A total of 462 B-29 Superfortress bombers took part in the flypast over USS Missouri during the 1945 surrender ceremony.
The formation was part of a much larger display of Allied air power over Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Accounts describe more than 800 American military aircraft passing over the area, including carrier aircraft and land-based bombers. The B-29s made up the most prominent heavy-bomber element, with 462 Superfortresses included in the flypast.
The appearance carried symbolic weight. B-29s had conducted the long-range bombing campaign against Japan, including the atomic missions against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their presence over the surrender ceremony demonstrated that the aircraft central to the final phase of the Pacific War were now appearing in a victory formation.
The flypast was also connected to security concerns: Allied planners feared possible attacks by Japanese pilots, but no kamikaze assault occurred during the ceremony.