The WWII Invasion Of US Soil
Via Ace, we find that the “staff planners whose-wisdom-shall-not-be-questioned” as usual couldn’t plan their way out of an empty field but the troops once again pulled it off
“The cold, damp Aleutian weather was far different from the warm California beaches they had just left. Because of shortages in cold weather equipment, moreover, most of the men would enter combat wearing normal field gear. While senior commanders realized that the troops would suffer from the weather, most believed that within three days the fight for Attu would be over, particularly since the assembled naval support for the landings included three battleships along with several cruisers and destroyers.”
Underestimating the weather, the enemy and the terrain ended up costing many American casualties during the 18-day assault.
God bless ’em.
Military Thingies, People | Mr. Bingley | 
May 13, 2013 6:34 am
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And I never knew. History books?? No.
Thank you. And Goddess bless them, too.
I read up on this campaign while stationed in Alaska. Pretty amazing, all around.
And while it was a messed up operation, it was a major learning experience for the Allies in upcoming campaigns. An important point, because we had virtually no experience with large amphibious operations. A lot of lessons learned were applied to the Pacific campaign, and to Operation Overlord.
Learning by doing, learning by dying. It’s expensive, but it was the price we paid for not being ready prior to WWII.