Invasion

The Japanese meant business: their air attack on Dutch Harbor (TIME, June 15) had been no feint. The U.S. meant business, too: in Washington, Army & Navy officials announced U.S. air attacks on Japanese forces in the western islands of the Aleutians, claimed one cruiser sunk, seven other vessels damaged, including one aircraft carrier, three more cruisers. The Navy also described "continuing air attacks upon enemy landing parties and their supporting naval contingents."

The fact that disturbed the U.S.: this was no small-scale attempt to divert attention. The Japanese had disregarded such difficulties as long and arduous supply lines, torrential rains, miasmic fogs, 80-mile gales, scarce anchorages, flinty soil, volcanic mountains, a savage shoreline.

The Japanese had taken strong offensive steps, great risks, with a threefold purpose of establishing: 1) a defensive outpost;* 2) a base threatening potential supply routes to Russia's eastern frontier; 3) the first step on a stairway'that might lead to large-scale offensive action against the continental U.S.

*The westernmost Aleutians are within 775 miles of the Japanese Kuril Islands.

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