Passport to the World over 64 years. Pages from my Travel Diary
Sunday the 2nd. of September 1945. Surrender in Tokyo Bay
(See the flyover picture)
General MacArthur reads his speech at the formal Japanese surrender ceremony aboard Missouri, Tokyo Bay, 2nd. of September 1945.
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Today, in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese formally signed the surrender document onboard the the 45,000 ton US Battleship Missouri.
General Douglas MacArthur conducted the formalities, and 450 carrier planes from the Third Fleet passed in massed formation over Missouri. A few minutes later US Army Airforce B-29's thundered by overhead.
My ship, HMAS Shropshire which had fought valiantly across the Pacific and did not lose a man to enemy action was amongst the Allied ships present in Tokyo Bay.
The war which had waged unrelentingly from September the 3rd. 1939 for almost 6 years was at last over, to be present here today, has at last brought home to me that the war was actually over, I had survived, from being 17 at the commencement of hostilities, I was now no longer a youth, but a man of 23.
A wonderful, wonderful moment, and an occasion that I have cherished over the intervening years.
All the Allied ships present are listed, and several photographs of that special day are also shown here.
Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony, 2 September 1945
The ships in the list below are listed alphabetically within each type. US Navy ships have hull numbers and Allied ships have pendant numbers. The following abbreviations are used for military ships: HMS=British, HMAS=Australian, HMNZS=New Zealand, USS=American.
Source: Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC/CINCPOA) A16-3/FF12 Serial 0395, 11 February 1946: Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan. (Naval Historical Center home page)
Carrier Aircraft fly over Missouri, as Japan surrenders, 2nd. of September, 1945, Tokyo Bay.
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Battleships (BB)
USS Colorado (BB-45)
USS Mississippi (BB-41)
HMS Duke of York (17)
USS Missouri (BB-63)
USS Idaho (BB-42)
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS South Dakota (BB-57)
HMS King George V (41)
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
Light Aircraft Carriers (CVL)
USS Bataan (CVL-29)
USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
Escort Carriers (CVE)
HMS Ruler (D.72)
HMS Speaker (D.90)
Salamaua
Heavy Cruisers (CA)
USS Boston (CA-69)
USS St. Paul (CA-73)
USS Chicago (CA-136)
HMAS Shropshire (96)
USS Quincy (CA-71)
Light Cruisers (CL)
USS Detroit (CL-8)
USS Pasadena (CL-65)
HMNZS Gambia (48)
USS San Diego (CL-53)
HMAS Hobart (I.63)
USS San Juan (CL-54)
HMS Newfoundland (59)
USS Springfield (CL-66)
USS Oakland (CL-95)
USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103)
Destroyers (DD)
USS Ault (DD-698)
USS Mayo (DD-422)
USS Benham (DD-796)
HMAS Napier (G.97)
USS Blue (DD-744)
HMAS Nizam (G.38)
USS Buchanon (DD-484)
USS Nicholas (DD-449)
USS Caperton (DD-650)
USS Perkins (DD-877)
USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428)#
HMS Quality (G.62)
USS Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668)
USS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781)
USS Cogswell (DD-651)
USS Southerland (DD-743)
USS Colahan (DD-658)
USS Stockham (DD-683)
USS Cotten (DD-669)
USS Taylor (DD-468)
USS Cushing (DD-797)
HMS Teazer (R.23)
USS De Haven (DD-727)
HMS Tenacious (R.45)
USS Dortch (DD-670)
HMS Terpsichore (R.33)
USS Frank Knox (DD-742)
USS Twining (DD-540)
USS Gatling (DD-671)
USS Uhlmann (DD-687)
USS Halsey Powell (DD-686)
USS Wadleigh (DD-689)
USS Healy (DD-672)
HMS Wager (R.98)
USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427)
USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703)
USS Ingersoll (DD-652)
HMAS Warramunga (I.44)
USS Kalk (DD-611)
USS Wedderburn (DD-684)
USS Knapp (DD-653)
HMS Whelp (R.37)
USS Lansdowne (DD-468)
HMS Wizard (R.72)
USS Lardner (DD-487)
USS Wren (DD-568)
USS Madison (DD-425)
USS Yarnell (DD-541)
Destroyer Escorts (DE)
USS Goss (DE-444)
USS Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442)
USS Kendall C. Campbell (DE-443)
USS Waterman (DE-740)
USS Lyman (DE-302)
USS Weaver (DE-741)
USS Major (DE-796)
USS William Seiverling (DE-441)
USS Roberts (DE-749)
Frigates
HMS Derg (K.257)
HMAS Gascoyne (K.354)
Sloops
HMS Crane (U.23)
HMS Whimbrel (U.29)
Destroyer Minelayer (DM)
USS Gwin (DM-33)
USS Thomas E. Fraser (DM-24)
Destroyer Minesweeper (DMS)
USS Ellyson (DMS-19)
USS Hopkins (DMS-13)
USS Fitch (DMS-25)
USS Jeffers (DMS-27)
USS Gherardi (DMS-30)
USS Macomb (DMS-23)
USS Hambleton (DMS-20)
Submarines (SS)
USS Archerfish (SS-311)
USS Pilotfish (SS-386)
USS Cavalla (SS-244)
USS Razorback (SS-394)
USS Gato (SS-212)
USS Runner (SS-476)
USS Haddo (SS-255)
USS Sea Cat (SS-399)
USS Hake (SS-256)
USS Segundo (SS-398)
USS Muskallunge (SS-262)
USS Tigrone (SS-419)
Submarine Chasers (PC)
*Numbered ships given names in 1956.
PC-466 [USS Carmil]*
PCE(R)-849 [USS Somersworth]*
PCE-877 [USS Havre]*
PCE(R)-850 [USS Fairview]*
PCE(R)-848
Motor Gunboat (PGM)
PGM-16
PGM-32
PGM-26
Minesweeper (AM)
HMAS Ballarat (K.34)
USS Pochard (AM-375)
HMAS Cessnock (J.175)
USS Revenge (AM-110)
HMAS Ipswich (J.186)
USS Token (AM-126)
USS Pheasant (AM-61)
USS Tumult (AM-127)
HMAS Pirie (J.189)
B-29 US Army Air Force Bombers fly by Missouri Tokyo Bay 2nd. of September 1945.
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Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper (YMS)
*Numbered ships named and reclassified in 1947
YMS-177
YMS-390
YMS-268
YMS-415
YMS-276
YMS-426
YMS-343
YMS-441 [USS Pelican (AMS-32)]*
YMS-362 [USS Hawk (AMS-17)]*
YMS-461 [USS Swallow (AMS-36)]*
YMS-371 [USS Hornbill (AMS-19)]*
YMS-467
Auxiliary Minelayer (ACM)
USS Picket (ACM-8)
General Communications Vessel (AGC)
USS Ancon (AGC-4)
USS Teton (AGC-14)
USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)
High-Speed Transport (APD)
USS Barr (APD-39)
USS Pavlic (APD-70)
USS Burke (APD-65)
USS Reeves (APD-52)
USS Gosselin APD-126)
USS Runels (APD-85)
USS Hollis APD-86)
USS Sims (APD-50)
USS Horace A. Bass APD-124)
USS Wantuck (APD-125)
USS John Q. Roberts(APD-94)
USS William M. Pattison (APD-104)
Tank Landing Ship (LST)
*Numbered ships named in 1955.
LST-567
LST-789
LST-648
LST-846 [USS Jennings County]*
LST-717
LST-1083 [USS Plumas County]*
LST-718
LST-1139
Landing Ship, Dock (LSD)
USS Catamount (LSD-17)
USS Shadwell (LSD-15)
Landing Craft, Infantry (LCI)
LCI(L)-438
LCI(L)-469
LCI(L)-441
LCI(L)-726
LCI(L)-450
LCI(L)-752
LCI(L)-457
LCI(L)-798
LCI(L)-458
Medium Landing Ship (LSM)
LSM-13
LSM-290
LSM-15
LSM-362
LSM-71
LSM-368
LSM-101
LSM-371
LSM-208
LSM-419
LSM-252
LSM-488
LSM-284
Landing Ship, Vehicle (LSV)
USS Monitor (LSV-5)
USS Ozark (LSV-2)
Attack Transport (APA)
USS Bosque (APA-135)
USS Highlands (APA-119)
USS Botetourt (APA-136)
USS Lavaca (APA 180)
USS Briscoe (APA-65)
USS Lenawee (APA-195)
USS Cecil (APA-96)
USS Mellette (APA-156)
USS Clearfield (APA-142)
USS Missoula (APA-211)
USS Cullman (APA-78)
USS Rutland (APA-192)
USS Darke (APA-157)
USS St. Mary's (APA-126)
USS Dauphin (APA-97)
USS Sherburne (APA-205)
USS Deuel (APA-160)
USS Sheridan (APA-51)
USS Dickens (APA-161)
USS Talladega (APA-208)
USS Hansford (APA-106)
Transport (AP)
USS General Sturgis (AP-137)
Attack Cargo Ship (AKA)
USS Libra (AKA-12)
USS Todd (AKA-71)
USS Medea (AKA-31)
USS Tolland (AKA-64)
USS Pamina (AKA-34)
USS Whiteside (AKA-90)
USS Sirona (AKA-43)
USS Yancy (AKA-93)
USS Skagit (AKA-105)
Cargo Ship (AK)
USS Lesuth (AK-125)
Civilian Cargo Ships
St. Lawrence Victory (US)
Winthrop Victory (US)
Stores Issue Ship (AKS)
USS Cybele (AKS-10)
Repair Ship (AR)
USS Delta (AR-9)
Landing Craft Repair Ship (ARL)
USS Patroclus (ARL-19)
Oiler (AO)
USS Chiwawa (AO-68)
USS Niobrara (AO-72)
USS Mascoma (AO-83)
USS Tamalpais (AO-96)
USS Neches (AO-47)
Civilian Oilers
Carelia (British)
Fort Wrangell (British)
City of Dieppe (British)
Wave King (British)
Dingledale (British)
Gasoline Tanker (AOG)
USS Genesee (AOG-8)
Destroyer Tender (AD)
USS Piedmont (AD-17)
Hospital Ship (AH)
USS Benevolence (AH-13)
HMHS Tjitjalengka (Dutch)
Marigold (U.S. Army)
Seaplane Tender (AV)
USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17)
USS Hamlin (AV-15)
Small Seaplane Tender (AVP)
USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
USS Suisun (AVP-53)
USS Mackinac (AVP-13)
Submarine Tender (AS)
USS Proteus (AS-19)
Submarine Rescue Ship (ASR)
USS Greenlet (ASR-10)
Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF)
USS Moctobi (ARF-105)
USS Wenatchee (ATF-118)
Auxiliary Ocean Tug (ATA)
*Numbered ship named in 1955
ATA-205 [USS Sciota]*
Ocean Tug, Old (ATO)
USS Woodcock (ATO-145)
NOTE: #USS Hughes was listed in the report, but according to the ship's deck log was crossing the international date line enroute to Japan. USS Charles F. Hughes was sweeping mines. At 10:27 the ship passed Ashika Light. At 10:30 the war ended. At 10:44 the ship made preparations for entering the port and anchored at 12:21 in Tokyo Bay.
General Yoshijiro Umuzu Chief of the Japanese Army General Staff signs the Instrument of Surrender. USS Missouri, Tokyo Bay, 2nd. of September, 1945.
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