WWII E164 - Into The Empire: Marines Enter Japan

WWII E164 - Into The Empire: Marines Enter Japan

From History of the Marine Corps by Robert Estrada

December 29, 2025 · 38 min · Episode 164

About this episode

This episode details the rapid establishment of an occupation force by the Third Fleet in Japan during WWII.

This episode follows how Third Fleet rapidly built Task Force 31 into an occupation force, reinforced the 4th Marines for a potentially hostile landing, and seized key positions at Futtsu Saki and Yokosuka Naval Base. It covers the first hours ashore, the establishment of the initial occupation perimeter, the urgent rush to recover Allied prisoners, and the shift from invasion planning to guard duty, demilitarization, and air operations as the occupation settles in. With Tokyo Bay secured, the focus turns south toward Kyushu and the next phase of the occupation. Support the Show Listen ad-free and a week early on historyofthemarinecorps.supercast.com Donate directly at historyofthemarinecorps.com Try a free 30-day Audible trial at audibletrial.com/marinehistory Social Media Instagram - @historyofthemarines Facebook - @marinehistory Twitter - @marinehistory

People in this episode

Host: Robert Estrada

Topics covered

  • Marine Corps history
  • World War II
  • occupation forces
  • military strategy
  • Allied prisoners
  • demilitarization
  • air operations

Keywords

  • Marine Corps
  • occupation
  • Task Force 31
  • Yokosuka
  • Tokyo Bay
  • Kyushu
  • military history
  • World War II

Sponsors

Audible

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Third Fleet, Task Force 31, 4th Marines

Places: Futtsu Saki, Yokosuka Naval Base, Tokyo Bay, Kyushu

More episodes of History of the Marine Corps

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the History of the Marine Corps podcast page.