Nagato
| Country | Japan |
| Ship Class | Nagato-class Battleship |
| Builder | 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 shaft horsepower |
| Speed | 27 knots |
| Range | 5,500nm at 16 knots |
| Crew | 1,368 |
| Armament | 8x410mm guns, 20x40mm guns (later 18x), 8x100mm anti-aircraft, up to 98x25mm anti-aircraft |
| Aircraft | 3 |
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
Photographs
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Videos
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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 | American battleships USS North Carolina, USS Alabama, USS Iowa, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin and British battleship HMS King George V bombarded Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan with 2,000 shells; the Taga Works and Mito Works of Hitachi Manufacturing Company were moderately damaged, and the Yamate Plant and the copper refining plants of Hitachi Mine were lightly damaged; civilian housing areas were also attacked, causing many deaths. Japanese battleship Nagato was damaged in port at Yokosuka, Japan by aircraft from carrier USS Shangri-La; a Japanese destroyer, a submarine, and three smaller vessels were sunk during the attack on Yokosuka. Aircraft from USS Yorktown struck the Tokyo area. P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang aircraft of US Far East Air Forces attacked various targets on Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, focusing largely on communications lines, bridges, shipping, and population centers. |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
22 May 2011 06:01:47 PM
my father was one of 31 marines who boarded the Nagato on August 30 1945 for the official surrender of the ship...if the pics were taken that day i would love to see them..
23 Jun 2011 05:08:25 PM
I have been searching for reliable info about the initial boarding of Nagato - who was first aboard. So far, I'm findint vague or conflicting accounts.
Any source suggestions?
9 Dec 2011 02:20:41 PM
I am Australian and my wife Japanese. Her grandfather was killed on the Nagato I am assuming from above 24 Oct 1944 or following days. We ar only just starting to collate info before it is lost (first hand accounts and photos etc) any email or websites for contact appreciated
5 Jun 2012 10:42:46 AM
my dad was a marine in wwII. among his papers is a document top reading Task Force 31...be it known, my father's name as a member of the tokyo occupation force (TF-31)participated in the initial landing and occupation of TOKYO BAY AREA AND THE CAPTURE OF HIJMS NAGATO, which act symbolizes the unconditional and complete surrender of the Japanese Navy and it is dated August 30, 1945. It is signed by: Brig Gen. Clement, commander of the Marines landing forces, the commanding officer, looks like Ossinoff and Rear Admiral Badger of the US Navy. I too would love to see a list of the Marines who boarded the Nagato that day. If you have any questions, email me.....
24 Jun 2012 01:12:36 PM
The initial (unofficial) boarding was by sailors from the USS Horace A. Bass. This ship was moored to the Nagato. My father was one of the sailors that boarded the Nagato. I have talked to several living members of this boarding party.
6 Nov 2012 08:37:30 AM
I have for sale rear admiral Otsuka Miki shoulder boards (epaulets) they are extremely rare and vaulable and are in minty condition,you can contact me at coyneman@gmail.com
3 Jan 2015 01:49:06 PM
My step Father was also one of the skeleton crew that boarded the Nagato. I did not know it was the USS Horace A. Bass. What I am trying to authenticate is, I inherited from my mother a wood box about a foot by foot and half. The name on the box is T.W. Smallbones Savh. Supposedly the treaty was in this box and that was the name of the small vessel that held the skeleton crew. I know he was there because I also inherited a TF-31 Tokyo Bay 1945 cap with it. Everything I have read is getting me close to this. And yes there is a family in Savannah now deceased name T.W. Smallbones. I am Ray Carter 239-849-4300. Any help would be appreciated.
9 Mar 2015 07:44:01 PM
My father served on the ex battleship Nagato and sailed it to bikini atoll where they dropped anchor. It reflects on his dd 214 that he served on the battleship. My father just turned 89 on March 6, 2015. He also visited the pocket battleship prince Oitem which was anchored right next to it.
9 Jul 2015 02:15:38 PM
My Father had the same certificate as others regarding the TF-31 Tokyo Bay occupational force. I would love to be e-mailed the list of names of those that boarded Nagato and any other info someone might have. He was a Navy corpsman attached to the 6th Marine division.
24 Sep 2015 12:15:51 PM
I have a picture from a Naval Commander of the Nagato in Yokosuka Japan. E mail me if you are interested.
22 Oct 2015 06:54:17 AM
My father also had the TF31 certificate but the commanding officer name is hard to make out but it starts with David and then hard to read but
looks like Foos Jr. I also am interested in pictures or info. My father was a marine in tanks on Okinawa then went to Japan for about 3 months then went to china where japan surrendered to US again.
my dads name Arthur Wright
6 Dec 2015 09:24:13 PM
To David Walton and Doug: My father was Chief Electrician's Mate aboard the USS Bass, APD-124 and responsible for electrical repairs to the Nagato to enable the cruise to Bikini. His name: Robert O. Haas, CEM. I possess metal mementos from engineering spaces of the Nagato. Chief Haas passed in 1951.
6 Dec 2015 09:27:32 PM
To Moderator: I have photo of USS Horace A. Bass, APD-124 lying along side HIJMS Nagato if you are interested.
7 Feb 2016 07:13:27 AM
I just found a certificate like that for my uncle while going through family photos. His commanding officer is listed as George B. Bell. My uncle was from Vermont. I also have a photo of him with another marine from Philadelphia.
5 Jun 2016 05:02:51 PM
My grandfather was one of the boarding crew, he took one of the flags flying on the Nagato when they boarded it. It was a mixture of NAVY personnel from several ships, the South Dakota, bass, and Missouri. I hve pictures and I have the flag if anyone would like copies of the pictures
11 Jul 2016 04:28:33 PM
I too have my Dad's certificate Task Force 31. Dad was one of the marines of the 7th Division
that captured this ship. He was on the battleship
Indiana and he was on the 20 & 40 mm quad
mounts and shot down the *** planes. He said
that when they went into Japan at the end of the
war, his job was to free the American P.O.W.s
23 Oct 2016 05:52:53 PM
Hi Reidk I'd like to hear and see more, what is your email address?
Thank you!
brian
24 Mar 2017 06:07:40 PM
Vincent Joseph Silluzio 91. Passed away on the 21st on March 2017. In his obituary it states that he served in the US Navy during WW II on LST 582 and on the captured battleship Nagato. This according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette Friday March 24, 2017
17 Jul 2017 03:17:23 PM
My father was on the nagato and part of the crew inspecting the Nevada at Bikini Atoll on July 1946
I am looking for veterans and decendants from that event
Please contact me if you have info on survivors
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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» Mariana Islands Campaign and the Great Turkey Shoot
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Winston Churchill, on the RAF
16 Nov 2010 07:41:31 PM
I have two photographs of the battleship Nagato taken by my father in Yokosuka Japan in 1945.
If you are interested in them, please email me.
Great website.
Thanks