'f'StIlSoC IoC anu I1lG ClldTdCJef
OF the war confronting us which
must be Waged to a successful con-
clusion. As on Guadalcanal and in
New Guinea, so on Attu, the jana
nese fought literally to the death.
The account of the Attu garrisons
last stand, as described by the Toxic
radio, may sound somewhat melo-
dramatic to American ears, but it
probably describes what actually
took place. Caught hallway on
mountain slopes between our troops
who had stormed the ridge and
others in the valley below, the sur
wing japanese, 1000 or more in
number, resolved on a death-charge.
so that the true nature of our i'm
perlal force can be shown to the enc
my Accordingly, they lined up and
made ceremonial bows in the direc-
ton of the Imperial Palace at Toxic.
the residence of their God Emperor.
Then the sick and wounded who
we're unable to participate killed
themselves, and the balance, shout
ing "Banzai!' rushed down the
rocky slopes into the fog -shrouded
valley, meeting death in an obscure
melee of hand-to-hand fighting with
bayonets, rifle butts, grenades and
even fists. That is the fanatic foe
we must meet and master. Millions
OF him. That is the measure of a
task vital to Americas future peace
and security. We must steel ourselves
to this supreme task through resolute
understanding and unf1inching de-
termination.