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The Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears were the two military installations built next to each other in
Shortly after the end of World War II, the U.S. military abandoned its Dutch Harbor outposts. For decades, the buildings remained standing, generally abandoned. With the growth of the king crab fishery in the 1970s, many of these buildings were used as warehouses, bunkhouses, and family homes. In the late 1980s, the U.S. government finally funded a cleanup of the derelict fort, and the area was turned over for commercial use.
Gallery of Dutch Harbor base
{{National Register of Historic Places Forts in Alaska Amaknak Island Buildings and structures in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska Installations of the United States Army in Alaska United States Navy installations Military installations closed in the 1940s Aleutian Islands campaign Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska National Historic Landmarks in Alaska World War II on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska Historic American Buildings Survey in Alaska Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska 1940 establishments in Alaska
Dutch Harbor
Dutch Harbor is a harbor on Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska. It was the location of the Battle of Dutch Harbor in June 1942, and was one of the few sites in the United States to be subjected to aerial bombardment by a foreign power during ...
, on Amaknak Island
Amaknak Island (russian: Амакнак) or Umaknak Island ( ale, Amaxnax̂; russian: Умакнак) is the most populated island in the Aleutian Islands, an archipelago which is part of the U.S. state of Alaska.
Geography
Amaknak is an islet o ...
of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large v ...
in Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, by the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in response to the growing war threat with Imperial Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. In 1938, the Navy Board
The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...
recommended the construction which began in July 1940. The first United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
troops arrived in June 1941 and an air base
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
constructed by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
was finished in September 1941. At the time of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
, these were the only military installations in the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large v ...
.
On June 3–4, 1942, the two bases were bombed by Japanese planes operating out of two aircraft carriers in a two-day event known as the Battle of Dutch Harbor
The Battle of Dutch Harbor took place on June 3–4, 1942, when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched two aircraft carrier raids on the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and U.S. Army Fort Mears at Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island, during the A ...
, marking the first enemy aircraft strike on the American continent in history.
Description
Dutch Harbor occupies the central portion ofAmaknak Island
Amaknak Island (russian: Амакнак) or Umaknak Island ( ale, Amaxnax̂; russian: Умакнак) is the most populated island in the Aleutian Islands, an archipelago which is part of the U.S. state of Alaska.
Geography
Amaknak is an islet o ...
, a small island in Unalaska Bay which is separated from the larger Unalaska Island
Unalaska ( ale, Nawan-Alaxsxa, russian: Уналашка) is a volcanic island in the Fox Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the US state of Alaska located at . The island has a land area of . It measures long and wide. The city of Unala ...
by Iliuliuk Bay. The two islands are joined by a bridge connecting the city of Unalaska
Unalaska ( ale, Iluulux̂; russian: Уналашка) is the chief center of population in the Aleutian Islands. The city is in the Aleutians West Census Area, a regional component of the Unorganized Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Unalaska ...
to the southern portion of Amaknak Island. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the entirety of Amaknak Island was used by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
as an operating base, and by the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, which manned coastal defenses on the high ground at the northern and southern parts of the island. The central portion of the island was occupied by the facilities of the naval base, which included a runway and other aircraft support facilities, munitions storage facilities, barracks, a hospital, and a bomb-proof power plant. South of the naval base was Fort Mears, (named in tribute to Frederick Mears) which primarily consisted of barracks for the troops manning the coastal defenses. The coastal defenses included batteries placed to the north on Ulakta Head and Mount Ballyhoo, and to the south on what the army called Hill 400, but is now known as Bunker Hill for its surviving structures. Other Army coastal defense facilities at and near Dutch Harbor included Fort Schwatka, Fort Learnard, and Fort Brumback.
Battle of Dutch Harbor
On June 3, 1942, the Japanese Navy attacked Dutch Harbor in the first aerial attack on thecontinental United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
during the American/ Pacific theaters of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Originally planned to start at the same time as the Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
, it occurred a day earlier due to one-day delay in the sailing of Nagumo's task force.Parshall and Tully, ''Shattered Sword'', pp. 43–45, derived from ''Senshi Sōshō'', pp. 119–121. 43 Americans and at least ten Japanese died during the attacks, which lasted for two days. The base remained an important part of coastal defenses for the remainder of World War II.
Postwar
Shortly after the end of World War II, the U.S. military abandoned its Dutch Harbor outposts. For decades, the buildings remained standing, generally abandoned. With the growth of the king crab fishery in the 1970s, many of these buildings were used as warehouses, bunkhouses, and family homes. In the late 1980s, the U.S. government finally funded a cleanup of the derelict fort, and the area was turned over for commercial use.
See also
*Aleutian World War II National Historic Area
The Aleutian World War II National Historic Area is a U.S. National Historic Site on Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Island Chain of Alaska. It offers visitors a glimpse of both natural and cultural history, and traces the historic footprints of ...
*List of National Historic Landmarks in Alaska
The National Historic Landmarks in Alaska represent Alaska's history from its Russian heritage to its statehood. There are 50 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the state. The United States National Historic Landmark program is operated under ...
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Aleutians West Census ...
References
External links
*Gallery of Dutch Harbor base
{{National Register of Historic Places Forts in Alaska Amaknak Island Buildings and structures in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska Installations of the United States Army in Alaska United States Navy installations Military installations closed in the 1940s Aleutian Islands campaign Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska National Historic Landmarks in Alaska World War II on the National Register of Historic Places in Alaska Historic American Buildings Survey in Alaska Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska 1940 establishments in Alaska