An international 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 1942 Battle of Midway in World War II.
The released footage revealed details such as an imperial chrysanthemum crest on the bow and the presence of machine guns on the ship. The team noted that this investigation of the Akagi through such imagery is the first of its kind.
The survey was conducted in the waters southeast of Midway Island for five days from Sept. 8, exploring areas deeper than 5,100 meters three times using submarines and other equipment.
The Battle of Midway took place in June 1942, about six months after Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
In the battle, Japan suffered a major defeat as U.S. forces had decrypted the Asian country's communication code, allowing the location and strength of a Japanese attack to be determined.