Into the Endless Mist

Finally, the Americans, using their industrial capacity and taking advantage of the obvious Japanese mistakes, moved on to Kiska by landing on Adak and Amchitka. The Japanese plan to provide reinforcements and supplies to both garrisons in the Aleutians led to the naval battle of the Komandorski Islands (アッツ沖海戦, Attsu oki kaisen) in March 1943, which also marked the end of the era of the classic artillery clashes between warships without air support. The commander of the Fifth Fleet, Vice Admiral Hosogaya, failed to destroy Rear Admiral McMorris’ task force and lost the unique chance to play for time in the North Pacific. After March 1943, Nippon Kaigun never risked a major naval battle with the US Navy to defend the Aleutians.

Although the campaign was far from being over and Americans just began preparations to reconquer Attu, the period of balance between the US Navy and the Japanese Navy in the North Pacific had ended. The Japanese lost and the bloody toll of this defeat was the first ‘honorable defeat’ (玉砕, gyokusai) on Attu. However, the painful lesson was learned and soon after, despite all pessimistic predictions, the Kiska garrison of more than 5,000 men was evacuated without a single soul lost. The withdrawal operation deservedly got the name ‘miracle at Kiska’ (キスカの軌跡, Kisuka no kiseki) in Japanese historiography.

Into the Endless Mist is an account of the forgotten struggle in the Aleutians, based on meticulous research of American and Japanese primary sources, testimonies, monographs, and papers. The book’s goal is to present the most objective image of a campaign in which the weather decided victory and defeat or life and death.