1951 Map of Rat Islands

About this map

Aleutian Islands geography in the early Cold War era is documented here through a focus on the Rat Islands group, showing the strategic maritime landscape between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. On the far eastern edge of the sheet, the presence of a Military Airport near Constantine Harbor underscores the area's importance for mid-century defense and aerial surveillance. The map details complex volcanic shorelines including Segula Island and Little Sitkin Island, where distinctive features like Crater Bay and Petrel Bank reflect the sub-arctic seafloor and island topography. This 1951 survey, compiled from aerial photographs and earlier charts, provides a precise look at these islands before their inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge system, capturing a moment of active military presence in this isolated archipelago.