The Alaskan Highway had only been authorized in February 1942 and could not solve the immediate campaign's transport problem. Even when completed, the road would not extend onto the Aleutian island chain itself. Supplies largely originated around Seattle, moved north by merchant shipping, and then had to be received, stored, reorganized, and repackaged before another long movement toward the islands. This chain gives concrete meaning to the 'tyranny of distance' and explains why available American resources could not quickly become combat power at the front.
Notable Point · 1:07:02-1:08:52
The Alaskan supply-chain bottleneck
The unfinished Alaskan Highway forced Aleutian supplies through a long maritime chain from the continental West Coast.