August 14, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 14 AUGUST 1945

Japan accepts the Allied terms of unconditional surrender. Emperor Hirohito assembles Imperial Council and decides to accept the Potsdam Declaration that called for the unconditional surrender of Japan. At 11:25pm in a bunker below the Imperial Household Ministry, Emperor Hirohito was recorded onto a phonograph record by NHK sound technicians reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the Greater East Asia War. During the first recording, his voice was too soft and the NHK technicians offered to make another recording with the first version saved as a backup. During the second attempt, his voice was deemed to be too high pitched with occasional skips but this recording was marked as the official recording.

Twentieth Air Force: 752 B-29s fly seven missions against Japan without loss. These missions 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 Aug:

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 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 destroying 0.166 sq mi (0.43 sq km), 17% of the city area.

Mission 331: 39 B-29s mine the waters off Nanao, Shimonoseki, Miyazu, and Hamada as the last B-29 mining mission of the Pacific War. Before the last B-29s returns, U.S. President Harry S. Truman announces the unconditional surrender of Japan. Immediately thereafter, the 11th Airborne Division are flown from the Philippines to Okinawa, where it goes on standby to become the initial occupation force for Japan.

WESTERN PACIFIC [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 area claim several Japanese aircraft shot down. The 19th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 22d Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Clark Field to Okinawa with B-24s.

U.S. Army: 11th Airborne Division is flown from the Philipines to Okinawa en route to Japan.

U.S. Navy: Submarine Spikefish (SS-404) sinks Japanese submarine I-373 en route from Sasebo to Takao, 190 miles southeast of Shanghai, China, 29°00'N, 124°00'E.

Submarine Torsk (SS-423) sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.13 at 35°44'N, 134°38'E, and Coast Defense Vessel No.47 at 35°41'N, 134°38'E in the Sea of Japan.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese gunboat Hirota Maru off Mutsure, Japan, 33°59'N, 130°52'E, cargo ship Mikamasan Maru at 39°18'N, 126°28'E, and merchant cargo ships Yojo Maru in Osaka harbor, 34°38'N, 135°28'E; and Kashima Maru off coast of Korea, 35°10'N, 129°00'E.

Marine casualties account for damage to Japanese merchant tankers No.8 Nankai Maru at 36°54'N, 126°12.5'E and tanker Nanki Maru 300 miles off Bontensen.

Aircraft sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.6 Hatokama Maru off Tanoura. and damage merchant cargo ships No.5 Shinko Maru at 34°35'N, 131°23'E, and Tatsusugi Maru at 34°12'N, 129°46'E. Merchant cargo ship No.3 Takakawa Maru, damaged by aircraft, is beached north of Hirato Island.

RAAF: Lost is B-25D Mitchell A47-37 pilot F/Lt Edward M. White (MIA) presumed lost en route to Biak.