Evening star., 1943-05-31
Attu Batt|eWo
Last Jap Units
Annihi|ated
Conquest Of Island
Cuts Off japanese
Garrison on Kisku
BY the Associa ted Press

By the Associated Press.
The battle of Attu is over, and
the Stars and Stripes once again
fly over the barren but strate-
gically important little island at
the western end of the Aleutians.
Scattered snipers and possibly
few isolated machine-gun nests are
all that remain to oppose United
States troops who freed from in
vaders the first American soil to be
recaptured in this war and started
the northern route march toward
TOXIC.
The latest report on the mopping-
up operations, which may require
days, was told by the Navy today in
a one sentence communique. It
said:
"On May 80, United States Army
forces. on Attu Island continued in
the mopping up of the remaining
japanese pockets of resistance"
The loss of Attu, which has been
conceded by the Japanese, leaves the
enemy garrison on Kiska virtually
cut off.
A battle in which American troops
struck with guns. bayonets, rifle
butts, fists and knives marked the
end of the 20-day campaign.
Large Force Annihilated.
1T was the biggest battle on
Attu." said a Navy spokesman in
reporting annihilation of the last
large enemy force on the island.
The Attu battle is won.' declared
Col. r. Ernest Dupuy, chief of the
War Departments news division. He
gave no details in his weekly broad
cast review of war news.
Japan appeared to agree, for the
enemy broadcast a communique tell
ing of a final blow against the
enemy main force" In that battle.
the enemy broadcast asserted, 1T is
thought that the entire number
OF our force has completely per-
ished."
A subsequent Toxic broadcast,
seeking to idealize the defeat,
asserted that Japanese troops
launched the final attack on Attu
after shouting 'Banzai' for the En-
peror and making bows toward the
Imperial Palace in Toxic" The
broadcast told of gaps developing
in japanese ranks until "only a few
more than 100 men remained and
they sent a message to Toxic re-
membering the honor of japanese
soldiers, we are going into the fight
and only death can take our weap-
ons out of our hands,"
Only Snipers Left.
They presumably went into the
battle in the Chichagof Valley in an
attempt to cut around the right
flank OF American forces at dawn
Saturday. Except for snipers,' the
Nays communique said, this
enemy force was annihilated."
1t was indicated that the enemy
force was far greater than the few
more than 100" mentioned by Toxic,
for the Navy declared preliminary
reports indicate that the Japanese
casualties were high"
Soldiers unable because of illness
or wounds to take part in the final
offensive killed themselves. the
enemy radio said. adding that every
man who could fight died willingly
rather than bring disgrace to his
name"
May Retake Kiska.
Two offensive courses now appear
open to the Americans in the North
Paciflc-to recapture Kiska where
the enemy established his largest
Aleutian base. or to drive toward
the west and the Japanese home
land.
The japanese on Attu had started
an airield. and Navy Secretary
Knox said recently Il assume what
the japanese have started the
Yanks can finish"
Thus Kiska now is fanked on
the west by Attu and on the south
east by American forces on Am
chitka, only 70 miles away.
If the move should be toward
Japan military observers here say
that the airfield on Attu could be
enlarged to accommodate big
American bombers. Also it was
pointed out that as a weather OBJ
servation and reconnaissance post,
Attu will be invaluable.