Steller discovered the large, black birds while shipwrecked on a tiny island in the western Aleutians.

Grunion steamed to the western Aleutians where from 15 to July 30 she sank two 300-ton patrol boats, heavily damaged a third, and twice escaped enemy depth charge attacks.

It became extratropical near the western Aleutians on September 25.

The Native residents of Atka leased the island for fox hunting in 1920, and continued to use the island until the Japanese invasion of the western Aleutians in 1942.

Throughout the summer months she patrolled out of Kodiak, Alaska and participated in the bombardment of Japanese targets in the western Aleutians.

Shemya, one of the western Aleutians, is a small island, roughly four miles long by two wide, whose highest point is a mere two hundred thirty-eight feet above the slate-gray sea.

The late arrival of needed spares from Dutch Harbor delayed her readiness for sea, but on 8 September, S-28 departed the western Aleutians to return to the northern Kuril Islands.

During the Arctic winter she patrolled the approaches to Adak and guarded convoys as American forces sought to defeat Japanese garrisons in the western Aleutians.

The U.S. military maintained interest in these plans when they ordered the expansion of bases in the western Aleutians, and major construction began on Shemya.

Storms and heavy seas abounded in the western Aleutians during S-34's fourth war patrol, 23 October to 21 November.