Calling all Nagato (長門) and Mutsu (陸奥) fans

[TZoli]

Thanks!

The pair of AA guns next to the 2nd turret might be wrongly placed as the post war photo not shows their gun tubs there.
Or at least it's not clear that there was a gun there during 1945, though there were some circular plates on the deck indication not two but four pairs there? :
https://kepkuldes.com/images/164b1839e0 ... b19a46.png
https://kepkuldes.com/images/7518da8f79 ... d70523.png

I'm sure there was 3 per side on the added AA platform between the bridge and funnel as evident on photo (3 gun tubs):
https://kepkuldes.com/images/7518da8f79 ... d70523.png

One pair aft of the new 12,7cm DP-AA mount was sure there the second pair is questionable as I can only seen one gun tub there:
https://kepkuldes.com/images/8a65472dfe ... 0c9b18.png

There was also a pair at the base of conning tower aft of the 2nd turret:
https://kepkuldes.com/images/7038e96aca ... 3ed40a.png

Indeed there seems to be two pairs of AA guns were on the aft superstructure. One pair is sure as I depicted.
The second pair you noticed and I've seen on a model as well, seems correct
though not sure when they were installed as they replaced the secondary gun directors and searchlight directors there:
https://kepkuldes.com/images/7518da8f79 ... d70523.png
https://kepkuldes.com/images/8a65472dfe ... 0c9b18.png
https://kepkuldes.com/images/cf82ac3db0 ... 38da93.png

[Dan K]

Great photos, but these are of her final fit, and you asked for late 1944/early 1945.

The Ishibashi book is too large to scan at home, but here's a photo of the early 1945 fit illustration.

[TZoli]

I have that book scanned via a friend or to be precise from Settsu on. I've used that drawing for the AA platform, but the text says the AA placement is only an approximation. See photos for 3 pair of triples on the platform.

[Dan K]

I'll take your word on the text.

[TZoli]

Here is the article I've made about the class. Some modellers might find intriguing the carrier conversion proposal.
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/thread ... ips.38384/

[Dan K]

Great article, and interesting speculation about a carrier conversion. Displacement as a carrier would have depended on whether or not she received an armored flight deck, and if so, how thick.

I would actually tend to doubt any kind of armor, particularly if she kept her main deck armor. The deck construction would have been similar to Hyuga/Ise, I would think.

[TZoli]

Great article, and interesting speculation about a carrier conversion. Displacement as a carrier would have depended on whether or not she received an armored flight deck, and if so, how thick.

I would actually tend to doubt any kind of armor, particularly if she kept her main deck armor. The deck construction would have been similar to Hyuga/Ise, I would think.

Well the only concrete data on the carrier conversion was the flight deck size of 220 x 34m and an air complement of 54 planes. The hull size was set so I could only play with the placement and number of AA guns (8x2 12,7cm would had been cramped) and the type of superstructure which became a Hiyo sized Shinano-ish one (Which was already developed from the Junyo/Hiyo type)

[pascalemod]

Hi, Im looking for internal drawings of Nagato-Mutsu (someting in 3d or 2d) showing deck levels, cut aways. Mainly on the hull.

Have there been anything published with detail or someone could share with me how the bow section and stern sections looked as a plan drawing?

Like this (on fuso):

[pascalemod]

pascalemod, look for Monografie Morskie 5 Nagato Mutsu. look at pages 67 - 70 & 73 - 74.

Thanks David, very helpful.

[Dan K]

If you'll PM me with an email address, I can also help you out.

[taskforce48]

I scanned through this topic and didn't see it talked about, apologies if I missed it.

Was the "Bent Chimney" funnel that was fitted to Mutsu and Nagato considered a suitable fix to the problem? Or did it remain an issue and going to single funnel during refit finally fix it? I feel like I read somewhere about it but can not remember where I was reading it .

Thanks,
Matt

[Dan K]

From a translation of the Japanese Wiki article on Nagato. FWIW:

From 1934 (Showa 9) to 1936 (Showa 11), a large-scale renovation was carried out together with Mutsu, and boiler replacement and armor were added, the main turret was remodeled, and the torpedo launcher was removed. [33] ] . Apparently, the chimney was replaced with a thick one due to the replacement of the boiler, and the shape of the foremast and the rear command post also changed significantly.

[TZoli]

From a translation of the Japanese Wiki article on Nagato. FWIW:

From 1934 (Showa 9) to 1936 (Showa 11), a large-scale renovation was carried out together with Mutsu, and boiler replacement and armor were added, the main turret was remodeled, and the torpedo launcher was removed. [33] ] . Apparently, the chimney was replaced with a thick one due to the replacement of the boiler, and the shape of the foremast and the rear command post also changed significantly.

Nagato was built with 20 Kmapon Boilers producing steam for 80.000shp (3.800shp/boiler)
After the modernization the number of boilers got reduced to just only 10 while the power incresed marginally to 82.000shp (8.200shp/boiler) hence the single funnel instead of two.

Similarly Kongo started with 32 Yarrow boilers and 3 funnels for 64.000shp in 1913 then after her first modernization in 1924/28 this changed to 10 Kampon ones and 2 funnels but shp unchanged finally in 1933/34 this was reduced to 8 boilers but drastic more than twice power increase to 136.000shp.

[pascalemod]

Further on Nagato class, do we have a consensus on how she was painted last time as coastal defence ship?

For example her superstructures above deck look pretty much black with rust here and there. Was it black, or was it bomb damage/charred from fires?

Or? How would you advise me painting her if I build Nagato as captured by USN? I know someone have surely built her in final form so may be there is enough info out there to paint her?

[Caravellarella]

And here a picture of IJN Nagato as build:

And here notice how the canvas storage devices where suited on the face of Pagoda, Pink circle, there is noone in the Aoshima kit:

And here is a clean view of IJN Mutsu still under constrution but with her main pagoda almost complete:

Dear Boys & Girls, I wonder what published references are available to convert this Aoshima 1/700 kit of Nagato to an earlier state (as completed)? Apart form the obvious upright fore-funnel, I'm trying to visualise what other conversion work is required.

Nagato as completed......

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Caravellarella]

Monografie Morskie 5 Nagato/Mutsu

Thank you DavidP, yes, I have the second volume of this title (in storage) which is obviously the wrong one to buy.

Terry (Caravellarella)

[KevinD]

Due later this month - Nagato-Class Battleships: IJN Super-Dreadnoughts Nagato and Mutsu by Lars Ahlberg and Hans Lengerer.

and

Due March 2026 - Nagato-class Battleships 1920�46: The Imperial Japanese Navy's super-dreadnoughts by Stefan Draminksi.