Which U.S. battleship hosted Japan’s formal surrender ceremony in 1945?

USS Missouri hosted Japan’s formal surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945. The Iowa-class battleship was anchored in Tokyo Bay when Japanese and Allied representatives gathered on its deck.

Missouri had entered U.S. Navy service in June 1944 and was one of the largest and most powerful American battleships. Its selection gave the ceremony a prominent naval setting and connected the surrender to the United States’ Pacific war effort. General Douglas MacArthur presided as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

The ship is often remembered simply as the “Mighty Mo.” It later served in the Korean War and the 1991 Gulf War before becoming a museum ship at Pearl Harbor. Visitors can see the approximate location on its deck where the Instrument of Surrender was signed.