Kamikaze Pilots Kamikaze Pilots Suicide warfare in World War 2, and its military and cultural rationale Japan's Kamikaze pilots and their suicide attacks on American warships in the last year of World War 2, remain one of the most terrorizing memories of this war. As I write this essay, three years after terrorist suicide pilots killed thousands in New York and Washington, and as suicide terrorists kill innocent civilians worldwide, it is important to note that history clearly shows, that those who turned to systematic use of suicide warfare, lost their war. In addition to the Japanese Kamikaze pilots air campaign, the essay also explores other suicide weapons and tactics in World War 2, and the military and cultural rationale of suicide warfare, in order to better understand this type of fanatic threat that the free world is facing once again. Kamikaze pilots - Japan's last weapon Kamikaze, which means "Divine Wind" in Japanese, was Japan's last attempt to balance the ever increasing technological and material advantage of the American forces advancing to Japan.

The Kamikaze attack tactic was suggested on October 19, 1944, by vice-Admiral Onishi of the Japanese Navy, when he was assigned to command the air attacks against the huge American invasion fleet off the Philippines, and then realized that he had less than 100 operational aircraft for this task. There was no way to sink or even severely damage the American fleet in any conventional tactic, so the Admiral needed a force multiplier, a way to get a significantly greater striking power from a given force. The solution was obvious. Guided weapons provide dramatically greater accuracy and lethality than unguided weapons, producing much greater damage per weapon unit and per sortie. Such weapons already existed and were operational for over a year then, but not in Japan. The German Air Force successfully used large radio-guided Fritz-X bombs against battleships and cruisers since September 1943, but Japan had no such weapon, and therefore Admiral Onishi suggested that volunteer pilots will guide their bomb-carrying aircraft all the way to an explosive suicide collision with their American warship targets, acting as a living guidance system, literally becoming "smart bombs". The new tactic was adopted immediately.

Large numbers of pilots, initially qualified and experienced pilots and later air cadets with minimal training who were asked to volunteer, were assigned to "Special Attack" air wings, the official name of the Kamikaze units. Their goal and motto was "One man - one ship". To increase the Kamikaze pilots chance of successful penetration of the American Navy's dense perimeter defense of fighters and anti-aircraft ships, and reach the main ships in the center, most desirably the aircraft carriers, the Japanese concentrated most of the Kamikaze pilots attacks during the battle of Okinawa in ten large attack waves of mixed Kamikaze and conventional attack aircraft, in an attempt to saturate the American defenses. These large attack waves, nicknamed Kikosui (floating Chrysanthemum), were also coordinated with the Japanese naval and ground operations of the battle of Okinawa, the war's last great battle. In the first of these Kamikaze attack waves, 355 Kamikaze pilots attacked the American fleet off Okinawa, together with 341 conventional attack aircraft, and in coordination with a naval attack which included the super-battleship Yamato.

The result of this massive air strike was six sunk ships and ten severely damaged. When Japan ran out of ordinary combat aircraft for Kamikaze attacks, slow trainer aircraft were also used. Another aircraft used was the Okha (cherry blossom), Japan's latest new weapon. The Okha was specifically designed as a Kamikaze missile. It was a small rocket-powered aircraft with a large 1200kg warhead in the nose, that was carried by a bomber and dropped 20-30 miles from its target, where its Kamikaze pilot ignited the rockets and streaked to its target. In its final dive, the Okha reached a top speed of 576mph, much faster than any other aircraft, but most Okhas were shot down by American fighters before even being dropped from the carrying bombers. A total of about 5000 Kamikaze pilots were launched, mostly in the Battle of Okinawa, consuming much of the remaining human and material resources of Japanese air power. The result of their effort was 36 sunk American ships and landing craft, and 368 damaged.

The ferocity of watching wave after wave of Kamikaze pilots hurtling down through a dense hail of anti-aircraft fire, and the enormous fiery explosions which followed, terrorized the Americans, but the Kamikaze campaign failed to achieve its strategic goal of stopping the American advance, and American air attacks were launched against the Kamikaze air bases in southern Japan in order to reduce their numbers. Japan lost its last battle despite the enormous sacrifice of its fanatic warriors, and lost the war. Other Kamikaze units and weapons The Japanese desperate hope that suicide warfare is the way to avoid defeat, led the Japanese army and Navy to adopt other suicide warfare tactics and weapons. In military terms, the idea was similar in most cases, to use a human to precisely guide a powerful explosive weapon all the way to the target, in order to achieve a lethal direct hit, and by doing so convert a simple weapon to a guided "smart bomb". The Japanese used the following other suicide weapons and tactics, all with lesser success than Kamikaze aircraft : Explosive speed boats - a Japanese adoption of the original Italian explosive speed boat. While the Italian naval commandos used explosive speed boats equipped with special eject seats, the Japanese used them as a suicide weapon.

Thousands were produced but most were kept for the expected invasion of Japan. They sank eight American ships. This weapon was used several times after World War 2, both with eject seats and and as a suicide weapon. The last recorded use was when on October 12, 2000, Al-Qaeda suicide terrorists used it to attack and severely damage the American destroyer USS Cole in Aden, Yemen. Suicide torpedoes - this weapon actually preceded the Kamikaze aircraft. Called "Kaiten", these were enlarged torpedoes, fitted with a tiny cockpit and periscope for a suicide operator, and with additional fuel and oxygen and an enormous 3400lb (1530kg) warhead, and launched from a specially modified submarine or a ship. Hundreds were produced, but they sank just two American ships. Suicide midget submarines - with a very high loss rate in their original non-suicide use, a suicide model was developed, carrying explosives instead of attached torpedoes. Suicide divers carrying explosives - apparently saw little action and only damaged one American landing craft. Suicide infantrymen carrying anti-tank mines - the Japanese army's suicide weapon. Their goal and motto was "One man - one tank".

In response to the American landing in Okinawa, which was expected to be the last step before an invasion of Japan proper, the desperate Japanese High Command ordered on April 6, 1945, that suicide warfare tactics should be employed by ALL branches and units of the Japanese armed forces. The next day, following this command, the Japanese super-battleship Yamato, the largest battleship ever built and armed with the largest guns ever, was sent to a one-way suicide mission in Okinawa. Its purpose was not just to destroy as many American ships as possible, but to also deliberately run aground in Okinawa so that it would be impossible to sink it, so it will be able to continue to fight until literally destroyed. The plan failed when the mighty Yamato was spotted, and then sank by a massive air attack, before reaching Okinawa. Another suicide tactic used in this spirit was of fighter aircraft ramming American heavy bombers instead of firing at them. Nazi Germany also trained and operated suicide pilots shortly before its defeat. The first German suicide unit, the Leonidas Squadron, was established as a squadron of volunteers within the Luftwaffe's top secret special missions air wing (KG200).

Its weapon was a manned version of the German jet-powered V-1 cruise missile. This unit trained and reached an operational status, but an approval to use it in combat was never given, mostly because of the availability of Germany's other advanced air-to-ground weapons, that made its operation an unnecessary loss of pilots lives. The German arsenal of advanced air-to-ground weapons included radio-guided bombs, radio-guided missiles, and the Mistel, an unmanned medium bomber with a huge warhead in its nose, that was piloted by a pilot seated in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft mounted over the unmanned bomber. After guiding the bomber to its final dive at the target, the pilot detached the fighter and flew back to base, while the unmanned bomber crashed and exploded on the target. In a sharp contrast with minimally trained suicide pilots, these unmanned bombers were successfully flown by very experienced bomber pilots, who indeed achieved a relatively high success rate, sinking ships and destroying strategic bridges. The other German suicide unit, which did see combat action, was the Luftwaffe's fighter wing 300 (JG300), that was ordered, shortly before the end of the war, to use ramming tactic against allied heavy bombers.

This tactic was used just a few times and its success rate was not high. The military and cultural rationale of suicide warfare The military rationale of suicide warfare of all types, both historically and now, is simple. When planning attacks against what is considered high value enemy targets, military planners often lack truly adequate military resources required to achieve success. This lack is normally bridged by resourcefulness and military talent, and by a greater sacrifice of soldiers. But in extreme cases, and if the mission is not cancelled due to extreme lack of resources, extreme measures are required, measures which would not be used if better alternatives were available. This is true both for a military planner who plans to attack a military target, and for a terrorist leader who plans to mass murder civilians. As long as they had relatively significant military forces, even if inadequate, the Japanese did not turn to suicide warfare. Sacrifice yes, but not suicide. They switched to the Kamikaze suicide tactics only when their disadvantage became so severe that even common sacrifice of soldiers was simply not enough, and a radical new weapon (guided missiles) was essential, and in its absence, they used the Kamikaze pilots as a substitute. This military rationale is the same with suicide terrorists.

In Al-Qaeda's first attack of the World Trade Center, the attackers used a time-fuzed car bomb, not suicide drivers. Since that failed to achieve the mission's goal, which later even expanded, and since Al-Qaeda's arsenal does not include any cruise missiles or bomber aircraft, their only way to destroy the World Trade Center and the Pentagon with the resources they had, was to convert large civilian aircraft to huge cruise missiles guided by suicide pilots. The point that such extreme measures are used only when the military planners estimate that this is their only alternative, and not just a waste of highly motivated soldiers, is clearly demonstrated by the selective use of suicide warfare by those who do or did use it. Two examples : Although the Germans trained suicide ground-attack pilots and prepared their weapon for use, and although they did use suicide pilots against heavy bombers, the Germans practically abandoned this weapon in favor of the Mistel, a more promising and indeed successful unmanned alternative. After shocking the free world with a series of suicide attacks worldwide, Al-Qaeda terrorists clearly demonstrated, by a series of non-suicide attacks and mixed attacks, that although they are eager to explode themselves, they do so only when they consider it essential. The other key element of suicide warfare is the cultural rationale.

Suicide warfare is used only by human societies which face an immediate threat that is perceived by them as being so severe that they believe they are facing extinction, whether cultural or physical, or a similar mass destruction. In such a situation, surrender, or even a compromise with the enemy, is simply not an option. And if the military situation is such that suicide warfare is needed, then many soldiers who believe that they or their families are doomed anyway, willingly volunteer for suicide missions. It is not madness, it is a normal and rational behavior in an extreme situation, that was either demonstrated or at least theoretically accepted by ALL human cultures. Remember the actor Bruce Willis as Harry Stamper in the fiction film "Armageddon"? - one man detonating a bomb and himself to save his loved ones and mankind from extinction in the absence of other alternative. It's a perfect example, even if fictional, of an American suicide warrior. The most dangerous and tragic part in this rationale of suicide warfare, is that the threat which push human societies to use suicide warfare is perceived, and perception might be false, and can be influenced.

The Japanese public was brainwashed for years by its fanatic militarist leaders to believe that a defeat, the first ever in Japan's long history of isolation, would result in the extinction of the Japanese people. The very heavy casualties of Japanese pilots against a huge enemy force, that also killed countless numbers of their friends and families back home with a vast fleet of heavy bombers, further convinced numerous Japanese pilots that this threat was real. With such perception of their situation, preferring to die a little earlier as a Kamikaze pilot in order to save many others, was an easy choice for many. The threat doesn't even have to be military. For the fanatically religious Al-Qaeda terrorists and their supporting population, with a culture that is not just violently intolerant but also somewhat xenophobic, as the Japanese were, foreign presence on their land, even of civilians, and the penetration of foreign music, fashion, literature, media, and particularly foreign modern ideas, are all perceived as an intolerable cultural threat and even as a deliberate attack.

So they fight a holy World War against their perceived enemies, and in the absence of their enemies' advanced guided weapons and mighty military power, they do not hesitate at all to use suicide warfare where considered necessary, to mass murder civilians, and to buy flight tickets to their targets as a very convenient substitute to long range weapons. I'll finish this essay by reminding that history shows that all those who systematically and repeatedly used suicide warfare lost their war, and the explanation of that is simple. They used it because they were significantly weaker than their enemies, technologically, economically, and therefore eventually militarily, or otherwise they would not have to fight like that. Related essays: Kamikaze Blog Kamikaze Transcend life and death. 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 the Kamikaze pilot's manual, located in their cockpits. In the year 1281, Japan was under attack by a Mongol invasion  led by the powerful Kublai Khan.

However, just as it appeared that the invading Mongols were about to overwhelm the Japanese, a catastrophic typhoon swept through the land, eliminating the entire Mongol army. From that point on, the typhoon that saved Japan became known as the Kamikaze or Divine Wind. Background After the defeat at the Battle of Midway , and the fall of Saipan in July 1944, the Japanese revived the name Kamikaze and ascribed it to the suicide missions of their air force. Japanese Vice Admiral Takashiro Ohnishi, commander of the First Air Fleet in the Philippines, had noted that the most effective way to inflict damage upon Allied warships was to crash planes into them. He noted that one accidental crash could do more damage than 10 planes firing machine guns. It was decided then that pilots would purposely crash their planes  with half a ton of explosives  into American warships. The Kamikaze pilot Generally, Kamikaze pilots were university students motivated by obligation, and loyalty to family and country. A typical pilot was a science student in his twenties.

He prepared for his fiery destiny by writing farewell letters and poems to loved ones, receiving a "thousand-stitch sash*," and by holding a ceremony  a drink of water that gave him a "spiritual lifting" before wedging himself between 550-pound bombs. It was adamantly believed that, because they were fighting for their Emperor God, the Kamikaze would bring them deliverance at the darkest hour, just as it had in the 13th century. In fact, the call for Kamikaze pilots drew a staggering response. Three times as many applied for suicide flights as the number of planes available. Experienced pilots were turned down. They were needed to train the younger men how to fly to their deaths. The fact that they were to go on suicide missions was accepted without question by the Japanese pilots. All inductees into the Japanese armed forces were indoctrinated with the following five-point oath: A soldier must make loyalty his obligation. A soldier must make propriety his way of life. A soldier must highly esteem military valor. A soldier must have a high regard for righteousness. A soldier must live a simple life.

The Mitsubishi A6M2 Nicknamed the "Zero," the Mitsubishi A6M2 was the Kamikaze pilot's personal "flying coffin." It had a maximum speed of 332 mph and a range of 1,930 miles. The A6M2 was 29 feet nine inches long, with a wingspan of about 39 feet. The aircraft was armed with two machine guns and could carry 264 pounds of bombs; however, the Japanese modified its structure to accommodate a heavier arsenal. The Zero was the main strike aircraft used at Pearl Harbor  dominating the skies during the early stages of World War II . A large number were shot down during the Battle of Midway, and it eventually became outperformed by the latest allied aircraft, such as the P-51 Mustang. First attacks Beginning with the Pearl Harbor Attack, Japanese suicide bombers sporadically crashed their planes into the enemy as a spur-of-the-moment decision. On October 21, 1944, the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, was hit by a Japanese plane carrying a 441-pound bomb, off Leyte Island .

Although the bomb did not explode, the damage was devastating  killing at least 30 crew members. On October 25, the Australia was hit again and was forced to retire to the New Hebrides for repairs. That same day, five Zeros attacked a U.S. escort carrier, the USS St. Lo off the Philippines coast, although only one Kamikaze actually hit the ship. Its bomb caused massive fires that resulted in the ship's bomb magazine exploding, sinking the carrier. Japanese pilots also hit and damaged several other Allied ships. The initial successes of those attacks sparked an immediate expansion of the program. During the next few months, more than 2,000 planes staged such attacks. Those included new types of suicide attacks and explosives, including purpose-built Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka rocket-bombs, small boats packed with explosives, and manned torpedoes (equipped with a 3000-pound warhead) called the Kaiten. Iwo Jima and Okinawa On February 19th, 1945, the USS Enterprise and other carriers took up stations off Iwo Jima , attacking nearby enemy airfields, and providing close air support for the Marines that landed.

By the time the marines unfurled the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima's summit, Kamikaze attacks had sunk the escort flattop Bismarck Sea CVE-95, knocked the USS Saratoga CV 3 out of the war for good, and temporarily halted the Enterprise  all while regularly harassing amphibious forces at the beachhead. The day of April 6th, 1945, proved to be most telling for the use of Kamikazes in the battle for Okinawa . More than 350 aircraft at a time dove at the Allied fleet. Just the anticipation of Kamikaze attacks drove some American sailors literally insane. The destroyer Laffey was attacked by 20 aircraft at once. Her gunners stopped nine Kamikazes, but six others rammed into the ship. As on the similarly damaged USS Franklin, ineffable courage, and intensive training in firefighting, kept the Laffey afloat. On the 7th of April, Kamikazes were still attacking in great numbers off the coast of Okinawa, severely damaging the carrier Hancock.

By April 16th, suicide bombers desperately, but effectively damaged the USS Enterprise yet again, as well as the flattop USS Intrepid, and numerous picket destroyers were sunk or damaged. Admiral Marc A. Mitscher led Task Force 58 from his flagship, the carrier Bunker Hill CV-17. On May 11th, 1945, the flagship was hit by a Kamikaze pilot that killed 350 of his men. The final Japanese defense of Okinawa was hard fought. For the Americans, victory brought a heavy price. The capture of Okinawa cost the Americans 49,000 in casualties, of whom 12,520 died. More than 110,000 Japanese were killed on the island. When it was clear that he had been defeated, General Mitsuru Ushijima committed ritual suicide (hara-kiri). War's end From October 25, 1944, to January 25, 1945, Kamikazes managed to sink two escort carriers and three destroyers.

They also damaged 23 carriers, five battleships, nine cruisers, 23 destroyers and 27 other ships. American casualties amounted to 738 killed and another 1,300 wounded as the result of those attacks. Several thousand Kamikaze planes had been set aside for an invasion of the Japanese mainland that never happened. Kamikaze pilots were one of the reasons President Harry S. Truman decided to drop the atomic bombs . On the eve of the Japanese surrender, Takijiro Onishi ended his own life, leaving a note of apology to his dead pilots  their sacrifice had been in vain. *A cloth belt into which 1,000 women had sewn one stitch as a symbolic union with a Kamikaze pilot. web page template Abstract ï¿½Life is as the weight of a feather compared to oneï¿½s dutyï¿½ Japanese Proverb (Inoguchi 1) This report will discuss several aspects of the Japanese kamikaze pilots of World War II. First, it will define the term ï¿½kamikaze.ï¿½ It will then give a brief historical background on how that term came into existence in the Japanese culture.

Next, it will discuss how and why the kamikaze pilots of World War II were created. Then, it will discuss why these young men chose to volunteer for these suicide missions. Finally, it will discuss the post-war Japanese view of the pilots, and examine how they are viewed in Japan today. Historical Background In the year 1281, Kublai Khan and his Mongol Army attempted to invade the islands of Japan by sea. Victory was at hand for the Mongols when suddenly, and unexpectedly, a great typhoon swept through off the coast of Japan and destroyed the Mongol forces and fleet enroute to Japan. The people of Japan considered this to be a great turn of fortune for them. They believed that this great storm was sent to them as protection from the heavens and is credited with saving the Japanese Empire. It was called the Kamikaze, or Divine Wind (Inoguchi xi). Research Report By the fall of 1944, it had become clear that the Japanese were again losing in a struggle for their empire. This time however, they were losing to the American and Allied forces in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Short on resources as well as victories, the Japanese again turned to this ï¿½divineï¿½ force in the belief that it would again save them from total annihilation by foreign forces. Only this time, instead of it being a ï¿½divine wind,ï¿½ it came in the form of men who were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to help their country. These suicide pilots took on the name ï¿½kamikazeï¿½ and applied it to their airborne missions. In October, 1944, after receiving approval from the Minister of the Japanese Navy, Admiral Takijiro Onishi, established the first Kamikaze group. By organizing this first ï¿½Tokkataiï¿½ (beautiful death) force, as it is known in Japan, Admiral Onishi believed that though the mission might not be tactically effective, it would definitely be a powerful statement that would show the world the true dedication to the Japanese cause of winning the war. Admiral Onishi once said, ï¿½if they (the young pilots) are on land, they would be bombed down, and if they are in the air, they would be shot down.

Thatï¿½s sadï¿½Too sadï¿½To let the young men die beautifully, thatï¿½s what ï¿½Tokkoï¿½ is. To give beautiful death, thatï¿½s called sympathyï¿½ (Sasaki). On October 21, 1944, the first organized suicide attack plan was created (Sasaki). A squadron of 26 fighters called the ï¿½Shinpu Tokubetsu Kogekitaiï¿½ would carry it out from Mabalacat on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines (Sasaki, Inoguchi 3). Shinpu is another way of reading the word Kamikaze and Tokubetsu Kogekitai was the general name for the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy (Inoguchi 12, Sasaki). In the plan, the pilots would fly Japanese planes called Zeroes, each fitted with a 550-pound bomb, and intentionally crash into their specified military target.

It was the belief that a purposeful and planned crash would ï¿½inflict more damage on the target than the fire of 10 machine gunsï¿½ (Information on the Kamikaze). Naoshi Kanno, a graduate of the Naval Academy, was originally chosen to lead this mission. However, due to the fact that he was away on the mainland of Japan at the time on a different mission, Captain Yukio Seki was chosen to take his place. Of the 26 planes in this original Kamikaze outfit, 13 of these planes were used as an escort and the other 13 were divided into four attack groups. These groups were given names from a nationalistic waka (poem) by Norinaga Motoori of the Tokagowa Period. He wrote, ï¿½Shikishima no Yamato-gokoro wo hito towaba Asahi ni niou Yamazakura-bana,ï¿½ (The Japanese spirit is like mountain cherry blossoms, radiant in the morning sun.) (Divine Wind 21).

Each of the groups was given part of the poem as a name: Shikishima (a poetic name for Japan), Yamato (the ancient name for Japan), Asahi (morning sun), and Yamazakura (mountain cherry blossoms) (Inoguchi 13, Sasaki). On October 25, 1944, during the battle of Samos, the first ever Kamikaze attack was carried out in which the 26 suicide pilots attacked the Saint Lo, an American aircraft carrier and sank it (Millot 51-52). As a result of early success, the Japanese extended their use of Kamikaze fighters. In April, 1945 alone, it is estimated that these Kamikaze pilots, under the command of Admiral Soema Toyoda launched over 1,400 missions and sunk 26 enemy ships during Operation Ten-Go. Another 2,000 missions were launched against American fleets at Okinawa between April and July, 1945. However, the damage became more and more minimal for over time, the U.S. Navy began to learn how to deal with and prevent these attacks (E-teach).

The reasons for one becoming a Kamikaze pilot stem from the Japanese heritage. From the time that they were young, Japanese children were taught (some call it brainwashed) to accept the fact that their lives belonged to the Emperor. As a result, in the public schools of Japan, children were taught that ï¿½dying for the Emperor was the right thing to do and that, those who do, will be worshippedï¿½ after death at the ï¿½Yakusuni Shrineï¿½ (Moston). This lead to the Japanese motto of ï¿½jusshi reisho,ï¿½ (sacrifice life) being taught around Japan (Moston). This, along with the fact that the Japanese military heavily censored military information about defeats, led to the belief that if one were to become a kamikaze pilot, he would be sacrificing his life for Japanï¿½s ultimate victory (Moston). The Bushido Code of the Samurai also played into the ideals of the kamikaze. Warriors in Japan, since the time of the Samurai, viewed death as merely a part of life.

They, like the Kamikaze, conditioned themselves to accept death, not fear it (Moston). Much like their Samurai predecessors, the Kamikaze resigned themselves to death, and were calm in the face of it. They, like the Samurai wore a Hachimaki, the Samurai headband made of a folded piece of white cloth. This seemingly insignificant garment meant much to both the Samurai and the Kamikaze pilots for it symbolized courage and calm ï¿½in pre-battle composureï¿½ (Inoguchi 12.1, Kamikaze Pilots). The fact that the Kamikaze pilots would volunteer for such missions showed that they would rather die than be defeated. In dying, they, like the Samurai, would bring honor to themselves, to their family, and to their country. I n order to be chosen for such an ï¿½honor,ï¿½ a pilot had to first fill out an application. Pilots chosen were usually uneducated men and were the second or third sons of a family. It was the belief that the educated men were needed to win the war and could not be sacrificed.

Also, the first born son was rarely chosen because they were to inherit the family business and thus could not be sacrificed. Once chosen, the Kamikaze pilots were made to accept a 5 point oath: 1) A soldier must make loyalty his obligation, 2) A soldier must make propriety his way of life, 3) A soldier must highly esteem military valor, 4) A soldier must have a high regard for righteousness, and 5) A soldier must live a simple life (Information on the Kamikaze). Prior to taking off, each pilot would write a farewell letter to his family. It would be sent after there was confirmation of his death (Millot 68). One letter that a pilot wrote to his family stated, "Please congratulate me! I have been given a splendid opportunity to die. This is my last day. The destiny of our homeland hinges on the decisive battle in the seas in the south where I shall fall like a blossom from a radiant cherry tree. We are 16 warriors manning the bombers.

May our deaths be as sudden and clean as the shattering of crystal!" (Kamikaze Pilots) Many letters like this one were sent, along with hair or fingernail clippings, by pilots to their relatives. Letters like this demonstrate how deeply these pilots believed in their cause, and why it was such an honor for them to be able to sacrifice themselves to help further it. These pilots felt that they were doing the right thing. ï¿½To refuse such and honorï¿½ would go against everything in their culture at the time (Moston). Even with the knowledge that they would not ever return from their mission, an astounding number of young men volunteered. In fact, three times as many men applied for the missions, as there were planes (Information on the Kamikaze). Most often, the more experienced pilots were turned down due to the plain fact that their skill and knowledge would be needed for both air-combat and to train younger, less experienced pilots to ï¿½fly to their deathsï¿½ (Information on the Kamikaze).

As a result, most of the kamikaze pilots were young men, barely out of their teens, most of who saw this opportunity as a chance to prove that they were ï¿½real menï¿½ (Information on the Kamikaze). The youngest of these pilots was barely 17 years old, and most were in their late teens and early twenties (Sasaki). As the battles worsened, the average age of these pilots got younger and younger (Sasaki). Historical Significance While most of these young men died for the love of their country, by the end of the war, their fellow countrymen began to view them quite differently. Soon after the war, much of Japanese society saw these pilots as an ï¿½embarrassmentï¿½as symbols of the horror and insanity of the warï¿½ (Cullen). In the eyes of the rest of the world, they were seen as ï¿½crazy fanatics who died shouting banzai (literally meaning ï¿½10,000 years- that the emperor may live for 10,000 yearsï¿½)ï¿½ (Cullen, Millot 11).

The term ï¿½kamikazeï¿½ became derogatory in nature and this former source of national pride became public scorn (Lamont-Brown 173). Even former members of the Kamikaze Corps ï¿½openly criticized the strategyï¿½ (Lamont-Brown 173). At the time, Japan was humiliated by the defeat they suffered at the hands of the Allied Forces. In their rush to bury the past, they also buried the memories of these brave young men ï¿½whose chillingly simplistic mission was to fly into American battleshipsï¿½ (Cullen). Over time however, this has changed. More and more respect has been paid to these fallen soldiers through television, movies, plays, and books. In 2001, nearly 57 years after the war, Japan showed that it now ï¿½embraced its kamikaze pastï¿½ (Cullen). Nearly a million people visited Chiran (one of the biggest kamikaze bases) in order to pay respect and honor the memories of the pilots.

In 1955, a local, whose mother-in-law live on Chiran and cared for most of the pilots as a surrogate mother in their last days, collected donations and erected a statue of the goddess of mercy in their honor. In 1975, a museum was built in memory of the pilots. Soon after, 1,036 stone lanterns were donated: one for each pilot who sacrificed his life for the love of his country (Cullen). Ultimately, the sacrifices of the Kamikaze were made in vain. Though they sunk 40 U.S. ships in the Pacific and another 16 in the Philippines, they were unsuccessful in halting the progress of the Allied forces. The confidence of the Kamikaze, along with the rest of the nation was completely shattered when the Emperor announced surrender. Unlike in the 13th century, the heavenly deliverance had not come this time, their ï¿½divine windï¿½ had failed to deliver them to victory. Yet, the devotion of the Japanese people to the ideal of their country lives on even in present day.

This devotion has allowed Japan to ï¿½rise from the ashes of defeat to become a major player in the post war worldï¿½ (Information on the Kamikaze). The History of Crystal Methamphetamine - Drug-Free World HISTORY OF METHAMPHETAMINE Kamikaze pilots were given methamphetamine before their suicide missions. Methamphetamine is not a new drug, although it has become more powerful in recent years as techniques for its manufacture have evolved. Amphetamine was first made in 1887 in Germany and methamphetamine, more potent and easy to make, was developed in Japan in 1919. The crystalline powder was soluble in water, making it a perfect candidate for injection. Methamphetamine went into wide use during World War II, when both sides used it to keep troops awake. High doses were given to Japanese Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. And after the war, methamphetamine abuse by injection reached epidemic proportions when supplies stored for military use became available to the Japanese public. In the 1950s, methamphetamine was prescribed as a diet aid and to fight depression.

Easily available, it was used as a nonmedical stimulant by college students, truck drivers and athletes and abuse of the drug spread. This pattern changed markedly in the 1960s with the increased availability of injectable methamphetamine, worsening the abuse. Then, in 1970, the US government made it illegal for most uses. After that, American motorcycle gangs controlled most of the production and distribution of the drug. Most users at the time lived in rural communities and could not afford the more expensive cocaine. In the 1990s, Mexican drug trafficking organizations set up large laboratories in California. While these massive labs are able to generate fifty pounds of the substance in a single weekend, smaller private labs have sprung up in kitchens and apartments, earning the drug one of its names, “stove top.” From there it spread across the United States and into Europe, through the Czech Republic. Today, most of the drug available in Asia is produced in Thailand, Myanmar and China. Kamikaze - Suicide Pilots of World War II Kamikaze - Suicide Pilots of World War II Kamikaze were Japanese suicide pilots who attacked Allied warships in the Pacific Ocean during the Second World War .

The name means "divine wind" and refers to a typhoon that destroyed an enemy fleet in the 13th century. After the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 they were defeated in many important battles in which they lost ships and airplanes. During 1943 and 1944 Allied forces were moving towards Japan quickly. They pushed the Japanese back to the Philippines, a group of islands that were very important for them. They were located between the oil fields of Southeast Asia and Japan. During this phase of the war the Japanese were not able to build as many ships and warplanes as they were losing in the battles. They did not have the industries that the Americans did. The Japanese admirals realized that it was almost impossible to win against the Allied troops with few aircraft and not enough good pilots. American Ship Hit by Kamikaze For this reason the Japanese emperor decided to form a special attack unit. 24 pilots volunteered for the mission. It was their task to crash into Allied ships and kill as many sailors as possible. The first kamikaze attack took place in October 1944. A Japanese plane flew straight into an Australian navy ship, killing 30 sailors.

The kamikaze attacks were successful at first. Many pilots were trained to become kamikaze. The Japanese built cheap planes with older engines for these missions. Pilots usually dropped their landing gear after takeoff so that it could be used by other planes. The Allied troops were afraid of these kamikaze attacks because they could not defend themselves against them. By the end of the war over 2500 Japanese pilots had sacrificed their lives. About 5000 American and Allied sailors were killed in the attacks. What did kamikaze pilots believe? Many kamikaze pilots were very young, mostly between 18 and 24. They believed that dying for Japan and their emperor was very honorable. They saw themselves much like the samurai of the Middle Ages , brave Japanese warriors. But not all pilots volunteered out of love for their homeland. Pilots who didn't volunteer were seen as cowards. Some professional pilots did it because they were forced to. Before the pilots went on their missions a special ceremony usually took place. They received a headband with a rising sun made by a thousand women.

According to some stories pilots flew around a holy mountain and dropped some flowers before they flew on their last mission, certain that they would never come back again. Japanese High School Girls Wave to Kamikaze Pilots according to = as said by ...

admiral = a high officer of the navy Allied = the USA, Great Britain , France , the Soviet Union and other countries that fought against Germany and Japan during the Second World War battle = a fight between armies in a war brave = fearless, not afraid coward = someone who is not brave defeat = to win against destroy = to damage something very badly so that you cannot use it again divine = godly, from god emperor = a man who is the ruler of a group of countries fleet = a group of ships that belong to the same country forces = armies headband = a band that you wear around your head honorable = good, respectable impossible = something that you cannot do landing gear = the wheels of an airplane located = to be found refer to = to speak about something as sacrifice = give up sailor = soldier on a ship samurai = a member of a powerful military class in Japan in the past centuries suicide = to kill yourself typhoon = a very strong tropical storm, usually in the Pacific Ocean unit = division Japanese Suicide Attacks World War II in the Pacific Japanese Suicide Attacks at Sea.

It is not uncommon in warfare for a wounded soldier to "Take one with him." The most dramatic is that of a pilot on either side with a damaged plane, with no hope of getting home, to ram the enemy, either in the air, on the ground, or at sea. 19 June44. Japanese carrier-based aircraft attack Fifth Fleet covering Saipan operation ; battleship Indiana (BB-58) is damaged by a suicide pilot. 14 October44. Japanese aerial counterattacks continue on TF 38, inflicting damage on light cruiser Reno (CL-96) by a suicide plane. Late in the war, the Japanese established a policy of intentional suicide, called "special attack". From 23 October 1944, the policy of suicide attack inflicted much damage on the U.S. fleet. Kamikaze -- Japanese Navy suicide plane. The Army also used suicide planes. 21 Oct44 Two planes with volunteers flew from the Philippines to attack U.S. carriers and crashed HMAS Australia. 25-26 Oct44.

Off Leyte, 55 Kamikaze pilots, in the first planned mass suicide attacks of the war, coordinated with the IJN attack in Leyte Gulf, hit the escort carriers and sank St. Lo (CVE-63) and damaged the large escort carriers Sangamon (CVE-26), Suwannee (CVE-27), Santee (CVE-29), and small escort carriers White Plains, Kalinin Bay, and Kitkun Bay. In all, 7 carriers were hit and 40 other types damaged; five ships were sunk, 23 heavily damaged, and 12 moderate damage. 25Mar45-21Jun45. Off Okinawa -- Ten "Kikusui", swarms of Kamikaze, up to 350 attackers at a time, 1,900 in total, damaged 250 ships with 34 destroyers and smaller ships sunk. Several ships were damaged so badly they were not repaired. One in seven of all naval causalities occurred off Okinawa.

3,500 naval planes and an additional 1,500 army planes are hidden on Kyushu for the "final battle" and just as many for orthodox use ; once suicide planes were used up, the orthodox pilots would become Kamikazes. This is a number sufficient to sink or damage 1,000 ships of an invading fleet. Mitsubishi J8M/Ki-200 Shusui -- rocket powered interceptor. Japanese copy of German Me163 rocket powered interceptor fighter specially designed for use against B-29. The prototype flew on 7July45. The War ended before production. Nakajima Ki-115. -- Specially built, basic aircraft that could carry a bomb for kamikaze attacks. Hundred and four were build before the war ended, but had not yet reached combat units. Training planes were typically used by inexperienced pilots as kamikazes. Shinten Special Unit 47th Air Regiment -- to defend the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The unit was equipped with Nakajima Ki-44-II Shoki ("Tojo") fighters (Army equivalent of Zero), with which they were to ram B-29s in their attacks on Japan.

Reppu. -- Specially designed kamikaze for use against B-29 ; the war ended before production. Mitsubishi A7M Reppu (Sam) was planned replacement for A6M Zero fighter. Six built. Comparable to Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. Yokosuka Ohka. -- A piloted glide bomb, called "BAKA" (idiot) by the allies. The Baka piloted glide bomb was carried to within 12 miles of the target by a medium bomber. It would glide towards the target then activate rockets (model 11) or jet engine (model 22) to dive into the target and explode its one ton warhead. The Baka was difficult to stop, but its mother plane was extremely vulnerable. 21Mar45. Japanese make first known operational use of Baka piloted bombs in unsuccessful air attack against TF-58. 12Apr45. Off Okinawa, destroyer Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) is sunk by Baka -- she is the first U.S. Navy ship to be sunk by that type of weapon.

Destroyer Stanly (DD-478) is damaged by Baka. High speed minesweeper Jeffers (DMS-27) is damaged by Baka and kamikaze. 4 May45. Light minelayer Shea (DM-30) is damaged by a Baka. Minesweeper Gayety (AM-239) is damaged by near-misses of kamikaze and Baka. 10May45 -- In a crash program to counter the Japanese Baka (suicide) bomb, the Navy authorized development of Little Joe, a ship-to-air guided missile powered with a standard JATO unit. 11May45. Destroyer Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) is damaged by Baka. Ki-167 or Hiryu To-Go -- Bomber with 3 ton thermite bomb. A Ki-67 Kai (Peggy) twin-engine bomber with guns removed and faired over, with crew reduced to four men, a 6,400 pound thermite bomb was installed with a blast radius of 1 km.

Two are known to have been built, one sorted 17Apr45 for the USN fleet and disappeared, likely shot down by a Hellcat. Shinyo and Maru-ni -- Motorboat with explosives in the bow. Great numbers -- 6,200 Navy (Shinyo) and 3,000 Army (Maru-ni) -- were built and stored in caves for the invasion. 400 were at Okinawa and Formosa ; thousands waited in the coves of Japan proper. The speedboat had one man and, typically, two depth charges as explosives. See stories . A slightly larger 2-man speedboat was also available. 10Jan45. Six ships damaged and two gunboats sunk by Japanese suicide boats in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines. War Hawk (AP-161) 81 killed.. 31Jan45. PC-1129 sunk by Japanese suicide boat off Nasugbu, Luzon, Philippine Islands. 16Feb45. LCS(L)-7, LCS(L)-26, and LCS(L)-49 sunk by suicide boats off Mariveles, Corregidor Channel, Luzon.

4 April 45. USS LCI(G)-82 and LSM-12 sunk by Japanese suicide boats off Okinawa. 27April 45. USS Hutchins (DD-476) seriously damaged by a Japanese suicide boat in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, and not repaired after the end of the war. Hundreds, if not thousands, planned for defense of home islands. Fukuryu -- Human mine - Swimmers carry an explosive charge beneath a ship or landing craft. Water's Edge Surprise Attack Force 08 Jan45. Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-404 is damaged by suicide swimmers, Yoo Passage, Palaus. 10Feb45. Japanese suicide swimmers attempt attack upon surveying ship Hydrographer (AGS-2) in Schonian Harbor, Palaus. Nikaku -- Human anti-tank mine - Soldiers with explosives strapped to their bodies. The army had developed the technique in Philippines and on Okinawa to attack tanks by strapping explosive on a soldier who would crawl between the treads. Others were a shaped-charge on a spike and a simple hand granade.

Motto : "One man - one tank". Miniature Submarines Kaiten -- Submarine launched, human guided torpedo. 48 feet, 3 feet diameter, 8.3 tons, 3,400 pound TNT warhead. 20Nov'44 Mississinewa (AO-59) destroyed at Ulithi Anchorage by Kiaten launched from I-47. Tanker-burns. DDs drops ash-cans" video - 2 minute The first trial run was the most successful of the Kiaten program. Three subs left the Inland Sea Nov 8th each carrying four kaiten. I-37 was sunk at Kossol Roads, Palau by two DE's . I-36 could not launch her's. I-47 launched all four towards Ulithi lagoon anchorage containing 200 U.S. ships. Mississinewa made three explosions : the initial hit, the avgas tank, the magazine, which were reported by the mother sub as three aircraft carriers destroyed. The Kiaten program went into full production. 11Jan45.

Begin Operation KONGO, employing suicide torpedoes [Kaitens]. I-36 launches Kaitens that damage ammunition ship Mazama (AE-9) and infantry landing craft LCI-600 at Ulithi. 12Jan45. Operation KONGO continues; submarine I-47 launches Kaitens that damage U.S. freighter Pontus H. Ross off Hollandia, New Guinea. Other Kaiten attacks are not successful -- I-53 at Kossol Roads, Palau; I-56 at Manus, in the Admiralties; and by I-58 at Apra Harbor, Guam. 20Jan45. Operation KONGO concludes with Japanese submarine I-48 carrying out unsuccessful Kaiten attack on U.S. shipping at Ulithi. I-48 is sunk by destroyer escorts 23Jan45. 28Mar45. Japanese submarine I-47 (equipped with Kaitens) is damaged by 5th Fleet surface ships/craft off Okinawa and forced to return to Kure for repairs. From 26Apr45 to 10Aug45, ten ships were reported sunk.

Other Kaiten contacts include: 6 May45. Submarine I-366, en route to take delivery of Kaitens, is damaged by mine off Hikari. 27May45. Destroyer escort Gilligan (DE-508) is damaged by dud torpedo Kaiten launched from Japanese submarine I-367. 28June45. Japanese submarine I-136 carries out unsuccessful Kaiten attack on stores ship Antares (AKS-3) southeast of the Marianas ; destroyer Sproston (DD-577) comes to Antares's aid, sinking one Kaiten and damaging I-136. 24July45. Destroyer escort Underhill (DE-682), destroyed while intercepting 4 Kaitens from Japanese submarine I-53 off Luzon. 05 Aug45. Destroyer escort Earl V. Johnson (DE-702) is damaged by explosion of a near-miss of Kaiten fired by submarine I-53 in Philippine Sea. 09 Aug45.

Destroyer escort Johnnie Hutchins (DE-360) on the convoy route between Leyte and Okinawa, sinks what may have been Kaitens launched by I-58. 12Aug45. Japanese submarine I-58 conducts unsuccessful Kaiten attack on dock landing ship Oak Hill (LSD-7) while she is en route from Okinawa to Leyte Gulf. A shore based Kaiten station was established in preparation for the invasion on the SE tip of Kyushu, on Hachijojima Island, and others were being prepared on Shikoku and Honshu. About 1,000 available at war end. Kairyu -- Small, 2-man, midget submarines. 20 ton. Although not intended only as a suicide weapon, survival rates were not high. Recall that all five in the "Special Attack Unit" used in the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor were destroyed. Midgets also attacked in Sydney (all four lost) and Madagascar in June'42.

300 new submarines were built that could be equipped with either two torpedoes OR a special 1,000 pound warhead in the bow for crashing into ships as the kaiten did. Koryu -- Medium Midget Submarines. 60 ton. Five hundred 5-man, two torpedo submarines were being built for coastal defense with 115 completed at the time of surrender. Civilian Resistance Training. Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps. Schools were suspended. Teenaged boys and girls were taught how to use grenades and spears. Civilians, including women armed with spears, made attacks on Okinawa, 21April, and Ie Shima. 23April. Unable to provide uniforms, they were equipped with a patch. One million people on Kyushu were eligible. Chance of their survival improved after Hiroshima. Return to: WW2 Menu About this page: Suicide - A full range of suicide "special attack" weapons were used towards the end of the War.

Last updated on January 23, 2009 -- add photos April 15, 2004 -- Separate Kairyu and Koryu Contact us at Is there any truth that the Japanese Kamikaze pilots had a stimulant or other drug put in their last ceremonial saki drink to help them perform and die without realization of what was truly happening? ? ? ? Dear Whomever, Although the Japanese first developed methamphetamine (generically called hiropon and sold legally until 1951), here is no evidence that the Japanese navy or army made a practice of administering it to “Special Attack” pilots, who, whether as volunteers or acting under orders, were motivated sufficiently by peer pressure regarding “honor” and the devastation of their home cities, evident all around them, to defend their homeland by any means possible. There were some instances of hiropon being tried out on night fighter pilots to enhance their alertness and vision—which makes a lot more sense than using it on suicide pilots—but it was soon discontinued due to concerns over the side effects.

(Editor’s note: To learn more about why Japanese pilots volunteered for these suicide missions, read “ A Kamikaze Who Lived to Tell the Tale ,” originally published in World War II magazine.) Sincerely,

Question: What name was given to Japanese suicide pilots?
Answer: Kamikaze