We went ashore today and wandered a bit. We found lots of gun emplacements and tried to imagine a bit what it was like here during the war. Kiska is famous because it is one of the two of the Aleutian Islands occupied by the Japanese during WW2. In fact at one time there were over 5000 Japanese troops here. The other island they occupied was Attu (where we just came from).
The difference was Attu had a very bloody battle by the Allies to reclaim it. However once Attu fell it left the Japanese quite vulnerable on Kiska. They were being blockaded by the allies while they prepared to reclaim the island. But as is normal here there was some extreme fog and the Japanese snuck away. The Allies could not believe they were able to escape the blockade and there were some casualties due to friendly fire from their own troops. Not too mention the money that went into the pre landing bombings.
We think we found the ruins of the underground hospital and we saw a bald eagle. We didn't find the two man sub that is supposed to be here. Right now we are waiting on a weather window if it doesn't happen maybe we will make that a mission tomorrow.
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| a wreck on the beach, picture taken from top of the hill |
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| Sari Timur and Rhapsody at anchor in Kiska Bay |
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| gun on the hillside |
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| remains of the underground hospital |
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| a gun sticking out from a collapsed bunker |
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