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 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
Completed on 15 January 1945, HMS Vengeance was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy. Vengeance arrived in Sydney Australia in July 1945, but was still in port when the Japanese surrendered and therefore saw no action during the Second World War.
Post war she was converted for Arctic conditions, and from 5 February 1949 to 8 March 1949 operated in Arctic waters as part of Operation Rusty: an experimental cruise to determine how well ships, aircraft, and personnel functioned in extreme cold.
When the construction of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was delayed, Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy and commissioned as HMAS Vengeance on 13 November 1952.
Vengeance was returned to the Royal Navy on 25 October 1955, but was not reactivated. Instead she was sold to Brazil on 14 December 1956 and commissioned into the Marinha do Brasil (MB, Brazilian Navy) as NAeL Minas Gerais on 6 December 1960.
HMS Vengeance in 1945HMS Vengeance (R-71) underway, 1945HMS Vengeance (R71) and another light carrier in Grand Harbour Malta March-April 1945HMS Vengeance moored in Sydney Harbour at the end of WWIIHMS Vengeance with BPF carriers at Woolloomooloo, SydneyHMS Vengeance (R71) at Labuan Island, Borneo, on 1 January 1946HMS Vengeance (R71) entering Sydney Harbour with 450 Australian Army personnel from Labuan January 1946HMS Vengeance (R71) entering Sydney Harbour with 450 Australian Army personnel from Labuan January 1946HMS VengeanceHMS Vengeance during her visit to Oslo in 1947HMS Vengeance moored in the River Forth in ScotlandHMS Vengeance (R71)HMS Vengeance (R71)HMS Vengeance (R71)HMS Vengeance
Arctic Trials
HMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly of 814 NAS on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deck
Aircraft Operations
de Havilland Sea Hornet
de Havilland Sea Hornet NF 21 of No 809 NAS on HMS Vengeancede Havilland Sea Hornet NF 21 (in front) and Fairey Fireflies on the flight deck of HMS Vengeance May 1950
de Havilland Sea Vampire
de Havilland Sea Vampire landing on HMS Vengeance (R71) in 1951
Fairey Barracuda
Fairey Barracuda from HMS Vengeance 812 Sqn Dec 1945Fairey Barracuda from HMS Vengeance 812 Sqn Dec 1945Fairey Barracuda HMS Vengeance May 1951Fairey Barracuda taking off from HMS Vengeance January 1945A Fairey Barracuda landing on HMS Vengeance in the Clyde. The arrestor hook has caught the arrestor wire.Fairey Barracuda of 812 Squadron, HMS Vengeance during exercises off Manus, Australia, when the pilot decided to go round again instead of landing on. The aircraft can be seen pulling up sharply and turning away just in front of the carrier’s islandFairey Barracuda of 821 NAS going round again on HMS VengeanceFairey Barracuda crash on HMS Vengeance in the PacificFairey Barracuda taking off from HMS VengeanceFairey Barracuda Mk.II on HMS Vengeance 812 Sqn Sep 1945 Hong KongCrew of a Fairey Barracuda from HMS Vengeance after they had been forced to land in the sea. All were saved Apr 45
Fairey Firefly
Fairey Firefly fighter-bombers operated by 812 Squadron on HMS VengeanceFairey Firefly of 812 Squadron crashed on HMS VengeanceHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly of 814 NAS on deck
Hawker Sea Fury
Hawker Sea Fury FB II’s from 802 Sqn. in formation during HMS Vengeance visit to C.T. in Nov. 1948HMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deckHMS Vengeance undergoing Arctic Trials during February and March 1949. Fairey Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft on deck
Supermarine Seafire
Supermarine Seafire III crash on HMS VengeanceSupermarine Seafire III crash on HMS VengeanceSupermarine Seafire crash on HMS VengeanceSupermarine Seafire crash on HMS VengeanceHMS Vengeance during her visit to Oslo in 1947
Vought Corsair
Vought Corsair landing-on HMS Vengeance March 1945