| By the end of July the Manhattan Project had placed a nuclear weapon at President Truman's disposal. Faced with the possibility of quickly ending the war, the President approved the use of the atomic bomb against Japan. As the first target was chosen, the city of Hiroshima in southern Honshu, Japanese officials were warned of the unprecedented destructive potential. On August 6 the U.S.S. Essex was about 320 miles south of Kyushu and no missions were scheduled. B 29 Superfortresses had been regularly flying the route north from the island of Tinian to bomb Japan, but Jack and the crew of the Essex had no idea that today one B 29 carried an atomic bomb. At 8:15 a.m. the B 29 "Enola Gay" dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Japan refused to surrender and the United States had plans for at least seven more atomic bomb targets. The second was scheduled for August 9 on Kokura, a city on the northern coast of Kyushu. Once again a B 29 left Tinian with an atomic bomb payload. The Superfortress "Bockscar" reached Kokura but clouds covered the target. The mission was diverted to the secondary target, Nagasaki, in east central Kyushu. At 11:01 a.m. the B 29 "Bockscar" dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan. Aircraft from the Essex made routine bombing missions on Honshu. The massive destruction from the two bombs was enough to bring Japan to its knees. The long awaited end of the war was in sight. On August 15 Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender. |
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| The Essex continued flight operations of patrolling and reconnaissance while Allied troops began landing on Japanese soil. The U.S.S. Missouri would sail into Tokyo Bay for the formal surrender.
For the crew of the Essex changes were happening fast. On August 29 and 30 personnel from ships of T.G. 38.4 came aboard for transport to the U.S. CV 9 had logged so much time at sea, it would be one of the first to head home for the States. The B 29 Superfortress "Enola Gay" is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center just outside of Washington D.C. The B 29 Superfortress "Bockscar is currently on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. |
B 29 "Enola Gay"  B 29 "Bockscar" |
| Aug. 2 | Bad weather1. No strikes. | * 570 miles SE of S tip of Kyushu (26-25 N 137-34 E) 1. Typhoon in the launching area. |
| Aug. 3 | Refueled. | * 540 miles ESE of S tip of Kyushu (24-37 N 137-35 E) |
| Aug. 4, 5, 6 | Gunnery exercise. | * 320 miles SE of S tip of Kyushu (27-55 N 135-59 E) * Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan |
| Aug. 7 | Refueled | * 390 miles SE of N tip of Honshu (37-46 N 147-22 E) |
| Aug. 8 | 200 miles off Japan. Strikes canceled on account of weather. Adm. Byrd1 came aboard today. | * 160 miles SE of N tip of Honshu (39-27 N 145-08 E) 1. Rear Admiral Richard Byrd USN (Retired) - first man to reach the North Pole. |
| Aug. 9 | Strikes on Japan. Russia declared war on Japan today. | * 275 miles SSE of N tip of Honshu (37-56 N 144-08 E) * Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan |
| Aug. 10 | Strikes on Honshu and Hokkaido. | * 220 miles SSE of N tip of Honshu (38-05 N 144-12 E) |
| Aug. 11 | Refueled. | * 400 miles EE of N tip of Honshu (37-41 N 148-43 E) |
| Aug. 12 | Strikes canceled. Bad weather1. Third fleet is organizing an occupational force to go to Tokyo. We are excluded as we expect to go home soon. | * 400 miles SE of N tip of Honshu (37-21 N 148-05 E) 1. Typhoon 450 miles SSW. |
| Aug. 13 | Strikes on Tokyo and vicinity. Several bogies1 were shot down about 30 miles away. | * 160 miles E of Tokyo - (35-10 N 142-56 E) 1. Bogie - Enemy Aircraft. |
| Aug. 14 | Refueled. | * 320 miles SE of Tokyo - (31-47 N 144-26 E) |
| Aug. 15 | Strikes on Tokyo and vicinity. (War is over.) War is over1 but we're still shooting down these planes. Essex2 pilots shot down one of the last planes of the war. Okinawa under attack tonight. 18 planes shot down. (31,000th landing)3 | * 125 miles SE of Tokyo - (33-31 N 142-44 E) 1. Planes on strikes ordered to jettison bombs and return to base because of Japan's unconditional surrender. 2. U.S.S. Essex CV-9 3. 31,000th on the deck of the U.S.S. Essex CV-9 |
| Aug. 16 - 17 | Cruising around Shangri La1. Planes taking pictures of the fleet. | 1. U.S.S. Shangri La CV-38 |
| Aug. 18 | Refueled. | * 200 miles SE of Honshu |
| Aug. 20 | Essex1 left 38.3 to 38.4. | 1. U.S.S. Essex CV-9 |
| Aug. 25 | Flying reconnaissance over Japan. Missouri1 ship treaty to be signed on. | * 200 miles SE of the SE tip of Honshu (34-57 N 142-08 E) 1. U.S.S. Missouri BB-63 Japan's unconditional surrender was eventually signed aboard her on Sept. 2, 1945 |
| Aug. 26 - 27 | CAP1 over Japan. | 1. CAP - Combat Air Patrol |
| Aug. 28 | CAP1 over Japan. Airborne troops landing in Japan. | 1. CAP - Combat Air Patrol |
| Aug. 29 | Passengers coming on all day. Believe we will start for home in next few days. | * 100 miles SE of Tokyo Bay |
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