August 30, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 30 AUGUST 1945

Tenth Air Force: HQ 1st Combat Cargo Group moves from Myitkyina to Liuchow.

U.S. Army: The U.S. occupation of Japan in force begins when the 11th Airborne Division is flown to Atsugi Airfield including General Douglas MacArthur wearing dark sunglasses with a corncob pipe in his mouth and no tie and after landing read a statement then took a passenger vehicle and was driven to Yokohama and stays at the Hotel New Grand for the next three days until September 2, 1945.

U.S. Marine Corps: 4th Marine Regiment, 6th Mar Division land at Yokosuka Naval Base.

FEAF: The 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)] moves from Mangaldan to Okinawa with UC-64s and L-5s.

RAAF: Crashed is Catalina A24-1 (crew survived) during take off from Darwin Harbor.

U.S. Navy: Landings by the occupation forces begin in the Tokyo Bay area under cover of warships of the Third Fleet plus Naval and USAAF aircraft.

Rear Admiral Robert B. Carney and Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger accept surrender of Yokosuka Naval Base. Headquarters of Commander Third Fleet is established there.

Conference is held on board destroyer Stack (DD-406) at Truk to discuss the surrender of that Japanese base. Brigadier General Leo D. Hermle, USMC, is the leader of U.S. representatives.

Four motor torpedo boats transport 50 Japanese troops from Miti Island to Morotai, to contact isolated units to effect a complete surrender.

U.S. freighter SS Peter White is damaged by mine 50 miles from Mauban, Luzon, 14°37'N, 122°26'E; aboard four of the ship's total complement (52 merchant sailors, one passenger, and 17 Armed Guards) are injured, and the ship reaches Leyte.