.jpg) Nachi at speed | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Nachi |
| Namesake | Mount Nachi,Wakayama, Japan |
| Ordered | 1923 |
| Builder | Kure Naval Arsenal |
| Cost | 21.9 million yen |
| Laid down | 26 November 1924 |
| Launched | 15 June 1927 |
| Commissioned | 28 November 1928 |
| Stricken | 20 January 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk byU.S. Navy aircraft inManila Bay, 5 November 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Myōkō-classcruiser |
| Displacement | 13,300long tons (13,500 t) |
| Length | 201.7 m (661 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 20.73 m (68 ft 0 in) |
| Draft | 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power | 130,000 shp (97,000 kW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 36 kn (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
| Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 773 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | |
| Aircraft carried | 2 ×floatplanes |
| Service record | |
| Part of |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Operations | |
Nachi (那智) was the second vessel completed of the four-memberMyōkō class ofheavy cruisers of theImperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which were active inWorld War II.[2] The other ships of the class wereMyōkō,Ashigara, andHaguro. She was named after a mountain inWakayama Prefecture.
TheMyōkō class was approved under the 1922–1929 Fleet Modernization Program as the first heavy cruisers to be built by Japan within the design constraints imposed by theWashington Naval Treaty, and was the first of the "10,000-ton" cruisers built by any nation.[3]Naval architect Vice AdmiralYuzuru Hiraga was able to keep the design from becoming dangerously top-heavy in its early years by continually rejecting demands from theIJN general staff for additional equipment to the upper decks. During modifications and rebuildings in the 1930s, though, the final displacement rose to 15,933 tons, well over the treaty limits.[4]
TheMyōkō class displaced 13,500 t (13,300 long tons), with a hull design based on an enlarged version of theAoba-classcruiser.Nachi was 203.8 metres (669 ft) long, with a beam of 19.5 metres (64 ft) and draft of 6.36 metres (20.9 ft), and was capable of 35.5 knots.[4]
Propulsion was by 12Kampon boilers driving four sets of single-impulse, geared turbine engines, with four shafts turning three-bladed propellers. The ship was armored with a 102 mm (4.0 in) sidebelt, and 35 mm (1.4 in) armoreddeck, but thebridge was not armored.[4]
Nachi's main battery was ten20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns, the heaviest armament of any heavy cruiser in the world at the time, mounted in five twin turrets.[4] Her secondary armament included eight12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval guns in four twin mounts on each side, and 12Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes in four triple launchers positioned below the aircraft deck.Nachi was also equipped with anaircraft catapult and carried up to threefloatplanes for scouting purposes.[4]
Nachi was repeatedly modernized and upgraded throughout her career to counter the growing threat of air strikes. She eventually mounted 52Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun guns and twoType 93 13 mm AA guns after her final upgrade.[3]
Nachi waslaid down atKure Naval Arsenal on 26 November 1924,launched and named on 15 June 1927, andcommissioned on 26 November 1928.[4] Although commissioned on 26 November, the ship was far from completed. Due to a political decision, the partially completed cruiser was sent toYokosuka for the coronationnaval review forEmperor Hirohito on 4 December. Afterwards, she was returned to Kure for the remaining work to be accomplished, and was only ready for service in April 1929. Emperor Hirohito visited the completed vessel atKobe for a cruise on theInland Sea on 28–29 May as part of his tour of theKansai region of Japan to encourage domestic industrial production.[5]
All of theMyōkō class were assigned to theSasebo Naval District, formingSentai-4 of theIJN 3rd Fleet, and trained as a unit during the 1930s. During a naval review off Kobe on 26 October 1930, stack gases caused problems on the bridge, resulting in a lengthening of the forward smokestack by 2.0 m.[4] During theFirst Shanghai Incident of February 1932, the cruisers escorted the transports conveying elements of theImperial Japanese Army (IJA) to the continent. In December 1932, the cruisers were placed in reserve as the newTakao class was commissioned, becoming the newSentai-4, whereas theMyōkō class was shifted toSentai-5.[4] Between 1933 and 1935, allMyōkō-class cruisers were retrofitted with their fixed triple torpedo launchers replaced by two quadruple rotatable launchers, and their secondary guns upgraded from12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval guns to12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun.[3]Nachi was commanded by CaptainTeruhisa Komatsu from November 1934 to December 1935, followed by CaptainMichitaro Totsuka to November 1936.
In 1936,Nachi underwent her first modernization program atSasebo Naval Arsenal. With the start of theSecond Sino-Japanese War in 1937,Nachi transported the headquarters elements of the IJA's3rd Division and 6th Infantry Regiment fromNagoya to China on 20 August, as part of a large combat force consisting of six cruisers and eight destroyers.[5]
In December 1937,Nachi underwent her second modernization program at Sasebo Naval Arsenal, doubling the number of torpedoes to 16, adding another eight Type 96 25-mm antiaircraft guns and bulges to the hull to improve stability.[3]
In late 1941,Nachi was based atMako Guard District in thePescadores Islands, and at the time of theattack on Pearl Harbor,Myōkō andNachi formedSentai-5 of theIJN 3rd Fleet.Sentai-5 was commanded by Rear AdmiralTakeo Takagi, and deployed fromPalau to provide cover for the landings of Japanese forces under "Operation M" — the invasion of the southernPhilippine Islands. After covering the landings of Japanese forces atLegaspi on 11 December 1941,Myōkō andNachi returned to Palau, and were then reassigned to Rear AdmiralRaizō Tanaka, whose attack force covered landings atDavao on 19 December andJolo on 24 December.[5]
On 4 January 1942Nachi and the other vessels of Admiral Tanaka's invasion force were attacked byU.S. Army Air ForceB-17 Flying Fortress bombers while at anchor at Davao.Myōkō was hit by one 500-pound (227 kg) bomb, causing only superficial damage, but Admiral Tanaka transferred his flag toNachi, sendingMyōkō back to Sasebo for repairs.[5]
In January 1942,Nachi andHaguro covered the landings of Japanese troops in the invasion of theCelebes in theNetherlands East Indies, followed by theinvasion of Ambon. In theBattle of the Java Sea,Nachi,Haguro, andJintsū participated in the destruction of the last remainingAllied fleet units in the Netherlands East Indies. On 27 February, the reconnaissance floatplanes fromNachi spotted the Allied fleet, enablingHaguro to sink the destroyerHNLMS Kortenaer with a torpedo and cripped the heavy cruiserHMS Exeter with gunfire, and for thedestroyerAsagumo to sink the destroyerHMS Electra. For her part of the engagement,Nachi damaged the heavy cruiserUSS Houston with a pair of 8-inch (203 mm) shell hits at distances beyond 22,000 yards, one passing through the bow, and the other punching through the aft section.[6]
Later that same evening,Nachi andHaguro tracked down the allied force again and closed to 16,000 yards, firing their torpedo batteries. A torpedo fromNachi struck the Dutch light cruiserHNLMS Java, blowing up her 5.9-inch (15 cm) magazines, tearing the cruiser in two as it sank in two minutes. Several minutes later a torpedo fromHaguro hit the light cruiserHNLMS De Ruyter, resulting in the cruiser sinking to progressive flooding over nearly three hours, and killing AdmiralKarel Doorman.[5][7]
Two days later, on 1 March,Nachi andHaguro and their accompanying destroyers spotted the crippledExeter as she attempted to escape the Java Sea, and joined forced with the cruisersMyōkō andAshigara (and their accompanying destroyers). The four cruisers hitExeter with shells that disabled her electrical power and guns, set her aflame, and destroyed her remaining boilers, leaving her dead in the water, leading to the allied cruiser's scuttling via her own crew.Nachi then retreated alongsideHaguro, whileMyōkō andAshigara both engaged the destroyerHMS Encounter, which they overpowered and sank. The destroyerUSS Pope, which was accompanying the two British ships, initially escaped the melee only to be caught and crippled about two hours later by planes from theJapanese light carrierRyūjō,and finished off byMyōkō andAshigara.[5][8]
Later in March,Nachi received a refit at Sasebo for operations in northern waters, and patrolled theKurile Islands in April and May. On 26 May,Nachi departed fromŌminato Guard District as flagship of Vice AdmiralBoshiro Hosogaya's force for theinvasion of the Aleutian islands, and patrolled south ofAttu, returning to Ōminato on 23 June. She departed Ōminato to escort another convoy toKiska from 28 June, remaining in theAleutian Islands until 7 July. After a refit atYokosuka Naval Arsenal from 14–30 July,Nachi was reassigned to theIJN 5th Fleet withKiso andTama. She continued patrols of the Kurile Islands though March 1943, and was sent as an escort for a reinforcement convoy to Attu from 7–10 March.[5]
While escorting another convoy towards Attu on 26 March,Nachi spotted an American force consisting of the cruisersUSS Richmond andSalt Lake City and destroyersBailey,Dale,Monaghan, andCoghlan. Vice Admiral Hosogaya had the cruisersMaya,Tama, andAbukuma, in addition to two destroyers. However,Maya was not carrying any aircraft, andNachi had left one of her three planes behind for repairs. Hosogaya orderedNachi's aircraft to launch, but before they did so, he also ordered that the cruiser's main battery open fire. The aircraft on the starboard catapult was damaged by the blast and had to be jettisoned. The remaining aircraft launched and provided reconnaissance during the subsequentBattle of the Komandorski Islands.Nachi launched her Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at the American task force, but failed to hit. In a four-hour gun battle, the Japanese fleet damagedSalt Lake City andBailey, but five shells hitNachi, killing 14 crewmen, andMaya suffered damage to her number-one gun turret. Hosogaya abandoned the attempt to reinforce Attu, and was relieved of command in disgrace.
Nachi was then repaired at Yokosuka, with eight Type 96 AA guns installed, returning toParamushiro on 15 May, and then returning to Kiska from 10–15 July to evacuate the Japanese garrison. On 6 September, after departing Ōminato,Nachi was attacked by thesubmarineUSS Halibut, which fired four torpedoes, two of which struckNachi in her starboard side, but the torpedoes were duds and damage was minimal.Nachi remained based at Ōminato through July 1944.[5]
Nachi was reassigned toKure Naval District from 31 July 1944 and spent the month of August in training. Her antiaircraft defenses were updated with an additional two twin-mount and 20 single-mount Type 96 25-mm autocannon, bringing her final total to 48 barrels in September. In October 1944, she was sent to the Philippines as part of a cruiser force under the command of Vice AdmiralKiyohide Shima. During theBattle of Leyte Gulf from 24 October,Nachi andAshigara were part of Vice AdmiralShoji Nishimura's force, which included thebattleshipsYamashiro,Fuso and the cruiserMogami. On 25 October, after theBattle of Surigao Strait,Nachi andMogami collided, resulting in severe damage to both vessels.Nachi was forced to retire to Manila to repair damage to her bow.[5]
While under repair at Manila on 29 October,Nachi andKumano were attacked by aircraft from USNTask Force 38.Nachi was hit by a single bomb to her aircraft deck, and this, as well as strafing attacks, killed 53 crewmen and further delayed repairs. On 5 November, again in Manila Bay,Nachi was attacked by three waves of U.S. planes from theaircraft carriersUSS Lexington andTiconderoga. She escaped the first wave undamaged, but was hit by five bombs and two or three torpedoes in the second wave while attempting to get underway. During the third wave,Nachi was hit by five torpedoes in her port side, which severed her bow and stern, and by an additional 20 bombs and 16 rockets.Nachi's flag commander, Vice AdmiralKiyohide Shima, was ashore for a conference at the time of the attack, but arrived at dockside in time to see his flagship blown apart. The central portion of the vessel sank in 102 feet (31 m) of water about 12 nautical miles (22 km) northeast ofCorregidor (around14°31′N120°44′E / 14.517°N 120.733°E /14.517; 120.733).[5]
The original wartime caption of a picture taken of the sinkingNachi byLexington aircraft reads,
Note by target coordinator: We circled down to 20 feet to make sure there were absolutely no survivors. Fifteen or twenty oily figures were served with .50-caliber just to make sure.[9]
Of the crew, 807 were lost, including thecaptain, while 220 survived and were rescued by the destroyersKasumi andAkebono.
In April and May 1945, divers fromUSS Chanticleer made 296 dives on the wreck, salvaging radar equipment, code books, and maps of Japanese fortifications on Luzon and other documents.John Prados, in his book,Combined Fleet Decoded, writes that this was a major intelligencecoup. This is also verified by U.S. Navy Master Diver Joseph S. Karneke, who served as the master diver aboardChanticleer while diving on the wreck ofNachi, in his book,Navy Diver.
