IJN Kaga and IJN Zuikaku En Route to Pearl Harbor

IJN Kaga (left) and IJN Zuikaku (extreme right) during the transit across the North Pacific to attack Pearl Harbor. This frame, from a motion picture film captured on Kiska in 1943, shows the aircraft stored on the flight deck, the box elevator in the "up" position as more aircraft are spotted on the flight deck, and aerials deployed in the "down" position in case of the need to launch. Kido Butai, the First Air Fleet, stayed in a storm front during their approach to Oahu to hide the presence of the task force. They left Hitokappu Bay in the Kurile Islands on November 26-27, 1941, and returned to Japan on December 23, less IJN Soryu and IJN Hiryu, which were detached to attack Wake on December 21.