Heavy Cruiser Nachi

Nachi (那智) was the second ship of the Myoko-class heavy cruisers, laid down at Kure Naval Arsenal on 26 November 1924, launched on 15 June 1927, and commissioned on 26 November 1928 (later amended to 28 November 1928). Named after Mount Nachi in Wakayama Prefecture.

Nachi had a particularly distinguished early war service. She served as flagship of Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi's 5th Cruiser Division during the Battle of the Java Sea (27 February 1942), one of the largest surface naval battles of the Pacific War, where a Japanese force defeated a combined Allied force. She also participated in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands (26 March 1943) in the Aleutian Islands chain, a rare prolonged daylight surface engagement of the Pacific War.

Following the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Nachi was assigned to Manila as part of the Southwest Area Force. On 5 November 1944, a massive American carrier strike from Task Group 38.3 targeted ships in Manila Bay. Nachi got underway for the open sea but was caught northeast of Corregidor and subjected to relentless air attack. Hit by repeated bombs and torpedoes — the final strike alone put five torpedoes into her port side — she broke into three pieces and sank at about 14:50, taking 807 men to the bottom with her. Her wreck lies in 31 meters of water northeast of Corregidor Island.