The Hughes XF-11 was a prototype reconnaissance aircraft designed for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Although 100 aircraft were ordered in 1943, the program was delayed beyond the end of the Second World War, rendering it surplus to the USAAF needs and it was cancelled.
The first of two prototypes (serial number 44-70155) crashed on its first flight on 7 July 1946, piloted by Howard Hughes who was critically injured. The second prototype (44-70156) first flew on 5 April 1947 again piloted by Hughes. This time without incident.
The United States Air Force (USAF) was created as a separate service in September 1947, and the XF-11 was redesignated as the XR-11 in July 1948. The XR-11 continued to fly until mid 1949, after which is was used as an instructional airframe for several months before being scrapped in November.
Commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 25 November 1920, Nagato was the lead ship of her class of battleships. Her sister Mutsu was commissioned a year later.
Nagato was modernised from 1934-36, with increased armour, updated machinery and the rebuilding of her superstructure into a pagoda mast.
During World War Two, she did not see combat until the Battle of the Philippine Sea in mid-1944, where she escorted the aircraft carriers Jun’yō, Hiyō and the light carrier Ryūhō. During the battle, she provided anti-aircraft fire, claiming to have shot down two Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers.
During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Nagata formed part of the Center Force which planned to attack the American invasion force. During the initial the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October, she was hit by two bombs one of which damaged the air intake to No. 1 boiler room, immobilizing one propeller shaft for 24 minutes until the boiler was put back online. On the morning of 25 October, Center Force sighted Taffy 3 and opened fire on the escort carriers, although Nagato did not achieve any hits.
At 06:54 the destroyer USS Heermann fired a spread of torpedoes at the fast battleship Haruna; the torpedoes missed Haruna and headed for Yamato and Nagato which were on a parallel course. The two battleships were forced 10 miles (16 km) away from the engagement before the torpedoes ran out of fuel. On turning back, Nagato fired forty-five 410 mm and ninety-two 14 cm shells but due to poor visibility claimed only two hits on a cruiser. At 09:10, the Japanese turned away and broke engagement.
On her return to Japan, Nagato was converted to an anti-aircraft platform, as the lack of fuel did not permit her to sortie again. Despite US Navy air attacks, she survived the war and was then expended as a target in US atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll.
Nagato in Service
Nagato with sight training devices on all turretsNagato in 1920Nagato early 1920sNagato with a seaplane on #2 turret. July 1927Akagi (top) and Nagato at Yokosuka on August 15, 1930Nagato firing her main armament, 21 May 1936IJN Nagato circa 1922-1934Nagato at sea a few months before the start of the War in the PacificAuxiliary submarine tender Yasukuni Maru and Nagato 1941Nagato seen in October 1944Nagato in Yokosuka PortNagatoNagatoNagato, Kirishima, Ise and HyugaNagato’s bridgeCommander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto on the bridge of NagatoCommander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto on the bridge of NagatoNagato and her all crewmembers. Taken in 1937IJN Nagato’s main armament forwardIJN Nagato’s main armament forwardNagato , August 1942, KureIJN Nagato’s main armament forwardA twin-127mm dual purpose gun mount on board Nagato
Nagato Post-War
Nagato being guarded by US troopsNagato at Yokosuka (Japan), as seen from the U.S. Navy battleship USS Massachusetts (BB-59)Nagato at anchor off the Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, circa in September 1945Nagato at Yokosuka Naval Base, probably after the Japanese surrenderNagato with an escort alongside at Yokosuka Naval Base, in 1945Nagato steams towards Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, in March 1946Nagato pictured at anchor, probably at Yokosuka Naval BaseNagato seen at Bikini Atoll July 1946Nagato seen at Bikini Atoll July 1946Nagato seen at Bikini Atoll July 1946Nagato nearby bikini atoll, July 1946Nagato in US control before it was sunk as a target in Operation CrossroadsOnboard Nagato following the Able atom bomb test
When completed on 2 April 1945, the Colossus-class aircraft carrier HMS Warrior was lent to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Warrior. She remained in Canadian hands from 14 March 1946 until 23 March 1948.
Upon returning to British service, HMS Warrior was refitted at Devonport, where she was equipped with an experimental flexible deck. The concept of the rubber deck was to permit aircraft to land without an undercarriage, the impact of landing being absorbed by the flexible deck. Although successful it was not implemented and Warrior was paid off to reserve in 1949.
Re-commissioned in 1960, Warrior was used to transport troops and equipment for the Korean War. When she returned to the UK in 1955, she was refitted, and an angled deck installed, along with upgrades to the arrester system and catapults to enable the operation of aircraft up to 20,000lbs.
During 1957, Warrior was used as the headquarters ship for Operation Grapple the British hydrogen bomb tests. For this operations she embarked Grumman Avenger AS4s to collect samples and a flight of Westland Whirlwind helicopters. The Avengers became contaminated from flying through the radioactive dust clouds and were dumped overboard at the end of the operation.
Warrior was decommissioned on 28 February 1958 and sold to Argentina as ARA Independencia on 6 August 1958.
HMS Warrior (R31) fitting outHMS Warrior (R31) at anchor in 1945HMS Warrior (R31) USS Des Moines (CA-134) and HMS Gambia (48) at Malta 1951HMS Warrior (R31) USS Des Moines (CA-134) and HMS Gambia (48) at Malta 1951HMS Warrior in 1953HMS Warrior in 1953HMS Warrior on speed trials in 1953 showing the J deck letterHMS Warrior on speed trials in 1953 showing the J deck letterPreparing fuel lines on HMS Warrior 1953HMS Warrior on escort duty to Gothic which was carrying Her Majesty the Queen in 1953HMS Warrior and Gothic in 1953HMS Warrior leaving Plymouth Sound bound for the Far East 1953HMS Warrior at Grand Harbour, Malta 1953HMS Warrior at Kobe, Japan in 1954HMS Warrior and landing craft, Vietnam, 1954HMS Warrior at Simonstown, South Africa in 1954HMS Warrior, Hong Kong, October 3, 1954HMS Warrior seen in 1956HMS Warrior (R31) in 1957HMS Warrior, 4th September 1957, Puerto Belgrano, ArgentinaHMS Warrior (R31) in 1957HMS Warrior ship’s boatHMS WarriorHMS Warrior
Armament
Twin-40mm anti-aircraft guns on HMS Warrior40mm anti-aircraft guns on HMS WarriorAnti-aircraft guns on HMS WarriorRange finder on HMS Warrior
Aircraft Operations
Fairey Firefly and Hawker Sea Fury
Hawker Sea Fury and Fairey Firefly aircraft on HMS WarriorHawker Sea Fury and Fairey Firefly aircraft on HMS Warrior
Westland WS-51 Dragonfly
July 14, 1954 Crash of a Westland WS-51 Dragonfly off Kunsan, South Korea
Rubber Deck Trials
de Havilland Sea Vampire landing on flexible flight deck on HMS Warriorde Havilland Sea Vampire landing on flexible flight deck on HMS Warriorde Havilland Sea Vampire after landing on flexible flight deck on HMS Warriorde Havilland Sea Vampire being maneuvered on the flexible flight deck on HMS Warrior
