9/6/2021
September 4, 1945:
Today after the Peace Treaty was signed a lot of the ships from the task groups were headin back home with “Homeward Bound” pennants flying. We watched a lot of ships leaving Tokyo Bay.
OCCUPATION DUTY:
We received orders to form a task group for occupation duty. The task unit composed of the Boston, two destroyers and an U.D.T. , the unit is commanded by our captain. Our duties were to move up and down the coast of Honshu, to inspect and insure demilitarization of Japanese coast defense, suicide boat bases and midget submarine bases. We got underway from Tokyo Bay on September 8th for Katsuura, Sendai, Yokohoma, Kataura Ko, Inubo Zaki, Wakayama, Hiro, Kure, Nagoya on the east coast and inland sea of Honshu and Kogoahima, Nagasaki and Sasebo on Kyushu Island . . .
Occupation Duty is an “under-reported” part of the War.
Thanks to Frank Studenski who wrote his amazing War Diary of his days on the Boston. Without his diary, it would be hard to piece together anything more than a glimpse of what it was like to sail aboard CA-69.
Men left the Boston in three major departures: dates based on time served, hardships, etc.
. . . The ship remained in Japanese waters until January 28, 1946, when she left Kure Harbor for the return trip to the states. She arrived at San Francisco on February 190th and left for Puget Sound Ship Yard, Bremerton on April 3, 1946 and arrived on April 6, 1946 and went into the inactive fleet. On October 26, 1946 she went into the mothball fleet.
steve