Missouri (BB 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 J hird Rifle Platoon l ,1 'I 1 H E YU. iii iv' :EL 1351 N Q5 econd Rifle Platoon ii iii? ommander P. C. StromhatldUrdnanceDb111i2l'? Y l nr Ill HW

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t anchor in Sagami Wan . . . Fu jiama in background guns were manned and the watchful wait was kept. The days of fighting are the ones that will he remembered longest and talked of most often, but in m ' ' e ' ' ' any respects serving hy merely standing and waiting was the most difli- cult partfi .lapan's surrender was sudden. Her steady collapse had heen manifest in her lack of zest for fighting hut wers expected. D D The United States Navy alone had been pounding at the home defenses of her capitulation came sooner than the'Allied Po Japan and the United States fighting men Cgmpfisid the only military force available for the landing on Japanese soil. It became necessary, therefore, in the organization of occupation troops, to prepare a Third Fleet Landing Force. lts duty would be to move ashore in advance of the main Heetis entry into Tokyo Bay and .occupy and hold the Yokosuka Naval Base, just inside Tokyo Bay. A regiment of bluejackets was organized hurriedly by Commander lVlalone, executive officer of the Missouri, who was to serve as commanding officer of the regiment. The Missouri, itself, was directed to form a Navy Company for the landing force as well as to furnish officers for the Regimental and Bat- lalion Staffs. From the Missourfs crew were picked ,176 men and Lt. Comdr. R. .l. Matusek, USNR, was designated commander of this company from the

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3 ,. X mander P. L Su S 'l'llll1d Ordnance Disposal Group 11151 Il I LHB V FHHCE r i attalion and Company Headquarters Group airst Rifle Platoon