Japanese Plane Fragment

Name/Title

Japanese Plane Fragment

Description

A twisted piece of metal from a Japanese plane with a row of 10 metal rivets.

Use

The metal fragment was once part of the wing on an aircraft but was later picked up by a USS Franklin (CV-13) crewmember as a memento.

Context

"These Betty bombers came out after us...The one that was on fire and it hit the flight deck...broke up and came flying down the flight deck...I picked up a piece of the wing structure." --Frank Turner A plankowner and Aviation Machinist Mate aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13) during World War II, Frank Turner picked up this piece of shrapnel after the October 13, 1944, attempted kamikaze strike against the Franklin. While the plane hit the deck, it slid off into the water and left behind small pieces such as this.

Collection

USS FRANKLIN CV13/CVA13/CVS13/AVT8

Acquisition

Accession

2002.00022

Source or Donor

USS FRANKLIN CV-13 Museum Association, Inc.

Acquisition Method

Gift

Update Date

March 13, 2025