I'm going to give Rick Davis a chance to give his (final) two cents:
Most of the recently posted images above had already been posted by M/V PETREL/Vulcan/Navigea from Paul Allen�s research group. Here are additional images already released by M/V PETREL/Vulcan that show the starboard side and one image of the aft fire control station and quad 1.1-in mount (seen from the portside) that show substantially more �dark� blue color that is not primer. These images are copyrighted by Paul Allen�s research group and are posted here for educational purposes.
First a note on USS JUNEAU�s final moments. The lethal torpedo from the IJN sub struck either directly into the hole left by the torpedo the previous night or very near it. JUNEAU was low in the water from the first hit and flooding. The crew was attempting to patch the first hole. The second torpedo may have actually struck above the armor belt or even in front of it (armor belt ends at Frame 40). There were magazines and shell stowage from the forward fire room bulkhead and forward under the three 5-in/38 gun mounts. Witnesses to the explosion said that there were two explosions. Likely the first was the torpedo. The second one very soon after, was the magazines being ignited.
When the magazines located under the bridge and 5-in/38 gun mounts on the third platform deck exploded, the front half of the ship disintegrated with some of the explosion flash venting out the torpedo holes on the portside and back through the No 1 fire room, No 1 engine room, and likely at least into the No 2 fire room (the evidence of explosion venting out the stack top is evident from damage to the top of the stack). The forward part of the surviving aft section of the ship was thrown upward burying her stern into the sea, causing it to break off (maybe because depth charges exploded), before coming back down and sinking quickly. Even the surviving section of the ship didn�t remain whole. There is at least one break in the deck between 56 and 57 5-in/38 gun mounts. A substantial part of JUNEAU would have been exposed to the explosion flash as a result.
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Notes to the superstructure image;
- Silt is laying everywhere.
- Note the �yellowish� areas, some with rust already, likely were exposed to the explosion flash that vented out the torpedo holes on the portside, bending the armor belt outward, and back through the No 1 fire room and engine room, and into at least the No 2 fire room. Areas away from the portside explosion flash, are more �blue/dark�. The starboard side of the aft superstructure and hull below that area, appears to have been less impacted by the explosion flash that the portside. From the time of USS JUNEAU building until her loss, she had multiple layers of paint applied (as many as six). Some layers were likely blistered/burned away by the explosion flash, reveling layers underneath.
- There are places of obvious paint chips having peeled off or near to doing so.
- You can still see some of the canvas covers that went over the 1.1-in ammo clips.
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Several notes to the three starboard side images below;
- The silt crud laying on the horizontal surfaces, but the front and left side of the waist 5-in/38 gun mount is a solid color.
- The deck can be seen in places and is a dark color, likely the standard Deck Blue.
- The hull side here is a solid shade of gray matching the 5-in/38 gun mount side, which appears to be lighter than 5-N, but is darker than the June 1942 scheme. No camo pattern visible.
- The color of the torpedo tube where the silt has fallen off reveals a dark color, likely deck blue. Also, note that the outboard torpedo tube is missing.
- The gun barrels are rusted. This is due to the paint of gun barrels burned off during heated battle and would rapidly rust if not repainted.
- The last image shows on the bulkhead behind the 5-in/38 gun mount and the torpedo tubes, scarring from internal explosion venting out the doors. One door is laying on the deck.
- The torpedo tubes operator�s coupla appears to have been made from aluminum from areas with no paint being quite shiny.
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