ECU researchers explore lost Aleutian battlefield

East Carolina University faculty and alumni from the maritime studies program, housed in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Department of History, successfully led the first underwater archaeology investigation in the waters off Attu Island (Atux̂) in the Aleutian Islands July 17-27.

The project is led by Dr. Dominic Bush, a recent alumnus of ECU’s coastal resources management program within Integrated Coastal Programs and research associate with Ships of Discovery, Inc.,; Dr. Jason Raupp, ECU assistant professor of history in the maritime studies program; and Dr. Caroline Funk, research assistant professor at the University at Buffalo. The research ship for the 10-day expedition was Norseman II, operated by Support Vessels of Alaska, Inc. The project was jointly funded through complementary grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ocean exploration program and the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program.

Attu, the ancestral home of the Saskinax̂ people, is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The island was the backdrop for the only World War II battle, known as the “Forgotten Battle,” fought on North American soil. In May 1943, the U.S. military launched an assault against Japanese forces, who captured Attu in 1942. The Japanese invasion marked the first time a foreign power occupied U.S. territory in North America since the War of 1812 — a feat that has not since been repeated. The battle was the climax of Attu’s wartime history, which included the imprisonment of the indigenous Saskinax̂ people and months of aerial harassment by U.S. forces before the battle. Eight decades later, the Battle of Attu, and by extension, the North Pacific theater, remains the least studied campaign of World War II.

Researchers from the U.S. and Japan explored the seafloor using a combination of synthetic aperture sonar, an emergent form of acoustic imaging technology, provided by ThayerMahan Inc., along with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), from World Scan Project, equipped with underwater cameras to detect and identify any remains of aircraft, ships or other submerged features.

Three WWII-era shipwrecks were located and identified, marking the first time these vessels have been seen in more than eight decades. Included are the only two Japanese military ships believed to be situated within U.S. state waters. The first, Kotohira Maru, was a 5,000-ton freighter that carried provisions, housing materials and fuel for Japanese troops stationed on Attu. It was sunk by a U.S. Navy weather plane on Jan. 5, 1943, with only two of its crew rescued. Despite war-era charts indicating its suspected location, the survey team located the fairly intact remains of Kotohira Maru more than half a mile from its last reported position, in nearly 300 feet of water.

Closer to shore, Yasumasa Ichikawa, chief technical officer of World Scan Project, utilized a combination of aerial and underwater drones to inspect the purported location of the second Japanese shipwreck, Cheribon Maru. Draped in kelp and other marine growth, the remains of the 3,000-ton freighter, sunk on Thanksgiving Day 1942 by American bombers, were observed in less than 30 feet of water. At least 15 crew members perished during the sinking, with some estimates as high as 55.

The lone American ship located as a part of this project was the U.S. Army cable layer SS Dellwood, whose discovery came 81 years to the day of its sinking. The nearly 3,500-ton ship had struck a submerged pinnacle on July 19, 1943, and sank while being towed to a nearby dock. Both sonar and ROV imagery revealed the severely disjointed state of the former cable ship, likely the result of post-wrecking bombing as it had become a navigational hazard. Now resting over 100 feet below the sea surface, SS Dellwood provides a unique glimpse into U.S. military operations in the Aleutians after the battle.

According to Bush and Raupp, the exceedingly high-resolution sonar enabled the identification of many smaller targets, most of which they said would be impossible to see using more traditional forms of remote sensing. They said the seafloor around Attu is littered with vestiges of World War II, including dozens of anchors, chains, mooring blocks and sunken buoys, as well as examples of materials used in base construction, such as timbers, piping and cable. They found numerous sections of anti-submarine netting. With the centimeter resolution offered by synthetic aperture sonar, the interconnected metal rings of these nets, reminiscent of chainmail armor, were documented in stunning detail, they said.

“Overall, the project marks the beginning of what is sure to be an increased focus on the oft-forgotten Aleutian Island campaign and by extension Alaska’s World War II history,” said Raupp.

All project work was non-invasive and non-destructive; no physical samples or artifacts were removed from the site. The research team members will continue working to ensure the findings are properly shared with the public.

The research team recognizes the cultural significance of Attu and the painful history endured by Saskinax̂ ancestors, which continues to affect descendant Saskinax̂ and Unangax̂ communities. Thus, the project has emphasized Unangax̂ participation. Specifically, Sean Mack and Wolfgang Tutikoff, both members of descendant communities in the Aleutian Islands region, joined the research expedition. Mack is a professional archaeologist originally from King Cove, while Tutikoff is a student from Anchorage attending the Institute of American Indian Arts.

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