In December of 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943) used Nagato as his flagship during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (December 7th, 1941). The attack was an attempt to destroy the American Pacific Fleet and provide freer range of Japanese elements throughout the Pacific Theater. Despite the stellar success of the attack, the operation was a failure in that the American carriers were out of harbor at the time. The Japanese Navy claimed several enemy warships, support ships, aircraft, and depots in the assault but little else.
IJN Nagato was brought back to the Kure Naval Yard from March to April 1942 and underwent a needed refit. Her next call to action was during the Battle of Midway (June 1942) as part of Battleship Division One, serving alongside the storied IJN Yamato. The battle was disastrous for the Japanese as four aircraft carriers were sunk to the enemy's one and 248 aircraft lost to the American's 150. The battle claimed the lives of 3,057 Japanese to the American total of 307. Nagato was then transferred to Battleship Division 2 and served as flagship of the 1st Fleet. In August of 1942, Nagato supported the Solomon Islands campaign and another period of training followed which led her into 1943.
Much of her service in 1943 was in the southwest Pacific region and revealed little action. She arrived near Singapore in February of 1944 and again served as flagship until May. She saw a refit around this time and was sent to Tawitawi for May 12th as part of the 1st Mobile Fleet. Her next call to action was as escort during the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944). Again, the results were contrary to Japanese hopes as the Americans claimed another decisive victory. The air portion of the battle came to be known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" for some 550 to 645 Japanese planes were downed. Three more Japanese carriers were sunk and nearly 3,000 men perished in the fighting.
Nagato made her way to Kure where she was fitted with new radar and improved AA facilities. She took an infantry division to help strengthen Okinawa for July and, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, served with Admiral Takeo Kurita's strike force to head off American amphibious landings in the Philippines Campaign. Her commitment ended in October.
On October 24th, Nagato came under fire from American dive bombers which left her severely damaged. Temporary repairs took hold and allowed her to see action off of Samar (October 25th 1945) where she served alongside IJN Yamato once more. The battle proved another American victory.
IJN Nagato was the unfortunate recipient of more American bombs which damaged her only lightly but forced her into retreat with other Japanese naval forces. On November 15th, she was made part of Battleship Division 3, 2nd Fleet and left for Kure shortly thereafter. She arrived at Yokosuka on November 25 for much-needed repair work. However, materials were in such short supply that the vessel was retained as a floating Anti-Aircraft platform to counter the increasing threat of American aircraft over the Japanese mainland. For her new role, she was heavily modified as many of her obstructions were removed and more AA guns added. She came under reserve status on April 20th, 1945.
Her last notable action in the conflict occurred during June when she was assailed by American warplanes. Though damaged, she survived and sat where she was attacked until the end of the war on August 15th. The vessel was then claimed by the Allies a few weeks later and her name struck from the Naval Register on September 15th - this ending her formal service to the Japanese Navy. Once in American hands, the warship stood as part of the nuclear weapons testing (Operation Crossroads) at the Bikini Atoll in 1946. She was sunk as a target on July 25th, 1946.
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