What the Japanese thought of Canada infantry as compared to the Americans скачать в хорошем качестве

What the Japanese thought of Canada infantry as compared to the Americans

August 15th, 1943. Sergeant Thomas MacKay crouches in a landing craft approaching Kiska Island through fog so thick he can't see the bow of his own boat. Intelligence says 10,000 Japanese soldiers wait in fortified positions ahead. The briefing warned of heavy resistance, artillery fire, a fight that could last weeks. What nobody knows is that the island is empty. The Japanese evacuated two weeks ago. And in the next three days, Canadian and American forces will suffer 313 casualties fighting an enemy who isn't there. This is the Battle of Kiska - the invasion that succeeded completely and failed catastrophically. The victory without combat. The operation where fog and fear killed more than any bullet could. Let me tell you how thousands of soldiers fought a ghost, and why that fight was more terrifying than facing a real enemy. The context: In June 1942, Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands, capturing Attu and Kiska - the only American territories occupied during WWII. In May 1943, American forces retook Attu after 19 days of brutal combat. The Japanese garrison of 2,900 fought nearly to the last man. American casualties: 3,829, including 549 killed. The lesson: Dislodging entrenched Japanese defenders from Arctic fortifications was costly beyond calculation. Kiska was next. Intelligence estimated 10,000 Japanese soldiers - three times Attu's strength. The island had been fortified for over a year with artillery positioned on heights overlooking landing beaches. The Allied response: overwhelming force. 34,426 troops in the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific theater to that point, including 5,300 Canadian soldiers. What they didn't know: On July 28th, 1943, under cover of fog, the Japanese executed a brilliant evacuation, removing the entire garrison - 5,183 soldiers and civilians - in less than an hour. They left behind transmitters on timers broadcasting automated signals to create the illusion of occupation. MacKay's landing craft hit the beach expecting machine gun fire. Instead: silence. His section moved inland through 20-yard visibility, weapons ready, expecting contact at any moment. After 30 minutes, he heard gunfire ahead - not directed at him, but somewhere in the fog. What he was hearing: American and Canadian units firing at each other. Unable to see clearly, nervous about Japanese positions, units were engaging anything that moved. The fog created paranoia. Every shadow was potentially enemy. Every noise potentially an attack. MacKay's section nearly opened fire on another Canadian unit before someone recognized uniforms. #Kiska #WWII #WorldWarTwo #MilitaryHistory #BattleOfKiska #AleutianIslands #CanadianArmy #PacificTheater #FriendlyFire #MilitaryOperations #WWIIHistory #Alaska #JapaneseEvacuation #GhostBattle #HistoryDocumentary #WarStories #MilitaryStrategy #ForgottenBattles #WWIIVeterans #HistoricalAnalysis #TrueWarStories #MilitaryTactics #AmphibiousAssault #WarHistory #HistoryChannel #DocumentaryStyle #DeepDiveHistory #UntoldHistory #HistoryLesson #WWIIPacific #CanadianHistory