The most curious battle: how the Americans attacked an empty island and lost 300 soldiers

The island of Kyska, washed by the cold waters of the Bering Sea, despite the fact that it does not have a permanent resident population, is very famous in historical terms, because it was here that a truly unique military incident occurred, the likes of which never happened.

There is a volcano with a height of more than 1,200 meters on the island of Kyska, which is part of the Aleutian Islands and covers an area of only 277 square kilometers. The last time volcanic eruptions disturbed local soil in 1964. The steep banks do not interfere with the abundance of vegetation, as well as the birds, which are inhabited by a large number.

The island of volcanic origin was discovered in 1741 by the researcher Georg Steller. Attacks of local Aleuts in subsequent years did not allow sailors to set foot on the ground. The island was sold to the United States along with Alaska. However, during the events of World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese, who destroyed the meteorological station of the Navy of America here. The Americans kept raiding on the territory occupied by the Japanese, but this did not save the situation. In addition, the constant fog covering the island interfered with the military. A carefully planned offensive operation was required. And soon everything was ready for the attack. The developed plan was called Operation "Cottage". According to intelligence, the island was a ten-thousand-strong army of Japanese soldiers, so more than a hundred ships of the United States and Canada went to the assault, they were helped by aviation and 34 thousand military.