Last week, we covered the epic conclusion to the Battle of Attu, as Colonel Yamasaki’s
doomed garrison made a last banzai charge towards salvation that ended in mass death.
But most importantly, the end of the battle would have huge repercussions for the North
Pacific Campaign, as the Japanese now had no other choice but to abandon their presence
in the Aleutian Islands. At long last, the population of the US could feel safe again.
Further south, however, we also have in store some new developments that were unfolding in
China and the Solomons; so join us as we delve into another exciting episode of the Pacific War.
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After the end
of the Battle of Attu, a carnage that left piles of Japanese bodies was all that remained
in the tiny island. The Americans had also suffered substantial casualties, as this had
been the costliest ground battle yet fought in the Pacific; but most of them were still alive,
whereas the entire garrison of Colonel Yamasaki had been wiped out entirely. Nonetheless, although
many costly mistakes had been committed, the lessons taught during the battle were numerous and
important. American commanders learned about the fanaticism and willingness to die of the Japanese,
finding them to be masters at camouflage, concealment and infiltration, but also discovering
their many weaknesses at all around defense . Most importantly, however, planners began to conceive
and take into account that weather and terrain posed the greatest threat to success, something
that would prove to be invaluable in future operations. As we’ll recall, while the Battle of
Attu raged, the Japanese had issued a directive on May 21 for the evacuation of Kiska’s almost 6000
soldiers , primarily by submarine but also calling for the use of surface ships, weather permitting.
If possible, the Attu garrison was to be rescued as well, although time would prove that this would
not be the case. Fearing an attack against the Northern Kuriles, the directive also addressed
its defenses. It called for the deployment of fighters and anti-aircraft units to provide air
defense and shore batteries to protect against an amphibious invasion, also requiring improvements
in the infrastructure of Paramushiro. The Japanese submarine evacuation of
Kiska began on May 27, as the I-7 arrived at Kiska with food, ammunition and a radio beacon.
The submarine took aboard 60 passengers, mostly sick and wounded, 28 boxes of ashes of those who
died on the island, and four tons of spent shell cartridges. Other I-Class submarines managed to
make it through the blockade, but the attrition rate proved too costly . Admiral Kawase himself
considered that it would take forty or fifty round trips to evacuate the entire Kiska garrison.
As the Japanese didn’t have enough time for that, they began planning a surface evacuation. In the
meantime, the Americans had also carried out the simultaneous invasion of the islands of Shemya and
Agattu, in which Brigadier-General John Copeland led a landing force that included elements
of General Buckner’s 4th Regiment and Colonel Talley’s 18th Engineers. Going ashore at Shemya
in a tough storm, the Americans were to survey the little island for the building of the first attack
airfield expressly designed to accommodate the experimental new long-range B-29 Superfortress
heavy bomber. With their usual blinding speed, the American Engineers would make the Attu Air Station
operational by June 8; and would further activate the Shemya airfield two weeks later. Additionally,
the 11th Air Force would be reinforced with squadrons of the new PV-1 Ventura bombers,
equipped with the latest airborne radar, which gave a clear picture of topographical contours
that would be of much use in the arctic weather and in night time; and Admiral Kinkaid would also
reinforce the Kiska blockade with an impenetrable screen of destroyers, cruisers and battleships.
Throughout June, General Butler’s forces would plaster Kiska while the enemy carried
out its evacuation, flying a total of 407 bombing sorties, although the formidable
Japanese arsenal of around seventy anti-air batteries would have much success hindering
the job of the airmen with their withering accuracy. Uncontested, the Americans would
further make unopposed landings on Semisopochmoi and the Rat Islands, covered only by PT boats.
With the new Attu and Shemya bases, they also now had sufficient range to bomb Paramushiro,
the huge Gibraltar-like base that guarded the northern approach to Japan, so a new raid would
be scheduled for July. After two unsuccessful attempts , the Americans would finally manage to
bomb Paramushiro on July 18. Though the six B-24 Liberators would not inflict any serious damage,
the raid proved to the Japanese that their home soil was no longer immune to attack,
so the Empire could no longer depend on distance or its Aleutian bases to act as a buffer.
Forced to reinforce the Kuriles and Hokkaido, the Japanese would have to move out men, guns, ships
and planes from the Solomons and the Philippines, leaving those places considerably weakened.
Meanwhile, because of the success that they were having, Buckner and Kinkaid saw their budget
increase exponentially as the Joint Chiefs approved the preparation of an invasion of
Japan from the Aleutians, setting the date of the invasion to early 1945. Still, Kiska would first
have to be subdued, so we’ll continue to cover the North Pacific theater in the future. But now,
we have to venture back to China, where the Battle of West Hubei was about to enter its final phase.
As we last saw, the 11th Army of General Yokoyama had successfully reduced the Chinese presence in
West Hubei south of the Yangtze River, only leaving them with their defensive positions
south and southwest of Yichang, particularly at the Shipai Fortress . Manned by the 11th
Chinese Division of General Hu Lien, the Shipai Fortress was located over the dangerous Xiling
Gorge , which made it a formidable defensive point guarding the entrance to Chongqing and Sichuan.
Because of its importance, Chen Cheng would order Hu Lien to defend the fortress to the death. By
May 18, as the second phase of the Operation South of the Yangtze came to its conclusion, General
Yokoyama decided to concentrate the 13th Division near Quanshuiwan and the 3rd Division, reinforced
with the Nozoe Detachment, near Shuangjingsi , in preparation for their final drive to destroy the
Chinese forces located between Yichang and Yidu. The following day, the third and last
phase of the operation started, with the 13th Division immediately moving north while the
reinforced 3rd Division advanced into the area south of Yichang to cross the Qingjiang River.
The invaders found some enemy positions along the way, but so many casualties had
been already inflicted on the Chinese troops that the defenders were dazed and easy to overcome.
Nonetheless, the efforts of the 18th Army would manage to slow down the Japanese advance,
forcing Yokoyama to direct his 39th Division to join the offensive. On the early hours of May 22,
the 39th thus forded the Yangtze and joined the 3rd Division in their assault of Changyang .
But as the enemy was gradually approaching the Shipai Fortress from three directions, Chen Cheng
and General Sun Lianzhong decided to throw the 94th and 32nd Armies to stop the 13th Division’s
advance at Yuyangkuan . Chen Cheng’s plan was solid, as if it succeeded, the Japanese were
going to be flanked and surrounded. But instead, as Yokoyama’s units clashed with the main force
of the 18th Army at Changyang and Yuyangkuan on May 23, the confused and demoralized defenders
were rapidly sent packing before the 94th and 32nd Armies could arrive at the battlefield.
Fortunately, however, the Chinese would manage to reorganize and establish new defensive positions
to the right of the Shipai Fortress, successfully setting up a last line of defense in front of
Chongqing and Sichuan. Yet the enemy relentlessly continued its advance, and by the end of May 26,
it had reached the hastily assembled Chinese line. At this point, General Yokoyama considered that
the main objective of the operation had been completed, as the vessels at Yichang could
now advance towards Yueyang without facing any opposition. Thus, he would order the 53 ships
to navigate the river on May 27, although he would be surprised by the unexpected appearance
of Allied aircraft , which started to bomb and strafe the ships on the Yangtze and the
troops on the ground. Meanwhile, at the Shipai Fortress, Hu Lien faced the direct attacks of
a Japanese regiment on May 28. Fighting to the death, the desperate defenders would manage to
repel each enemy assault, successfully inflicting many casualties on the invaders. Hu Lien would
personally supervise the troops at all times in their efforts to dig in and build fortifications.
But to the right, the 3rd and 39th Divisions also charged against the new positions manned
by the exhausted soldiers of the 18th Army, who resisted as fiercely as they could. But
they were no match against the full might of two Japanese divisions, rapidly seeing two companies
get annihilated as the invaders pushed them back. Nonetheless, the 18th Chinese Division of General
Luo Guangwen boldly decided to counterattack, launching a rain of grenade and mortar fire
over the positions of the invaders that decisively checked the attacks of the 3rd and 39th Divisions.
Although the aid of the artillery and air bombardments would manage to slow
down the Japanese advance, time was of the essence if they hoped to defeat the enemy.
Thankfully, the 94th and 32nd Armies finally arrived in the area, with the 94th Army
successfully blocking the advance of the 13th Division near Dayanxiang , thus forcing the
invaders to cross the dangerous Tianzhu Mountain , where they would lose much of their equipment.
But coming down the road, the 13th Division would also be ambushed by the concealed forces
of the 32nd Army, which managed to inflict hundreds of casualties on the unsuspecting
Japanese. Because of these losses, and seeing his forces unable to break through,
Yokoyama would order the Noji Detachment at Yichang to cross the Yangtze and directly attack
the Shipai Fortress in a last effort to overcome Hu Lien’s defenses. On May 29, the Noji Detachment
finally launched its attack, breaking through Hu Lien’s line at Qiuqianping and inflicting
heavy casualties on the bloodied 11th Division, which was forced to retreat towards the bay.
Similarly, by the end of the day, the 18th Army’s other units had to withdraw, leaving Hu Lien alone
to face the brunt of the Japanese offensive. Yet at this point, the Japanese had suffered
huge losses, the vessels at Yichang had already arrived at Shishou, and Yokoyama was afraid that
his remaining forces would get trapped by the Chinese armies that had moved to Changyang.
Because of these reasons, he would finally order the end of the operation on May 29,
preparing his troops to withdraw two days later. Yet on May 30, the 13th Division decided to attack
Muchiaochi, not knowing that the 32nd Army had set up another ambush there. Firing violently,
the Chinese defenders would inflict many more casualties on the battered division. Similarly,
the isolated 11th Division would at the same time repel the combined attacks of the 3rd and 39th
Divisions, repulsing a total of ten consecutive attacks throughout the day and leaving the bay
full of Japanese bodies. The following day, as the Japanese began to retreat, Chinese reinforcements
would arrive at the battlefield, and together they would launch a fierce counterattack.
While the 3rd and 39th avoided any damage as they crossed the Yangtze at Yichang, the exhausted and
weary 13th Division was ordered to head towards Yidu and was finally trapped by the 32nd Army at
Changyang on June 3. Although it would eventually break through towards Gongan, the 13th Division,
which had been earmarked to depart for the Pacific in the near future, lost so many men during this
battle that it would have to remain in China. Meanwhile, Yokoyama would have to send the
17th Independent Mixed Brigade to rescue the trapped division. Arriving at Gongan on June 5,
the brigade would fight a long series of fierce battles, until they would finally be able to
withdraw with the remnants of the 13th Division on June 8. During the next few days, the Chinese
forces of Chen Cheng and Sun Lianzhong would successfully recapture most of the lost territory,
and would begin to rebuild their destroyed and looted fortifications and villages.
Although the original objective of the operation had been successful, the Japanese reported that
they suffered more than 3500 casualties during this battle, with 771 dead and 2746 wounded;
yet it’s disputed that they actually suffered tens of thousand of losses, as the 13th Division was
practically destroyed, while the strength of the 17th Mixed Brigade and the 3rd and 39th Divisions
was severely damaged. So many were the casualties inflicted that the Japanese would be unable to
start another offensive in China until the end of the year. In any case, the Chinese celebrated this
strategic victory, as the gateway to Chongqing and Sichuan had been successfully and tenaciously
defended by the brave soldiers of the 18th Army . Now, it’s time to move to the Solomons,
where the Americans continued to prepare for their next offensive.
As we last saw, the Japanese had conducted Operation I-Go, a massive air counteroffensive
that had managed to cause some damage on the main Allied bases established in the South Pacific.
Yet the damage inflicted had not been enough, so the invaders knew that they would need to carry
out more operations like I-Go if they hoped to pin down the Americans and prevent them from
launching more offensives in the South Pacific. Even worse, the most important commander of the
IJN, Admiral Yamamoto, had been killed on April 18, completely shattering the Japanese morale at
Rabaul. Nonetheless, Admiral Kusaka would set out to reorganize, repair and reinforce his
air forces in preparation for what he believed to be an incoming American offensive against
the Central Solomons. Since the evacuation of Guadalcanal, it’s important to note that the
Japanese had set out to build a strong defensive line in the Central Solomons; and for that, they
would need to reinforce all bases in Santa Isabel and New Georgia using large transports. Kusaka’s
envisioned main defense force was Rear-Admiral Ota Minoru’s 8th Combined SNLF , which comprised the
Kure 6th and the Yokosuka 7th. By late January, Ota’s unit had begun its movement to New Georgia,
successfully arriving at Munda by the end of the month , although a heavy air attack on January
29 would manage to destroy 75 barge-loads of valuable cargo ; and the Japanese would also
send some various forces to occupy Vila and Rekata Bay in January, establishing some light defenses
in these new bases. By late February, however, the destruction of the Kirikawa Maru would force
the Japanese to rely only on destroyers, deeming the cargo ships as unfeasible.
Additionally, the Battle of Blackett Strait on March 6 would force them to avoid the
Kula Gulf and instead use the Fergusson Passage. Thereafter, throughout the rest of March, April,
and early May, the Japanese suffered only one loss , so the new route appeared to be successful.
Although the American attempts to stop the reinforcement convoys would be temporarily
interrupted by Yamamoto’s Operation I-Go in April, Admiral Halsey would finally continue to harass
the Japanese presence in the area by the start of the new month, successfully mining Blackett Strait
on May 7 and launching intense air strikes against the Japanese reinforcement convoys throughout May.
On the night of May 12, Admiral Ainsworth would also take his vessels to launch another naval
bombardment of Vila and Munda, the heaviest yet in volume of fire. Kusaka immediately responded by
sending a fighter sweep over the Russells, losing four Zeros and destroying five Allied aircraft;
and he would also prepare his G4M bombers to start a long campaign against the enemy,
by the end of the month launching six night attacks against the airfields on Guadalcanal
and the Russells and four attacks against American shipping . Yet the threat of the renewed American
air attacks would ultimately force the Japanese to cancel the final scheduled destroyer runs until
late May and early June. Luckily for them, these last reinforcement convoys would suffer no losses,
so the defenders would be able to bring in the bulk of the navy and army troops assigned to
defend New Georgia, along with approximately three months’ supply of ammunition and food.
Thus, the stage was set for the start of another bloody campaign.
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