Ｔｈｅ Ｗｈｏｌｅ Ｓｔｏｒｙ ｏｆ Ｓｕｒｒｅｎｄｅｒ ｏｆ Ｊａｐａｎ

With the downfall of Nazi Germany in the summer of 1945， the war in Europe ended， and the World Anti-Fascist War entered the last phase. The allied forces launched offensives on various Asian battlefields. On July 26， China， the United States and Great Britain issued the Potsdam Proclamation demanding Japan to surrender unconditionally immediately. But the Japanese militaristic ruling clique obstinately stuck to its wrong course， and continued to put up a desperate struggle. Hence， the Allied Powers decided to launch the last destructive attacks against Japan.

On August 6 and 9， the United States dropped two atomic bombs successively on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 8， the Soviet Union summoned the Japanese ambassador，informing him that the Soviet Union had joined the Potsdam Proclamation and declared war against Japan. On August 9， the Soviet Red Army dispatched troops to China’s Northeast， and launched all-round offensives against the Japanese army. On the same day Mao Zedong made a statement entitled The Last Round with the Japanese Invaders. The Chinese army launched forceful offensives against Japanese invading army throughout the country. At this stage Japanese fascists’ total defeat was a foregone conclusion. On August 14， the Japanese Government presented a note to the United States， Great Britain， the Soviet Union and China， declaring its acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation.

On August 15 Japanese Emperor Mikato Hirohito issued Imperial Rescript on Ending the War which was broadcasted on radio proclaiming Japan’s unconditional surrender. On August 17 the Japanese Emperor issued an imperial order commanding all the armed forces to stop fighting and surrender to the Allied Powers.

On August 19， 16 representatives from the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters following the order issued by Douglas MacArthur， supreme commander for the Allied Powers， flew in two airplanes to Manila， where they listened to the instructions on the allied forces’ entering and station in Japan and the signing of the Instrument of Surrender， and accepted the text of the Instrument of Surrender drafted by the Allied Powers.

On the morning of 28， the first batch of the American troops landed on the Japanese territory from the air and sea.

On August 29， the Third Fleet of the US Navy led by Admiral William F. Halsey sailed into Tokyo Bay. In the afternoon Admiral C.W. Nimitz arrived in Tokyo Bay by hydroplane and his five-star flag was hoisted on the USS South Dakota BB-57.

At 2 o’clock on the afternoon of August 30， the special plane， which General MacArthur， supreme commander of American Army in the Southwestern Pacific Theatre， took， landed at an airport near Tokyo.

The ceremony of Japan’s signing the documents of unconditional surrender was held on the USS Missouri at 9 o’clock on the morning of September 2.

The newly painted gray USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay， its 406 mm. big gun tilting to the sky. With sea breeze blowing softly， the bay where there were a lot of warships and a forest of masts was permeated with a solemn atmosphere.

It was just daybreak. Tokyo Bay was crowded with small light boats speeding to and fro with long line of water spray behind them sending correspondents and guests of various countries coming to attend the ceremony aboard the Missouri.

The signing ceremony was held on the verandah deck on the starboard side. Right to the centre was put a big table covered with a heavy green mome tablecloth. It was the crew’s general mess table taken from the crew’s mess compartment on the Missouri that at the last moment replaced the mahogany deal table borrowed from the HMS King George V of the British Royal Navy， which was not big enough. On February 16， 1946， the table， the tablecloth and two chairs were sent to the US Naval Academy Museum， becoming a witness of the history of the complete failure of the Japanese fascists.

Beside the table there stood a row of microphones used to broadcast live the signing ceremony in the United States. On after side of the table stood the signers delegates of the Allied Powers， and on the other side of the table the Japanese delegation. To the left in front of the table was the place for 50 admirals of the Navy and to the right for 50 generals of the ground force. At the best location right opposite the table was temporarily set up a platform especially for photographers. Everywhere on the deck shining stars on the generals’ uniforms were seen and happy laughter and cheerful voice heard. Never in such a small place could be seen so many generals and admirals! Only Admiral Spruance who had made outstanding achievements in the war， a hero at the battle of the Midway Island， was not present， because the United States was worried that the Japanese might perfidiously make attacks on the USS Missouri， should it happen， there must be somebody who could shoulder the responsibility of commanding the Pacific Fleet. Therefore， at this time on the USS New Jersey in the far-away Okinawa Island sea area， Admiral Spruance was watching Japan’s every move.

At 8:30 the USS Missouri was resounded with music. The delegation of the Allied Powers arrived at the USS Missouri on board the USS Nicholas DD449. The Chinese delegates were dressed in dark grayish yellow army uniforms， the British in white short-sleeved shirts， shorts， and stockings， the Soviet delegates in dark greenish brown and dark blue with red stripes and the French in light yellow. The dazzling colourful army uniforms， shining medals and silk ribbons made the eye hard to take them all in. People talked in Chinese， English， American-English， Dutch， French and Russian， the deck at once becoming a place for diplomatic gathering full of sound and colour. The correspondents and photographers were awfully busy. It was very strange that all the American officers and soldiers ranking from five-star admirals to the rank and file were not in formal military full dress worn on a formal occasion， but in khaki uniform without ties and medals， although their khaki uniforms were new， but apparently unusual on a formal occasion. Understandingly， the American military wanted to show in this way their contempt for the Japanese military.

At 8:50， music was played again. MacArthur arrived from Yokohama by the USS Buchanon DD-484 and Nimitz came up to greet him. The two climbed up the ladder from the main deck， talking and laughing， and then entered the cabin for high-ranking officers to take a rest. Just as MacArthur wished， his flag with five stars was hoisted on the mast. It had never happened in the history of the American Navy that on one battleship two five-star flags were hoisted at the same time.

At that time， the USS Missouri sent signals to the USS Lansdowne DD－486 that was lying at a distance for transporting the Japanese delegation. Immediately the USS Lansdowne came up， putting down a small boat to send the Japanese delegation over. There were 11 members in the Japanese delegation. Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu， representative of the Japanese Government， was in black formal attire with a top hat. Chief of the General Staff of the Japanese Ground Force Yoshijiro Umezu， representative of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters， was in military uniform. Others consisted of three representatives of the Foreign Ministry， three from the imperial army and three of the imperial navy. The Chinese people knew Mamoru Shigemitsu and Yoshijiro Umezu quite well. One of Shigemitsu’s leg had been blown up by a bomb thrown by Yun Gong Gil， a Korean man， in Shanghai’s Hongkou Park in April 1932. Today the old site of the explosion can still be found in the park. Umezu had served as command-in-chief of the Japanese forces stationed in Tianjin and was the Japanese signer of the Ho Ying-chin－ Yoshijiro Umezu Agreement. Time brings great changes to the world. They were swollen with arrogance in the past， but now they surrendered with their heads bowed low. When the Japanese delegation boarded the Missouri， the army band stopped playing music and guards of honour seemed not to have seen them. Led by a liaison officer of the American army， Mamoru Shigemitsu with a stick in the crook of his arm limped with his wooden leg at the head of the Japanese delegation. Following him was Yoshijiro Umezu walking with heavy steps. When walking onto the verandah deck， Mamoru Shigemitsu took off his top hat and lined up with other members of the Japanese delegation， bowing to the generals and admirals of various countries. But no one returned a salute. After the Japanese delegation saluted， Shigemitsu and Umezu stood side by side in the forefront， and others of the delegation divided into two rows turned round and stood facing the table.

On the deck many high-ranking officers from various countries gathered happily together. Gathering at this moment of victory， how could they not feel excited and happy? They warmly shook hands， hugged each other and talked loudly. It was a scene of bustle and excitement.

At nine o’clock sharp， the band played the American Anthem. The delegation of the Allied Powers and generals of the army， the navy and the air force attending the ceremony lined up at the assigned positions. The Chinese representative General Hsu Yung-Ch’ang stood at the head of the delegation and Halsey the head of naval admirals. Sailors on the Missouri hurried to get a good position where they could have a better view of the ceremony. Even today we can see from the photos that on all the higher places even on the barrels of the guns sat crowds of joyous sailors. Mamoru Shigemitsu， Yoshijiro Umezu and other members of the Japanese delegation saluted MacArthur and others. MacArthur didn’t return their salute.

MacArthur strode to the microphone. With the text of his speech in his hand， he solemnly read out the order of surrender. After reiterating the main content of the Potsdam Proclamation commanding Japan to surrender， he said: “We are gathered here， representatives of the major warring powers， to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues， involving divergent ideals and ideologies， have been determined on the battlefields of the world and hence are not for our discussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet， representing as we do a majority of the people of the earth， in a spirit of distrust， malice or hatred. But rather it is for us， both victors and vanquished， to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve， committing all our people unreservedly to faithful compliance with the understanding they are here formally to assume.”

Finally he said， “It is my earnest hope， and indeed the hope of all mankind， that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past---a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom， tolerance and justice.” Then， pointing at the chair before the table， he solemnly announced， “Now I order the Japanese emissaries come forward and sign the surrender documents at the assigned place!” A Japanese representative first came up to the table and examined carefully that there was nothing wrong on the two documents， and then went back to his position. Following him， Shigemitsu came up， took off his top hat and gloves and sat sideways on the chair. Unexpectedly， the stick slipped out of the crook of his arm onto the ground， and he had to pick it up awkwardly. He was in a flurry wanting to put his top hat and gloves on the table and at the same time trying to take out his pen from the pocket. One of his assistant from the Japanese Foreign Ministry came up to him， gave him a pen and carried the stick for him. When looking at the surrender documents， Shigemitsu did not know where to sign. MacArthur turned to General Sutherland， his chief of staff， and said “Show him where to sign.” After Sutherland pointed out the place， Shigemitsu signed his name on the two surrender documents. Then Umezu came up. He didn’t sit on the chair， seemingly trying to keep up some dignity of an armyman. Taking off his gloves and without taking a look at the documents， he signed his name hastily.

Then it was the turn of the representatives of the Allied Powers to sign. MacArthur as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers signed for all the allied powers. He invited Major General Janathan Wainwright and Lieutenant General Arthur Percival to stand alongside him when he was signing. It seemed a kind of compensation for their sufferings in prison. Wainwright was the last American general who held fast in the Philippines， and Percival was the general of the British Army who was in command when Singapore fell into Japan’s hands. They had just been flown in from a prisoner-of-war camp in Shenyang. Due to the three years’ torments they were subjected to in prison， they were so bony that even the smallest-size uniforms looked too big for them. MacArthur altogether used 6 pens to sign the documents. The first and second he gave Wainwright and Percival after signing. The rest four he gave the National Archives of the US Government， the WestPoint Military Academy， Chinese representative Hsu Yung-Ch’ang and his wife.

Following General MacArthur， Admiral Nimitz signed as the US official representative. He invited Admiral Halsey and Admiral Sherman to accompany him when he was signing. During the war the two were Nimitz’ capable assistants. Sherman was in the position of Spruance who didn’t attend the ceremony. Then the representative of the Republic of China Hsu Yung Ch’ang signed followed by Admiral Grant Fraser， the United Kingdom representative， and then General Kuzma Derevyanka， the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics representative. He was then followed by General Thomas Blamey of the Commonwealth of Australia，Lieutenant Colonel Moore Cosgrove of the Dominion of Canada， General Jacques Le Clerc， representative of the Provisional Government of the French Republic， Admiral C.E. L. Helfrich， Kingdom of the Netherlands representative and Air Marshal Leonard M. Isitt， Dominion of New Zealand representative. Finally MacArthur said， let us wish from now on peace is restored in the world. May God bless us with a lasting peace. The proceedings are now closed. It was just eighteen past nine. On September 18 fourteen years before， the Japanese army occupied Shenyang.It was also at eighteen past nine that forced by the Japanese army a train from so-called Manchuria state arrived in Beiping in 1933. Such a coincidence shows that the guilty can never escape Heaven’s justice.

According to the predetermined procedure， when the ceremony was completed， the Japanese should take the Japanese copy of the Instrument of Surrender and then leave the Missouri. Accordingly， a Japanese representative came forward and picked up the Japanese copy. But when he glanced over it， he hurriedly called other Japanese representatives， and then they began to talk. MacArthur turned to the colonel who was in charge of the ceremony arrangement， and said: “Go to see what has happened.”A Japanese representative explained to the colonel that the surrender documents were not effectual， for the signatures of some representatives of the Allied Powers were in wrong places. It turned out that Colonel Cosgrove， representative of Canada， had signed in France’s hole， and then those followed had all signed in the wrong hole. The last signer New Zealand representative had to sign down below his already filled-up hole. When MacArthur got to know what had happened， he asked General Sutherland to correct it. General Sutherland took the surrender paper and with a pen drew a line from Colonel Cosgrove’s signature up to the right place， and gave his signature as a testimony. It was then that the Japanese delegation accepted the surrender documents.

Hardly had the Japanese delegation left the Missouri when there were roars in the sky. People raised their heads to watch 10 B-29 bombers in neat formation flying over the Missouri. Then， U.S. planes flew past one after another. Before the people had time to count how many planes had passed， more and more planes amid roars flew over the Missouri towards Tokyo. At that time the United States did not have an independent air force; its air force was either affiliated to the Army or the Navy. To show the equivalence between the army and the Navy， among the 1，000 planes that joined the air review， each offered 500.

After the completion of the signing ceremony， Japan was no longer a belligerent. So， when the Japanese delegation came down the ladder， the American guards of honour gave them usual courtesy and saluted them. Umezu returned their salute in a frigid manner. Other Japanese delegates also returned their salute. Meanwhile， Admiral Nimitz countermanded the order given by Halsey that no coffee or cigarettes be offered to the Japanese on the USS Lansdowne which transported the Japanese delegation， indicating that the Japanese were no longer regarded as the enemy.

From that day on， the sounds of guns and cannons that had lasted many years at last quieted down. Peace at last befell. September 2， 1945， a day of historical significance that attracts worldwide attention， will be recorded forever in history.

At nine o’clock on the morning of September 9， 1945， the signing ceremony of the Japanese surrender in China Theatre was held at the auditorium of the Central Military Academy in Nanjing.

In the middle on the side of accepting the surrender was General Ho Ying-chin， commander-in-chief of the Chinese Army. To his left were Chen Shao-kuan， admiral of the Navy and Chang Ting-meng， general of the Air Force; to his right were Ku Chu-tung， general， second class and Hsiao Yi-su， lieutenant general of the Army. On the surrendering side were Lieutenant General Okamura Yasutsugu， commander-in-chief of the Japanese forces in Central China， Asasaburo Kobayashi， chief of staff of the China Expeditionary Army， and Takeo Imai， deputy chief of staff of the China Expeditionary Army and four others. There were also KMT Army generals and several generals of Allied Powers present at the ceremony.

At nine o’clock sharp， General Ho Ying-chin handed the Act of Surrender－China Theatre to Okamura Yasutsugu to read and sign. Okamura Yasutsugu read the documents one by one and signed with shivering hands. After finishing signing and affixing his seal， he lowered his head and looked at the Act of Surrender for 50 seconds， then he handed over the sword he carried， indicating that the Japanese invading army formally surrendered to China. At six past nine， Gen. Ho Ying-chin passed the General Order No.1 of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to the chief of staff who passed it onto Okamura Yasutsugu who signed his name and affixed his seal on the receipt of the document. At ten pass nine， the Japanese surrender ceremony in China Theatre concluded. The Japanese representatives left the auditorium.

Gen. Ho Ying-chin gave a broadcast speech to China and the whole world， declaring the smooth completion of the Japanese surrender ceremony in Nanjing. He said， “This is a most significant day in the Chinese history. It is the result of eight years’ hard struggle against the Japanese aggression. A new era of peace and prosperity of East Asia and the mankind of the world begins.”

On August 13， 1951 the State Council of the Central Government of the People’s Republic of China announced that September 3 is designated as the Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression “because Japan surrendered after the Japanese Government signed the Act of Surrender on September 2， 1945.”