A Canadian on Kiska
A Canadian member of the joint American-Canadian landing force squints down the sights of a Japanese machine gun found in a trench on Kiska Island, Alaska, on August 16, 1943. After the brutal fighting in the battle to retake Attu Island, U.S. and Canadian forces were prepared for even more of a fight on Kiska. Unknown to the Allies though, the Japanese had evacuated all their troops two weeks earlier. Although the invasion was unopposed, 32 soldiers were killed in friendly-fire incidents, four more by booby traps, and a further 191 were listed as Missing in Action. Quite a casualty list considering the enemy were not even there. I demonstrates the complexity of staging a beach landing anywhere and the inherent dangers to the men involved.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/canadian-forces/41867/a-canadian-on-kiska