Which class of carrier?

[GI Jive]

Can you ID the class of this carrier? How about the specific ship?

[wdolson]

It is an unusual picture. Japanese pictures from the war are usually a lot poorer quality than that. The quality looks like an American picture. From the two tails visible, they are from two different air groups. One of the planes in the foreground has a damaged horizontal stabilizer and a missing cowling. Another looks like it has some sort of fuselage damage covered with a tarp.

At a guess, I think these might be captured planes on their way back to the US. The only surviving flyable A6M5 is at Chino. It was captured on Saipan and returned to the US for evaluation. Ed Maloney acquired it from the military when they were done with it. (He also got an Me-262 that way.)

The deck appears to be somewhat wide for a CVE. It looks more like a fleet carrier, but I doubt the USN would use an Essex to transport planes unless the ship was damaged.

The paint jobs place the planes sometime around the Battle of the Philippine Sea or later. If it is a Japanese photo, it would be unlikely later. If it is a Japanese photo, my guess would be the Zuikaku, though it may also be the Hiyo or Junyo. The only explanation I can think of for having planes from other groups on board would be recovery of CAP after loss of the Shokaku or Taiyo.

Bill

[GI Jive]

Very good deductive reasoning...

[zuluhour]

I'm no pro in the ship and plane recognition, but I would swear the guy is wearing a shoulder patch. Did the Japanese wear them? It also looks like a c#nt cap, US issue.

[AW1Steve]

I'm going to take a WAG. Enterprise? [&:]

[GI Jive]

Not Enterprise. The original pic is a bit clearer - the guy is shirtless. wdolson made a number of interesting observations... [;)]

[wdolson]

The guy by the Zero with the damaged fuselage is white, so this is a USN carrier.

The forward elevators on US fleet carrier were not that far forward and the elevator is definitely down. Unless it is the stern (unlikely), this is not a CV. The Yorktown class rear elevator was pretty close to the stern. The rear elevator on the Essex class was well forward of the Yorktowns. The Saratoga had the elevators closer to amidship.

It's probably a CVE, though it still looks kind of wide for an escort carrier.

Bill

[GI Jive]

Here is the whole photo...

[GI Jive]

wdolson had most of this figured out. This is the Bogue Class escort carrier USS Copahee (CVE-12). She is transporting captured Japanese aircraft to the States for evaluation. I believe one of the aircraft aboard is the one that ended up with Ed Maloney.

[geofflambert]

The guy by the zero has no shirt on, so if he's wearing a shoulder patch he's quite the stud.

I'm not good enough for this but the elevator shown should be conclusive.

Sorry I missed the fact that the mystery has been solved.

[GI Jive]

Here's a clearer view of the stud.

[geofflambert]

That is one big mfing birthmark.

[John 3rd]

Bet it says 'MOM'

[wdolson]

I would guess the "shoulder patch" is a tattoo.

Bill

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Bet it says 'MOM'

[:D]

[BattleMoose]

I'm more interested in the twink in the bottom of the picture...

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

That is one big mfing birthmark.

I actually have a birthmark that big but it's on my left arm. [:)]

[zuluhour]

[8|]

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: GI Jive

Here's a clearer view of the stud.

An obvious photoshop of Bill Murray who will do anything for laughs.[:D]

[crsutton]

Too late to the party as Bill has stolen the limelight again. [;)] But this one should have been much easier. Japanese aircraft carriers did not have that kind of decking with the metal seams running every ten feet or so. That can only be a US carrier.