The War is Over (September 1945)

At midnight on August 31st the FOOTE is assigned to the Ninth Fleet and Commander of the Ninth Fleet (Com9thFlt) is Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN; Commander Task Force Ninety Five (CTF-95) is Vice Admiral J. B. Oldendorf, USN,(ComBatRon-1)
USS TENNESSEE (BB-43), flagship; Commander Task Group Ninety Five point Four (CTG-95.4) is Commodore J. T. Bottom, USN, (ComTaskFlot-1); the FOOTE is normally assigned to Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Three, (CDS-23) is Captain W. C. Ford, USN, USS CHARLES AUSBOURNE (DD-570), flagship and Destroyer Division Forty-Six, (CDD-46) is Captain H. H. McIlhenny, USN, USS CONVERSE (DD-509), flagship. Task Force-95 is under the operational control of Commander Fifth Fleet, (Com5thFlt) is Admiral R. A. Spruance, USN, USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62), flagship.

SEPTEMBER 2, 1945 - TODAY IS V.J. DAY - OFFICIALLY. Somehow, it seemed it would never come - the week on week of steaming, the lack of sleep, the conviction we had lived a lifetime in the midst of war. All those on destroyers who survived the 82-day battle for Okinawa can say they fought hard in those little grey ships that strike hard and fast at any enemy they can find - over, under or on the surface of the sea. Gun for gun, ton for ton, they are the fightingest ship afloat.

Everyone knew the Navy had taken a terrible beating during the Okinawa battle, but few realized how severe the punishment was until the figures were released - 30 ships sunk, 223 damaged. Never before has any Navy of any nation been hit as often in a single operation.
No ship larger than a Destroyer was sunk, but thirteen “tincans” went to the bottom, 88 others were damaged - some so bad they had to be scrapped. Ten Battleships, eight big Carriers, three Escort Carriers and two Light Cruisers were hit. And, the casualties for the Navy - 4,907 killed and missing, 4,824 wounded - about one-seventh of the Navy’s total for the entire war.
The Japanese produced about fifty thousand planes between 1941 and 1945. Many of these were pressed into action for suicide attacks. The Japanese Navy reported 2,525 planes lost in the Special Attack Corp (Kamikaze) and the Nipponese Army reports a loss of 1,338 aircraft in suicide attacks.

The war has gone on to its tragic end because the militarists on the Japanese Imperial Council refused to acknowledge defeat in a senseless effort to “save face”. But, we are finally at the end - the blessed end - and, assured survival. There really will be a future for us - to do with what we choose. We are young and our lives have been given back to us.
Today, after 1,360-days, 5-hours and 14-minutes, WW-II Pacific ended officially at 0914 September 2, 1945 with the signing of the Instrument of Surrender on the Battleship USS MISSOURI, anchored in Tokyo Bay.

General MacArthur stated the purpose of the occasion and expressed hope for the future: “It is my earnest hope - indeed the hope of all mankind - that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past, a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice ."

Admiral Chester Nimitz, remembering those who gave their lives in the Pacific War, said, “They fought together as brothers in arms; they died together and now they sleep side by side. To them we have a solemn obligation - the obligation to insure that their sacrifice will help make a better and safer world in which to live.”

The Japanese have sown the wind - now, they shall reap the whirlwind. The Japanese fighting man was a barbarian. The most surprising thing about war is how quickly you forget. Bitterness gives way to forgetfulness - unless you are the looser. Lord Fisher of the British Navy wrote a little verse that went something like this:

“The country threatened and the foeman nigh,
‘ God and our Navy’ is the Nation’s cry.
The victory won and the wrongs are righted,
God is forgotten and the Navy slighted.”

The Pacific is once more serene and peaceful. The sound of battle has faded away and only the cries of sea birds winging over the water breaks the silence. The bones of the victors and vanquished alike rest beneath the seas around Okinawa. The war is over.

In Kerama Retto the sun beats down on the long rows of white crosses we saw when we were on the beach back on June 29th. Many of these crosses bear the “dogtags” of sailors from the Radar Picket Stations. For them, also, the war is over.

Japan committed two major errors. The first, was to attack Pearl Harbor that began the war with the United States. The second, which was even more disastrous than the first, was to persist against hopeless odds after they were defeated.

Some Japanese knew they had lost the war after the sea Battle of Midway. Then, after Saipan there was no vestige of doubt left. The succession of suicide campaigns did not prevent the American’s relentless advance. But, these attacks did reinforce the notion that the Japanese were inhuman fanatics and that in fighting them, the end justified the means.

It is September the 5th and signing of the Instrument of Surrender in Tokyo Bay is history and the FOOTE is still anchored in Buckner Bay, Okinawa. All the ships are brightly lit at night - with movies on the fantail. The hatches are all open to allow air to enter the compartments. It seems so strange after living with darken ship and secured hatched for so long. Rumors are rampant - you can start a rumor on the bow and it will beat you to the fantail.

Flash Blue, Control Yellow (Alert). Don’t these people know that peace was committed three days ago. What a deal - wake up.

On September 6th the FOOTE is still swinging on the hook in Buckner Bay. The daily routine of inspecting magazines and smokeless powder samples finds conditions normal. All hands are working to have this old bucket of bolts ready for the trip stateside when we get the word. We are actually having some normal sack-time and structured work days.
This ship has really converted to peacetime - but quick. There was a real humdinger of a Material Inspection today - regular Navy type. Our bunch of Reserve Officers must have stayed up all night reading the book on how to pull it off. Guess it went pretty well - nobody was put on report.

The ship had the first personnel inspection in whites on September 8th. This crew don’t want to be sailors - they want to be civilians.

Today, for the first time in six years, no war communiqués were issued anywhere in the world. Tomorrow the formal surrender, in Naking, of one million Japanese on mainland China will take place. Eyewitness reports in Singapore say the Japs killed between 100,000 and 150,000 Chinese by lopping off their heads with swords - a favorite Jap method of execution.
American troops have entered Tokyo in force and raised the American flag over General MacArthur’s headquarters in the American Embassy.

At 0720 on September 9th Task Force-11 stood in to port. Commander of Task Force-11 is Vice-Admiral F. C. Sherman, USN, USS NEW MEXICO (BB-40), flagship; with USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41), USS IDAHO (BB-42), USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55), USS MONTEREY (CVL-26), USS BATAAN (CVL-29), USS JOHN RODGERS (DD-574), USS SCHROEDER (DD-501), USS RINGOLD (DD-500), and USS DASHIELL (DD-659). Commander of Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Three (DesRon-23) was ordered to report to CTF-11 for duty in accordance with orders from Commander of the Fifth Fleet (Com5thFlt). The mission of this Task Force is to proceed to the East Coast of the United States and report to Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet (CinCLant) for duty. At 2000 the FOOTE received 90 passengers on board from the Navy Receiving Station on Okinawa for transportation to the United States to be discharged from the Naval Service. That brings the count to 421 individuals aboard - don’t know where everyone will sleep, but who cares - let’s get underway.

That long awaited news came on September 10th. It’s Official - dispatch 100620 to CTF-11 orders the FOOTE to proceed to New York City via Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal in company with NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, MONTEREY, BATAAN, JOHN RODGERS, SCHROEDER, RINGOLD, DASHIELL, CHARLES AUSBOURNE, CONVERSE, AULICK, DYSON and CLAXTON.

The FOOTE finished topping off her fuel tanks at 0845 - received 21,976 gallons. The crew was mustered at quarters at 0925 - no absentees. Made daily inspection of magazines and smokeless powder samples - conditions normal. Set the Special Sea Detail and made all preparations for getting underway at 1645.

At 1719 the FOOTE lifted her anchor for the last time in foreign waters and with homeward bound pennants flying was taking her crew home.

The ship’s speed of advance is 17-knots and Task Force-11 is steaming the “great circle route” to Pearl Harbor. All Darken Ship restrictions are lifted and all ships are carrying full running lights at night. All gun stations are secured - all hands but the cruising watch will “sleep all night”. This is a Navy most of the crew has never known. They find it hard to contain themselves - it’s really true, the war is over and we’re going home.

The Task Force is steaming in cruising formation with the screen formed on Circle Eight, using an 8-ship screen. The FOOTE’S screening station is No. 7. Task Force course is 075-degrees True. Seas are pretty rough - getting a little green water over the bridge. The report is we are steaming on the edge of a typhoon, but nobody seems to mind.
(USS FOOTE Deck Log, USS FOOTE War Diary and Gene Schnaubelt’s account)
(Written by: Wilbur V. Rogers)