Evening star., 1945-08-30
IS Jap Officers Yield
Great Naval Base at
Yokosuka 10 Marines
BY tie AssoCiated Press.


YOKOSUKA, Aug. 30.-Marines
of the 4th Regiment, occupying this
Japanese-deserted naval base this
morning, waded ashore past wreck
age of japanese warships that SYM
bolized a fallen empire.
Corpl. Charles Thomas Dunn,
Detroit, leaped ashore from a land
ing boat to plant the first Amer
ican flag on the beach, and after
him came hundreds more of the
green-clad assault forces to begin
their bloodleSS occupation OF Japan.
In the center of this once-great
naval base. Is japanese officers and
Is interpreters stood in two lines
at stiff attention, to turn over the
base and its ruined warships to the
Americans. Behind them in a single
line were three battered halftracks
and a single baby tank.
Like the shabby green uniforms
of the naval officers, they gave
mute evidence of how far Japan had
fallen since the first days of the
war, when the japanese swept
everything before them.
Brig. Gen. William T. Clement,
Richmond, Va, commanding the
Marine regimental combat team. ar
rived at Yokosuka shortly after
ward to acknowledge capitulation
of the base by japanese Capt.
kiyoshi Masuda.
All Are Uneasy.
Maj. Wilson Hunt, Seattle, Wash,
commanded the first troops to hit
the beach.
japanese officers, civilian inter-
prefers and japanese news COR
respondents and newsreel men all
were i'll at east, although anxious
to please. They we're tight Tipped.
however, when questioned about
American prisoner of war camps.
answering every query with L don't
know -
Yokosuka's barracks area showed
virtually no evidence of American
bombings, aside from the wreckage
of ships close to the shore. Sig
nlflcant, however, we're vegetable
gardens planted between the one
and two story barracks buildings,
showing the intensity of efforts to
obtain more food
Huge air-raid shelters-laree
built-up mounds-dotted the whole
area.
Formalities, between the Amer
leans and the japanese we're stiff.
and the veteran fighting men of
the Marines conducted themselves
in stern, businesslike way There
were no handShakes, no salutes by
the Marines.
Sailors Join Marines.
Close behind the Marines came
lines of blueclad sailors who were
taken from American warships to
join the Marines, Army and Air
Forces in the first landings on
Japan. Royal Marines and sailors
from British ships also participated,
taking over small islands in Tokyo
Bay.
Gen. Clement. who escaped from
Bataan just before the japanese
took over, showed annoyance at the
Japanese officers failure to bring
their swords-ast requested-to be
turned over as surrender token.
One of Gen. Clements first acts
was to inquire for a flagpole to use
in formal flag raising. He also
ordered the naval base admiral to
proceed to the dock where the
wrecked battleship Nagato was tied,
to receive Rear Admiral Oscar C.
Badger, American task force COM
mander.
The landings followed a pattern
which has been familiar from Ia
rawa, Cape Gloucester. Two Jima
and Leyte to Japan. With Ameri-
can flags flying. long lines of little
boats moved toward the shore.
Its different any way, because
there are no shells splashing along
side remarked one Marine.
Navy newsreel cameramen were
waiting ashore, grinding away as
the landing craft came in. The Ma
rines in my boat cursed when the
ramp failed to lower promptly and
other Marines beat them ashore.
Within short time, the inevitable
1eepS were running hack and fortl,