[8-5.1 AB]
CHRONOLOGY OF THE
OCCUPATION
GHQ AFPAC
15 August 1945 to 31 March 1946 Only
[NOTE: This is the complete text of a published document prepared in 1946 by historians assigned to the G-3 Section of the General Headquarters of the United States Army Forces Pacific to provide a preliminary chronology of the initial occupation of Japan following the end of World War II. It was submitted to the Office of the Chief of Military History (now US Army Center of Military History) and is contained in the Historical Manuscripts Collection (HMC) under file number 8-5.1 AB. Citations to this document should contain that call number as well as the title. It is reproduced on the Internet with only minimal adjustments to meet the requirements of Hypertext Markup Language. There were no page numbers in the original document.]
GHQ AFPAC
| 15 Aug. 45 | Unconditional surrender of Japan formally announced by the President of the United States. |
| 15 Aug. 45 | General MacArthur assumed command as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and initiated action directly with the Japanese Government for cessation of hostilities. |
| 16 Aug. 45 | First message direct from Japan received at GHQ SCAP, stating that the Japanese Emperor had issued an Imperial Order directing his forces to cease hostilities. |
| 19 Aug. 45 | Japanese emissaries arrived at Manila from Tokyo and received SCAP requirements for surrender procedures. |
| 20 Aug. 45 | Japanese emissaries departed Manila for Tokyo. |
| 20 Aug. 45 | Eighth Army Area Command passed to control of AFWESPAC. |
| 21 Aug. 45 | General MacArthur paid tribute to Australian, New Zealand, and Dutch forces in messages to British Prime Minister, Australian Prime Minister, Premier of New Zealand, and Lieutenant Governor General of the Netherlands East Indies. |
| 22 Aug. 45 | XXIV Corps relieved of the responsibility of ground defense in the Rukyus by ASCOM I. |
| 26 Aug. 45 | Eighth Army CP closed at Leyte and opened at Okinawa. |
| 28 Aug. 45 | Eighth Army advance party landed at Atsugi airdrome, Tokyo. |
| 28 Aug. 45 | Commander Philippine Sea Frontier assumed duties and functions of Commander, Seventh Fleet, as Senior Naval Forces, SWPA, except those of the Commander ANF. |
| 30 Aug. 45 | General MacArthur arrived by plane at Atsugi airdrome Tokyo. FEAF ADV landed 11th ABN DIV at Atsugi. Eighth Army CP closed at Okinawa and opened at Yokohama. Lt Gen Eichelberger assumed command of Tokyo area. 4th Mar Regt of 6th Mar Div landed at Yokosuka simultaneously with Eighth Army arrival at Atsugi. |
| 31 Aug. 45 | 511th Parachute Inf and 188th Glider Regt advanced into Yokohama. Patrols made contact with 4th Mar Regt at Yokosuka. |
| 2 Sep. 45 | The formal surrender of the Japanese Empire was signed by the Allied Powers and representatives of the Japanese Government aboard the USS Missouri at 0908/1 |
| 2 Sep. 45 | SCAP Directive Number 1 issued. |
| 2 Sep. 45 | Territory of SWPA area south of the Philippines transferred to British Empire control. The following SWPA commands abolished: Allied Land Forces, Allied Naval Forces, and Allied Air Forces. |
| 2 Sep. 45 | Special Staff Sections activated: Economic and Scientific; Civil Information and Education; Natural Resources; Public Health and Welfare; Government; Legal; Civil Communications; Statistical and Reports; Civil Intelligence. |
| 3 Sep. 45 | SCAP Directive Number 2 issued. |
| 3 Sep. 45 | Gen YAMASHITA signed surrender of Japanese Forces in the Philippines, in presence of Lt Gen Jonathan M. Wainwright and Lt Gen Sir Arthur Percival, at Baguio. |
| 4 Sep. 45 | XXIV Corps advance party landed at Kimpo airfield, Korea. |
| 5 Sep. 45 | American Flag raised over American Embassy in Tokyo. |
| 8 Sep. 45 | XXIV Corps initial echelon landed at Jinsen, Korea. |
| 9 Sep. 45 | Korea (south of 38 N'): Lt Gen KOZUKI, Yoshi surrendered to Lt Gen John R. Hodge, CG, XXIV Corps. |
| 9 Sep. 45 | Lt Gen TESHIMA surrendered Japanese forces in Netherlands East Indies (east of Lombak) and Borneo to Gen Sir Thomas Blamey, CG Australian Military Forces, at Morotai. |
| 13 Sep. 45 | 43d Inf Div convoy arrived in Yokohama harbor. |
| 13 Sep. 45 | Imperial Japanese General Headquarters inactivated. |
| 14 Sep. 45 | Hq First Army CP closed at Canlubang (Luzon), incident to return to the United States. |
| 17 Sep. 45 | GHQ SCAP and CINCAFPAC ADV closed at Yokohama at 1600/1 and opened at Tokyo same time. |
| 24 Sep. 45 | USASTAF ADV opened at Tokyo. |
| 25 Sep. 45 | Hq Sixth Army arrived in WAKA-YAMA harbor. |
| 26 Sep. 45 | I Corps CP opened at Osaka. 33d Inf Div CP opened in vicinity of Kobe. |
| 27 Sep. 45 | Emperor HIROHITO received by General MacArthur in formal visit at American Embassy. |
| 1 Oct. 45 | Hq Imperial Japanese General Air Forces inactivated. |
| 4 Oct. 45 | SCAP Directive issued to Japanese Government removing restrictions of political, civil, and religious liberties and discrimination on grounds of race, nationality, creed, or political opinion. |
| 5 Oct. 45 | Hq IX Corps Adv Ech arrived in Otaru, Hokkaido. |
| 8 Oct. 45 | X Corps CP opened at Kure, Honshu. |
| 11 Oct. 45 | General MacArthur received Prime Minister SHIDEHARA in formal meeting. |
| 15 Oct. 45 | Tenth Army inactivated and responsibility for Ryukyus passed to control of AFWESPAC. |
| 15 Oct. 45 | The Japanese First and Second General Army Headquarters became the First and Second Demobilization Headquarters, respectively. |
| 22 Oct. 45 | Americal Div relieved of all occupational responsibilities in Tokyo prefecture incident to preparation for return to the United States. |
| 31 Oct. 45 | Japanese Government surrendered its diplomatic property and records abroad and recalled its diplomatic and consular representatives. |
| 6 Nov. 45 | SCAP Directive dissolved Zaibatsu monopoly. |
| 15 Nov. 45 | Luzon Area Command and Southern Islands Command discontinued and areas formerly under their control divided into four commands: USAFIP; 86th Inf Div Command; 96th Inf Div Command; 93d Inf Div Command. |
| 26 Nov. 45 | The 89th Extraordinary Session of the Japanese Diet convened. |
| 1 Dec. 45 | Hq XIV Corps relieved of all occupational responsibility and initiated preparations for return to the United States. |
| 1 Dec. 45 | 27th Inf Div relieved of all occupational responsibility and initiated preparations for return to the United States. |
| 6 Dec. 45 | USASTAF discontinued. The Pacific Air Command, United States Army (PACUSA) established. Hq and Hq Sqdn, FEAF, redesignated as Hq and Hq Sqdn, PACUSA, and assigned to AFPAC. |
| 8 Dec. 45 | International Prosecution Section as Special Staff Section, SCAP, established with Joseph B. Keenan as Chief of Counsel and Chief of Section. |
| 8 Dec. 45 | SCAP directive to Japanese Government, separating Shinto from state support. |
| 17 Dec. 45 | Yokohama War Crimes Court opened. |
| 31 Dec. 45 | Sixth Army relieved of occupational responsibilities by Eighth Army, preparatory to inactivation. |
| 31 Dec. 45 | 41st Inf Div inactivated at Hiro. |
|
1946 |
|
| 1 Jan. 46 | Emperor of Japan issued Imperial Rescript, denying his divinity and rejecting the Japanese concept of racial superiority. |
| 1 Jan. 46 | 96th Inf Div Area Command and 93d Inf Div Area Command discontinued; responsibility of the former area in the Visayas assumed by the 86th Inf Div Area Command and in Leyte by the 32d AA Brigade Area Command; responsibility for the 93d Inf Div Area Command assumed by the 32d AA Brigade Area Command. 96th and 93d Inf Div initiated preparations for return to the United States. |
| 7 Jan. 46 | V Amphibious Corps completed loading for return to the United States. |
| 14 Jan. 46 | US Strategic Bombing Survey Headquaters, Tokyo, discontinued. |
| 16 Jan. 46 | X Corps Area responsibility assumed by I Corps; 24th Inf Div passed from control of X Corps to I Corps. |
| 16 Jan. 46 | 112th Cav RCT inactivated. |
| 19 Jan. 46 | International Military Tribunal for Far East established. |
| 20 Jan. 46 | 81st Inf Div inactivated at Aomori. |
| 26 Jan. 46 | Hq Sixth Army inactivated at Kyoto. |
| 31 Jan. 46 | Hq X Corps inactivated at Kure. |
| 5 Feb. 46 | 33d Inf Div inactivated at Kobe. |
| 13 Feb. 46 | The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) landed its initial echelon at Kure and passed to control of Eighth Army. |
| 15 Feb. 46 | 11 ABN Div assumed occupational responsibility for Hokkaido, relieving the 77th Inf Div. |
| 16 Feb. 46 | 98th Inf Div Inactivated at Osaka. |
| 28 Feb. 46 | 32d Inf Div inactivated at Fukuoka. |
| 28 Feb. 46 | IX Corps assumed occupational responsibility for area assigned to XI Corps, preparatory to inactivation of latter. |
| 1 Mar. 46 | Eighth Army assumed responsibility for all functions of ASCOM "C". |
| 7 Mar. 46 | 24th Inf Div relieved of occupational responsibility in Hiroshima Prefecture by the 34th Austn Inf Bde of BCOF. |
| 15 Mar. 46 | 77th Inf Div inactivated at Sapporo. |
| 15 Mar. 46 | Hq XI Corps inactivated. |
| 15 Mar. 46 | 40th Inf Div departed from Jinsen, Korea, en route to the United States. |
| 23 Mar. 46 | 9th New Zealand Bde (ADV), of the BCOF, relieved the 2d Mar Div of occupational responsibility for Yamaguchi Prefecture. |
| 25 Mar. 46 | Fifth Fleet departed Empire waters and was relieved by Commander Naval Activities, Japan, (COMNAVJAP), of all naval responsibility in connection with enforcement of surrender terms and in support of the occupation forces. COMNAVJAP under operational control of SCAP and administrative control of CINCPAC. Seventh Fleet assumed responsibility for control of ocean areas formerly assigned to Fifth Fleet. |
| 31 Mar. 46 | 97th Inf Div inactivated at Kumagaya. |