IJN Kaga wreck investigation happening now (9/12/23)

[Russ Matthews]

ROV Atalanta has just (1500 UTC) reached bottom and will be exploring the wreckage for the next 20 hours or so.

https://nautiluslive.org/

[old iron]

For those of us unable to watch the videos live, anything of particular interest seen in the Kage and Akagi wrecks?

[RyanShort1]

For those of us unable to watch the videos live, anything of particular interest seen in the Kage and Akagi wrecks?

The Akagi is definitely more damaged than the Yorktown. They did a look at what's left of the Akagi's island. No planes were detected which was expected from the extensive fires on the hangar deck.

So far they are still exploring, but the Kaga seems to be missing part of it's stern and is even worse damaged than the Akagi. There was a big chunk a bit aways from the main wreck that I believe they said may be the remains of the hangar decks. As I'm typing they are returning to the starboard side of the wreck.

[RyanShort1]

I know I shouldn't, but I'm going to say it anyway, that the "cultural" stuff they keep having the gal talk about is quite amusing.

[lmritger]

For those of us unable to watch the videos live, anything of particular interest seen in the Kage and Akagi wrecks?

The Akagi is definitely more damaged than the Yorktown. They did a look at what's left of the Akagi's island. No planes were detected which was expected from the extensive fires on the hangar deck.

So far they are still exploring, but the Kaga seems to be missing part of it's stern and is even worse damaged than the Akagi. There was a big chunk a bit aways from the main wreck that I believe they said may be the remains of the hangar decks. As I'm typing they are returning to the starboard side of the wreck.

For all she went through, Akagi was in pretty fair shape... flight deck gone and hangar spaces completely destroyed, but the basic form of the ship was still there, standing proud at the bottom of the sea much like Yorktown. Kaga, though, looks like she was run through a food processor. I watched about five hours of the exploration down the port side to the stern, and the team seemed to have difficulty identifying quite a bit of what was left; there were only 3 remaining casemate guns in place to port, and I don't think anything was left on the starboard side.

It's sobering to look at this and think what her crew must have endured. Yeah, I know, they were the "bad guys" and needed to be stopped... but that doesn't mean we have to abandon our humanity after the fact; we should be able to acknowledge it must've been absolute he|| to experience.

Lynn

[Mark Allen M]

I know I shouldn't, but I'm going to say it anyway, that the "cultural" stuff they keep having the gal talk about is quite amusing.

“They” didn’t “have” the gal talk about anything the gal didn’t want to talk about herself to be clear, and her “cultural” stuff is no different than your “cultural” stuff. Just different cultural stuff than yours. All of which many find amusing… and annoying. But also there’s some of us who find it interesting.

To each his own though.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Wed Sep 13, 2023 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[k5083]

It's sobering to look at this and think what her crew must have endured. Yeah, I know, they were the "bad guys" and needed to be stopped... but that doesn't mean we have to abandon our humanity after the fact; we should be able to acknowledge it must've been absolute he|| to experience.

True. And, heck, if "we" really stretch "our" minds, we might even acknowledge that this forum is open to people who aren't from the US or a WWII allied country.

August

[old iron]

Does anyone know if, during this expedition, there is at least some effort to look for the Soryu.

Should be easier to find now that the Kaga and Akagi locations are known. Having a known location for Soryu should help fund the next expedition.

[Mark Allen M]

According to a few online sources:

The Akagi had a compliment of 1,630 crew members. Of those the carrier’s crew suffered 267 fatalities, the fewest of any of the Japanese fleet carriers lost in the battle.

The Kaga had a compliment of 1,708 crew members. Of those the carrier's crew suffered 811 fatalities, mainly among the aircraft mechanics and armorers stationed on the hangar decks and the ship's engineers, many of whom were trapped below in the boiler and engine rooms by uncontrolled fires raging on the decks above them. Twenty-one of the ship's aviators were killed. The rest were presumably either rescued by their own destroyers or taken prisoner.

[old iron]

Mark wrote:

The rest were presumably either rescued by their own destroyers or taken prisoner.

The was a boatload of sailors (19 if I remember right) rescued / captures by Americans from the Hiryu. No others were taken prisoner. The Japanese captured 3 American flyers, who were interrogated ... then executed.