With the end of the Russo-Japanese War, both Japan and the United States came to regard each other as potential enemies. This was because, while the United States was aiming to acquire interests in mainland China, Japan's policy of expanding its interests in the continent, in which Japan, China, and Russia had all firmly gained a foothold, was not what they wanted. Both countries strived to increase their naval power, and after World War I, Japan built eight battleships in response to the United States's Daniels Plan (a large fleet construction plan centered on ten battleships and six battle cruisers).
The 88 Squadron plan centered on eight ships and battle cruisers was implemented, and the Nagato was the first main battleship of this 88 Squadron plan. The idea was that Nagato would be able to surpass or even fight on an equal footing with the battleships planned by each country's navies, and as the strongest battleship equipped with a 40cm gun -- the largest naval gun at the time -- she was built at the Kure Naval Arsenal in Taisho 6. Ground was broken on Aug. 28, 1917, she was launched on Nov. 9, 1919, and completed on Nov. 25, 1920.
Thanks in part to the establishment of the Washington-London Disarmament Treaty, Nagato reigned as the strongest battleship in the Japanese Navy, along with the Mutsu. Nagato took part in Operation Midway, the Battle of the Mariana Gulf, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but this was no longer an era in which the naval guns of battleships were used to decide battles; her only gun battle was in the Battle of Samar, when she showered the U.S. escort carrier group with her main guns.
After the war ended in Yokosuka, Nagato was requisitioned by the U.S. military. In July 1945, she became the target test ship for a hydrogen bomb test. Nagato showed strong defensive capabilities, enduring the powerful explosion of the hydrogen bomb and remaining afloat for several days. However, a few days later, Nagato suddenly disappeared from the ocean, and she never let anyone see her sinking.
Aoshima brings us a 1/700-scale waterline model kit of the Nagato, the battleship that was most popular among the people of pre-war Japan! Her appearance during the Pacific War with the addition of anti-aircraft weapons is simple, easy to assemble, and accurately reproduced with thoughtful parts configuration. Newly designed equipment has been added, including countless twin machine guns, high-angle guns, and aircraft catapults. Many parts are slide-molded for density and precision; in addition to armaments such as destroyer main guns and machine guns, carrier-based aircraft and other equipment have been updated. The following parts are updated with new molds:
- Type 89 12.7mm twin high-angle gun
- Type 96 25mm twin machine gun
- Radial davit
- 9m cutter
- Kure Type 2 Type 5 injection machine
- Type 95 water reconnaissance aircraft
- 90cm signal searchlight
- 110cm signal searchlight
- 12m fire launch
- 7m cutter
- Chrysanthemum emblem
- Anchor
