Kamikaze [kamikazɛ] (Japanese: 神風; literally: "God-wind,""spirit-wind," or "divinity-wind"; common translation: "divine wind") is a word of Japanese origin, which in English usually refers to the suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan, against Allied shipping, in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II to destroy as many warships as possible. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Military aviation is the use of Aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare including national airlift ( Cargo) capacity The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A warship is a Ship that is built and primarily intended for Combat.
The Japanese themselves did not use the word Kamikaze to refer to these World War II attacks. The Japanese semi-officially used the word Shinpū (also meaning "divine wind") for their suicide units. (The official Japanese term was "Special Attack Units"). U. S. translators erroneously used the Japanese word Kamikaze which has a similar original meaning of "divine wind" (see Kamikaze_(typhoon)). Kamikaze (神風 is a Japanese word usually translated as divine wind, believed to be a gift from the gods
Kamikaze pilots would attempt to intentionally crash their aircraft — often laden with explosives, bombs, torpedoes and full fuel tanks — into Allied ships. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below A fuel tank is safe container for flammable liquids and typically part of an Engine system in which the Fuel is stored and propelled (fuel pump or released (pressurized The aircraft's normal role was, essentially, converted to that of a manned missile in a desperate attempt to reap the benefits of greatly increased accuracy and payload over that of a normal bomb. The goal of crippling as many Allied warships as possible was considered critical enough to warrant the cost of a trained aviator and his aircraft. These attacks, beginning in 1944, followed several significant and critical military and strategic defeats for Japan. A combination of a decreasing capacity to wage war - along with the loss of experienced pilots - and the increasing industrial capacity of the United States as well as the Japanese government's reluctance to surrender at the very end of Pacific War, led to the use of the kamikaze tactic which was implemented to stop or slow the Allied advance towards the Japanese home islands. Output in Economics is the total value of all of the goods and services produced in an entity's economy The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between The, which forms the Country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland washing upon the northwestern
Kamikazes were the most common and best-known form of Japanese suicide attack during World War II. They were similar to the "banzai charge" used by Japanese soldiers. A was a name applied during World War II to Human wave -style attacks mounted by infantry forces of the Imperial Japanese Army. In addition, the Japanese military used or made plans for various suicide attacks, including Sea Dragon submarines, human torpedoes, speedboats and divers. During the Second World War,, also abbreviated to 特攻隊 tokkōtai) also called shimbu-tai by the Imperial Japanese Army, were specialized units normally History Over 760 of these submarines were planned and by August 1945 about 213 had been manufactured This article is about the suicide torpedo For other meanings see Kaiten (disambiguation. The Shin'yo (Japanese 震洋 "Sea Quake" were Japanese Suicide boats developed during World War II. Suicide divers (Japanese伏龍 Fukuryu "Crouching dragons" were a part of the Special Attack Units prepared to resist the invasion of the Home islands by Allied The tradition of suicide instead of defeat and perceived shame is highly entrenched in the Japanese military culture. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For instance it is one of the main traditions in the Samurai life and the Bushido code, particularly loyalty and honor unto death. is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. This page is about loyalty as faithfulness to a cause For its use in business see Loyalty business model or Loyalty Marketing. Honor or Honour (see spelling differences) (the latter directly from the Latin word honos honoris) is the evaluation of a person's
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Definition and etymology
In the Japanese language, kamikaze (Japanese:神風), usually translated as "divine wind" (kami is the word for "God", "Spirit", or "Divinity"; and kaze for "wind"). The word kamikaze originated as the name of major typhoons in 1274 and 1281, which dispersed Mongolian invasion fleets. Kamikaze (神風 is a Japanese word usually translated as divine wind, believed to be a gift from the gods The of 1274 and 1281 were major Military operations undertaken by Kublai Khan to invade the Japanese Islands after conquering Korea
In Japanese, the formal term used for units carrying out suicide attacks during 1944-45 is tokubetsu kōgeki tai (特別攻撃隊), which literally means "special attack unit. " This is usually abbreviated to tokkōtai (特攻隊). More specifically, air suicide attack units from the Imperial Japanese Navy were officially called shinpū tokubetsu kōgeki tai (神風特別攻撃隊, "divine wind special attack units"). For Combined Fleet, please see that article For Carrier Striking Task Force, please see that article Shinpū is the on-reading (on'yomi or Chinese-derived pronunciation) of the same characters that form the word Kamikaze in Japanese. are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with Hiragana (ひらがな 平仮名 Katakana are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with Hiragana (ひらがな 平仮名 Katakana During World War II, the actual word Kamikaze was never, or rarely, used in Japan in relation to suicide attacks. U. S. translators during the war erroneously used the kun'yomi (indigenous Japanese pronunciation) for Shinpū, giving the English language the word kamikaze, for Japanese suicide units in general. are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with Hiragana (ひらがな 平仮名 Katakana English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This usage gained acceptance worldwide. After the war, Japanese speakers re-imported the word and the English language pronunciation, under the influence of U. S. media sources. As a result, the special attack units are sometimes known in Japan as kamikaze tokubetsu kōgeki tai.
Since the end of the war, the term kamikaze has sometimes been used as a pars pro toto for other kinds of attack in which an attacker is deliberately sacrificed. Pars pro toto is Latin for "(taking a part for the whole" where a portion of an object or concept represents the entire object or context These include a variety of suicide attacks, in other historical contexts, such as the proposed use of Selbstopfer aircraft by Nazi Germany and various suicide bombings by terrorist organizations around the world (such as the September 11, 2001 attacks). Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion In English, the word kamikaze may also be used in a hyperbolic or metaphorical fashion to refer to non-fatal actions which result in significant loss for the attacker, such as injury or the end of a career. Hyperbole (haɪˈpɝːbəli hye-PER-buh-lee; "HYE-per-bowl" is a mispronunciation comes from Greek "υπερβολή" (meaning exaggeration and is a Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects
History
Background
Prior to the formation of kamikaze units, deliberate crashes had been used as a last effort when a pilot’s plane was severely damaged and he did not want to risk being captured — this was the case in both the Japanese and Allied air forces. According to Axell & Kase, these suicides “were individual, impromptu decisions by men who were mentally prepared to die. ”[1] In most cases, there is little evidence that these hits were more than accidental collisions, of the kind likely to happen in intense sea-air battles. One example of this occurred on December 7, 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by First Lieutenant Fusata Iida’s plane had been hit and was leaking fuel, when he apparently used it to make a suicide attack on Kaneohe Naval Air Station. Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH formerly Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station (KMCAS and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U Before taking off, he had told his men that if his plane was badly damaged he would crash it into a "worthy enemy target". [2]
During 1943-44, United States forces were steadily advancing towards Japan. Japan's fighter planes were becoming outnumbered and outclassed by newer U. S. -made planes, especially the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) was worn down by air battles against the Allies during the Solomons and New Guinea campaigns. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ( Japanese:" 海軍航空本部 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koku Hombu) was the air branch of the Imperial Japanese The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The New Guinea campaign ( 1942 – 45) was one of the major Military campaigns of World War II. Finally, in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese lost over 400 carrier-based planes and pilots, an action referred to by the Allies as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". The Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka "The Marianas Turkey Shoot" was a decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history The Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka "The Marianas Turkey Shoot" was a decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history Skilled fighter pilots were also becoming scarce. Tropical diseases, as well as shortages of spare parts and fuel, made operations more and more difficult for the IJNAS. Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ( Japanese:" 海軍航空本部 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koku Hombu) was the air branch of the Imperial Japanese
On June 19, 1944, planes from the carrier Chiyoda approached a US task group. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Commanding Officers As CVS Chief Equipping Officer - Capt Seiji Mizui - 20 November 1937 - 15 December 1938 Capt According to some accounts, two made suicide attacks, one of which hit the USS Indiana. World War II service shakedown in Casco Bay Maine, the new battleship steamed through the Panama Canal to bolster U [3]
The important Japanese base of Saipan fell to the Allied forces on July 15, 1944. The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Its capture provided adequate forward bases which enabled U. S. air forces using B-29 Superfortress long-range bombers to strike the Japanese home islands. A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them After the fall of Saipan, the Japanese high command predicted that the Allies would try to capture the Philippines, which were strategically important because of their location between the oil fields of Southeast Asia and Japan. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit An oil field is a region with an abundance of Oil wells extracting Petroleum (crude oil from below ground
In August 1944, it was announced by the Domei news agency that a flight instructor named Takeo Tagata was training pilots in Taiwan for suicide missions. was the official News agency of the Empire of Japan History and Development Dōmei was the end result of years of efforts by Japanese journalists and business Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. [4]
Another source claims that the first kamikaze mission occurred on September 13, 1944. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A group of pilots from the army's 31st Fighter Squadron on Negros Island decided to launch a suicide attack the following morning. Negros is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas, at. [5] First Lieutenant Takeshi Kosai and a sergeant were selected. Two 100-kilogram bombs were attached to two fighters, and the pilots took off before dawn, planning to crash into carriers. They never returned, and there is no record of an enemy plane hitting an Allied ship that day.
According to some sources, on October 14, 1944, USS Reno was hit by a deliberately-crashed Japanese plane. [6] However, there is no evidence that this was a deliberate attack.
Captain Masafumi Arima, the commander of the 26th Air Flotilla (part of the 11th Air Fleet), is also sometimes credited with inventing the kamikaze tactic. For information specifically on the Royal Navy rank of captain see Captain (Royal Navy. was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. Arima personally led an attack by about 100 Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (or "Judy") dive bombers against a large Essex class aircraft carrier, USS Franklin near Leyte Gulf, on (or about, accounts vary) October 15, 1944. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A dive bomber is a Bomber aircraft that Dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of Overview The preceding ''Yorktown''s formed the basis from which the Essex class was developed Launch and commissioning initial cruise She was laid down on 7 December 1942 and launched by Newport News Shipbuilding Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Arima was killed and part of a plane hit the Franklin. The Japanese high command and propagandists seized on Arima's example: he was promoted posthumously to Admiral and was given official credit for making the first kamikaze attack. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty nobles and sometimes others in some cultures after the person's death However, it is not clear that this was a planned suicide attack,[7] and official Japanese accounts of Arima's attack bore little resemblance to the actual events.
On October 17, 1944, Allied forces assaulted Suluan Island, beginning the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Suluan Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Eastern Samar. The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battle for Leyte Gulf" the "Battles for Leyte Gulf" and formerly as the "Second Battle of the Philippine The Imperial Japanese Navy's 1st Air Fleet, based at Manila was assigned the task of assisting the Japanese ships which would attempt to destroy Allied forces in Leyte Gulf. The City of Manila However, the 1st Air Fleet at that time only had 40 aircraft: 34 Mitsubishi Zero carrier-based fighters, three Nakajima B6N torpedo bombers, one Mitsubishi G4M and two Yokosuka P1Y land-based bombers, with one additional reconnaissance plane. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The task facing the Japanese air forces seemed impossible. The 1st Air Fleet commandant, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi decided to form a suicide attack force, the Special Attack Unit. Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, who came to be known as the father of the Kamikaze. In a meeting at Mabalacat Airfield (known to the U. Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles S. military as Clark Air Base) near Manila, on October 19, Onishi told officers of the 201st Flying Group headquarters: "I don't think there would be any other certain way to carry out the operation [to hold the Philippines], than to put a 250 kg bomb on a Zero and let it crash into a U. The City of Manila Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. S. carrier, in order to disable her for a week. "
First kamikaze unit
Commander Asaiki Tamai asked a group of 23 talented student pilots, all of whom he had trained, to volunteer for the special attack force. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service Asaichi Tamai (玉井浅一 was a Commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. All of the pilots raised both of their hands, thereby volunteering to join the operation. Later, Tamai asked Lt Yukio Seki to command the special attack force. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services Yukio Seki ( 1921 - October 25, 1944) was a Japanese Naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War Seki is said to have closed his eyes, lowered his head and thought for ten seconds, before saying: "Please do appoint me to the post. " [2] Seki thereby became the 24th kamikaze pilot to be chosen. However, Seki later wrote: "Japan's future is bleak if it is forced to kill one of its best pilots. I am not going on this mission for the Emperor or for the Empire. . . I am going because I was ordered to. " During his flight, his commanders heard him say "It is better to die, rather than to live as a coward. " [8]
The names of four sub-units within the Kamikaze Special Attack Force were Unit Shikishima, Unit Yamato, Unit Asahi, and Unit Yamazakura. These names were taken from a patriotic poem (waka or tanka), "Shikishima no Yamato-gokoro wo hito towaba, asahi ni niou yamazakura bana" by the Japanese classical scholar, Motoori Norinaga. See Waka and Tanka (disambiguation for other usages Waka (和歌 or Yamato uta is a genre of Japanese poetry Motoori Norinaga (Japanese 本居宣長 21 June 1730–5 November 1801 was a Japanese scholar of Kokugaku during the Edo period. The poem reads:
| “ | If someone asks about the Yamato spirit [Spirit of Old/True Japan] of Shikishima [a poetic name for Japan] — it is the flowers of yamazakura [mountain cherry blossom ] that are fragrant in the Asahi [rising sun]. is a historically and culturally Loaded word in the Japanese language. A less literal translation might read: "if someone asks about the spirit of old/true Japan, it is the flowers of mountain cherry blossom that are fragrant in the rising sun" | ” |
Leyte Gulf: the first attacks
According to eyewitness accounts, the first Allied ship to be hit by a kamikaze attack was the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, the large heavy cruiser HMAS Australia on October 21, 1944. The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. The heavy cruiser was a type of Cruiser, a naval Warship designed for long range high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 8in in calibre Operational History World War II After World War II began "The Aussie" (as the ship was affectionately known within the RAN first fired her main Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [9] The attack appears to have been spontaneous and was carried out by an unknown pilot who was not a member of Onishi's Special Attack Unit. The pilot was most likely an Imperial Japanese Army Air Force aviator from the 6th Flying Brigade, in a Mitsubishi Ki-51 ("Sonia"). The (IJAAF was the land-based Aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [10] The attack took place near Leyte Island; gunners from HMAS Australia and HMAS Shropshire fired at, and reportedly hit, three Japanese aircraft. Leyte (ˈleɪti in English is an Island in the Visayas group of the Philippines. War service and transfer Her initial service in the Second World War was in operations in the South Atlantic on trade protection duties One flew away from the ships before turning back and flying into Australia, striking the ship's superstructure above the bridge, and spraying burning fuel and debris over a large area, before falling into the sea. The bridge of a Ship is an area or room from which the ship can be commanded A 200 kg (440 pound) bomb carried by the plane failed to explode; if it had, the ship might have been effectively destroyed. At least 30 crew members died as a result of the attack, including the commanding officer of Australia, Captain Emile Dechaineux; among the wounded was Commodore John Collins, the Australian force commander. Emile Frank Verlaine Dechaineux DSC ( 3 October 1902 - 21 October 1944) was an Australian mariner who achieved the rank Commodore is a Military rank used in many navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy captain, but is less than Vice Admiral Sir John Augustine Collins KBE, CB ( 7 January 1899 &ndash 3 September 1989) was a Royal Australian
On October 24, the USS Sonoma, a 1,120 ton ocean tug became the first ship to be sunk by a kamikaze,[11] off Dio Island, in San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat World War I operations Upon commissioning Sonoma was assigned to the U TUGboat (ISSN 0896-3207 is a journal published three times per year by the TeX Users Group. San Pedro Bay is a Bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south
Australia was hit again on October 25 and was forced to retire to the New Hebrides for repairs. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu ( French: République de Vanuatu, Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu) is an Island That same day, the Kamikaze Special Attack Force carried out its first mission. Five Zeros, led by Seki, and escorted to the target by leading Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, attacked several escort carriers. The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier (popularly known as the jeep carrier) was a small Aircraft carrier utilized by the Royal Navy One Zero attempted to hit the bridge of the USS Kitkun Bay but instead exploded on the port catwalk and cartwheeled into the sea. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Commissioning and maiden voyage After commissioning along the Pacific coast Kitkun Bay departed San Diego 28 January 1944 on a replenishment Two others dove at USS Fanshaw Bay but were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire. Pacific service Fanshaw Bay sailed from San Diego 6 April 1944 with Rear Admiral G The last two ran at the USS White Plains, however one, under heavy fire and trailing smoke, aborted the attempt on the White Plains and instead banked toward the USS St. Lo, plowing into the flight deck. Early career The escort aircraft carrier completed outfitting at Astoria on 4 December 1943 and began shakedown training on 8 December. Battle of Leyte Gulf St Lo departed Seeadler Harbor on 12 October to participate in the liberation of Leyte Its bomb caused fires that resulted in the bomb magazine exploding, sinking the carrier. [12]
By day's end on October 26, 55 kamikaze from the special attack force had also damaged the large escort carriers USS Sangamon, USS Suwannee, USS Santee, and the smaller escorts USS White Plains, USS Kalinin Bay, and USS Kitkun Bay. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death Fleet oiler After service off the west coast and in Hawaiian waters Sangamon shifted to the Atlantic Fleet in the spring of 1941 and through the 1942 Less than a month after commissioning Suwannee was underway from Hampton Roads for the invasion of North Africa. 1942 On 24 August 1942 Santee was commissioned as an escort carrier with designation ACV-29, with Commander William Sample in command Early career The escort aircraft carrier completed outfitting at Astoria on 4 December 1943 and began shakedown training on 8 December. Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign With Composite Squadron 3 embarked 9 April, Kalinin Bay reached Majuro, Marshalls 23 April Commissioning and maiden voyage After commissioning along the Pacific coast Kitkun Bay departed San Diego 28 January 1944 on a replenishment In total seven carriers had been hit, as well as 40 other ships (five sunk, 23 heavily damaged, and 12 moderately damaged).
HMAS Australia returned to combat at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II. However, between January 5 and January 9, the ship was hit five times by kamikazes, suffering damage which forced it to retire once more. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. [13] The ship lost about 70 crew members to kamikaze hits. Other Allied ships which survived repeated hits from kamikazes during World War II included the Franklin and another Essex class carrier, USS Intrepid. Launch and commissioning The USS Intrepid was launched on April 26, 1943 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co
Main wave of attacks
Early successes, such as the sinking of the St. Lo were followed by an immediate expansion of the program, and over the next few months over 2,000 planes made such attacks.
When Japan began to be subject to intense strategic bombing by B-29 bombers, the Japanese military attempted to use suicide attacks against this threat. Strategic bombing is a Military strategy used in a Total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather During the northern hemisphere winter of 1944-45, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force formed the 47th Air Regiment, also known as the Shinten Special Unit (Shinten Seiku Ta) at Narimasu Airfield, Nerima, Tokyo, to defend the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The (IJAAF was the land-based Aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army. is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English it calls itself Nerima City. The Greater Tokyo Area is a large Metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama The unit was equipped with Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki ("Tojo") fighters, which they were to ram USAAF B-29s in their attacks on Japan. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. However, this proved much less successful and practical since an airplane is a much faster, more maneuverable, and smaller target than a warship. The B-29 also had formidable defensive weaponry, so suicide attacks against the plane demanded considerable piloting skill to be successful. That worked against the very purpose of using expendable pilots and even encouraging capable pilots to bail out before impact was ineffective because vital personnel were often lost when they mistimed when to exit and were killed as a result.
Sub-Lieutenant Nakano, Petty Officer Shihara, PO Goto and PO Taniushi carried out the last kamikaze operation from the Philippines on January 6, 1945, from Mabalacat. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
However, kamikaze attacks were being planned at far-flung Japanese bases. On January 8, Onishi formed a second official naval kamikaze unit, in Formosa. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The unit, Niitaka used Zeroes and Yokosuka D4Ys, and was based at Takao Airfield. Yushan ( also known as Jade Mountain or Yu Mountain, is a national park and central mountain range in Taiwan. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Kaohsiung International Airport (, also credited as Siaogang International Airport ( for the Siaogang District where it is located is a medium-sized commercial On January 29, 1945, seven Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" from the Japanese Army "Shichisi Mitate" Special group, took off from Palembang, Sumatra to strike the British Pacific Fleet. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two The British Pacific Fleet (BPF was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. Vice Admiral Kimpei Teraoka and Captain Riishi Sugiyama of the 601st Air Group organized another second special unit, Mitate at Iwo Jima on February 16, as a U. Iwo Jima ( 硫黄[[wikt 島|島]] officially Iōtō,also frequently Iōjima: “ Sulfur island” is an island of the Japanese Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols S. invasion force approached. On March 11, the U. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty S. carrier Randolph was hit and moderately damaged at Ulithi Atoll, in the Caroline Islands, by a kamikaze that had flown almost 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from Japan, in a mission called Operation Tan No. 2. World War II The ship was laid down 10 May 1943 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co Ulithi is an Atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km (103 nautical mi east of Yap. Operation Tan No 2 was a long-range Kamikaze mission directed at the main Allied naval fleet anchorage at Ulithi atoll in the western Pacific on On March 20, the submarine USS Devilfish survived a hit from an aircraft, just off Japan. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden.
Purpose-built kamikaze planes, as opposed to converted fighters and dive-bombers, were also being constructed. Ensign Mitsuo Ohta had suggested that piloted glider bombs, carried within range of targets by a mother plane, should be developed. Ensign (ˈɛnsən is a junior rank of commissioned officer in the militaries of some countries normally in the infantry or navy A glide bomb is an aerial Bomb that is modified with aerodynamic surfaces to modify its flight path from a purely ballistic one to a flatter gliding one The First Naval Air Technical Bureau (Kugisho), in Yokosuka, refined Ohta's idea. is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. It is located at the mouth of Tokyo Bay in the Miura Peninsula, and the city stretches across Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka rocket planes, launched from bombers, were first deployed in kamikaze attacks from March 1945. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A rocket-powered aircraft or rocket plane is an Aircraft that uses a Rocket for propulsion sometimes in addition to airbreathing Jet engines U. S. personnel gave them the derisive nickname "Baka Bombs" (baka is Japanese for "idiot" or "stupid"). A specially-designed propellor plane, the Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi, was a simple, easily-built aircraft, intended to use up existing stocks of engines, in a wooden airframe. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The undercarriage was non-retractable: it was jettisoned shortly after take-off for a suicide mission and then re-used on other planes. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi During 1945, the Japanese military began stockpiling hundreds of Tsurugi, other propellor planes, Ohka, and suicide boats, for use against Allied forces expected to invade Japan. Few were ever used.
Allied defensive tactics
In early 1945, Commander John Thach, a U. John Smith "Jimmy" Thach ( 19 April 1905 - 15 April 1981) was a World War II naval aviator air combat S. Navy air operations officer, who was already famous for developing effective aerial tactics against the Japanese such as the Thach Weave, developed an anti-kamikaze strategy called the "big blue blanket". The Thach Weave was an Aerial combat tactic developed by naval aviator John S The big blue blanket was a system devised by John Thach during World War II for protecting warships from attack by Japanese Kamikazes History [14] This plan called for round-the-clock fighter patrols over Allied fleets. However, the U. S. Navy had cut back training of fighter pilots, so there were not enough Navy pilots available to counter the kamikaze threat.
Thach also recommended larger combat air patrols (CAP), further from the carriers than had previously been the case, intensive fighter sweeps over Japanese airfields, the bombing of Japanese runways with delayed action fuses to make repairs more difficult, a line of picket destroyers and destroyer escorts at least 50 miles (80 km) from the main body of the fleet to provide earlier radar interception, and improved coordination between fighter direction officers on carriers. Combat air patrol (CAP is a type of flying mission for Fighter aircraft. A delay-action bomb is an aerial Bomb designed to explode some time after impact with the ground with the bomb's fuses set to delay the explosion for times ranging In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy A Destroyer Escort (DE is the classification for a small relatively slow Warship (when compared to first-rate Naval fleet vessels designed to be used to escort Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships
Late in 1944, the British Pacific Fleet used the good high altitude performance of their Supermarine Seafires on combat air patrol duties. The British Pacific Fleet (BPF was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Seafires were heavily involved in countering the Kamikaze attacks during the Iwo Jima landings and beyond. Iwo Jima ( 硫黄[[wikt 島|島]] officially Iōtō,also frequently Iōjima: “ Sulfur island” is an island of the Japanese The Seafires' best day was 15 August 1945, shooting down eight attacking aircraft for a single loss. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
As the end of the war approached, the Allies did not suffer significantly more damage, despite having far more ships and being attacked in far greater density. Poor training tended to make kamikaze pilots easy targets for experienced Allied pilots, who also flew superior aircraft. Moreover the U. S. Fast Carrier Task Force alone could bring over 1,000 fighter aircraft into play. The Fast Carrier Task Force, known at different times as Task Force 38 and Task Force 58, was the main striking force of the United States Navy in Allied pilots became adept at destroying enemy aircraft before they struck ships. Allied naval crews had begun to develop techniques to negate kamikaze attacks, such as firing their high-caliber guns into the sea in front of attacking planes flying near sea level, in order to create walls of water which would swamp the attacking planes. Naval Artillery or naval rifles refers to Warship -mounted Guns used in Naval warfare for attacking enemy vessels Although such tactics could not be used against Okhas and other fast, high angle attacks, these were in turn more vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces In 1945 large amounts of anti-aircraft shells with radio frequency proximity fuzes became available, these were on average seven times more accurate than regular shells. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. A proximity fuze (also called a VT fuze for "variable time" is a fuze that is designed to detonate an explosive device automatically when the distance
Final phase
The peak in kamikaze attacks came during the period of April-June 1945, at the Battle of Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault On April 6, 1945, waves of planes made hundreds of attacks in Operation Kikusui ("floating chrysanthemums"). Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar At Okinawa, kamikaze attacks focused at first on Allied destroyers on picket duty, and then on the carriers in the middle of the fleet. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Suicide attacks by planes or boats at Okinawa sank or put out of action at least 30 U. S. warships,[15] and at least three U. S. merchant ships,[16] along with some from other Allied forces. A merchant vessel is a Ship that transports Cargo and Passengers during peace time The attacks expended 1,465 planes. Many warships of all classes were damaged, some severely, but no aircraft carriers, battleships or cruisers were sunk by kamikaze at Okinawa. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were A cruiser is a large type of Warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. Most of the ships destroyed were destroyers or smaller vessels, especially those on picket duty. [17]
U. S. aircraft carriers, with their wooden flight decks, were more vulnerable to kamikaze hits than the reinforced steel-decked carriers from the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) which operated in the theatre during 1945. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with The British Pacific Fleet (BPF was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The resilience of well-armoured vessels was shown on May 4. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Just after 11:30, there was a wave of attacks against the BPF. One Japanese plane made a steep dive from "a great height" at the carrier HMS Formidable and was engaged by AA guns. Battle Honours Matapan 1941 Crete 1941 Mediterranean 1941 Indian Ocean early 1942 North [18] The kamikaze was hit at close range but crashed into the flight deck, making a massive dent about 10 feet (three meters) long, two feet (0. 6 m) wide and two feet deep in the armoured flight deck. A large steel splinter speared down through the hangar deck and the centre boiler-room, where it ruptured a steam line and came to rest in a fuel tank, starting a major fire in the aircraft park. Eight crew members were killed and 47 were wounded. One Corsair and 10 Grumman Avengers were destroyed. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However, the fires were gradually brought under control, and the crater in the deck was repaired with concrete and steel plate. By 17:00, Corsairs were able to land. On May 8, Formidable was again damaged by a kamikaze, as was the carrier HMS Victorious and the battleship HMS Howe. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Victorious. The first ''Victorious'', launched in 1785 at Blackwall, London Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Howe, after Admiral Richard Howe: ''Howe'' was a 120 gun ship of the line
Sometimes twin-engined aircraft were used in planned kamikaze attacks. For example, Mitsubishi Ki-67 Hiryū ("Peggy") medium bombers, based on Formosa, undertook kamikaze attacks on Allied forces off Okinawa. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Rear Admiral Matome Ugaki, the second in command of the Combined Pacific Fleet, directed the last official kamikaze attack, sending some Yokosuka D4Y Suisei "Judy" dive bombers from the 701st Air Group against the Allied fleet at Okinawa on August 15, 1945. was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, most remembered for his role at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
At least one kamikaze attack was made against land forces of the Soviet Red Army, on August 19, 1945, during Operation August Storm. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Six planes from a Kwantung Army air unit made the attack, on the 46th Tank Brigade, 6th Guards Tank Army, near Tongliao, Manchuria. The, also known as the Guandong Army ( 관동군 was an Army group of the Imperial Japanese Army in the early twentieth century The 6th Guards Red Banner Tank Army was a Tank army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first formed during World War II and disbanded in Tongliao ( Pinyin: Tōngliáo Mongolian: Töngliyao hot is a Prefecture-level city in eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast One truck was destroyed, and a Sherman tank was damaged. World War II foreign variants and use Lend-Lease Sherman tanks.
Some sources report that a Soviet Navy cutter, KT-152, was sunk by a kamikaze attack on August 18 or August 19, 1945, near Shumushu, Kuriles archipelago. The Soviet Navy ( Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally "Naval military forces of the USSR" was Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Shumshu (Шумшу is the northernmost Island of the Kuril Islands group The Kuril Islands (ˈkʊrɪl or /ˈkjuˈriˈl/ Кури́льские острова́ əstrʌˈva ru-Latn ''Kuril'skie ostrova'' or Kurile Islands in Russia
Effects
By the end of World War II, the IJN had sacrificed 2,525 kamikaze pilots, and the IJA had lost 1,387. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces Construction See also Iowa class battleship, Armament of the Iowa class battleship New Jersey was one of the ''Iowa''-class " Launch and commissioning The USS Intrepid was launched on April 26, 1943 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co
The number of ships sunk is a matter of debate. According to a wartime Japanese propaganda announcement, the missions sank 81 ships and damaged 195, and according to a Japanese tally, suicide attacks accounted for up to 80 percent of the U. S. losses in the final phase of the war in the Pacific. In a 2004 book, World War II, the historians Wilmott, Cross & Messenger stated that more than 70 U. S. vessels were "sunk or damaged beyond repair" by kamikazes.
Official US sources put the toll much lower. According to a U.S. Air Force webpage:
- Approximately 2,800 Kamikaze attackers sunk 34 Navy ships, damaged 368 others, killed 4,900 sailors, and wounded over 4,800. Despite radar detection and cuing, airborne interception and attrition, and massive anti-aircraft barrages, a distressing 14 percent of Kamikazes survived to score a hit on a ship; nearly 8. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships 5 percent of all ships hit by Kamikazes sank. [19]
Australian journalists Denis and Peggy Warner, in a 1982 book with Japanese naval historian Seno Sadao (The Sacred Warriors: Japan’s Suicide Legions), arrived at a total of 57 ships sunk by kamikazes. However, Bill Gordon, a US Japanologist who specialises in kamikazes, states in a 2007 article that 49 ships were sunk by kamikaze aircraft. Japanese Studies (aka Japanology) is the study of Japan. Japanology and Japanese studies are terms generally used in Europe to describe the historical [20] Gordon says that the Warners and Sadao included eight ships that did not sink. His list consists of:
- three escort carriers: USS St. Lo, USS Ommaney Bay, USS Bismark Sea
- 14 destroyers, including the last ship to be sunk, USS Callaghan on July 29, 1945, off Okinawa
- three high-speed transport ships
- five Landing Ship, Tank
- four Landing Ship Medium
- three Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
- one auxiliary tanker
- three Canadian Victory ships
- three Liberty ships
- two high-speed minesweepers
- one Auk class minesweeper
- one ocean tug, USS Sonoma, the first ship to be sunk, on October 24, 1944, off Leyte
- one submarine chaser
- two PT boats
- two Landing Craft Support
- one Landing Craft Infantry (Large)
Recruitment
The establishment of kamikaze forces required recruiting men for the task — this proved easier than the commanders had expected. The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier (popularly known as the jeep carrier) was a small Aircraft carrier utilized by the Royal Navy Battle of Leyte Gulf St Lo departed Seeadler Harbor on 12 October to participate in the liberation of Leyte Service history After commissioning and fitting out at Astoria Oregon, and conducting shakedown in Puget Sound, Ommaney Bay sailed 19 March See also List of US Navy ships losses in World War II. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy History Callaghan sailed from the West Coast 5 February 1944 to plunge into action with fast-striking 5th Fleet in smashing air raids Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar High Speed Transports were converted Destroyers used to support amphibious operations in World War II and afterward Landing Ship Tank ( LST) was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support Amphibious operations by carrying significant Landing Ship Medium were Amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy in the World War II. Landing Ship Medium were Amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy in the World War II. History The technology of oil transportation has evolved alongside the oil industry Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page VC2 design One of the first acts of the United States War Shipping Administration when it was formed in February 1942 was to commission the design of the class History and service In 1936 the American Merchant Marine Act was passed to subsidize the annual construction of 50 commercial merchant vessels to be used in wartime by History Fourteen ships of the class were involved in the Honda Point Disaster in 1923 of which seven were lost List of Auk class minesweepers Royal Navy To Turkey March 1947 TUGboat (ISSN 0896-3207 is a journal published three times per year by the TeX Users Group. World War I operations Upon commissioning Sonoma was assigned to the U Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for Anti-submarine warfare. PT Boats were a variety of motor Torpedo boat ( Hull classification symbol "PT" for "Patrol Torpedo" a small fast vessel used by the Design and Manufacture A total of 130 were made Three different ship building yards did the construction Lawley & Sons George ( Neponset MA) Commercial Iron Works The Landing craft, Infantry or LCI was a sea-going Amphibious assault ship of the Second World War for landing large number of Infantry directly Qualifications were simple: “youth, alertness and zeal. Flight experience was of minimal importance and expertise in landing a luxury. ” Captain Motoharu Okamura commented that “there were so many volunteers for suicide missions that he referred to them as a swarm of bees, explaining: ‘Bees die after they have stung. ’”[21]
When the volunteers arrived for duty in the corps there were twice as many persons as aircraft. “After the war, some commanders would express regret for allowing superfluous crews to accompany sorties, sometimes squeezing themselves aboard bombers and fighters so as to encourage the suicide pilots and, it seems, join in the exultation of sinking a large enemy vessel. ” Many of the Kamikaze believed their death would pay the debt they owed and show the love they had for their families, friends, and emperor. “So eager were many minimally trained pilots to take part in suicide missions that when their sorties were delayed or aborted, the pilots became deeply despondent. Many of those who were selected for a bodycrashing mission were described as being extraordinarily blissful immediately before their final sortie. ”[22]
Training
- When you eliminate all thoughts about life and death, you will be able to totally disregard your earthly life. This will also enable you to concentrate your attention on eradicating the enemy with unwavering determination, meanwhile reinforcing your excellence in flight skills.
(A paragraph from a kamikaze pilots' manual. )
Tokkōtai pilot training, as described by Kasuga Takeo, generally "consisted of incredibly strenuous training, coupled with cruel and torturous corporal punishment as a daily routine. " Irokawa Daikichi, who trained at Tsuchiura Naval Air Base, recalled that he "was struck on the face so hard and frequently that [his] face was no longer recognizable. " He also wrote: "I was hit so hard that I could no longer see and fell on the floor. The minute I got up, I was hit again by a club so that I would confess. " This brutal "training" was justified by the idea that it would instill a "soldier's fighting spirit. " However, daily beatings and corporal punishment would eliminate patriotism among many pilots.
Pilots were given a manual which detailed how they were supposed to think, prepare, and attack. From this manual, pilots were told to "attain a high level of spiritual training," and to "keep [their] health in the very best condition. " These things, among others, were meant to put the pilot into the mindset in which he would be mentally ready to die.
The tokkōtai pilot's manual also explained how a pilot may turn back if the pilot could not locate a target and that "[a pilot] should not waste [his] life lightly. " However, one pilot who continuously came back to base was shot after his ninth return. [citation needed]
| We tried to live with 120 percent intensity, rather than waiting for death. We read and read, trying to understand why we had to die in our early twenties. We felt the clock ticking away towards our death, every sound of the clock shortening our lives. Irokawa Daikichi, Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers |
The manual was very detailed in how a pilot should attack. A pilot would dive towards his target and would "aim for a point between the bridge tower and the smoke stacks. " Entering a smoke stack was also said to be "effective. " Pilots were told not to aim at a ship's bridge tower or gun turret but instead to look for elevators or the flight deck to crash into. For horizontal attacks, the pilot was to "aim at the middle of the vessel, slightly higher than the waterline" or to "aim at the entrance to the aircraft hangar, or the bottom of the stack" if the former was too difficult.
The tokkōtai pilot's manual told pilots to never close their eyes. This was because if a pilot closed his eyes he would lower the chances of hitting his target. In the final moments before the crash, the pilot was to yell "Hissatsu" at the top of his lungs which roughly translates to "Sink without fail. "[23] [24]
Cultural background
In 1944-45, the Japanese were heavily influenced by Shinto beliefs. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Among other things, Emperor worship was stressed after Shinto was established as a state religion during the Meiji Restoration. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure As time went on, Shinto was used increasingly in the promotion of nationalist sentiment. In 1890, the Imperial Rescript on Education was passed, under which students were required to ritually recite its oath to offer themselves "courageously to the State" as well as protect the Imperial family. The was signed by Emperor Meiji of Japan on 30 October 1890 to articulate government policy on the guiding principals of education on the Empire of The ultimate offering was to give up one’s life. It was an honor to die for Japan and the Emperor. Axell and Kase pointed out: "The fact is that innumerable soldiers, sailors and pilots were determined to die, to become eirei, that is ‘guardian spirits’ of the country. [. . . ] Many Japanese felt that to be enshrined at Yasukuni was a special honour because the Emperor twice a year visited the shrine to pay homage. Yasukuni is the only shrine, deifying common men, which the Emperor would visit to pay his respects. "[25] Young Japanese people were indoctrinated from an earliest age with these ideals.
Following the commencement of the kamikaze tactic, newspapers and books ran advertisements, articles, and stories regarding the suicide bombers, to aid in recruiting and support. In October 1944, the Nippon Times quoted Lieutenant Sekio Nishina: “The spirit of the Special Attack Corps is the great spirit that runs in the blood of every Japanese…. The crashing action which simultaneously kills the enemy and oneself without fail is called the Special Attack…. Every Japanese is capable of becoming a member of the Special Attack Corps. ”[26] Publishers also played up the idea that the Kamikaze were enshrined at Yasukuni and ran exaggerated stories of Kamikaze bravery – there were even fairytales for little children that promoted the Kamikaze. A Foreign Office official named Toshikazu Kase said: “It was customary for GHQ [in Tokyo] to make false announcements of victory in utter disregard of facts, and for the elated and complacent public to believe them. ”[27]
While many stories were falsified, some were true, such as the story of Kiyu Ishikawa who saved a Japanese ship when he crashed his plane into a torpedo that an American submarine had launched. The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability The sergeant major was posthumously promoted to second lieutenant by the emperor and was enshrined at Yasukuni. [28] Stories like these, which showed the kind of praise and honor death produced, encouraged young Japanese to volunteer for the Special Attack Corps and instilled a desire in the youth for the death of a Kamikaze.
Ceremonies were carried out before kamikaze pilots departed on their final mission. They were given the flag of Japan or the rising sun flag (Japanese naval ensign), inscribed with inspirational and spiritual words, Nambu pistol or katana and drank sake before they took off generally. The national flag of Japan is a white Flag with a large red circle (representing the rising sun) in the center The is the Military flag of Japan. It had been used as the Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the War flag of the Imperial Japanese The Nambu pistol was a Semi-automatic pistol used by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy during the First and Second World Wars A is a type of Japanese sword ( nihontō) and often is called a "samurai sword They put on a headband with the rising sun, and a senninbari, a "belt of a thousand stitches" sown by a thousand women who made one stitch each. A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the Hair or around the Forehead, usually to hold hair away from the Face or Eyes [29] They also composed and read a death poem, a tradition stemming from the samurai, who did it before committing seppuku. Death poem by Kuroki Hiroshijpg|frame|Death poem by Kuroki Hiroshi, a Japanese soldier who died in a submarine accident on September 7 1944]] A is a Poem written near the is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by Disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for Samurai. Pilots carried prayers from their families and were given military decorations. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit A military decoration is a decoration given to Military personnel or units for Heroism in battle or distinguished service
While commonly perceived that volunteers signed up in droves for Kamikaze missions, it has also been contended that there was extensive coercion and peer pressure involved in recruiting soldiers for the sacrifice. Their motivations in "volunteering" were complex and not simply about patriotism or bringing honour to their families. And at least one of these pilots was a conscripted Korean with a Japanese name, adopted under the pre-war Soshi-kaimei ordinance that compelled Koreans to take Japanese personal names. Sōshi-kaimei ( Japanese: 創氏改名) was a policy created by Jiro Minami, Governor-General of Korea under the Empire of Japan [30] Out of the 1,036 IJA kamikaze pilots who died in sorties from Chiran and other Japanese air bases, during the Battle of Okinawa, 11 were Koreans. [31] [32]
According to legend, young pilots on kamikaze missions often flew southwest from Japan over the 922 metre (3,025 ft) Mount Kaimon. The mountain is also called "Satsuma Fuji" (meaning a mountain like Mount Fuji but located in the Satsuma Province region). is the highest Mountain in Japan at.An Active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08 it straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and This article is about the province For alternative meanings of the word Satsuma, see Satsuma (disambiguation was an old province Suicide mission pilots looked over their shoulders to see this, the most southern mountain on the Japanese mainland, while they were in the air, said farewell to their country, and saluted the mountain.
Residents on Kikaijima island, east of Amami Ōshima, say that pilots from suicide mission units dropped flowers from the air as they departed on their final missions. is one of the Ryūkyū Islands (also known as Nansei Islands Its area is 712 According to legend, the hills above Kikaijima airport have beds of cornflower that bloom in early May. Centaurea cyanus ( Cornflower, Bachelor's button, Basket flower, Bluebottle, Boutonniere flower, Hurtsickle) is a small [33]
With the passing of time, some prominent Japanese military figures who survived the war became critical of the policy. Saburo Sakai, an IJN ace said:
"A kamikaze is a surprise attack, according to our ancient war tactics. Lieutenant junior grade Saburo Sakai 坂井三郎 Sakai Saburō ( August 25, 1916 &ndash September 22, 2000) was a A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy Aircraft during aerial combat Surprise attacks will be successful the first time, maybe two or three times. But what fool would continue the same attacks for ten months? Emperor Hirohito must have realized it. also known as, (April 29 1901 – January 7 1989 was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order reigning from December 25 1926 until his death He should have said 'Stop. '
"Even now, many faces of my students come up when I close my eyes. So many students are gone. Why did headquarters continue such silly attacks for ten months! Fools! Genda, who went to America — all those men lied that all men volunteered for kamikaze units. Minoru Genda (源田実 Genda Minoru, 16 August 1904 – 15 August 1989) was a well-known Japanese military aviator and politician They lied. "
In 2006, Watanabe Tsuneo, Editor-in-Chief of the Yomiuri Shimbun, criticized Japanese nationalists' glorification of kamikaze attacks:[34] [35]
"It's all a lie that they left filled with braveness and joy, crying, 'Long live the emperor!' They were sheep at a slaughterhouse. The is a Japanese Newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities Everybody was looking down and tottering. Some were unable to stand up and were carried and pushed into the plane by maintenance soldiers. "
Quotations
I cannot predict the outcome of the air battles but you will be making a mistake if you should regard Special Attack operations as normal methods. The right way is to attack the enemy with skill and return to the base with good results. A plane should be utilized over and over again. That’s the way to fight a war. The current thinking is skewed. Otherwise you cannot expect to improve air power. There will be no progress if flyers continue to die. (Lieutenant Commander Iwatani, in Taiyo (Ocean) magazine, March 1945. )[36]
Zwei Seelen wohnen ach in mein[em] Herz!! (Ah, two souls [tamashi’i] reside in my heart [kokoro]!!) After all I am just a human being. Sometimes my chest pounds with excitement when I think of the day I will fly into the sky. I trained my mind and body as hard as I could and am anxious for the day I can use them to their full capacity in fighting. I think my life and death belong to the mission. Yet, at other times, I envy those science majors who remain at home [exempt from the draft]. … One of my souls looks to heaven, while the other is attracted to the earth. I wish to enter the Navy as soon as possible so that I can devote myself to the task. I hope that the days when I am tormented by stupid thoughts will pass quickly. (Sasaki Hachiro)[37]
I cannot praise Japan any longer. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The war is not to protect the country but the inevitable result of the way Japan has developed into a nation. … I feel that I have to accept the fate of my generation to fight in the war and die. I call it ‘fate,’ since we have to go to the battlefield to die without being able to express our opinions, criticize and argue pros and cons of issues, and behave with principles, that is after being deprived of my own agency…. To die in the war, to die at the demand of the nation – I have no intention whatsoever to praise it; it is a great tragedy (Hayashi Tadao, October 12, 1941). [38]
It is easy to talk about death in the abstract, as the ancient philosophers discussed. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language But it is real death I fear, and I don’t know if I can overcome the fear. Even for a short life, there are many memories. For someone who had a good life, it is very difficult to part with it. But I reached a point of no return. I must plunge into an enemy vessel. To be honest, I cannot say that the wish to die for the emperor is genuine, coming from my heart. However, it is decided for me that I die for the emperor. (Hayashi Ichizo)[39]
Other people involved in the development of kamikaze tactics
- Captain Motoharu Okamura, commander of the Tateyama Airfield, near Tokyo and the 341st Air Group, may have first proposed these tactics in June 15, 1944, during the first naval battle at the Philippines. is a city located at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba, Japan. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history
- Vice Admiral Shigeru Fukudome, Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the 2nd Air Fleet, also showed early interest in the kamikaze tactic. was an admiral and Chief of Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
- Vice Admiral Seishi Ito, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff in 1944, was also another supporter of the operations.
- Captain Eiichiro Jyo, commander of the carrier Chiyoda during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka "The Marianas Turkey Shoot" was a decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history He proposed this style of attack to the Japanese Mobile Fleet Command.
- Vice Admiral Tokusaburo Ozawa, C-in-C 3rd Fleet, supported the idea. The Third Fleet is one of six numbered fleets in the United States Navy.
- Rear Admiral Sueo Obayashi, Commander of Carrier Division Three, also supported the tactic.
- Admiral Soemu Toyoda, the C-in-C of the Imperial Combined Fleet, at first was opposed to the kamikaze tactic, but later promoted the organisation of units for these operations. was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
- Vice Admiral Kimpei Teraoka, commander of the 1st Air Fleet before Onishi, was also aware of planning for kamikaze operations.
- Captain Rikihei Inogushi staff officer of the 1st Air Fleet.
- Captain Sakae Yamamoto, Commander of the 201st Air Group, at Mabalacat airfield, in the Philippines, was charged with preparing the Special Unit. Mabalacat is a 1st class municipality in the northern part of the province of Pampanga, Philippines.
- Lieutenant Naoshi Kanno, an air ace, was assigned to choose possible replacements for Seki.
- Captain Tadashi Nakajima, commander of the 201st Air Group was a recruiter and trainer of kamikaze pilots.
See also
Notes
- ^ Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods, pp. Living torpedoes (Żywe torpedy also Straceńcy — “Desperates” was a social and military phenomenon which began in the Second Polish Republic in mid-1939 In warfare ramming is a technique that was used in the air sea and land combat A suicide weapon is a Weapon that is specially designed for a Suicide attack. is a Japanese patriotic song based on a waka poem by Ōtomo no Yakamochi in the Man'yōshū. A vehicle explosion is the destruction of or damage to a Vehicle caused by an Explosion. 34, 40-41
- ^ Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods, 44 A monument at the site of Iida’s crash reads: 'JAPANESE AIRCRAFT IMPACT SITE. PILOT-LIEUTENANT IIDA, COMMANDER, THIRD AIR CONTROL GROUP, DEC. 7 1941. ’”
- ^ Fighting Elites: Kamikaze: 9, 12
- ^ Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods, 40,41
- ^ John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945, Random House, 1970, p. 568
- ^ ww2pacific.com, 2004, "World War II in the Pacific: Japanese Suicide Attacks at Sea." Access date: August 1, 2007.
- ^ Bill Gordon, 2005, "[Review of] No Surrender: German and Japanese Kamikazes" Access date: August 1, 2007
- ^ (Albert Axell & Hideaki Kase, 2002. Hideaki Kase (加瀬英明 is a Japanese diplomatic critic Hideaki Kase was the head of the production committee for a Japanese film "Merdeka" (2001 Kamikaze: Japan's Suicide Gods. London: Pearson Education, p. 16.
- ^ ww2australia.gov.au, 2006, "kamikaze". Access date: September 16, 2007.
- ^ Richard L. Dunn, 2002-05, "First Kamikaze? Attack on HMAS Australia — October 21st, 1944" (j-aircraft.com). Access date: June 20, 2007. If the pilot was from the 6th Flying Brigade, it was probably either Lieutenant Morita or Sergeant Itano, flying out of San Jose, Mindoro. San Jose is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines.
- ^ Bill Gordon, 2007, "49 Ships Sunk by Kamikaze Aircraft" Access date: September 15, 2007.
- ^ John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945, Random House, 1970, p. 567
- ^ ww2australia.gov.au, 2006, "kamikaze". Access date: September 16, 2007.
- ^ Bill Coombes, 1995, "Divine Wind The Japanese secret weapon - kamikaze suicide attacks"
- ^ Naval Historical Center, 2004, "Casualties: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels, Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II, 7 December 1941-1 October 1945" (U. S. Navy) Access date: December 1, 2007.
- ^ American Merchant Marine at War (website), 2006, "Chronological List of U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged during 1945" Access date: December 1, 2007.
- ^ Naval Historical Center, 2004, "Casualties: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels, Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II, 7 December 1941-1 October 1945" (U. S. Navy) Access date: December 1, 2007.
- ^ Sydney David Waters, 1956, The Royal New Zealand Navy, Historical Publications Branch, Wellington. p.383-4 Access date: December 1, 2007.
- ^ Dr Richard P. Hallion, 1999, "Precision Weapons, Power Projection, and The Revolution In Military Affairs" (USAF Historical Studies Office). Access date: September 15, 2007.
- ^ Bill Gordon, 2007, "49 Ships Sunk by Kamikaze Aircraft" Access date: September 15, 2007.
- ^ Kamikaze: Japan’s suicide gods, 35
- ^ Kamikaze: Japan’s suicide gods, 40
- ^ http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/619508.html, accessed April 20, 2007
- ^ http://warbirdforum.com/tokko.htm, accessed April 20, 2007
- ^ Axell, 35
- ^ Axell, 36
- ^ Axell, 38, 41, 43
- ^ Axell, 41
- ^ Hobbes, Nicholas (2003). Essential Militaria. Atlantic Books. ISBN 978-1843542292.
- ^ The Hindu : International : A "Japanese hero" goes home
- ^ In a 2001 Japanese movie, Hotaru ("Firefly") directed by Yasuo Furuhata, one character named "Kanayama", is a Korean kamikaze pilot. Yasuo Furuhata (降旗康男 Furuhata Yasuo, born 19 August 1934 in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese Film director Although several characters in Hotaru are based on historical figures, many differences exist between the two. Kanayama is a composite of two actual kamikaze pilots, Second Lieutenant Fumihiro Mitsuyama and Sergeant Saburo Miyakawa (Bill Gordon, 2007, "Hotaru (Firefly)" (Review). Access date: 15 September 2007.
- ^ Akabane and Ishii 2001, 130-9; Asahi Shimbun Seibu Honsha 1990, 15-6
- ^ Jiro Kosaka, 1995, Kyō ware Ikiteari
- ^ New York Times, "THE SATURDAY PROFILE; Shadow Shogun Steps Into Light, to Change Japan. ” Published: February 11, 2006. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C11FB3E5A0C728DDDAB0894DE404482, accessed February 15, 2007
- ^ International Herald Tribune, "Publisher dismayed by Japanese nationalism. ” Published: February 10, 2006. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/10/news/MOGUL.php, accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ Kamikaze: Japan’s suicide gods, 41
- ^ Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney65-66
- ^ Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers, p. 79
- ^ Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers, p. 163
References
- Axell, Albert; Kase, Hideaki (2002). Kamikaze: Japan's Suicide Gods. New York: Longman. ISBN 0-582-77232-X.
- Axell, Albert and Kase, Hideaki. Kamikaze: Japan’s suicide gods. Great Britain: Pearson Education Ltd. , 2002.
- Brown, David. Fighting Elites: Kamikaze. New York: Gallery Books, 1990.
- Hoyt, Edwin P. (1993). The Last Kamikaze. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0-275-94067-5.
- Mahon, John K. The Pacific Historical Review. Vol. 28, No. 2. , May, 1959.
- Millot, Bernard (1971). DIVINE THUNDER: The life and death of the Kamikazes. Macdonald. ISBN 0-356-03856-4.
- Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko. Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2006.
- Sheftall, M. G. (2005). Blossoms in the Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze. NAL Caliber, 480pp. ISBN 0-451-21487-0.
- Ugaki, Matome; Masataka Chihaya (Translator) (1991). was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, most remembered for his role at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Fading Victory: The Diary of Admiral Matome Ugaki, 1941-1945. University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 0-8229-3665-8.
- Warner, Denis & Peggy; Sadao Seno (1984; first published 1982). The Sacred Warriors: Japan’s Suicide Legions. Avon Books (previously Van Nostrand Reinhold), 400pp. ISBN 0-380-67678-8.
- Wilmott, H. P; Robin Cross & Charles Messenger (2004). World War II. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN.
External links
- WW2DB: Kamikaze Doctrine
- Personal website of Mr Nobu
- Kamikaze Images - Explores different Western and Japanese portrayals and perceptions of kamikaze pilots.
- Kamikaze Footage - Kamikaze footage from WWII
- Dayofthekamikaze.com
- An ex-kamikaze pilot creates a new world
- "Gyokusai"
- "Who became Kamikaze Pilots..."
- www.tokkotai.or.jp
- "The kamikaze pilot who chose life before empire"
- www.geocities.jp (Book collection)
- Excerpt from Kamikaze Diaries
- Kaiten Photos of the Kaiten Suicide Submarine at the NJ Naval Museum in Hackensack, NJ
- Okinawa Suicide Boat Photos of the Japanese Suicide Demolition Boat at the Battleship Cove Naval Museum in Fall River, MA
- The End of Kamikaze (Japanese)
- Day of the Kamikaze, Smithsonian Networks
- HNSA Web Page: Demolition Boat
- "Ascent of the Fireflies", TIME about Tome Torihama called "Kamikaze Mom"
- TOEI movie "I will die only for you above all" (Orewa Kimi no tamenikoso Shiniyuku / 俺は、君のためにこそ死ににいく) about Tome Torihama ("Kamikaze Mom"), the Chiran high school girls and young Army kamikaze pilots flying Ki-43 Hayabusa fighters, DVD (2007)
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