08/01 Wed. Carrier aircraft and battleship strike enemy on
Wake Island.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Battleship PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38), by coastal defense
gun, Wake Island raid,
19 d. 20'N., 166 d. 30'E.
08/02 Thu. Potsdam Conference attended by the President, British
Prime Minister, and Russian premier, ends; conference
opened 17 July 1945.
08/03 Fri. United States naval vessels damaged:
Destroyer escort EARL V. JOHNSON (DE-702), by explosion,
Philippine Sea,
20 d. 17'N., 128 d. 07'E.
Attack cargo ship SEMINOLE (AKA-104), by collision,
Okinawa area,
26 d. 14'N., 127 d. 50'E.
08/05 Sun. United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer BRISTOL (DD-857), by collision,
Iwo Jima area,
29 d. 00'N., 142 d. 00'E.
08/06 Mon. Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, Honshu, Japan.
Carrier aircraft from naval task group (Vice Adm. J B.
Oldendorf) strike enemy shipping in Tinghai Harbor, China.
Carrier aircraft bomb Wake Island.
08/07 Tue. United States naval vessel sunk:
Submarine BULLHEAD (SS-331), Java Sea, (presumed date).
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine chaser NO. 66, by Army aircraft, near Truk,
Caroline Islands,
07 d. 23'N., 151 d. 53'E.
Coast defense vessel No. 39, by Army aircraft,
Sea of Japan,
35 d. 06'N., 129 d. 03'E.
08/09 Thu. Atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, Kyushu, Japan.
Aircraft from fast carrier task forces of the Third Fleet
(Adm. W. F. Halsey) attack airfields and shipping in northern
Honshu and Hokkaido, Japan.
Battleships and cruisers (Rear Adm. J. F. Shafroth) bombard
industrial targets at Kamaishi, Honshu, Japan.
Battleship, cruiser, and destroyers bombard Wake Island,
Russia declares war on Japan.
United States naval vessels damaged:
Destroyer JOHN W. WEEKS (DD-701), accidentally by United
States naval gunfire, off Honshu, Japan,
35 d. 00'N., 143 d. 00'E.
Destroyer BORIE (DD-704), by suicide plane, off Honshu,
Japan,
37 d. 21'N., 143 d. 45'E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Minesweeper No. 33, by carrier-based aircraft,
off northern Honshu, Japan,
38 d. 26'N., 141 d. 30'E.
Frigate AMAKUSA, by United States and British
carrier-based aircraft, off northern Honshu, Japan,
38 d. 26'N., 141 d. 30'E.
Frigate INAGI, by carrier-based aircraft,
off northern Honshu, Japan,
38 d. 26 N., 141 d. 30'E.
08/10 Fri. Aircraft from fast carrier task forces of the Third
Fleet (Adm. W. F. Halsey) attack shipping, airfields,
and railroads in northern Honshu, Japan.
Russian forces enter Korea.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Minesweeper NO. 1, by carrier-based aircraft,
off northern Honshu, Japan,
38 d. 26'N., 141 d. 30'E.
Transport NO. 21, by Army aircraft, Inland Sea, Japan,
33 d. 59'N., 132 d. 31'E.
08/11 Sat. United States naval vessel damaged:
Destroyer MCDERMUT (DD-677), by naval gunfire,
Kurile Islands area,
49 d. 30'N., 155 d. 01'E.
08/12 Sun. Cruisers and destroyers (Rear Adm. J. H. Brown) bombard
Japanese installations on Matsuwa and Paramushiro Islands
in the Kurile Islands.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Battleship PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38), by aircraft torpedo,
Okinawa area,
26 d. 14'N., 127 d. 50'E.
08/13 Mon. Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm.
J. S. McCain) bomb targets in the Tokyo area, Japan.
United States naval vessel damaged:
Attack transport LAGRANGE (APA-124), by suicide plane,
Okinawa area,
26 d. 14'N., 127 d. 52'E.
Japanese naval vessels sunk:
Submarine I-373, by submarine SPIKEFISH (SS-404),
off China,
29 d. 02'N., 123 d. 53'E.
Coast defense vessel NO. 6, by submarine ATULE (SS-403),
off Hokkaido, Japan,
42 d. 16'N., 142 d. 12'E.
08/14 Tue. Japan accepts the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration
and agrees to surrender. General of the Army Douglas
MacArthur, USA, is named Supreme Allied Commander to receive
the Japanese capitulation and conduct the occupation of
Japan.
Japanese naval vessels sunk, Sea of Japan:
Coast defense vessel No. 13, by submarine TORSK (SS-423),
35 d. 42'N., 134 d. 35'E.
Coast defense vessel No. 47, by submarine TORSK (SS-423),
35 d. 42'N., 134 d. 36'E.
08/15 Wed. Before the announcement of the end of hostilities is
received, aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm. J.
S. McCain) raid airfields in the Tokyo area, Japan; heavy
airborne opposition is encountered.
Naval task group (Commodore R. W. Simpson) is established
to liberate, evacuate, and extend medical care to Allied
prisoners of war in Japan.
08/17 Fri. Gen. Prince Higashikuni becomes Prime Minister of Japan and
forms a new cabinet.
08/20 Mon. Naval task force (Rear Adm. O. C. Badger) is formed to assume
responsibility for the occupation of the Yokosuka Naval base,
Japan.
08/21 Tue. Asiatic Wing, Naval Air Transport Service, is established at
Oakland, Calif.
Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands, surrenders; this is the first
enemy garrison to capitulate in the Pacific Ocean area.
Surrender is accepted on board the destroyer escort LEVY
(DE-162).
08/25 Sat. Aircraft from carrier task groups begin daily flights over
Japan to patrol airfields, shipping movements, and to locate
and supply prisoner of war camps; operation continues until
2 September 1945.
08/27 Mon. Third Fleet (Adm. W. F. Halsey) stands into Sagami Bay, the
outer bay to Tokyo, Japan.
Two Japanese submarines surrender to four United States
destroyers off Honshu, Japan.
08/28 Tue. Air Force Technicians land at Atsugi Airdrome, near Tokyo;
these are the first United States troops to land in Japan.
Administrative and operational control of the Seventh
Fleet (Adm. T. C. Kinkaid) passes from Commander in Chief
Southwest Pacific Area (General of the Army Douglas
MacArthur) to Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet (Fleet Adm. C.
W. Nimitz).
08/29 Wed. Japanese submarine surrenders to submarine SEGUNDO (SS-398),
off northeast Honshu, Japan.
08/30 Thu. Landings by the occupation forces begin in the Tokyo Bay area
under cover of guns of the Third Fleet plus Naval and Army
aircraft.
Yokosuka Naval Base surrender is accepted by Rear Adm.
R. B. Carney and Rear Adm. O. C. Badger. Headquarters of
Commander Third Fleet is established at Yokosuka Naval Base.
08/31 Fri. Marcus Island surrender is accepted by Rear Adm. F. E. M.
Whiting on board destroyer BAGLEY (DD-386).
Marines land at Tateyama Naval Base, Honshu, Japan, and
accept its surrender.