MacCaulay
Banned
Well, I'm making the assumption that, since Japan has for whatever reason found it to be in their interests to invade Alaska, they'd want to do it properly. Saying "that's ASB, so they wouldn't do it" doesn't really make sense - after all, a Japanese victory against the US was ASB, and yet they still went to war with the US.
I still just don't see it. It's very out of character for Japanese tactics in the Aleutian Campaign. Normally I honestly wouldn't assume to talk about Japanese tactics, but those commanders dug in as soon as they reached those islands.
Also, the Corps of Engineers and Canadian Army had a lot of trouble getting logistics to their men when they were working at the northern air bases, and even the landing on Attu was a very big strain.
I just...okay. Let's say they drive from Dutch Harbour, load on boats again and bypass Unmak Island for the Peninsula. Then they drive up to the edge of the Peninsula. Now they're right on the edge of what most people would call the "mainland," despite the fact that they've really been on the mainland for about 300 miles. Now, they've got to drive another 200 miles or so to get to Anchorage.
So...about 600 miles through forest in winter from Dutch Harbour to Anchorage. And that's rounding down. It's a longer distance by water due to circumnavigation of the peninsula, but it's slightly quicker by boat. I sincerely doubt the Japanese could've made that.
And of all the people on this board, I'd be the one drumming up the chances of a Japanese march on Anchorage. It'd mean more chances for the Canadian Army to pull their Ram tanks out and actually use them.
But it's very out of character for them to attempt a 500-700 mile march. That's not how they acted in the Aleutians.