SNAFU with Ed Helms

Kelly Corrigan and Operation Cottage

Jan 28, 2026
Kelly Corrigan, four-time NYT bestselling author and warm storyteller, joins to talk history and human feeling. They unpack Operation Cottage, a fog-shrouded WWII mission that went comically wrong. Discussions jump from radar mistakes and chaotic landings to how the Japanese quietly evacuated Kiska. The literal fog becomes a metaphor for anxiety and decision-making.
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INSIGHT

Cold-Specialized Unit Formation

  • The first special service force was formed to fight in extreme cold by recruiting lumberjacks, miners, and hunters and training them in Montana.
  • Their specialized training made them ideal for Arctic operations even after the Norway plan collapsed.
ANECDOTE

The Battle Of The Pips

  • The navy fired on phantom radar echoes for half the night in thick fog and later called it the Battle of the Pips.
  • When the fog lifted there were no ships and the only damage was from American salvos hitting themselves.
ANECDOTE

Tide Errors During Landings

  • Landing craft struggled against an outgoing current; some boats took five hours and one was swept out to sea.
  • Frederick misread local conditions and several craft were delayed or lost during the approach.
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