17. Face of Death.. Fata Mortii

Face of Death

Fata Mortii

17. Face of Death: Photo by Ralph Morse, 1943

Seven decades after it was taken, Ralph Morse's gruesome picture of a Japanese skull propped beside the turret of a disabled tank in a clearing on Guadalcanal remains one of the most intensely unsettling war photographs ever made. First published in the February 1, 1943 issue of LIFE, the photo presented the magazine's readers with as graphic a depiction of war's horrors as any of them would ever encounter. (NOTE: While this image was accompanied by a caption in LIFE suggesting that the skull was placed atop the tank by American troops, Morse himself recalls that the grisly scene was far more likely part of a Japanese boobytrap. The Japanese, Morse says, probably placed the skull on the tank in hopes of luring curious American troops near -- troops they would then kill with machine-gun fire trained on the location. Warned by a platoon sergeant, Morse nevertheless ran into the clearing, took this picture, and raced back again.)

Fata Mortii: Fotografie realizata de Ralph Morse, 1943

La sapte decenii de cand a fost realizata, inspaimantatoarea fotografie realizata de Ralph Morse care infatiseaza craniul unui japonez proptit alaturi de turela unui tanc dezafectat reprezinta o imagine clara a ramasitelor de la Guadalcanal, din unul din cele mai mai tulburatoare fotografii de razboi realizate vreodata. Prima data a fost publicata in revista LIFE la 1 Februarie 1943, fotografia a prezentat cititorilor revistei o creionare a ororilor razboiului asa cum unii dintre ei nu au intalnit niciodata. (NOTA: In timp ce in revista LIFE imaginea a fost insotita de o legenda care sugera ca acel craniu a fost plasat pe tanc de catre trupele americane, Morse isi aminteste ca sinistra scena a fost, mai mult probabil, parte dintr-o capcana menita sa dea fiori realizata de japonezi. Japonezii, spune Morse, probabil au plasat craniul pe tanc in speranta de a atrage, prin curiozitate, trupele americane -- trupe pe care le-ar fi omorat cu focuri de mitraliere. Avertizat de un sergent de pluton, totusi Morse a fugit spre acea zona, a realizat fotografia si a alergat inapoi.)

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Sursa/ source: http://life.time.com/