page_title: List of Allied vessels struck by Japanese special attack weapons
section_title: Toka
hierarchical_section_title: List of Allied vessels struck by Japanese special attack weapons / Kamikaze aircraft / Toka
caption_attribution_description: English: Mitsubishi J8M Shusui Sword Stroke Komet J8M-10
context_page_description: There were more than 400 Allied vessels struck by Japanese special attack weapons in the last twelve months of World War II, including some vessels that were struck as many as six times in one attack. The one special weapon that is most often associated with World War II is the Japanese kamikaze aircraft. Kamikaze was used to describe the way the Japanese believed they would be victorious by destroying the Allied fleet by crashing aircraft into their ships. The word kamikaze originated as the name of major typhoons in 1274 and 1281, which dispersed Mongolian invasion fleets under Kublai Khan. The Allies referred to these special weapons as "suicide" attacks, and found it difficult to understand why an individual would intentionally crash an airplane into a ship, as the two cultures clashed in battle. Both Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army had Special Attack Units organized specifically for this mission. Aircraft were not the only special attack weapons. Attack boats, suicide divers, and several types of submarines were also used to destroy ships and landing craft as the Allied forces advanced toward Japan.
context_section_description: The Toka (藤花, "Wisteria Blossom") was the IJN version of the Nakajima Ki-115 Ko. Showa was to build the Toka for the IJN.
caption: J8M Shusui "Sword Stroke"
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