A brief video today from the NHK news archive dated November 2, 1942, showcases two Aichi E13A "Jake" floatplanes getting catapulted on a reconnaissance mission. Note the Kawanishi E7K2 "Alf" floatplane behind the "Jake".
In the initial video, the narrator states:
"On the 24th of August, at half past three in the afternoon, our reconnaissance aircraft, patrolling the vicinity of the Solomon Islands, spotted an enemy fleet heading north in the mist-shrouded waters east of the Solomon archipelago. Upon receiving the urgent dispatch ‘Enemy ships sighted!’, our fleet boldly headed south in pursuit of the enemy."
This would indicate that the video was recorded during "Operation 'KA' - The Reinforcement of Guadalcanal," initiated on August 16, 1942, which led to the "Battle of the Eastern Solomons". The presence of dual-cannon anti-aircraft turrets and the locations of the catapults on the port and starboard suggest that the vessel is one of the "Tone Class" cruisers: either "Tone" or "Chikuma," both of which were actively involved in the operation.
According to "combinedfleet":
16 August 1942: Operation "KA" - The Reinforcement of Guadalcanal:
At 1800 CruDiv 8's TONE and CHIKUMA depart Hashirajima with Nagumo's Third Fleet, Carrier Strike Force, Main Body's CarDiv 1's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU and CarDiv 2's RYUJO, light cruiser NAGARA and ten destroyers.
24 August 1942: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons:
The Carrier Strike Force, Mobile Force, Main Body's CarDiv 1, BatDiv 11, CruDiv 8's CHIKUMA and DesRon 10 cruises NE of Guadalcanal.
At 1100, CHIKUMA and TONE of the Vanguard Force launch seven floatplanes on a late morning search for American ships.
At 1400, CHIKUMA's No. 2 Jake, piloted by Special Duty Ensign Fukuyama Kazutoshi, discovers the American task force, but is shot down by USN fighters. Its report and subsequent messages sent by HIEI's F1M2 Pete as well as CHIKUMA's No. 5 floatplane are not picked up by the leader of carrier bomber group.
At 1430, a CHIKUMA floatplane reports the location of Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Thomas C. Kinkaid's (former CO of INDIANAPOLIS, CA-35) Task Force 16's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6). At 1445, CarDiv 1 launches an air attack against Task Group 16. At 1550, RYUJO is located, attacked and sunk by five TBFs and 21 SBDs from Task Group 11's USS SARATOGA (CV-3). TONE is attacked unsuccessfully by two TBFs whose Mark 13 torpedoes miss the cruiser.
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