The Japanese now occupied United States territory, but at a price. Their diminished strength at Midway contributed to the Allied victory there. Japanese troops installed formidable defenses on Attu Island, but in March 1943, heavy cruisers, including the Salt Lake City, prevented the Japanese Fleet from bringing in supplies and relief troops. Two months later some 16,000 troops participated in the United States' first amphibious island landing since the 1898 Cuban campaign. The fierce battle on Attu Island raged over volcanic rock, muskeg, and fog-bound mountains, proving one of the most costly battles in the Pacific War. In July a heavy bombardment and blockade of Kiska Island commenced to soften the enemy defiance that characterized the battle for Attu. Private First Class Andrew Kurish wrote in his diary on August 5: "Boys from the States landed by barges." These troops rehearsed an amphibious landing, using Kuluk Bay (seen at left) on Adak Island. The morning of August 15, Kurish wrote: "Troops landed on Kiska at 6:20 a.m. No opposition." Andrew Kurish Collection of1942-1943