Records of Naval Operating Forces: Logbook of the USS Missouri (Record Group 313)

The collection consists of the logbook, or "deck log" of the USS Missouri during the calendar year of 1945, which includes lists of officers, reports on positions and weather conditions, references to combat, and other information.

Size: 10 linear inches (about 1,200 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: Records created by U.S. Government employees in the course of their official duties are in the public domain.
Processed by: Emily Turner (2016) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.

The USS Missouri, launched on January 29, 1944 and commissioned on June 11, 1944, is a battleship of the U.S. Navy. During World War II, the Missouri participated in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in the Pacific Theater, and served as the location of the surrender of the Empire of Japan. The USS Missouri also fought in the Korean War from 1950-1953 and (after being called back into service in 1986) in the Gulf War before being retired to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1992.

This collection consists of the logbook, or "deck log," of the USS Missouri during the calendar year of 1945. The collection is organized in a single series, the Deck Log File. The log includes a monthly list of officers, their primary duties, and the duration of their time on board; hourly reports of weather conditions; twice-daily records of latitudinal and longitudinal positions; and other data. "Remarks Sheets" included in the log further record the positions of the Missouri, as well as engagements in combat, including the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The deck log further documents proceedings on board the Missouri, ranging from disciplinary action to the signing of the Instrument of Surrender by representatives of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945.

The materials in this collection are copies of original records in the custody of the National Archives.

Related information can be found at the Truman Library in the World War II Collection. A travel log of President Truman's return trip from the Rio de Janeiro Conference aboard the USS Missouri in 1947 is available on the Library's website.