Nagato Class Battleship. The Redux.

BB1987

Post subject: Re: Nagato Class Battleship. The Redux.

Posted: February 19th, 2015, 4:48 pm

Posts: 2818
Joined: May 23rd, 2012, 1:01 pm
Location: Rome - Italy

Nagato as of 1941:
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On february 26th 1936, less than a Month after her refit had ended Nagato had to be unexpectedly called into action: a group of 1.500 young Army officers attempted a coup by storming the Diet and several others key buildings, Nagato berthed at Odaiba with her main guns trained at the Diet building, while a landing force was formed with the junior sailors. Ultimately the coup failed and the rebels surrendered on Febrary 29th.
On August 21st 1937, after war against China started, Nagato carried Army soldiers to Shanghai, on the 23rd, during transfer operations she collided with Light Cruiser Ooi suffering minor damage. Repairs were cairred out at Sasebo from August 25th, during thsat docking, or sometime before the end of the year the mainmast was further shortened. On December 1st 1937 Nagato moved to Yokosuka, to serve as a training ship.
Somewhere between 1938 and 1939 a newer Kure type 2 Model 5 catapult was fitted and the aft deckouse was removed in order to increase the aircraft-handling area. This allowed for an increase of reconaissance planes from 2 to 3, which were also upgraded to Nakajima E8N, replacing the older E4N. Anti-aircraf armament was also improved, the four 40mm 2-punders were replaced with 20 25mm machine guns in ten twin mounts: Six were added on the pagoda bridge, two on level 3 and four on level 6, which necessitates the removal of the 1,5m navigation rangefinders that were relocated on level 7. The last four mounts were added on new platforms erected around the funnel, aft of the existing searchlight ones. Six enclosed lookout post were also removed, four from level 8 of the pagoda tower, and one from the midship searchlight and director platforms: four machine gun directors replaced them.
On December 15th 1938, Nagato rejoined BattleshipDivision 1 under the command of Captain Fukudome Shigeru, becoming once again the Flagship of the Combined fleet, a role she held until February 12th 1942, when relieved by Yamato.
On September 1st 1939, Commander In Chief Admiral Yamamoto boarder the ship, the next month Nagato partecipated in fleet excersizes, then whith Aircraft Carrier Akagi she took part in test trials for Radar systems.
In 1940, the boom for aircraft-handling fitted on the mainmast was removed, and a foldable crane was added on asponson, on the portside. then on October 11th 1940, Nagato and 98 other Combined Fleet warships were anchored in Yokohama Bay for the Imperial Naval Review. Emperor Hiroihito and Admiral Yamamoto passed by the fleet on board the newly rebuilt Battleship Hiei.
During the spring of 1941 Nagato underwent her las pre-war refit: The main-gun barrels were replaced, Barbette armor was increased by 100mm (3.9-inch) above and 215mm (8.5-inch) below the waterline for a total thickness of 405mm (15.9-inch), a Degaussing cable was added.
During the 1937-1941 timeframe, on unknown dates, the second starboard anchor was removed, the flag station on level 5 on the pagoda mast reworked, new antenna work was added on the superfiring main gun turrets, extra deckhouses added on the pagoda bridge, wind baffles fitted on the battle bridge and an Anti-Aircraft command station placed at level 9.
In November 1941, after conducting wargames at Hashirajima Nagato departed Hashirajima for Saeki to host a farewell to the departing Kido Butai units, bound for Operation Z.
Back on Hashirajima, ti was from the deck of Nagato that Admiral Yamamoto sent the signal "Niitaka Nobore" (Climb Mount Niitaka) to the Kido Butai, effectively allowing the Strike Force to Attack Pearl harbor on December 8th. A date that will go down in history (or live in infamy, depending on how you see it): The morning of December the 7th,1941, Hawaii time.

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