Midway: Positive Identification
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Positive Identification

As a result of this analysis, we strongly believe that the wreckage discovered is Kaga’s starboard #8 and #9 mounts. This area of Kaga meets all six criteria in the test case:

Both Akagi and Sôryû conclusively fail in one or more of the six criteria laid out above. A failure in any one of these areas would directly contravene the primary photographic evidence displayed by the wreckage. Only one area aboard Kaga meets all six criteria, and this location is strongly supported in the photographic record with regards to the existence of the critical landing light array. As a result, we are extremely confident (95%+) in saying that Nauticos has located mounts S#8 and S#9 of Kaga.
Identification Criteria Quality of Match
A large portion of a 25 mm machine gun gallery Very Strong
Attached to a flat portion of the ship Very Strong
With a porthole located about five feet from one of the gun platform support struts Strong
(Exact porthole locations vary in several of the sources, though three of them indicate a porthole in the general location of the porthole seen in the wreckage.)
Where two of the 25mm tubs are adjacent to each other, without intervening fire-control equipment or other platforms between them
 Very Strong
Gallery structure continues on either side of the tubs for at least 7-8 feet in each direction Very Strong
One of the gun tubs has a landing light array attached to the outermost point of the tub Very Strong
Figure 21 illustrates the gun tub numbers and their disposition aboard the ship (remember, the object is inverted.)

Figure 21: Annotated diagram of wreckage with identified tub numbers and ship orientation.
Figure 22 illustrates the approximate size and orientation of the wreckage aboard Kaga.


Figure 22: Origin of wreckage from Kaga. (Illustration by Parshall)

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