Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: Homer_J_Simpson

"Battleship Row" at about 0800 on 7 December, seen from a Japanese aircraft. Ships are, from lower left to right: Nevada (BB-36) with flag raised at stern; Arizona (BB-39) with Vestal (AR-4) outboard; Tennessee (BB-43) with West Virginia (BB-48) outboard; Maryland (BB-46) with Oklahoma (BB-37) outboard; Neosho (AO-23) and California (BB-44).

There is a theory advanced by the History Channel or something like it that what has long been assumed to be torpedo drop splashes center-left may be propeller spray from a Japanese midget sub recoiling from the combination of launching it's torpedoes and buffeting by shock waves from prior torpedo hits (radiating wave). No aircraft is visible in the photo to account for a drop splash and the torpedoes have either not yet detonated or they were duds. there also appears to be a surprising lack of AA fire given the amount of damage evident in the photo.

The battleship Tennessee was 625 ft from stem to stern which makes those splashes about 1,000 - 1,200 yards away. The torpedo run tracks are pretty long and the airplanes that dropped them could have already passed over the battleships and moved out of the field of view to the right.

Hard to say. I suspect two aircraft dropped their torpedoes whose run tracks crossed on their way into BBS Tennessee.

White smoke in the distance is from Hickam Field. Grey smoke in the center middle distance is from the torpedoed USS Helena (CL-50), at the Navy Yard's 1010 dock.

Notice the large fuel storage tanks unharmed.

8 posted on 12/22/2011 6:01:07 AM PST by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: fso301

Don’t forget that the picture could have been taken from one of the aircraft that droped those torpedos. The rear gunner could have snapped it looking back as they banked away.


11 posted on 12/22/2011 6:32:36 AM PST by TalonDJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

To: fso301; Homer_J_Simpson
The battleship Tennessee was 625 ft from stem to stern which makes those splashes about 1,000 - 1,200 yards away.

Oops! Morning coffee hadn't kicked in yet. The splashes are about 400 - 600 yards away.

12 posted on 12/22/2011 6:33:08 AM PST by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson