Japanese Battleship ''Nagato''

By Crusader1307

The namesake of The ‘’Nagato’’-Class of Dreadnought Warships, ‘’Nagato’’ was one of two such classed Vessels. Built for World War I service, She participated in The Sino-Japanese War and earned her infamy as the Flagship of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during The Japanese Navy’s attack on US Military assets at Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ‘’Nagato’’ (although renovated several times) was laid down in 1917 was over 700-feet long. She displaced 32,000-tons and stood nearly 100-feet at Beam. (21) Boilers fueled (4) steam turbines which provided for 26-knots in open seas. Her armor plating ranged from 3 to 14-inches throughout. The ‘’Nagato’’ held a crew compliment of over 1,300 Officers and Men.
Her upgraded armament by 1944 included (4) 31mm Guns, (18) 14cm Guns, (4) 127mm Guns and (95) 25mm Anti-Aircraft Guns. She could support (2) Float Recon Planes as well. “Nagato” was also equipped with (then) state of the art radar detection equipment to include (5) Surface and Air systems. Fighting in a majority of Campaigns in and around The Philippine Islands, ‘’Nagato’’ would be one of the last surviving Battleships at the final fall of Japan. Docked at Yokosuka, Japan – most of her main guns were removed and refitted for Coastal defense (as Japan was preparing for the very real threat of an Allied Invasion). Hit several times during air raids of The Navy Base, ‘’Nagato” somehow managed to survive The War. She was towed out to The Pacific in late 1945 and used as a Target Ship by The US Navy and sunk.