Surrender of Japan

Japanese representatives on board USS Missouri (BB-63) during the surrender ceremonies, 2 September 1945.
Standing in front are:
Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu (wearing top hat) and General Yoshijiro Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff. Behind them are three representatives each of the Foreign Ministry, the Army and the Navy. They include, in middle row, left to right:
Major General Yatsuji Nagai, Army; Katsuo Okazaki, Foreign Ministry; Rear Admiral Tadatoshi Tomioka, Navy;
Toshikazu Kase, Foreign Ministry, and Lieutenant General Suichi Miyakazi, Army.
In the the back row, left to right (not all are visible):
Rear Admiral Ichiro Yokoyama, Navy; Saburo Ota, Foreign Ministry; Captain Katsuo Shiba, Navy, and Colonel Kaziyi Sugita, Army.

Although I dont agree with the actions of the Japanese during WWII, I find myself pitying them here in this picture, such a powerful Military Force reduced to nothing. Bad leadership and outright fanatiscism brought them crashing down. One of the turning points for them as far as I can see was Pearl Harbor.This was the beginning of the Allies lesson, that Battleships were not the be all and end all and that a strong carrier force was required to achieve victory against the Japanese in this theatre of war.

Just my two pennies worth, any other thoughts on this matter ? ;)
 

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