Photo taken prior to the Japs taking them into custody?
It would be interesting if we could read the
sign the man is holding, looks Japanese though.
The woman standing on the dock appears islamic.
Another claim in the story is that the Japanese ship on the right is towing their airplane on a barge. So, not likely prior to capture.
Also note the eery similarity to the ship in the photo and the Mariana's issued stamp showing the supposed aircraft recovery (lower right).
seems to me that if the photo was prior to Japanese custody, they would have had an opportunity to contact the U.S. via radio.