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Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:36 pm
by Skyros
Found this photo of Akagi and Hiryu that are supposed to be from Midway. I have never seen them before, which does not mean much, but wondered if they are genuine.
What do you think.
Akagi.

RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:37 pm
by Skyros
Hiryu

RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:39 pm
by Skyros
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:55 pm
by Schanilec
I was wondering the same thing yesterday. If not it's one hell of a photo shop job.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:05 pm
by Lokasenna
I have seen the Hiryu picture before. I want to say all the way back in the 90s, before "shooping" was a thing. In some book from the library (who knows which? I probably pulled every book on the Pacific War two or more times each).
Never seen the Akagi one before, but the quality says to me that it's either a fake or more likely it's simply been altered by zooming in. Or else it's just really blurry.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:08 pm
by witpqs
ORIGINAL: Skyros
Found this photo of Akagi and Hiryu that are supposed to be from Midway. I have never seen them before, which does not mean much, but wondered if they are genuine.
What do you think.
Akagi.
We seem to see the top of the fireball rather than the bottom of a colum n of smoke, so I presume this image is meant to depict the initial explosion.
Which is the bow of the ship? + Where is the wake? = In which direction is the ship traveling?
Which way (relative to the direction of travel), is the fireball leaning?
Add: Is there a bow wave?
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:14 pm
by Chickenboy
ORIGINAL: witpqs
ORIGINAL: Skyros
Found this photo of Akagi and Hiryu that are supposed to be from Midway. I have never seen them before, which does not mean much, but wondered if they are genuine.
What do you think.
Akagi.
We seem to see the top of the fireball rather than the bottom of a colum n of smoke, so I presume this image is meant to depict the initial explosion.
Which is the bow of the ship? + Where is the wake? = In which direction is the ship traveling?
Which way (relative to the direction of travel), is the fireball leaning?
Add: Is there a bow wave?
Could have been a fuel / ammunition explosion with the ship already dead in the water. They *did* lose propulsion and burn for hours thereafter.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:32 pm
by Grfin Zeppelin
The Akagi picture looks fake to me but I might be wrong of course.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:35 pm
by Skyros
I don't have shattered sword with me, but were the hits on Akagi aft of the island or midships and adjacent to the island. Every source I see says she had one solid hit near the island, a near miss and one that penetrated the deck and passed through to the water and exploded.
It appears to me as if the explosion is to far aft. What do y'all think?
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:39 pm
by Lecivius
The Akagi pic is not from a credited source. I'm thinking fake as well, although I have no idea why someone would go to that effort.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:39 pm
by warspite1
Damn... I saw the title of this thread and got all excited.....
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:39 pm
by Skyros
Here is a cool site I came upon aswell.
http://www.nauticos.com/midway.htm
And Cominedfleet.com's TROM
At 1026, AKAGI is attacked by three VB-6's Douglas SBD-3 “Dauntless”dive-bombers led by LtCdr Richard H. Best (USNA '32) from U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6). One direct hit is scored amidships in the vicinity of the island, starting a fire in both hangar levels, a second slices through the net-guards of the fantail and explodes under the port quarter, while the third is a near-miss port-side amidships-forward. (Note 2). Although normally the damage would have been moderate, the vessel is currently engaged in preparations to spot a strike, with the result that the single bomb hit induces terrible explosions among armed and fueled torpedo planes within the hangar and starts a raging aviation gasoline fire from ruptured lines. Since she was in a maximum turn at the time, AKAGI's rudder is damaged, and soon jams at 20 degrees to port, leaving her going in wide circles.
At 1146, unable to command the fleet from her now, VADM Nagumo Chuichi transfers flag first to destroyer NOWAKI, then to light cruiser NAGARA. AKAGI's engines work erratically, with the ship starting and stopping, but she goes dead in the water for good at 1350. By 1600 all non-essential personnel have left the ship, though Captain Aoki and a damage control party remain aboard. The vessel burns through the evening and next night, but remains afloat.
5 June 1942:
AKAGI is scuttled by direct order of CINC-Combined Fleet, Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku. At 0520, she sinks tail first after two or three torpedo hits out of four fired into her starboard side - one each - by ARASHIO, HAGIKAZE, MAIKAZE and NOWAKI in position 30-30N, 178-40W. More than 1,070 survivors are rescued, including her skipper, (Captain Aoki Taijiro) though he had to be ordered off the ship, while only 263 petty officers and men are lost. Survivors subsequently are transferred from destroyers to MUTSU, one of the battleships in Yamamoto's Main Body.
25 September 1942:
Removed from the Navy List.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:45 pm
by Schanilec
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Damn... I saw the title of this thread and got all excited.....
That was the first thing that came to my mind.[:D]
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:49 pm
by warspite1
ORIGINAL: Schanilec
ORIGINAL: warspite1
Damn... I saw the title of this thread and got all excited.....
That was the first thing that came to my mind.[:D]
warspite1
Could have been a really interesting thread...then I get here and its just a couple of old boats on fire [>:]
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:04 pm
by Skyros
The Akagi one is a fake. I found this picture of the Essex and if you cut out the explosion and flip it I think it matches up.
Or I should say the flipped the pic and cut out the Essex and added Akagi.

RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:23 pm
by Lokasenna
That's a pretty definite match on the explosion.
Next bit of work - anybody know where the pic of Akagi comes from?
And anybody think the Hiryu one is fake? I'm just working off of 15-year-old memories when I say I think I've seen it before.
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:28 pm
by Panjack
Explosion from one photo and explosion flipped from the other photo.

RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:38 pm
by USSAmerica
Good work on the explosion, detectives!

RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:42 pm
by Numdydar
It might be a movie poster for a new movie titled 'Midway with Ben" [:D]
RE: Are these real?
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:42 pm
by Schanilec
Great job. Here's your Scooby snack.[:)]