Events surrounding the surrender of Japan during World War II. Scene from the Potsdam Conference meeting. Group of dignitaries together including Clement Attlee, Harry Truman, and Joseph Stalin. U.S. President Harry S. Truman and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, in discussion. A parade in Moscow showing Soviet military might (these scenes are from the May 1, 1945 May Day parade just before Germany's surrender). Scene changes to Japanese Emperor Hirohito riding on a white horse in a procession. Next scene shows dignitaries arriving for meeting at the White House in Washington D.C. U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Secretary of State James Byrnes and Secretary of Navy James Forrestal meet at the White House. Close up view of Secretary Forrestal. View of President Truman with his cabinet in a meeting. Scenes from prior months showing dignitaries involved in the war: Close up of the late President Franklin Roosevelt. A scene of President Roosevelt shaking hands with several Soviet military officers. General Douglas MacArthur seated and talking to President Roosevelt. Close up view of Chairman of Nationalist Government of China, Chiang Kai Shek. View of U.S. Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz shaking hands with a sailor. Views of President Truman meeting in emergency session with his cabinet, and his announcement of the Japanese surrender. View of former Secretary Hull at that meeting. President Truman standing as he reads from a bulletin confirming the Japanese acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Agreement and their agreement to unconditional surrender. View of media, press, and newsmen running from the White House to file the happy news story. New Yorkers rejoice at the end of war. Daytime scenes of happy, jubilant celebrations on Victory over Japan day, or V-J Day, in the Times Square area of New York City. Crowds cheering, people dancing, soldiers, sailors, and citizens waving hands and American flags. A neon sign with message "Japs Surrender". View of night time celebrations at Times Square as the crowd continues to celebrate VJ Day.
Tests of incendiary bombing, before employing it against Japanese cities in World War 2. Planes in flight. Exterior of a building. A sign reads: 'Headquarters Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command'. Sign reads: 'Proof Department building no 8'. Hands open an envelope. U.S. Actor Lee J. Cobb, playing an Army Air Forces Captain, reads the document. The document contains information derived from tests of incendiary bombing, conducted at Eglin Field, Florida. He goes to chart and describes those tests. Scene shifts to the field where a set of Japanese-style houses has been erected. Typical fire-fighting means are shown: water tanks and sand buckets. Two types of incendiary bombs are shown. A bomber drops incendiary bombs on the Japanese-style houses. Crews on the ground attempt to extinguish the fires. But fire consumes the test village.
Views from a boat moving in the Pearl River at Port of Canton (Guangzhou), in time frame of the Second Sino-Japanese War. A small island in the river. Many boats of all types: steam ferry boat; small hand-rowed passenger boats; ships and sailing vessels anchored and moored. U.S. sailors form honor guard as visitors arrive and board the USS Isabel (PY-10) serving as flagship of Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. Seen walking along the deck, Admiral Yarnell and his Japanese and British Naval counterparts,are in formal dress uniforms. Among those seen, with Admiral Yarnell, are a Japanese Admiral and Army officer, accompanied by a diplomat, and a British Admiral conversing with a diplomat.
Surrender of Japanese Imperial forces leads to end of World War II. Wake Island on map. Formal Surrender of Japanese garrison on island. Marine officers at Wake Island. Flag raising ceremonies and wreckage of planes on islands. Officers present include USMC General Sanderson, Commander Cross, Commander Masek, Lieutenant Colonel Roberson, and Commander Walter Bayler (who had been the last American to leave Wake Island before its takeover by Japanese forces in December 1941).
American sailors disembark from the Japanese Aircraft Carrier 'Ryuho'. The carrier in dry dock No 4 to be converted into scrap. Aircraft carrier and a dry dock crane. Port side and bow of carrier. Japanese antiaircraft gun carrying destroyer 'Yoizuki' moved alongside the aircraft carrier 'Ryuho' for conversion into a repatriation ship with a capacity of 1300. The bow and port side of the destroyer. 'Yoizuki'. Bow and port side of the carrier 'Ryuko'. Super-structure (port-side) of carrier 'Ryuho'. Japanese destroyer 'Natsuzuki' coming into dry dock after an extensive tour of repatriation service and now in for repairs. Building Z of Kure Naval Base Arsenal shows a smokestack and hole near its base. The damaged flue leads from boiler to the smokestack which was caused by a near miss, ending at the crater.
A Japanese crewman from nearby boat,disabled by gunfire from a U.S. submarine, is helped aboard the submarine by its crew. They help remove his life vest and most of his wet clothing. One poses with him for the camera. A crewman works with line and flotation gear on the submarine deck.Two more Japanese are seen in the water holding on to floating debris. These men are also helped aboard the submarine. View of the Japanese boat close to the submarine. Smoke is rising from its engine compartment.The superstructure is wrecked. Sailors on the submarine prepare to fire at the boat to sink it.They load shells and fire at the floating hulk.
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