OTD 1945 the Second World War ends with Japan’s surrender with Emperor Hirohito announcing that the country will accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration over the radio. However Japanese forces did not always cease combat as ordered #VJDay75 1/x
Four US Navy F6F Hellcat pilots from Air Group 88 on board the USS Yorktown were shot down along with several opponents near the Japanese airbase of Atsugi after being recalled from strikes due to the ceasefire 2/x https://militaryhistorynow.com/2019/09/08/tokyo-dogfight-the-tragic-lost-fliers-of-americas-final-air-battle-of-ww2/
WW2's Last Dogfight – Meet the Pilots Who Fought a Deadly Air Duel Over Tokyo the Day Japan...

Four Grumman Hellcats from the USS Yorktown were in the air near Tokyo when word of Japan's surrender was announced on Aug. 15, 1945. Moments later, the flight would find itself in a furious dogfight...

https://militaryhistorynow.com/2019/09/08/tokyo-dogfight-the-tragic-lost-fliers-of-americas-final-air-battle-of-ww2/
Meanwhile kamikazes kept coming. Yokosuka D4Y Suisei and Aichi B7A Ryusei bombers were sent after American aircraft carriers off Japan that morning. No hits were scored, but the last bombers were downed after the ceasefire took effect. Excerpt from my book Desperate Sunset 3/x
Meanwhile kamikazes kept coming. Yokosuka D4Y Suisei and Aichi B7A Ryusei bombers were sent after American aircraft carriers off Japan that morning. No hits were scored, but the last bombers were downed after the ceasefire took effect. Excerpt from my book Desperate Sunset 3/x
Meanwhile kamikazes kept coming. Yokosuka D4Y Suisei and Aichi B7A Ryusei bombers were sent after American aircraft carriers off Japan that morning. No hits were scored, but the last bombers were downed after the ceasefire took effect. Excerpt from my book Desperate Sunset 3/x
Meanwhile kamikazes kept coming. Yokosuka D4Y Suisei and Aichi B7A Ryusei bombers were sent after American aircraft carriers off Japan that morning. No hits were scored, but the last bombers were downed after the ceasefire took effect. Excerpt from my book Desperate Sunset 3/x
That evening, more Suisei appeared off Okinawa bent on final missions. On board one of the dive bombers was Admiral Matome Ugaki, one of the architects of the kamikaze campaign. Again, the mission, like the campaign itself, was in vain. More excerpts from Desperate Sunset 4/x
That evening, more Suisei appeared off Okinawa bent on final missions. On board one of the dive bombers was Admiral Matome Ugaki, one of the architects of the kamikaze campaign. Again, the mission, like the campaign itself, was in vain. More excerpts from Desperate Sunset 4/x
That evening, more Suisei appeared off Okinawa bent on final missions. On board one of the dive bombers was Admiral Matome Ugaki, one of the architects of the kamikaze campaign. Again, the mission, like the campaign itself, was in vain. More excerpts from Desperate Sunset 4/x
That evening, more Suisei appeared off Okinawa bent on final missions. On board one of the dive bombers was Admiral Matome Ugaki, one of the architects of the kamikaze campaign. Again, the mission, like the campaign itself, was in vain. More excerpts from Desperate Sunset 4/x
That evening, more Suisei appeared off Okinawa bent on final missions. On board one of the dive bombers was Admiral Matome Ugaki, one of the architects of the kamikaze campaign. Again, the mission, like the campaign itself, was in vain. More excerpts from Desperate Sunset 4/x
That day also saw arguments break out at numerous Japanese military bases as personnel debated whether to accept the Emperor’s orders or fight on, with near-mutinies breaking out in some cases according to Samurai, the memoir of Japanese naval ace pilot Saburo Sakai 5/x
Sakai himself flew at least one more combat mission, flying his A6M Zero alongside other A6Ms and Shiden-Kai interceptors attacking Consolidated B-32 Dominators on reconnaissance missions on 17 and 18 August over Tokyo. None were downed, but SGT Anthony Marchione was killed 6/x
Sakai himself flew at least one more combat mission, flying his A6M Zero alongside other A6Ms and Shiden-Kai interceptors attacking Consolidated B-32 Dominators on reconnaissance missions on 17 and 18 August over Tokyo. None were downed, but SGT Anthony Marchione was killed 6/x
Sakai himself flew at least one more combat mission, flying his A6M Zero alongside other A6Ms and Shiden-Kai interceptors attacking Consolidated B-32 Dominators on reconnaissance missions on 17 and 18 August over Tokyo. None were downed, but SGT Anthony Marchione was killed 6/x
Sakai himself flew at least one more combat mission, flying his A6M Zero alongside other A6Ms and Shiden-Kai interceptors attacking Consolidated B-32 Dominators on reconnaissance missions on 17 and 18 August over Tokyo. None were downed, but SGT Anthony Marchione was killed 6/x
Then there were holdouts spread throughout Japan’s expansive empire who did not know the war ended, or simply chose to keep fighting. The most famous was Hirō Onoda, an army intelligence officer who kept fighting on Lubang Island in the Philippines until surrendering in 1974 7/7
Just found out about Seafire pilot Sub-Lieutenant Frederick Hockley RNVR of 894 Sqn on board the HMS Indefatigable, who was shot down near Tokyo on the morning of 15 August 1945, taken prisoner and executed in that evening, hours after the cessation of hostilities 8/9
Just found out about Seafire pilot Sub-Lieutenant Frederick Hockley RNVR of 894 Sqn on board the HMS Indefatigable, who was shot down near Tokyo on the morning of 15 August 1945, taken prisoner and executed in that evening, hours after the cessation of hostilities 8/9
Just found out about Seafire pilot Sub-Lieutenant Frederick Hockley RNVR of 894 Sqn on board the HMS Indefatigable, who was shot down near Tokyo on the morning of 15 August 1945, taken prisoner and executed in that evening, hours after the cessation of hostilities 8/9
Almost certainly many more examples, but these are just some of the instances I ha e come across #VJDay75 9/9
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