World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseWorking with a group of Dutch engineers, the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan created a foundry in Nagasaki, near the southwestern tip of the Japanese home islands, in 1860, with the eventual aim of domestic shipbuilding. In 1868, it was nationalized and was placed under control of the Nagasaki Prefectural Government. In 1879, the No. 1 Drydock was completed. In 1884, Yataro Iwasaki founded the firm Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works. In 1887, Iwasaki purchased the entire Nagasaki facilities complex from the government. In 1903, it was renamed Mitsubishi Shipyard of Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha. In 1896, the No. 2 Drydock was completed at Akunoura. In 1903, the No. 2 and No. 3 Building Berths were completed; by 1906, all 8 berths would be completed. In 1905, the No. 3 Drydock was completed at Iwasedo. In 1907, the facility completed Japan's first experimental tank for shipbuilding. In 1908, the main power station was completed; it was Japan's first power generating turbine. In 1912, the gantry crane was completed at the No. 1 Building Berth. In 1917, it was renamed Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited. In 1934, it was renamed once again as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. In 1936, the gantry crane was completed at the No. 2 Building Berth. In 1937, the foundry was separated from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as the Nagasaki Steel Works of Mitsubishi Steel Manufacturing Company, Limited. In 1939, all 8 building berths would be equipped with gantry cranes.

ww2dbaseBy the late 1930s, the Mitsubishi conglomerate in its entirety had become the largest private firm in Japan, and its Nagasaki shipbuilding facility was a major shipbuilder for the Japanese Navy. The facility's most well known product was the battleship Musashi, which, alongside of sister Yamato, was the largest battleship ever built. Musashi was launched in utmost secrecy in Nov 1940, and was commissioned into service in Aug 1942. During the war, the Nagasaki facility also constructed special attack submarines and boats for suicide missions. Due to the industrial importance, the city of Nagasaki was attacked by convention bombs five times starting in Aug 1944. The fifth conventional raid, dated 1 Aug 1945, targeted, among others, the shipyard. The presence of the shipyard certainly factored intofoundrdy the decision for Nagasaki to be placed on the target list for atomic bombing.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Mitsubishi was divided into three companies, and the Nagasaki facility became West Japan Heavy Industries, Limited. In 1952, it was renamed Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited. In 1963, No. 1 Drydock was demolished after 84 years of operations in order to create space for the construction of new drydocks. In 1964, the three companies merged together once again, forming Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Limited, and the Nagasaki facility was renamed Nagasaki Shipyard and Engine Works. In 1965, two 300,000-ton dry docks were completed. It would continue to evolve, launching ships of various sizes, including several very large luxury cruise liners. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is still conducting shipbuilding and repairing operations at Nagasaki at the time of this writing.

Ships Constructed at Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard

Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard Interactive Map

Photographs

Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard Timeline

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments