Editing USS Missouri (BB-63) (section)

=== World War II (1944–1945) ===
[[File:USS Missouri (BB-63) underway in August 1944.jpg|thumb|left|''Missouri'' underway in August 1944]]

On 14 December, ''Missouri'' departed San Francisco and sailed for [[Ulithi]] in the [[Caroline Islands]], where she joined the rest of the fleet on 13 January 1945. She became a temporary [[headquarters ship]] for [[Vice admiral (United States)|Vice Admiral]] [[Marc A. Mitscher]].{{sfn|DANFS}} She then joined [[Task Force 58]], which [[sortie]]d on 27 January to launch an air attack on [[Bombing of Tokyo|Tokyo]] in support of the planned operation against [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Iwo Jima]]. ''Missouri'' served as part of the anti-aircraft screen for Task Group 58.2, centered on the carriers {{USS|Lexington|CV-16|2}}, {{USS|Hancock|CV-19|2}}, and {{USS|San Jacinto|CVL-30|2}}, during the raid on Tokyo.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=393}} In addition to guarding the carriers, ''Missouri'' and the other battleships acted as [[Replenishment oiler|oilers]] for the escorting destroyers, since the fleet's logistics train could not accompany the strike force during raids.{{sfn|Stillwell|p=27}}

By 16 February, the task force had arrived off the coast of Japan to begin a series of [[airstrike]]s. The fleet then proceeded to Iwo Jima, which was invaded by American ground forces on 19 February. That evening, while patrolling with the carriers, ''Missouri'' shot down a Japanese aircraft, probably a [[Nakajima Ki-49]] bomber. Task Force 58 departed in early March and returned to Ulithi to replenish fuel and ammunition. ''Missouri'' was transferred to the {{USS|Yorktown|CV-10|2}} task group, TG&nbsp;58.4 at that time.{{sfn|Stillwell|pp=28–30}}

The ships departed again on 14 March for another round of air strikes on Japan.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=399}} Four days later, ''Missouri''{{'}}s anti-aircraft guns assisted in the destruction of four Japanese aircraft. American carrier aircraft struck a variety of targets around the [[Seto Inland Sea|Inland Sea]], which prompted a Japanese counter-attack that struck several carriers. The carrier {{USS|Franklin|CV-13|2}} was badly damaged and ''Missouri''{{'}}s task group was detached to cover her withdrawal. By 22 March, ''Franklin'' had left the area of operations and the group returned to the fleet to join the preparatory bombardment for the upcoming [[invasion of Okinawa]].{{sfn|DANFS}} ''Missouri'' was temporarily transferred to TF&nbsp;59, along with her sisters ''New Jersey'' and ''Wisconsin'', to bombard the southern coast of [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] on 24 March,{{sfn|Rohwer|p=402}} part of an effort to draw Japanese attention from the actual invasion target on the western side of the island, during which she fired 180 [[Cartridge (firearms)|rounds]]. ''Missouri'' thereafter returned to TG&nbsp;58.4.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=408}}

[[File:USS Missouri Zero Kamikaze.jpg|thumb|A [[kamikaze]] (top left) moments before striking ''Missouri''{{'}}s side]]
While operating with the carriers on 11 April, ''Missouri'' came under attack from a [[kamikaze]] that struck the side of the vessel below the main deck. The impact shattered the aircraft, throwing gasoline on the deck that rapidly ignited, but it was quickly suppressed by her crew. The attack caused superficial damage and the battleship remained on station. Two crewmen were wounded on 17 April when another kamikaze clipped the stern crane and crashed in the ship's [[wake (physics)|wake]].{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=33–37}} ''Missouri'' left Task Force 58 on 5 May to return to Ulithi; in the course of her operations off Okinawa, she claimed five aircraft shot down and another probable kill, along with partial credit for another six aircraft destroyed.{{sfn|DANFS}} While en route, ''Missouri'' refueled from a fleet oiler that also brought the ship's new commander, Captain [[Stuart S. Murray]], who relieved Captain Callaghan on 14 May.{{sfn|Stillwell|pp=37–38}}

On 9 May, ''Missouri'' reached Ulithi, before continuing on to [[Apra Harbor]], [[Guam]], where she arrived nine days later. [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[William F. Halsey Jr.]], the commander of [[United States Third Fleet|Third Fleet]], came aboard the ship that day, making her the fleet flagship of what was now re-designated as TF&nbsp;38. On 21 May, the battleship got underway again, bound for Okinawa. She had reached the operational area by 27 May, when she took part in attacks on Japanese positions on the island. Together with the rest of the Third Fleet, she then steamed north to conduct a series of air strikes on Japanese airfields and other installations on the island of [[Kyūshū]] on 2 and 3 June. The fleet was struck by [[1945 Pacific typhoon season#Typhoon Connie|a major typhoon]] on the night of 5–6 June, which caused extensive damage to many ships of the fleet, though ''Missouri'' suffered only minor damage. Another round of air strikes against targets on Kyūshū took place on 8 June. The fleet then withdrew to [[Leyte Gulf]] to replenish fuel and ammunition, arriving there on 13 June.{{sfn|DANFS}}{{sfn|Rohwer|pp=418–419}}

Third Fleet got underway again on 1 July to launch another series of attacks on the Japanese [[Japanese archipelago|Home Islands]]. During this period, ''Missouri'' operated with TG&nbsp;38.4. The carrier aircraft struck targets around Tokyo on 10 July, and then further north between [[Honshū]] and [[Hokkaidō]] from 13 to 14 July. The following day, ''Missouri'' and several other vessels were detached to form TG&nbsp;38.4.2 which was tasked with bombarding industrial facilities in [[Muroran, Hokkaido]]. A second bombardment mission followed on the night of 17–18 July, by which time the British battleship {{HMS|King George V|41|6}} had joined the formation.{{sfn|Rohwer|pp=421–422}} The battleships then returned to [[Screening (tactical)|screen]] the carriers during strikes against targets around the Inland Sea and then Tokyo later in the month. After a brief pause, the carriers resumed attacks on northern Japan on 9 August, the same day as the [[atomic bombing of Nagasaki]]. The following day, rumors circulated that Japan would surrender, which was formally announced on the morning of 15 August.{{sfn|DANFS}}

==== Signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender ====
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{{Main|Japanese Instrument of Surrender}}

[[File:Douglas MacArthur signs formal surrender.jpg|thumb|left|Allied sailors and officers watch [[General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]] sign documents during the surrender ceremony aboard ''Missouri'' on 2 September 1945. The unconditional surrender of the Japanese to the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] officially ended the Second World War.]]

Over the course of the following two weeks, Allied forces made preparations to begin the [[occupation of Japan]]. On 21 August, ''Missouri'' sent a contingent of 200&nbsp;officers and men to ''Iowa'', which was to debark a landing party in Tokyo to begin the process of demilitarizing Japan. Two days later, Murray was informed that ''Missouri'' would host the surrender ceremony, with the date scheduled for 31 August. The ship's crew immediately began preparations for the event, including cleaning and painting the vessel. ''Missouri'' began the approach to [[Tokyo Bay]] on 27 August, guided by the {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Hatsuzakura||2|up=yes}}. That night, the ships stopped at [[Kamakura]], where a courier brought the flag that [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] [[Matthew C. Perry|Matthew Perry]] had flown during his [[Perry Expedition|expedition to open Japan]] in 1853; the flag was to be displayed during the surrender ceremony. The flotilla then entered Tokyo Bay on 29 August, and ''Missouri'' was anchored close to where Perry had anchored his own vessels some ninety-two years earlier. Poor weather delayed the ceremony until 2 September.{{sfn|Stillwell|pp=50–51, 53–57}}

[[Fleet admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester Nimitz]] boarded shortly after 08:00, and [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]], the Supreme Commander for the Allies, came on board at 08:43. The Japanese representatives, headed by [[Foreign Minister]] [[Mamoru Shigemitsu]], arrived at 08:56, 2 September 1945. At 09:02, General MacArthur stepped before a battery of [[microphone]]s and opened the 23-minute surrender ceremony to the waiting world by stating,{{sfn|DANFS}}{{sfn|Stillwell|p=65}} "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 most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice."<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=''Missouri''{{'}}s place in history |magazine=[[All Hands]] |date=September 1985 |publisher=United States Navy |issue=822 |page=16}}</ref>{{efn|Another U.S. flag was raised and flown during the occasion, a flag that some sources have indicated was in fact that flag which had flown over the U.S. Capitol on 7 December 1941. This is not true; it was a flag taken from the ship's stock, according to Murray, and it was "...just a plain ordinary GI-issue flag".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ussmissouri.org/learn-the-history/surrender/admiral-murrays-account |title=Reminiscences of the Surrender of Japan and the End of World War II |first=Stuart S. |last=Murray |author-link=Stuart S. Murray |website=USS Missouri Memorial Association |access-date=25 October 2019 |archive-date=26 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026130431/https://ussmissouri.org/learn-the-history/surrender/admiral-murrays-account  }}</ref>}}

By 09:30 the Japanese emissaries had departed. In the afternoon of 5 September, Halsey transferred his flag to the battleship {{USS|South Dakota|BB-57|2}}, and early the next day ''Missouri'' departed Tokyo Bay. As part of the ongoing [[Operation Magic Carpet]] she received homeward-bound passengers at Guam, then sailed unescorted for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 20 September and flew Admiral Nimitz's flag on the afternoon of 28 September for a reception.{{sfn|DANFS}}{{sfn|Stillwell|p=78}}