Us Official Photographs

Mt Asama from Lockheed FP-80

This striking photograph of Mt. Asama, on the island of Honshu, Japan, was taken by 1st Lt. Bryce Poe of Kansas City, Missouri, while flying a Lockheed FP-80 of the 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Yokota Air Force Base, on a routine photo training mission. The mountain which rises to a height of 7,000 feet above the terrain of Japan has been regarded as an extinct volcano for many years, but in the summer of 1948 it suddenly erupted, filling nearby inhabitants with consternation. The eruption did little damage, however, and Asama-san settled back in its majesty. This photograph, taken in February 1949, shows signs of more activity in the crater.