USS San Diego (CL-53) docking at Yokosuka Naval Base on August 30, 1945

USS San Diego (CL-53), flagship of Task Force 31, the Yokosuka Occupation Force, docking at Yokosuka Naval Base for the surrender ceremony of the base and its garrison on August 30, 1945. Note the Japanese battleship Nagato in the background of the opening shot; earlier this morning San Diego covered the landing party that boarded her. On August 27, San Diego had the distinction of being the first major Allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay. However, she was not present for the surrender ceremony as she was detached on September 1, 1945, immediately after the commander of Task Force 31, Rear Adm. O.C. Badger, had set up his headquarters ashore. His parting speech to her crew ended with, "Goodbye! Good luck! God bless you! May you have as much success in the Battle of Market Street as you've had in the Pacific War." San Diego fought from Guadalcanal to the coast of Japan and ended the war with 18 battle stars.
Footage (428-NPC-14536): catalog.archiv...
USS SAN DIEGO War Diary, 8/1-31/45: catalog.archiv...
USS SAN DIEGO War Diary 9/1-30/45: catalog.archiv...
COMTASKFOR 31 Rep of opers in the initial landings, occupation & securing of the Yokosuka Area, Honshu, Japan, 8/19/45-9/8/45, including seizure of HIJMS NAGATO on 8/30/45: catalog.archiv...

[@gtc1961]

My dad's ship, USS Pasadena, CL-65 was actually one of the first ships in Tokyo Bay after the war. It was anchored near the Missouri.

[@TheLuckyOBannon]

Thank you for sharing your father's service.
And yep, after Task Force 31 had checked the planned routes and swept for mines in Sagami Bay (it's referred to as Tokyo Bay even if it technically isn't) on the morning of August 27th, a lot of 3rd Fleet vessels, to include Pasadena with Task Force 35, began to stream into Sagami Bay throughout the afternoon and evening.

[@gtc1961]

@@TheLuckyOBannon Yes, my dad brought home an Arisaka 99 7.7mm rifle along with a bayonet from Yokosuka!

[@tonymanero5544]

Yokosuka and Okinawa are the largest US military bases in the Pacific permitted by Japan under treaty, although occasional bad behavior of U.S. servicemen causes friction with the local population in Okinawa. The U.S. Navy forward deploys a carrier battle group in Yokosuka which is a big deal, especially now that all carriers are nuclear powered. Also, both Japan and Korea permit US tactical nuclear weapons on their soil as the deterrent from aggression by North Korea and to bring a war to the soil of Russia. The Europeans permit the U.S. to store nuclear weapons on their soil and with certain countries under the 2 key system, permit those countries to launch them in the Armageddon scenario (aka Catholic Rapture). It remains a political problem for all countries if the U.S. deploys a new generation of nuclear armed weapons as enough of the native populations have opposed escalation.

[@dmaggio4011]

Very interesting…….

[@michaelschneider9790]

Thought those 5 in d.p. equipped CL's were all classified as CLAA?

[@TheLuckyOBannon]

The Atlanta-class (CL-51) cruisers were commissioned as "CL" and it wasn't until 1949 that the surviving class members were reclassified "CLAA."
The related Juneau-class (CL-119) was also reclassified "CLAA" in 1949.