Security· World War II
Sasebo-Nagasaki landings
The occupation of Kyushu fell to the V Amphibious Corps under Major General Harry Schmidt, the Marine component of the Sixth Army's southern-Japan mission.
The first objective was the great naval base at Sasebo in the island's northwest. The 5th Marine Division went ashore there, its lead regiment relieving Japanese guards on the base installations while other elements unloaded over the docks. The second blow fell on Nagasaki, the atom-bombed port to the south, where the 2d Marine Division landed two regiments simultaneously on the east and west sides of the harbor and moved swiftly to occupy the city and cordon off the devastated zone. Both landings were administrative rather than opposed, the Japanese complying fully. From these entry ports the Marines fanned out across Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture to supervise demilitarization, dispose of war materiel, and process repatriates, controlling an island of ten million people.
Podcast episodes on World War II
Record no. 598