Battle of the Pips
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Pips refers to an incident that occurred on 27 July 1943, as part of the Aleutian campaign
of World War II
. In preparation for the attack on the island of Kiska planned for that coming August, the U.S. Navy
formed Task Group 16.22 (TG 16.22) under command of Rear Admiral Griffin, which was then centered on the battleship
s and .
On 27 July, 80 mi (69.5 nmi; 128.7 km) west of Kiska
, TG 16.22 began to pick up a series of unknown radar
contacts. The order was given to open fire, and 518 14 in (355.6 mm) shells from both battleships were expended, but there were no hits.
Radar
was still a new and unreliable technology at that time, and weather conditions around the Aleutians were characteristically bad. Visibility was atrocious, as is normal for the area. No Japanese
warships were actually within 200 mi (173.8 nmi; 321.9 km). Author Brian Garfield
surmises, based on analysis by modern Aleutian fishing-boat captains, that the pips were rafts of Sooty
or Short-tailed Shearwater
s, species of migratory petrel
that pass through the Aleutians in July every year.
Battle of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. A small Japanese force occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska, but the remoteness of the islands and the difficulties of weather and terrain meant...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In preparation for the attack on the island of Kiska planned for that coming August, the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
formed Task Group 16.22 (TG 16.22) under command of Rear Admiral Griffin, which was then centered on the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and .
On 27 July, 80 mi (69.5 nmi; 128.7 km) west of Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
, TG 16.22 began to pick up a series of unknown radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
contacts. The order was given to open fire, and 518 14 in (355.6 mm) shells from both battleships were expended, but there were no hits.
Radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
was still a new and unreliable technology at that time, and weather conditions around the Aleutians were characteristically bad. Visibility was atrocious, as is normal for the area. No Japanese
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
warships were actually within 200 mi (173.8 nmi; 321.9 km). Author Brian Garfield
Brian Garfield
Brian Francis Wynne Garfield is an American novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen and wrote several novels under such pen names as "Frank Wynne" and "'Brian Wynne" before gaining prominence when his book Hopscotch won the 1976 Edgar Award for Best Novel...
surmises, based on analysis by modern Aleutian fishing-boat captains, that the pips were rafts of Sooty
Sooty Shearwater
The Sooty Shearwater is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. In New Zealand it is also known by its Māori name tītī and as "muttonbird", like its relatives the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and the Australian Short-tailed Shearwater The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) is...
or Short-tailed Shearwater
Short-tailed Shearwater
The Short-tailed Shearwater or Slender-billed Shearwater , also called Yolla or Moonbird, and commonly known as the muttonbird in Australia, is the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters, and is one of the few Australian native birds in which the chicks are commercially harvested...
s, species of migratory petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
that pass through the Aleutians in July every year.