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With the Allied Fleet safely anchored in Sagami Wan, strategic positions ashore were quickly occupied. On 28 August, minesweepers and underwater demolition teams moved into Tokyo Bay to clear the way for landings. At about the same time, U.S. Army airborne forces began to arrive at nearby Atsugi airfield. On the 29th, as major fleet units entered Tokyo Bay itself, a special Navy task force began liberating Allied prisoners of war from Tokyo-area camps.
General MacArthur flew into Atsugi on 30 August and set up temporary Supreme Allied headquarters at Yokohama. Also on the 30th, Yokosuka Naval Base was taken over to provide a convenient facility to support future naval undertakings. Additional Army and Marine Corps forces arrived over the next several days, providing further security for the formal surrender proceedings that took place on 2 September.
This page presents a special pictorial selection on the initial occupation of Japan. It also provides links to additional photographs of this subject.
The following pages offer more extensive visual coverage of the initial occupation of Japan:
For views of other aspects of Japan's surrender, see: Japan Capitulates, August - September 1945
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: 80-G-490432 Surrender of Japan, 1945 Marines of the 4th Regiment, 6th Division, come ashore at Yokosuka during initial landings in the Tokyo Bay area, 30 August 1945. They are in full battle gear in preparation for any treachery from the Japanese. Their LCVP is from USS Waukesha (AKA-84), and they appear to be pulling a 75mm pack howitzer. In the distance are the Japanese battleship Nagato (in the center) and Yokosuka dockyard facilities (at right). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 610 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-490444 Surrender of Japan, 1945 Allied prisoners of war cheering their rescuers, as the U.S. Navy arrives at the Aomori prison camp, near Yokohama, Japan, on 29 August 1945. They are waving the flags of the United States, Great Britain and The Netherlands. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 106KB; 585 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-490452 USS Benevolence (AH-13) Released prisoner of war Alfred Sorenson, U.S. Army, contemplates a full meal in one of the hospital ship's wards, 30 August 1945. Navy Nurse Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Asplan is assisting. Sorenson had been captured at Corregidor on 6 May 1942. He was rescued from a POW camp in the Tokyo area. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: USA C-1732 (Color) General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, U.S. Army (second from right) With other senior Army officers, upon his arrival at Atsugi airdrome, near Tokyo, Japan, 30 August 1945. Among those present are: Major General Joseph M. Swing, Commanding General, 11th Airborne Division, (left); Lieutenant General Richard K. Sutherland (3rd from right); General Robert L. Eichelberger (right). Aircraft in the background is a Douglas C-54. Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-K-6250 (Color) Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan Raising the U.S. flag, during the surrender of the Yokosuka Naval base to U.S. forces, 30 August 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. Image Quality Note: The original 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" color transparency had become rather purple. This color shift has been somewhat corrected in this reproduction. Online Image: 83KB; 620 x 675 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-490440 Surrender of Japan, 1945 U.S. Marines destroying small arms at Futtsu-misaki, on Tokyo Bay across from Yokosuka Navy Base, in a first step toward disarming Japan, 30 August 1945. Initial landings had taken place on that day. Identifiable weapons include 7.7mm Type 99 rifles. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 105KB; 640 x 675 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
The following pages offer more extensive visual coverage of the initial occupation of Japan:
For views of other aspects of Japan's surrender, see: Japan Capitulates, August - September 1945
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7 March 1999