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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 when the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked it just seven months after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. To this day, ...
, on Amaknak Island
Amaknak Island () or Umaknak Island (; ) 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 of the Fox Islands archipelago, a portion of the Aleutian Is ...
of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
in Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, by the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in response to the growing war threat with Imperial Japan
The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In 1938, the Navy Board
The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the Regulatory agency, commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headqua ...
recommended the construction which began in July 1940. The first United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
troops arrived in June 1941 and an air base
An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...
constructed by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
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 Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
, these were the only military installations in the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
.
On June 3–4, 1942, the two bases were bombed by Japanese planes operating from two aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
s in a two-day event known as the Battle of Dutch Harbor
The Battle of Dutch Harbor took place on 3-4 June 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, opening the Aleutia ...
, marking the first enemy aircraft strike on the American continent
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
in history.
Description
Dutch Harbor occupies the central portion ofAmaknak Island
Amaknak Island () or Umaknak Island (; ) 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 of the Fox Islands archipelago, a portion of the Aleutian Is ...
, a small island in Unalaska Bay
Unalaska Bay is a waterway of Unalaska Island in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is situated below the eastern slopes of Makushin Volcano. Composed of seven individual bays, Unalaska Bay opens onto the Bering Sea.
Description
Unalaska Bay is the ...
which is separated from the larger Unalaska Island
Unalaska (, ) 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 Unalaska, Alaska, covers part of the island a ...
by Iliuliuk Bay. The two islands are joined by a bridge connecting the city of Unalaska
The City of Unalaska (; ) is the main population center 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 is located on Unalaska Isl ...
to the southern portion of Amaknak Island. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the entirety of Amaknak Island was used by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
as an operating base, and by the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
, 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
Mount Ballyhoo is a summit in Alaska, United States.
Description
Mount Ballyhoo is part of the Aleutian Range. This iconic landmark of the Dutch Harbor area is set in Unalaska Bay as the high point of Amaknak Island of the Aleutian Islands.D ...
, 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, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...
during the American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
/ Pacific theaters of World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. 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 Ocean theater of World War II, 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 t ...
, 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. Forty-three 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 History of Alaska, Alaska's history from its Russian Alaska, Russian heritage to its statehood. There are 50 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the state. The United States National Historic L ...
* 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 Censu ...
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