US ResearchConflictsIndian Wars and Frontier ConflictsAlaskaBattle of Dutch Harbor
Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts

Battle of Dutch Harbor

1942
Alaska
Era
Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts
Year
1942
Location
Alaska
Status
Verified engagement
The Battle

History & Significance

Battle of Dutch Harbor was a Indian Wars and Frontier Conflicts engagement fought in Alaska, 1942.

On June 3 and 4, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched carrier air raids on the U.S. naval base at Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island in the Aleutians, timed with the larger Japanese operation against Midway. Aircraft from two Japanese carriers bombed the base in two strikes, hitting barracks, oil storage tanks, and ships in the harbor, while the defenders, including Army infantry and coast artillery, Marines, and aircraft of the Eleventh Air Force, put up antiaircraft fire and fought back in the air. Dozens of Americans were killed. The raid marked the first aerial attack by a foreign enemy on a base in the North American mainland region and opened the Aleutian Campaign. One downed Japanese Zero was later recovered nearly intact, the famous "Akutan Zero," giving American engineers a valuable look at Japan's front-line fighter.

Forces engaged
US: 43 killed, 50 wounded, 14 aircraft lost; Japan: 10 killed, 8 aircraft lost, 1 captured (Akutan Zero)

Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Battle of Dutch Harbor take place?
Battle of Dutch Harbor took place in 1942.
Where was Battle of Dutch Harbor fought?
Battle of Dutch Harbor was fought in Alaska, United States.
What was the significance of Battle of Dutch Harbor?
On June 3 and 4, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched carrier air raids on the U.S. naval base at Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island in the Aleutians, timed with the larger Japanese operation against Midway. Aircraft from two Japanese carriers bombed the base in two strikes, hitting barracks, oil s
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This page covers Battle of Dutch Harbor. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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All battles in AlaskaIndian Wars and Frontier Conflictsconflicts ›Historic sites in Alaska
Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Wikipedia source.

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