A global research team of experts from Japan and the United States said Friday that it has captured footage of an Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier sunk during the Battle of Midway in World War II.
The footage was released yesterday and revealed details such as an imperial chrysanthemum crest on the bow and the presence of machine guns on the ship. The team said that such images were the first of its kind in its investigation of the Akagi.
The survey began in the waters southeast of Midway Island for five days Sept. 8, using submarines and other equipment.
After Japan launched a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Battle of Midway took place in June 1942.
Japan's defeat was marked by a significant defeat as U.S. troops had decoded the Asian nation's communication code, enabling the location and strength of a Japanese attack to be determined.