Pre-order: IJN Nagato

Meet one of the most famous battleships of the Pacific Theater: IJN Nagato, arriving with powerful weapons and a hefty anti-aircraft battery to the high ranks of Japan!

Vehicle History

Nagato is the lead of a two-ship class, and was the world’s first ship to be armed with 410 mm guns. Designed and built in Japan as part of the 1916 program, she embodied many modern ideas of the time: an “all or nothing” armor layout, two armored decks, and improved anti-torpedo defense.

Nagato played a key role in several Japanese operations. She provided cover for the carrier strike force during the attack on Pearl Harbor and took part in the Battle of Midway and the Philippine Sea. In October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Nagato was hit by two bombs but continued to fight, damaging the American escort carrier St. Lo.

While stationed at Yokosuka at the end of the war, Nagato was heavily damaged in an air raid while providing coastal defense support. After Japan’s surrender, Nagato was handed over to the United States and was sunk in 1946 during nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll. Nagato’s remains now rest on the lagoon floor and have become a popular diving attraction.

Introducing IJN Nagato!

One of Japan’s most powerful battleships of the interwar period is coming to the game in the next major update in her 1944 configuration, featuring superb firepower and good mobility for a vessel of her size. Available for pre-order from today, IJN Nagato will become a stellar premium alternative to her near identical sister, with an improved anti-air battery and the improved Type 91 AP shell. Let’s take a look!

Speaking of, if you’ve fought in higher ranked naval battles in War Thunder you’ve likely encountered IJN Nagato’s sister IJN Mutsu, an extremely dangerous rank VI Japanese battleship. IJN Nagato functions very similarly, featuring eight 410 mm main guns with a relatively high rate of fire and good ballistics, the high shell velocity makes hitting targets at long ranges easy, and the new Type 91 AP shell will make long range combat even more effective.

Her secondary armament is similarly impressive, sporting eighteen 140 mm casemate guns reinforced by four twin-mounted 127 mm dual-purpose guns. Unlike her sister, who is slightly less endowed in the anti-air department, IJN Nagato is bustling with AA defenses. She’s reinforced with rapid-fire 25 mm automatic cannons in triple, twin and single mounts, totaling 101 barrels! This gives IJN Nagato some solid versatility, with her 127 mm guns dealing with threats from afar, while her 25 mm cannons can shred anything that dares to get close.

Speed is also rather impressive — around 26.5 knots (up to 50 km/h). For her size she can maneuver and turn well, making her much more reactive to incoming threats from different directions.

IJN Nagato’s armor is overall somewhat average, but very strong in the areas where it’s needed most. All of her protection is concentrated around the citadel,