| Nagato | |
|---|---|
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Service | 1920-1942 |
| Type | Nagato-class battleship |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Fate | Sunk, 15 November 1942, Battle of the Java Sea |
The Japanese battleship IJN Nagato.
Nagato (Japanese: 長門, named after Nagato province) was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy; the lead ship of her class. She was the first battleship in the world to mount 16 inch (actually 16.1 inch, or 410 mm) guns, her armor protection and speed made her one of the most powerful capital ships at the time of her commissioning.
Nagato was part of a Japanese battleline, also including her sister ship Mutsu and the super-battleship Yamato, which was sent to the East Indies in late 1942 in an attempt to gain naval supremacy in the area and allow Japanese troops to reinforce. The battleline was intercepted on 15 November by aircraft from the Allied aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious, HMS Indomitable, HMS Implacable, HMCS Vimy Ridge and HMAS Melbourne. Nagato received only minor damage at first, but mechanical problems reduced her mobility. Nagato's reduced speed allowed a squadron of Barracudas from HMS Implacable to hit her, destroying her Pagoda Mast, killing her commanding officers and disabling her fire control systems. The Nagato, without anyone to arrest her turn, collided with the Mutsu, disabling both ships. The two battleships received more hits over the course of the battle before eventually sinking.[1]