Kamikaze pilots

[solypsist]

So....the Divine Wind....

[Anssi Hakkinen]

"In blossom today, then scattered:
Life is so like a delicate flower.
How can one expect the fragrance
To last for ever?"
--Admiral Onishi Takijiro, founder of the Kamikaze Squadrons

Here's an essay: http://www.tcr.org/kamikaze.html

Seven lives in service to the Emperor.

[Brown Wolf]

If I remeber correctly, the admiral who started the kamakazie later regretted it!

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"Failure is not an option"

[Takeda Shingen]

From what i know Admiral Onishi flew the last Kamikaze mission and was never seen again.So Onishi became the last Kamikaze to the best of my knowledge.

Michael

[NinjaKilla]

I watched a documentary that came out with some stats about kamikazee pilots. The damage they inflicted when u consider that most of their planes were scrap is amazing.

Does anyone have any figures?

[FwSeal]

Well, in the course of the Okinawa Campaign alone, the US Navy suffered the loss of 5,000 men killed and 38 ships sunk (though no carriers or battleships) to kamikaze attacks. About 1,000 kamikaze aircraft were thrown at the American fleet in the effort.

[Ratta Yamamoto]

http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/eek.gif THAT FIGURE IS MASSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/eek.gif

Ratta Yamamoto (Daimyo of Ratta Clan) www.rattaclan.homestead.com (http://www.rattaclan.homestead.com)

[This message has been edited by Ratta Yamamoto (edited 06-18-2001).]

[BlackWatch McKenna]

As part of my curriculum, I took Japanese History. Matsumoto Sensei told the following story to us in class one day about the the Kami Kaze (we were masters at getting him off-topic ...):

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At the end of the war, his uncle, unfortunately, was recruited to fly one of these one-way missions. They loaded him into the plane and he took off from the little out-of-the-way airstip.

The pilot was not necessarily enthusiastic about his mission and as he cleared the small hill and trees at the end of the runway, and just as he was over the water, he opened the cock-pit and jumped into the sea (remember: no parachute or landing gear was issued to these guys...).

He spent the last month of the war hiding in a forest. No one really thought the lesser of him for his actions.
---

Well - that is how the story was told to me. I thought it was kind of wild at the time. But, I had many a class with Matsumoto Sensei and have no reason to disbelieve him.

[Ratta Yamamoto]

Wow!!!! How did he manage to stay alive for a month?

[BlackWatch McKenna]

That's exactly what I asked sensei at the time.

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Matsumoto Sensei said that the airstrip was way out in the boon docks (but not too far from his uncle's village). The consensus around the village was that they were not to excited about having friends and family sent off on these missions (especially since the war was winding down).

So, when it ended up that Uncle was not "dead", he was able to get a little support from his relations in the way of food and water. The feeling was that anyone who knew about it just looked the other way until the war was officially over.
---

Most kids in our college class were not to interested in history - but i loved the stuff and asked Matsumoto question after question http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

The hardest part was learning the History of Japan when the lessons were taught in Japanese and the material was handed out in Kanji and Hiragana. Fascinating class, but i cant help but wonder what i missed due to the language barrier.



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// Black
// "Did we win?"

[NinjaKilla]

Yeah I love all that stuff too!

Problem is they're always better when you hear them told first hand. My nan tells me stories about my grandfather's experiences in the war - they're well funny! (You gotta laugh at some of it - although I guess people round here think my sense of humour is a bit wharped!)

One story she told me was when my grandfather's plane got shot up over the channel. He opened the cockpit to eject, got out onto the wing before looking down at the water. Bollox he said to himself, I'm not jumping into that! He got back into the Hurricane and flew it to the nearest airfield. He got shot down 7 times!

He also said he was flying down the Thames early one morning and two other planes appeared infront of him. Because they had British insignia, he waved at them and they waved back. A couple of minutes later he said he was attacked by the same two planes - they were Jarmans in captured aircraft!

[solypsist]

I remember an especially vivid scene in the movie Empire of the Sun where Japanese teen boy is being aiught how to fly by the pilots of the camp; in the end he is recruited to fly as a Kami Kaze even though he had never actually been in a cockpit. The look of joy on his face at finally being able to fly a real plane is juxtaposed with the sorrow we the audience feel since we know what his intended fate will be. I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, so I won't go any further.

[Ryuzoji Shingen]

This will be a basic history lesson of the Kamikaze.

The kamikazes were born during the operation of Sho Ichi Go... the defense of Formosa. The Japanese believed that at the end of 1944, the American target would be Formosa because of a massive carrier strike by Admiral Halsey there. The loss of Japanese planes was massive, and the Japanese were no longer able to maintain true flight operations. So when the big strike came on the Phillipines, the Japanese aircraft were ineffective. So the local general of the Japanese air force took what planes he had left and organized them into 3 squadrons. Many of the aircraft of these first kamikazes were ineffective, but they managed to inflict a severe blow when they hit an American escort carrier off Luzon.

Now people of the modern era believe that Kamikazes were somewhat insane, yet the first recorded account of a kamikaze was AMERICAN! Lt. Henderson flew his damaged plane into the Japanese cruiser Mikumo during Midway, sinking her. And guess what, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

After Okinawa, Japanese kamikazes became inactive as they were stockpiled up in Japan. All pilot were taught the art of flying their plane into a ship, and soon Japan had 2,000 kamikazes and 5,000 army suicide planes (Kamikaze refers only to naval aircraft. Army aircraft had a different name, but I can't remember it.) In addition to the aircraft, the Japanese had 850 suicide subs and 1,500 suicide boats stored to repel Operation Olympic (Invasion of Japan) If the US had actually invade Japan, an estimated 500,000 men and some 2,000 ships would have never seen land.

The largest kamikaze on record was the battleship IJN Yamato, the largest battleship EVER built. She attacked the American and British fleet at Okinawa, but was destroyed by her own crew after sustaining 15 torpedoes and over 20 bombs.

The actual reason for the kamikaze was simple. The Japanese realized they had lost the war, and decided to take as many Americans as possible. You may recall the fact that during Sengoku and Edo, beseiged defenders, when realizing their loss, would fling themselves at the besiegers as a last ditch effort. If they died, it was with honor on the battefield, and if they won, they did so with honor. One may relate the two as one seems fit.

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For the Samurai to Learn
There is only one thing
One last thing-
To face death unflinchingly

Tsukahara Bokuden

[Shuko]

I have a black & white photo of a kamikaze pilot who flew a mission and lived !!!! He was thrown clear of the plane and ship before the explosion and was rescued from the ocean by the crew of the ship he had crashed into. This really happened.

He is a mild looking old man but you have to wonder about fate after seeing him. Wonder how he really felt after such an experience.

[Toranaga sama]

the actual reason for Kamikaze is the divine wind that repelled 3 mongol invasions. In this the myth that Japan is the island of gods was cemented in their brains, and would use this when threatened in their next invasion by the americans. But, the other explanation has it's truths too.

[Ryuzoji Shingen]

The only true relation between the famous Mongol Invasion and the kamikaze attacks were that it was as if it were a wind. The "divine wind" was a freak storm that destroyed the Mongols ships attempting to cross the Tsushima Strait. They were named the kamikaze merely in relation... saying that the would "blow like the wind". Again I relate the Death of Samurai and the Kamikazes. The Mongol Invasio would have definitely succeeded if they had managed to cross. The Japanese knew this. The Americans would defnitely have succeeded had they invaded Japan. The Japanese knew this. What more is to say????

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For the Samurai to Learn
There is only one thing
One last thing-
To face death unflinchingly

Tsukahara Bokuden

[Toranaga sama]

thnks for clearing that up... I guess I wasn't clear.

my bad

[Hawkeye]

There is a new book, just translated into English, called Samurai. It is written by a Japanese ace who fought for 13 years from China to the Philipines. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it had recieved very good reviews. Furthurmore, it does not glorify the war... at least according to the reviewer.

Japan, a country of extremes.

[Yoshikazu Hojo]

MMMMmmmmm.....

Don`t know about that one Ryuzoji...as for the....[The actual reason for the kamikaze was simple. The Japanese realized they had lost the war, and decided to take as many Americans as possible.]

While yes many Japanese might have realised that they had lost the war the reason for Kamakaze was not in my veiw to take out as many Americans as possible.

My reasoning is that at that time the emperor was the most important figure head in Japan. People believed that he was the divine ruler, the centeral power behind Japan`s existance that extended back to the every begining of time. Without the imperial ruller there is no Japan, was the general thinking of the population.

The Kamikaza came about not to take out as many Americans as possible, instead Kamikaze were formed to defend the nation of Japan and the emperor form invading forces with the ultimate sacrifice....of one`s life.

[FwSeal]

If you mean Saburo Sakai's 'Samurai!', Hawkeye, that one has been around for some time in various editions - and as far as I'm concerned is one of the best memoirs to come out of World War II. If that isn't the same one, um,well... I'd recommend 'Samurai!' as well http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Hawkeye]

FwSeal:

Yeah that is that same one. I thought that if it was reviewed it must have been new... preconceptions are a bitch http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Japan, a country of extremes.

[Kwambatake Sanjuro]

I agree with Fw Seal, that book is really good, I appreciate, the making of those "Aces" When I read the book the first time... I did wonder what would have happen if Japan had more jet reaction fighter, I don't quite remember the name of this fighter, but I do remember that it was use in the last mission... after the war was over... if my memory is good they only build 8 plane... and they were use by the best fighter pilot ( over 80 kills each I think ) I guess I should read it again

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In War there is no greater honnor... other than victory

[Minagawa Daimon]

i agree, the kamikaze wasnt about taking out as many enemies as one can, it is more spiritual in nature, it is by showing that one is willing to pay the ultimate price to lay down ones life in a lost cause to show his sincerity in defending ones beliefs.*whew heavy stuff*