Browsing Gallery: Bikini: 2006: HIJMS Nagato

The Japanese Flagship to the Japanese Navy, she was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's floating fortress during Japan's World War II attack on Pearl Harbor and was a treasure to the Japanese forces. Japanese Naval historian Masanori Ito wrote: "When World War II began, the Japanese Navy-the third most powerful in the world-included some of the mightiest ships in naval history and was a force worthy of the pride and trust of the Japanese people. Then, in less than four years, this great war machine fell from glory to oblivion. Of ten battleships riding in Hiroshima Bay in December of 1941, nine were sunk. The lone survivor, the Nagato, died at Bikini as a target in an atomic bomb test." The 32,720 ton battleship is at rest upside down in 170 feet of water; her bridge is accessible at 150 feet, the hull and monstrous props at 110 feet. The Nagato was built by Kure Naval Dockyard, launched on November 9, 1919, and completed on November 25, 1920. She was reconstructed in 1934-1936, with torpedo bulges, increased elevation for main armament, aircraft crane, etc. After this refit, Nagato had 10 Kampon boilers, driving 4 sets of Kampon turbines developing 82,300 shaft horsepower (shp) for a speed of 25 knots. Her fuel bunkerage was now 5,650 tons of oil, giving her a radius of 8,650 nautical miles at 16 knots. Her new dimensions were 725' 9" long at the waterline, 113' 6" beam, 32' 2" draught. Her normal displacement was 39,130 tons, 42,850 tons at full load. She carried a crew of 1,368. In June 1944 she was known to be fitted with radar. By October 1944 her armament consisted of 8 x 16"/45, 18 x 5.5"/50 (guns that were later removed), 8 x 5"/40, and 98 x 25mm AA guns. Her displacement had by now increased to 43,581 tons full load, and as a result her maximum speed was 24.98 knots. By the end of the war she had had her main mast and funnel removed for camouflage purposes, as she was holed up in Sagami Bay near Yokosuka. Fuel and ammunition loads during both ABLE and BAKER tests were, respectively, 15% and 10% of capacity. She is upside down in the water and an incredible dive with her four massive screws appearing like an underwater Stonehenge. Note the chrysanthemum on the tip of the bow. This is the mark of the emperor and in this case it denotes the flagship.