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74 Years Ago Today; Surrender in Tokyo Bay
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Instrument_of_Surrender
Representatives of the Empire of Japan stand aboard USS Missouri prior to signing of the Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that formalized the surrender of the Empire of Japan, marking the end of hostilities in World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Dominion of New Zealand. The signing took place on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
The date is sometimes known as Victory over Japan Day, although that designation more frequently refers to the date of Emperor Hirohito's Gyokuon-hōsō (Imperial Rescript of Surrender), the radio broadcast announcement of the acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15.
Surrender ceremony
Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese Government, formally ending World War II
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur signing the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers
The ceremony aboard the deck of the Missouri lasted 23 minutes and was broadcast throughout the world. The instrument was first signed by the Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu "By Command and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Government" (9:04 am). General Yoshijirō Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff, then signed the document "By Command and on behalf of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters" (9:06 am). The Japanese representatives present for the signing were the following:
At 9:08 a.m., U.S. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, the Commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers and signed in his capacity as Supreme Commander.
After MacArthur's signature as Supreme Commander, the following representatives signed the instrument of surrender on behalf of each of the Allied Powers:
The UK invited Dominion governments to send representatives to the ceremony as subordinates to its own. MacArthur supported the government of Australia's demand to attend and sign separately from the UK, although Australia objected to his recommendation that Canada, the Netherlands, and France also sign the document.
On September 6, Colonel Bernard Theilen took the document and an imperial rescript to Washington, D.C., and presented them to President Harry S. Truman in a formal White House ceremony the following day. The documents were then exhibited at the National Archives.
<snip>
Plaque in the deck of the Missouri marking the location of the signing
</snip>
Representatives of the Empire of Japan stand aboard USS Missouri prior to signing of the Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that formalized the surrender of the Empire of Japan, marking the end of hostilities in World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Dominion of New Zealand. The signing took place on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
The date is sometimes known as Victory over Japan Day, although that designation more frequently refers to the date of Emperor Hirohito's Gyokuon-hōsō (Imperial Rescript of Surrender), the radio broadcast announcement of the acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15.
Surrender ceremony
Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese Government, formally ending World War II
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur signing the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers
The ceremony aboard the deck of the Missouri lasted 23 minutes and was broadcast throughout the world. The instrument was first signed by the Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu "By Command and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Government" (9:04 am). General Yoshijirō Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff, then signed the document "By Command and on behalf of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters" (9:06 am). The Japanese representatives present for the signing were the following:
Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu
General Yoshijirō Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff
Major General Yatsuji Nagai
Katsuo Okazaki (Foreign Ministry)
Rear Admiral Tadatoshi Tomioka
Toshikazu Kase (Foreign Ministry)
Lt. General Suichi Miyakazi
Rear Admiral Ichiro Yokoyama
Saburo Ota (Foreign Ministry)
Captain Katsuo Shiba (Navy)
Colonel Kaziyi Sugita
At 9:08 a.m., U.S. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, the Commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers and signed in his capacity as Supreme Commander.
After MacArthur's signature as Supreme Commander, the following representatives signed the instrument of surrender on behalf of each of the Allied Powers:
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz for the United States (9:12 a.m.)
General Hsu Yung-chang for China (9:13 a.m.)
Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser for the United Kingdom (9:14 a.m.)
Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko for the Soviet Union (9:16 a.m.)
General Sir Thomas Blamey for Australia (9:17 a.m.)
Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave for Canada (9:18 a.m.)
Général de Corps d'Armée Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque for France (9:20 a.m.)
Lieutenant Admiral C. E. L. Helfrich for the Netherlands (9:21 a.m.)
Air Vice-Marshal Leonard M. Isitt for New Zealand (9:22 a.m.)
The UK invited Dominion governments to send representatives to the ceremony as subordinates to its own. MacArthur supported the government of Australia's demand to attend and sign separately from the UK, although Australia objected to his recommendation that Canada, the Netherlands, and France also sign the document.
On September 6, Colonel Bernard Theilen took the document and an imperial rescript to Washington, D.C., and presented them to President Harry S. Truman in a formal White House ceremony the following day. The documents were then exhibited at the National Archives.
<snip>
Plaque in the deck of the Missouri marking the location of the signing
</snip>
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