What was the number of the Allied order that directed Japanese forces to surrender in 1945?

The Allied order directing Japanese forces to surrender in 1945 was General Order No. 1.

The order was prepared by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and approved by President Harry Truman on August 17, 1945. General Douglas MacArthur issued it after Japan’s surrender, and Japanese Imperial General Headquarters transmitted it to Japanese forces on September 2.

General Order No. 1 required Japanese forces to surrender to specified Allied commanders, disclose their military positions, preserve equipment, and stop further operations. It also established important surrender boundaries in East Asia. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel in Korea surrendered to Soviet commanders, while forces south of that line surrendered to U.S. commanders. The order therefore helped organize the immediate transition from wartime command to Allied occupation. It was not the same document as the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which was signed aboard USS Missouri.