B-26 at Midway

[AlanRoy]

Hello, all.

This probably doesn't deserve a full thread of it's own, but has anyone else noticed that, in the Aviation History article on Lt. Muri's escape route down the flight deck of the Japanese carrier at Midway, there are two paintings of the event. One shows him flying bow to stern, the other sertn to bow. Any ideas as to which it actually was?

[fsbofk]

Actually, both paintings are correct (within the bounds of "artistic license"!) - they show Muri's B-26 flying down the length of the Akagi from bow to stern. The clue is to look at the other ships in the background of each painting - the Akagi is steaming in the same general direction they are, which means "you the viewer" in each painting are looking toward the bow. The caption for Grinnell's painting (the one that appears inside the magazine only) is in error - it states that the B-26 is flying over the bow of the ship (it should say stern). The Akagi's island was on the port (left) side of the ship; in both paintings, the island is off the right wing of the plane, where it should be as Muri flew from bow to stern.