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Nagato

Country Japan Ship Class Nagato-class Battleship Builder Name Kure Naval Arsenal Laid Down 28 Aug 1917 Launched 9 Nov 1919 Commissioned 15 Nov 1920 Displacement 42,850 tons standard Length 725 feet Beam 114 feet Draft 31 feet Machinery Geared turbines with four screws Power Output 80,000 SHP Speed 27 knots Range 5,500nm at 16 knots Crew 1368 Armament 8x410mm guns, 20x40mm guns (later 18x), 8x100mm anti-aircraft, up to 98x25mm anti-aircraft Aircraft 3

Contributor:

ww2dbaseNagato was the lead ship of her class of battleships. She was the first battleship to mount 16-inch (410-millimeter) guns. She underwent modernization in 1936, replacing her coal boilers with steam turbines, and adding anti-aircraft guns. At the onset of the Pacific War, she was the flagship of the Combined Fleet, aboard which Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto oversaw the Pearl Harbor attack. She sailed with the First Fleet for Midway; she did not see combat action, though she transported carrier Kaga's survivors back to Japan. After the Battle of Midway, she saw little action as she was based out of southern and central Pacific bases. Her next combat mission came in Jun 1944 as a member of Operation A-Go against the Allied assault on the Marianas; during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, she was targeted by American airmen but was not damaged. During Operation Sho-Go, she sailed for the Philippines in Combined Fleet's last ditch effort to achieve a decisive naval victory. On 24 Oct 1944, during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, she was attacked by an overwhelming amount of American dive bombers, and was hit by two bombs, disabling her guns and killing 52 crewmen. On the next day, however, Nagato was among those ships that were given an opportunity to seek revenge at the Battle off Samar. Although dealing damage on the American task force, the Japanese fleet broke off before they could destroy the landing transports. During the withdrawal, she was attacked by dive bombers over the next two days; damage was not severe, but suffered 38 killed. She arrived at Yokosuka for repairs on 25 Nov 1944 where she would remain for the rest of the war due to lack of fuel. In Feb 1945, she was assigned a coastal defense ship. In Jun 1945, her anti-aircraft guns were removed for placement ashore. On 18 Jul 1945, she was attacked by bombers from American carriers and was hit by three bombs, killing her skipper Admiral Otsuka Miki; that was the last time she saw action. She was secured by American forces on 30 Aug 1945 after the Japanese surrender, and was destroyed during Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests in Jul 1946.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Jul 2006

Battleship Nagato Interactive Map

Nagato Operational Timeline

15 Nov 1920 Nagato was commissioned into service. 14 Jul 1942 Nagato was transferred to Combined Fleet Battleship Division 2. 18 Jul 1945 Nagato was damaged in port at Yokosuka, Japan during an American carrier air raid. A destroyer, a sumarine, and three smaller vessels were sunk during the attack.

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