Over a thousand men were aboard Kawachi at the time of the explosion and over 600 were killed, with 433 survivors. The Imperial Japanese Navy convened a commission to investigate the explosion the day after the incident, with Vice Admiral Murakami Kakuichi as chairman. The commission first suspected arson, but no plausible suspect could be found and it reported that the cordite in her magazine might have spontaneously ignited due to decomposition. Kawachis magazines had been inspected in January–February, however, and no problems were discovered, which made that possibility less likely. The commission made recommendations on tighter control of production and handling of cordite that were adopted by the navy. The Japanese Navy considered salvaging Kawachi, but decided not to do so as the diversion of resources would have delayed the construction of an Amagi-class battlecruiser by over a year. Stricken from the navy list on 21 September 1918, the wreck was later partially dismantled although most of the hull was abandoned in place to serve as an artificial reef. Notes Footnotes References (contact the editor at lars.ahlberg@halmstad.mail.postnet.se for subscription information) External links 1910 ships Kawachi-class battleships Maritime incidents in 1918 Ships built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Ships sunk by non-combat internal explosions Shipwrecks in the Inland Sea World War I battleships of Japan