A pictorial guide to the Imperial Japanese Navy's Nagato-class battleships, Nagato and Mutsu. The Nagato-class battleships, Nagato and Mutsu, were super-dreadnought-type vessels launched just after the end of the First World War. Mutsu exploded while at anchor in port in 1943. More than 1,000 were killed; the cause remains unknown to this day. Nagato survived the war and was sunk during the American nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll; the wreck is widely considered one of the premier diving destinations in the world. This is the illustrated history of both ships, including a historical synopsis, full technical description, and more than 100 photographs and diagrams. Naval historians Lars Ahlberg and Hans Lengerer have established themselves as experts on and specialists in the warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy during WWII. Their work is differentiated by being primarily driven by the utilization of Japanese-language primary source material. AUTHOR: Hans Lengerer was in the government service (executive) until retirement. After contacts with the late Erich Gröner, he was encouraged by the late Jürgen Rohwer to publish on the IJN. He has written more than 50 articles and several books, including Die Flugzeugträger der Kaiserlichen Japanischen Marine und des Heeres, 2 volumes. He lives in Germany. Lars Ahlberg is a retired army officer; he lives in Sweden. Together with Hans Lengerer, he privately published and has co-authored the books Taiho (Japanese aircraft carrier) and Capital Ships of the IJN 1868?1945, vols. I and II. SELLING POINTS: . Features Includes a historical synopsis, full technical description, and more than 100 photographs and diagrams. . Divers Nagato survived the war and was sunk during the American nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll; the wreck is widely considered one of the premier diving destinations in the world. . Sabotage Mutsu exploded while at anchor in port in 1943. More than a thousand crew were killed; the cause remains unknown to this day. 150 photographs and line drawings
