by Lars Juel Mosbaek
1/700 IJN Mutsu 1943 (Aoshima)
Mutsu named after Mutsu Province, was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Nagato class battleship, laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on June 1, 1918, launched on May 31, 1920, and completed on Nov 22, 1921.
Mutsu sailed with the Yamato, Nagato, Hosho, Sendai, nine destroyers and four auxiliary ships as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's Main Body during the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
Mutsu suffered a catastrophic explosion in the number 3 ammunition magazine 3km North of, the present-day, Mutsu Memorial on Oshima Island, on June 8, 1943. Although the direct cause of the explosion was never substantiated, it was ruled by the Japanese Government as "human interference". The explosion was so severe, that it instantly sheared the stern from the ship forward of turret 3 causing major flooding the in the boiler rooms and main engine room. The 535 foot front section of the ship rolled to starboard and sank almost instantly resulting in the loss of 1,121 officers and men, including 140 instructors and cadets from an aviation training group on a familiarization tour. The stern upended and remained floating for nearly 12 hours before coming to rest just a few hundred feet south of the main wreck. Only 350 survivors were recovered.
The Japanese fleet was quickly mobilized and combed the small bay for enemy ships, or submarines but came up empty. After a coverup operation was launched, and all hope of raising Mutsu was abandoned, the precious fuel-oil was pumped out and ammunition was recovered. Mutsu remained untouched for 25 years.
The wreck was subjected to extensive salvage operations between 1970 and 1978. A large section of the bow was lifted, along with the anchors, screws, rudder, main guns, the entire stern section, and the complete number 4 turret. Many artifacts are displayed at the Mutsu Memorial Museum in Tôwa Chô. The complete number 4 turret is on display at the former naval academy at Etajima, while one of the 140 mm secondary guns is displayed at Yasukuni Museum in Tokyo. One 16 inch gun is on display at the Museum of Maritime Science, Shinigawa-ku, Tokyo.
Currently, what remains of Mutsu is lying upside-down, port-side up at a 45 degree angle in 134 feet of water. The shallowest point of the wreck is at 55 feet of water and while unmarked, can be easily found by sonar and navigation chart.
A few dedicated divers continue to visit this largely forgotten wreck to photograph and document it before it's gone forever. .
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The building time was approx 6 weeks.
