Text: Jan Bobek

Illustration: Marek Ryś 

Cat. No 82219

American General Billy Mitchell told Congress in 1935: “I believe that in the future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. I think it is the most important strategic place in the world.” Because the Kuril Islands could be invaded by Soviet troops with American support, the Japanese command wanted to make cooperation between the U.S. and the USSR as difficult as possible if Stalin entered the war against Japan. Therefore, the Japanese command focused on the Aleutian Islands, some of which they wanted to conquer, to establish bases on, and then attack American supply and military vessels. The attack on the Aleutians and the landings on Attu and Kiska in June 1942 were not an action to divert attention from the attack on Midway, as it is sometimes stated. It was a strategically equivalent part of an invasion operation that had northern and southern objectives, with reserve forces operating roughly halfway between the Aleutians and Midway.

After the Japanese carriers sailed from the Aleutians, the Tōkō Kōkūtai was tasked with fighter cover for the invasion force. Among other seaplanes it operated A6M2-N Rufe fighters. The fighter unit began operations in early July 1942, and was later detached to form the 5th Kōkūtai, redesignated Kōkūtai 452 towards the end of the year.

The weather in the Aleutians is cool and very changeable even in summer, characterized by low clouds. American flying boats and two- and four-engine bombers soon began attacking Japanese forces. Because of the low altitude, their raids were not only covered by fighter escorts, but were preceded within minutes by fighter attacks against air defense positions. These operations involved pilots of Lightnings, Airacobras and also Curtiss P-40s of both the US and Royal Canadian Air Forces.

Rufes were initially moored in the shallows and maintenance was done in largely improvised conditions on shore. A hangar was later built on Kiska Island, but the Allies meanwhile quickly built new airfields on the Aleutians. While defending their bases, Rufe pilots often fought against superior numbers, but were also tasked with anti-submarine patrols and attacks on Allied airfields. The Rufe unit shot down fifteen aircraft certainly and five probably from the summer of 1942 to March 1943. In less than eight months of its combat deployment, it operated against the enemy during sixty days, in many cases conducting multiple actions in a single day. Twelve Rufes and ten pilots were lost in aerial combat. Another 23 Rufes in the Aleutians were written off because of malfunctions and weather.

Among their opponents were P-40 pilots from the 11th FS, 343rd FG. In 1942, they operated out of Fort Glenn on Umnak Island and 11th FS was one of the units that faced a raid by Japanese carrier planes during the attack on Dutch Harbor. Initially, 11th FS was armed with Curtiss P-40Es, which are listed in its reports until August 1943. From September 1942, it also used P-40Ks, and after August 1943 unit´s airmen were flying P-40Ns. While operating in extremely difficult conditions, 11th FS airmen scored six victories and eleven of them did not return from combat. During World War II, nearly 100 more 11th FS aircraft were damaged or destroyed due to accidents. In 1942, 11th FS was led by Lt/Col John Stephen Chennault, son of the legendary Flying Tigers commander. And because the apple didn't fall far from the tree, tiger-inspired paintings also appeared on the noses of 11th FS Curtisses, but they were more prominent than those of his father's American Volunteer Group.

John S. Chennault, like his opponents, faced extremely adverse conditions for combat. He scored one Rufe seaplane on September 25, 1942. Both sides took pride in their ability to accomplish combat missions in the Aleutian area. After the war, Chennault commented in a unit history, “As long as I live, there'll never be another like the “We'll Be There” Squadron. We went through so much and were so ill prepared in everything but morale, but we had that. The hardships the men had to put up with and the manner which they accepted them made you proud to be an American.”

John S. Chennault, who later served in the Korean War, is buried next to his father in Arlington Cemetery.

For more details on the Rufe and its deployment to the Aleutian area, see the April 2023 issue of INFO Eduard magazine.