More than 800 Allied aircraft flew over USS Missouri during Japan’s surrender ceremony.
The flypast took place over Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, as representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. It included aircraft from U.S. naval forces and land-based units, symbolizing the overwhelming air power available to the Allies at the end of the Pacific War.
Accounts describe more than 800 aircraft participating, including 462 B-29 Superfortresses operating from land bases. Aircraft carriers and other warships also patrolled offshore during the ceremony because Allied commanders remained alert to the possibility of a Japanese attack.
The display was ceremonial rather than a combat operation. Japan had already accepted the Allied terms, but the occupation and disarmament process were only beginning. The flypast therefore combined celebration with a demonstration of military control over the waters and airspace around the surrender site.