On which U.S. Navy battleship did Japan formally sign its 1945 surrender?

Japan formally signed its 1945 surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

The ceremony took place on 2 September 1945, ending the organized hostilities of World War II. Missouri was an Iowa-class battleship commissioned by the United States Navy in June 1944. Its location in Tokyo Bay placed the ceremony close to the Japanese capital while allowing the heavily armed Allied fleet to provide security.

General Douglas MacArthur presided over the ceremony as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese government and armed forces, followed by representatives of the major Allied powers. The ceremony is often confused with Emperor Hirohito’s radio announcement on 15 August, which announced Japan’s decision to accept the Allied terms. The August announcement and the September signing were different milestones: one was the public announcement, while the other was the formal legal act aboard Missouri.