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I'm spending much too much time out searching the web lately. Here's another one I came across, but it not a floatplane this time.

There were several Japanese destroyers that lost their bows, but hardly any survived the experience. I bet this is Amatsukaze (the kanji name on the side plating is hardly legible, but "Amatsukaze" contains 4 characters that seem to fit what is visible here.

She was torpedoed by USS Redfin on 11 January 1944 and lost her bow. That she did NOT sink was only discovered 6 days later and she was towed into Singapore to have a emergency replacement bow fitted there. I presume this is where the picture is taken.

Sorry, it's not the Amatsukaze.

Not sure the name (other than it's clearly a special-type IJN DD), but that's certainly what 80 Major Float Damage looks like![:D]

Hmm, could also be Akishimo, but she was sunk only four days after loosing her bow, at Manila. The picture certainly looks like it was taken in a harbour.

Sorry, it's not the Akishimo.

I've seen pictures of ships with their bows blown off, but I've never seen one blown off so far back and the ship still afloat.

Bill

Hmm, I'll take a final guess then - Yugiri. This looks like it could be her: http://www.combinedfleet.com/BrokenbowYugiri.jpg

Hiltibrant avoids striking out with his third guess. It is the Yugiri. It's bow was torn off by a typhoon off the coast of china in 1935.

I've learned a lot here today. Once you start digging it looks like a surprising number of Japanese destroyers survived losing their bows. Before this thread, I'd only heard of Amatsukaze. Nice thread, fodder.

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for playing! [:)]

I hadn't even thought of the Fourth Fleet-incident, since this looked so much like the effect of a magazine explosion and I was only looking for destroyers damaged in wartime. Someone should have framed this picture and sent it to Halsey before 1944 [:D]

It is difficult to imagine how big the waves have to be in order to chop off 1/4 of the ship.