List of Allied ships at the Japanese surrender facts for kids

On September 2, 1945, a very important event happened in Tokyo Bay, Japan. This was the day World War II officially ended with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. Many ships from the Allied navies were there to witness this historic moment. The surrender was signed on board the American battleship USS Missouri (BB-63).

It's interesting to note that only two US ships were present at both the attack on Pearl Harbor (which started the war for the US) and the surrender in Tokyo Bay: the USS West Virginia and the USS Detroit.

Powerful Battleships

Battleships were the largest and most heavily armed warships of their time. They were like floating fortresses, designed to take and deal out massive damage.

• USS New Mexico (BB-40)
• USS Mississippi (BB-41)
• USS Idaho (BB-42)
• USS Colorado (BB-45)
• USS West Virginia (BB-48)
• USS Iowa (BB-61) (This ship was a sister ship to the USS Missouri and the first of its kind!)
• USS Missouri (BB-63) (This is the famous ship where the surrender was signed!)
• USS South Dakota (BB-57)
• HMS Duke of York (17)
• HMS King George V (41)

Aircraft Carriers: Floating Airfields

Aircraft carriers are huge ships that act like mobile airfields, allowing planes to take off and land at sea. Light aircraft carriers were smaller versions, but still very important for air support.

Light Aircraft Carriers

• USS Bataan (CVL-29)
• USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
• USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)

Escort Carriers

Escort carriers were even smaller and slower than light carriers. They were often used to protect convoys (groups of ships) from submarines and aircraft.

• HMS Ruler (D72)
• USS Salamaua (CVE-96)
• HMS Speaker (D90)

Cruisers: Fast and Versatile Ships

Cruisers were medium-sized warships, faster than battleships but still carrying powerful guns. They were used for many different tasks, like scouting, protecting other ships, and attacking enemy vessels.

Heavy Cruisers

• USS Boston (CA-69)
• USS Chicago (CA-136)
• USS Quincy (CA-71)
• USS Saint Paul (CA-73)
• HMAS Shropshire (73)

Light Cruisers

• USS Detroit (CL-8)
• HMNZS Gambia (48)
• HMAS Hobart (I63)
• HMS Newfoundland (C59)
• USS Oakland (CL-95)
• USS Pasadena (CL-65)
• USS San Diego (CL-53)
• USS San Juan (CL-54)
• USS Springfield (CL-66)
• USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103)

Destroyers: Quick and Agile Fighters

Destroyers are smaller, very fast warships. They were mainly used to protect larger ships from submarines and torpedo boats, and to launch torpedo attacks themselves.

• USS Ault (DD-698)
• HMS Barfleur (D80)
• USS Benham (DD-796)
• USS Blue (DD-744)
• USS Buchanan (DD-484)
• USS Caperton (DD-650)
• USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428)
• USS Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668)
• USS Cogswell (DD-651)
• USS Colahan (DD-658)
• USS Cotten (DD-669)
• USS Cushing (DD-797)
• USS De Haven (DD-727)
• USS Dortch (DD-670)
• USS Frank Knox (DD-742)
• USS Gatling (DD-671)
• USS Halsey Powell (DD-686)
• USS Healy (DD-672)
• USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427)
• USS Ingersoll (DD-652)
• USS Kalk (DD-611)
• USS Knapp (DD-653)
• USS Lansdowne (DD-486)
• USS Lardner (DD-487)
• USS Madison (DD-425)
• USS Mayo (DD-422)
• HMAS Napier (G97)
• HMAS Nizam (G38)
• USS Nicholas (DD-449)
• USS Perkins (DD-877)
• HMS Quality (G62)
• USS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781)
• USS Southerland (DD-743)
• USS Stockham (DD-683)
• HMS Tartar (F43)
• USS Taylor (DD-468)
• HMS Teazer (R23)
• HMS Tenacious (R45)
• HMS Terpsichore (R33)
• USS Twining (DD-540)
• USS Uhlmann (DD-687)
• USS Wadleigh (DD-689)
• HMS Wager (R98)
• USS Waldron (DD-699)
• USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703)
• HMAS Warramunga (I44)
• USS Wedderburn (DD-684)
• HMS Whelp (R37)
• HMS Wizard (R72)
• USS Wren (DD-568)
• USS Yarnall (DD-541)

Destroyer Escorts

These ships were smaller than destroyers. They were designed to protect convoys from enemy submarines.

• USS Goss (DE-444)
• USS Kendall C. Campbell (DE-443)
• USS Lyman (DE-302)
• USS Major (DE-796)
• USS Roberts (DE-749)
• USS Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442)
• USS Waterman (DE-740)
• USS Weaver (DE-741)
• USS William Seiverling (DE-441)
• USS Charles Lawrence (DE-53)
• USS John L Williamson (DE-370)

Other Important Naval Vessels

Many other types of ships played crucial roles in the war and were present at the surrender.

Frigates

Frigates were similar to destroyer escorts, used for convoy protection and anti-submarine warfare.

• HMS Derg (K257)
• HMAS Gascoyne (K354)
• HMS Woodcock (U90)

Sloops

Sloops were smaller warships, often used for escort duties and coastal patrols.

• HMS Crane (U23)
• HMS Whimbrel (U29)

Minelayers and Minesweepers

Minelayers placed naval mines to block enemy ships, while minesweepers cleared them to make waters safe.

Light Minelayers

• USS Gwin (DM-33)
• USS Thomas E. Fraser (DM-24)

High Speed Minesweepers

• USS Ellyson (DMS-19)
• USS Fitch (DMS-25)
• USS Gherardi (DMS-30)
• USS Hambleton (DMS-20)
• USS Hopkins (DMS-13)
• USS Jeffers (DMS-27)
• USS Macomb (DMS-23)

Minesweepers

• HMAS Ballarat (J184)
• HMAS Cessnock (J175)
• HMAS Ipswich (J186)
• USS Pheasant (AM-61)
• HMAS Pirie (J189)
• USS Pochard (AM-375)
• USS Revenge (AM-110)
• USS Token (AM-126)
• USS Tumult (AM-127)

Motor Minesweepers

These were smaller minesweepers, often identified by their YMS numbers.

• USS YMS-177
• USS YMS-268
• USS YMS-276
• USS YMS-343
• USS YMS-362
• USS YMS-371
• USS YMS-390
• USS YMS-415
• USS YMS-426
• USS YMS-441
• USS YMS-461
• USS YMS-467

Auxiliary Minelayers

• USS Picket (ACM-8)

Submarines: Silent Hunters

Submarines could travel underwater, making them stealthy attackers. They were used for scouting, sinking enemy ships, and sometimes even delivering supplies.

• USS Archerfish (SS-311)
• USS Cavalla (SS-244)
• USS Gato (SS-212)
• USS Haddo (SS-255)
• USS Hake (SS-256)
• USS Muskallunge (SS-262)
• USS Pilotfish (SS-386)
• USS Razorback (SS-394)
• USS Runner (SS-476)
• USS Sea Cat (SS-399)
• USS Segundo (SS-398)
• USS Tigrone (SS-419)

Submarine Chasers and Gunboats

These smaller ships were used for patrolling and engaging smaller enemy vessels.

Submarine Chasers

• USS PC-466
• USS PCE(R)-849
• USS PCE(R)-848
• USS PCE(R)-850
• USS PCE(C)-877

Motor Gunboats

• USS PGM-16
• USS PGM-26
• USS PGM-32

Amphibious Ships: Landing Troops and Vehicles

These ships were designed to carry soldiers and equipment directly onto enemy shores.

Amphibious Force Flagships

These ships served as command centers for amphibious operations.

• USS Ancon (AGC-4)
• USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)
• USS Teton (AGC-14)

High Speed Transports

These ships could quickly move troops and supplies.

• USS Barr (APD-39)
• USS Begor (APD 127)
• USS Burke (APD-65)
• USS Gosselin (APD-126)
• USS Hollis (APD-86)
• USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124)
• USS John Q. Roberts (APD-94)
• USS Pavlic (APD-70)
• USS Reeves (APD-52)
• USS Runels (APD-85)
• USS Sims (APD-50)
• USS Wantuck (APD-125)
• USS William J. Pattison (APD-104)

Tank Landing Ships (LSTs)

LSTs were large ships designed to carry tanks, vehicles, and troops directly onto beaches.

• USS LST-567
• USS LST-648
• USS LST-707
• USS LST-717
• USS LST-718
• USS LST-789
• USS LST-846
• USS LST-1083
• USS LST-1139

Dock Landing Ships

These ships could carry smaller landing craft inside them and then flood their internal dock to launch them.

• USS Catamount (LSD-17)
• USS Shadwell (LSD-15)

Infantry Landing Craft (LCIs)

Smaller vessels used to land infantry troops directly onto beaches.

• USS LCI(L)-438
• USS LCI(L)-441
• USS LCI(L)-450
• USS LCI(L)-457
• USS LCI(L)-458
• USS LCI(L)-469
• USS LCI(L)-726
• USS LCI(L)-752
• USS LCI(L)-798

Medium Landing Ships (LSMs)

These ships were a bit smaller than LSTs, designed for landing vehicles and troops.

• USS LSM-13
• USS LSM-15
• USS LSM-71
• USS LSM-101
• USS LSM-208
• USS LSM-252
• USS LSM-284
• USS LSM-290
• USS LSM-362
• USS LSM-368
• USS LSM-371
• USS LSM-419
• USS LSM-488
• USS LSM-180 ?

Vehicle Landing Ships

• USS Monitor (LSV-5)
• USS Ozark (LSV-2)

Transport and Cargo Ships

These ships were essential for moving troops, supplies, and equipment across vast oceans.

Attack Transports

These ships carried troops and their equipment to invasion sites.

• USS Bosque (APA-135)
• USS Botetourt (APA-136)
• USS Briscoe (APA-65)
• USS Cecil (APA-96)
• USS Clearfield (APA-142)
• USS Cullman (APA-78)
• USS Darke (APA-159)
• USS Dauphin (APA-97)
• USS Deuel (APA-160)
• USS Dickens (APA-161)
• USS Hansford (APA-106)
• USS Highlands (APA-119)
• USS Lavaca (APA-180)
• USS Lenawee (APA-195)
• USS Mellette (APA-156)
• USS Missoula (APA-211)
• USS Rutland (APA-192)
• USS St. Mary's (APA-126)
• USS Sherburne (APA-205)
• USS Sheridan (APA-51)
• USS Talladega (APA-208)

Transport Ships

• USS General S. D. Sturgis (AP-137)

Attack Cargo Ships

These ships carried cargo and supplies for amphibious assaults.

• USS Libra (AKA-12)
• USS Medea (AKA-31)
• USS Pamina (AKA-34)
• USS Sirona (AKA-43)
• USS Skagit (AKA-105)
• USS Todd (AKA-71)
• USS Tolland (AKA-64)
• USS Whiteside (AKA-90)
• USS Yancey (AKA-93)

Cargo Ships

• USS Lesuth (AK-125)

Civilian Cargo Ships (United States)

• SS St. Lawrence Victory
• SS Winthrop Victory

Support Ships: Keeping the Fleet Running

These ships provided essential services like repairs, supplies, and medical care to the fighting fleet.

Stores Issue Ship

• USS Cybele (AKS-10)

Repair Ships

These ships were like floating workshops, able to fix damaged vessels.

• USS Delta (AR-9)

Landing Craft Repair Ship

• USS Patroclus (ARL-19)

Oilers and Tankers

These ships carried fuel to refuel other ships at sea.

• USS Chiwawa (AO-68)
• USS Mascoma (AO-83)
• USS Neches (AO-47)
• USS Niobrara (AO-72)
• USS Tamalpais (AO-96)
• USS Mattaponi (AO-41)

Civilian Oilers (British)

• Carelia
• City of Dieppe
• Dingledale
• Fort Wrangell
• Wave King

Gasoline Tanker

• USS Genesee (AOG-8)

Destroyer Tender

A tender ship provides support and repairs to destroyers.

• USS Piedmont (AD-17)

Hospital Ships

These ships were floating hospitals, providing medical care to wounded sailors and soldiers.

• USS Rescue (AH-18)
• USS Benevolence (AH-13)
• USAHS Marigold (U.S. Army)
• HNLMS Tjitjalengka (Dutch)

Seaplane Tenders

These ships supported seaplanes, allowing them to refuel and be repaired at sea.

• USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17)
• USS Hamlin (AV-15)

Small Seaplane Tenders

• USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)
• USS Mackinac (AVP-13)
• USS Suisun (AVP-53)

Submarine Tender

A tender ship that supports submarines.

• USS Proteus (AS-19)

Submarine Rescue Ship

• USS Greenlet (ASR-10)

Fleet Ocean Tugs

Powerful tugboats used to tow large ships and assist in various naval operations.

• USS Moctobi (ATF-105)
• USS Wenatchee (ATF-118)

Auxiliary Ocean Tug

• USS ATA-205