Posted on 08/14/2015 4:11:46 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Continued from yesterday.
John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/7/14.htm
August 14th, 1945 (TUESDAY)
U.S.S.R.: Pacific Fleet ship loss. MS “T-279” (ex AM.270 “Palisade”) - mined at Rasin port (Korea) (Sergey Anisimov)(69)
MALAYA: Captain Mahmood Khan Durrani (b.1914), 1st Bahawalpur Infantry, was a PoW for three years. Despite torture he had refused all co-operation. (George Cross)
JAPAN: The Japanese army coup is scheduled for 10:00 am. At 9:00 am War Minister Anami addresses all senior section war ministry staff: “The army should act in unison, because Japan is now facing the critical situation.
Strengthen your unity. Beware of any undisciplined acts. Those who consider any arbitrary actions will have to carry them out over my dead body.” This statement ends the hopes of the Junior Officers for an easy takeover.
At 10:30 the Imperial Conference with the cabinet and the Emperor begins.
After discussion the Emperor again gives his decision: “I have carefully studied the Allied reply and concluded that it virtually acknowledges our position in the note sent several days ago. In short, I believe the reply is acceptable. Though it is understandable that some should distrust the Allied intentions, I do not believe the reply was written with malice.”
With this statement it is now a matter of trust.
Shortly after Noon, Professor Asada meets with the Navy. After hearing his report on the Hiroshima bombing, he reports their conclusion was: “to isolate all Japanese physicists in the caves in Nagano Prefecture to have them produce atomic bombs. They planned to drop them on America. The navy had no intention of surrendering.”
At 1:00 pm the full cabinet meets and after much discussion reluctantly approves the Emperor’s decision.
Representatives of the Radio Tokyo arrive at the palace at 3:00 to record the Emperor’s statement. It is finished recording just before midnight. There are 3 copies. Members of the household ministry agree to hold the recording until they will be broadcast tomorrow.
In Japan, US Far East Air Force (FEAF) B-25s, P-47s, and P-51s attack shipping in Korea and Kyushu waters, claiming several vessels destroyed and damaged. P-47s over the Osaka-Nagoya, Japan area claim several Japanese aircraft shot down.
The US Twentieth Air Force sends 752 B-29 Superfortresses to fly 7 missions against Japan without loss. These are the last B-29 missions against Japan in WWII. The following 3 missions were flown during the day:
- Mission 325: 157 B-29s bomb the naval arsenal at Hikari; 4 others hit alternate targets.
- Mission 326: 145 B-29s bomb the Osaka Army Arsenal and 2 hit alternate targets; 160+ P-51 escort the B-29s and attack airfields in the Nagoya area; 1 P-51 is lost.
- Mission 327: 108 B-29s bomb the railroad yards at Marifu; 2 others hit alternate targets.
The following 4 missions were flown during the night of 14/15 August:
- Mission 328: In the longest nonstop, unstaged B-29 mission from the Mariana Islands, 3,650 miles (5,874 km), 132 B-29s bomb the Nippon Oil Company, Akita-Aradi refinery at Tsuchizakiminato.
- Mission 329: 81 B-29s drop incendiaries on the Kumagaya urban area destroying 0.27 sq mi (0.7 sq km), 45% of the city area.
- Mission 330: 86 B-29s drop incendiaries on the Isezaki urban area, north-west of Tokyo, destroying 0.166 sq mi (0.43 sq km), 17% of the city area.
- Mission 331: 39 B-29s mine the waters at Nanao, Shimonoseki, Miyazu, and Hamada.
509BG perform another Pumpkin Raid. [Go to the link at the top of this reply to find a properly formatted version of the following chart - HJS.]
Ops. Miss. Date Aircraft Cdr. Crew Bombing Target Lat Long Result
44 17 14/08/45 44-27296 Price B-7 Primary Visual Arsenal, Nagoya Poor
44 18 14/08/45 44-27298 Bock C-13 Primary Visual Toyota Auto Works, Koromo Good
44 17 14/08/45 44-27299 Devore A-3 Primary Visual Arsenal, Nagoya Poor
44 17 14/08/45 44-27300 Westover A-4 Opport. Visual Arsenal, Nagoya Excellent
44 18 14/08/45 44-27301 Albury C-15 Primary Visual Toyota Auto Works, Koromo Poor
44 18 14/08/45 44-27302 McKnight B-8 Primary Visual Toyota Auto Works, Koromo Poor
44 17 14/08/45 44-27304 Hopkins C-14 Primary Visual Arsenal, Nagoya Poor
(David Hebditch)
Before the last B-29s return from the missions above, US President Harry S Truman announces the unconditional surrender of Japan. Immediately thereafter, the 11th Airborne Division leaves the Philippine Islands by air for Okinawa, where it goes on standby as the initial occupation force for Japan.
News of the surrender was announced simultaneously in London, Washington and Moscow.
The US in its first response has ordered Japan to end fighting by all its forces on all fronts immediately. Japan has been told “to send emissaries at once to the supreme commander of the Allies powers with information of the disposition of the Japanese forces.”
Allied armed forces have been ordered to suspend hostilities immediately. General Douglas MacArthur has been appointed supreme Allied commander to accept the Japanese surrender. Outside the imperial palace in Tokyo, where the imperial decision was read out, an emotional crowd gathered. Thousands of weeping people bowed to the ground wailing: “Forgive us, O Emperor, our efforts are not enough.”
Submarine USS Spikefish sinks Japanese submarine HIJMS I-373. The last Japanese submarine lost in WWII.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Hickory Lake completed and transferred to USSR.
Minesweeper HMCS Fir Lake laid down Sarnia, Ontario.
U.S.A.: The US War Production Board removes its controls over automobile manufacturing activity.
bookmark
One door closes, many more will open
Bravo Zulu HJS!!!
Best Regards
alfa6 ;>}
It is in three segments: the first about the surrender announcement, with emphasis of the people's reactions at Yasukuni Shrine (where the war dead are enshrined to this day); the second about the formation of the first postwar cabinet on Aug. 17 under Prince Higashikuni, Hirohito's uncle (the members of the cabinet are listed here); and the third being the opening address of Prince/PM Higashikuni to the nation.
It's all in Japanese, of course, but there is one saving grace for the rest of us: the text of the narration in segments 1 and 2, and of the address in segment 3, is provided to the right of the video, and if you copy-and-paste it into Google Translate or a similar program you can get a semblance of what is being said.
From what I read Ike and Zhukov got along splendidly. When he was in Russia they flew around together with Zhukov’s mistress as the pilot. There was story about Ike sent Zhukov fishing gear and it became a valued possession.
That rescue, shortly before the Japanese surrender, was the last flight in an OS2U Kingfisher for Commander Almon Oliver (USN, Ret.).
No problem with the long excerpts. This is Toland’s best work. And as for the Americans thinking that the Japanese were stalling, the delay in getting a reply to us was either the internal fighting among the Japanese leadership or that really slow typist in the Japanese Embassy.
I am not surprised Ike and Zhukov got along well. They were professionals. They had much in common. For example, Zhukov had his mistress fly them around. Ike could have reciprocated in a motor tour.
The battleship North Carolina can be visited in Wilmington.
“Japan Belittles Effect of our Atomic Bomb”
(Page 3 lower right)
*zing*
Carolina Beach is one of our favorite vacation spots. I’ve visited the North Carolina many times. Once I acted as unofficial “tour guide” for a school group. It’s very much worth the visit.
Just to note that the 1931 borders would include Korea which the Japanese forcibly “annexed” in 1910
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
