"My name is Ken Adams and during WWII I served as a RM2/C aboard USS
Walter B. Cobb APD-106.
Much attention has been paid to the ships present in Tokyo Bay on 2
September 1945 for the Japanese Surrender that officially ended
WWII. I am submitting this document in an effort to give richly
deserved credit to all the APD sailors who had no recognition for
their service after the surrender, even though some of them were
present before and during the surrender.
As a radioman, I copied the following information over Naval Radio
Frequency on 4 September 1945. It shows all ship present in Tokyo
Bay on this date.
There are twelve APD's
present for the Japanese surrender. With an average of
186 men, there were about 2,232 sailors present in these ships.
The listing of APD's in Tokyo Bay just 48 hours later, 4 September
1945, shows 25 APD's which would have carried about 4,836 men!
I've been researching the APD's that carried UDTs aboard, as
well as the ones that did not.
My ship, APD 106, had UDT #27 aboard. In Tokyo Bay we
served in the areas of Yokohama and Yokosuka. Shore leave was
infrequent, but when allowed we had groups of 25 crewmen, one Pharmacist and
one Officer with weapon, that went ashore. I remember one
time several of us were in a Higgins boat cruising the canals of
Yokohama. Most people were wearing wooden shoes. Some would run
from us as we got near. There was much devastation in Yokohama from a single B29 raid. Gen. MacArthur
set up headquarters in Yokohama after the surrender."
For more information visit
The
National Navy UDT-Seal Museum website or visit the museum which
is located in Ft Pierce, Fl.
* See webmaster notes, below
Webmaster Notes
The above image list the following DEs and APDs. Official USN
ship names are included in parentheses.
DEs:
DE 5 Evarts
DE 6 Wyffels
DE 7 Griswold
DE 412 Wann (Walter C. Wann)
DE 443 K Campbell (Kendall C. Campbell
DE 450 J Connolly (Joseph E. Connolly)
DE 638 Willmarth
APDs
APD-35 - Mr. Adams' notes APD 35 Ingram.
However, unlike all the others on the list, Ingram was not a
converted DE but was ex-DD 255, then Seaplane Tender AVD-9 when
she was converted to USS Osmond Ingram APD 35. This APD is not to
be confused with USS George W. Ingram APD 43 which is not known to
be present on this date.
APD 39 Barr UDT#13
APD 42 Gantner UDT#24
APD 45 Fox (Lee Fox)
APD 48 Blessmon UDT#15 (Correct spelling is Blessman)
APD 49 J Campbell (Joseph E. Campbell)
APD 50 Sims
APD 52 Reeves
APD 53 Joseph Hubbard (Hubbard)
APD 55 Lanning UDT# 9 (Correct spelling in Laning)
APD 65 Burke
APD 66 Enright
APD 71 Odum
APD 72 J Robinson (Jack C. Robinson)
APD 85 Runnels (Correct spelling is Runels)
APD 86 Hollis
APD 93 Brock
APD 95 Hobby UDT#5
APD 101 Knudson UDT#25
APD 104 Pattison UDT#18 (William J. Pattison)
APD 106 WB Cobb UDT#27 (Walter B. Cobb)
APD 117 Auman (Joseph M. Auman)
APD 124 Bass (Horace A. Bass)
APD 125 Wantuck
APD 130 Cook UDT#20
APD 131 Young UDT#22 (Walter X. Young)
Barr APD 39 & William J. Pattison APD 104 were known to be present
for the Japanese Surrender on 2 September 1945.
Many thanks to Ken Adams for preserving and submitting this
historical document. Please contact
the webmaster for contact information for Ken Adams
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