Kamikaze pilots were a devastating force during World War II, flying their planes directly into enemy ships in suicide attacks. These pilots were highly trained and motivated, willing to give their lives for their country and their cause.
The Kamikaze tactic was first used by the Japanese in an attempt to stop the American advance on the Philippines. The first successful Kamikaze attack was on October 25, 1944, when a plane flown by Lieutenant Commander Takeshi Maeda crashed into the USS Essex, sinking the ship.
The Kamikaze tactic proved to be very effective, causing heavy losses among Allied naval vessels. In fact, more than 3,000 Allied ships were sunk or damaged by Kamikaze attacks.
Despite their effectiveness, the Kamikaze pilots were often seen as a last resort by the Japanese military. With the war turning against them, the Japanese resorted to using these pilots in order to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy.
The Kamikaze tactic was finally abandoned at the end of World War II, when it became clear that Japan was losing the war. The Kamikaze pilots had inflicted heavy damage on the Allied forces, but at a high cost to themselves. In total, more than 10,000 Kamikaze pilots died in their missions.
During World War II in the Pacific, there were Japanese Imperial Army and Navy pilots who made suicide attacks by driving their planes into Allied warships. These were known as the Kamikaze pilots. The use of the Kamikaze pilots by right-wing organizations has caused Japan to react with ignorance, misconceptions, and generally negative sentiments.
The Kamikaze pilots were young men, recruited from all over Japan. They were given just enough training to be able to fly a plane and then they were sent on their suicide mission. The Japanese military did not give the Kamikaze pilots a choice; it was either complete the mission or be considered a traitor to the country.
Before taking off on their final flight, the Kamikaze pilots would write a final letter to their families and say their last goodbyes. They would also paint a hinomaru (the Japanese rising sun flag) on the side of their plane. As they flew towards their targets, they would shout “banzai” (long live the emperor).
When the Kamikaze pilots crashed their planes into Allied ships, they caused a great deal of damage. Their attacks were often successful in sinking or heavily damaging the ships. The Kamikaze pilots showed great bravery in carrying out their missions and many of them died in the process.
The Kamikaze pilots are now considered heroes in Japan. There are monuments and museums dedicated to their memory, and their story is taught in schools. Even though the Kamikaze pilots were willing to die for their country, many people in Japan now see them as misguided young men who were misled by the military into making a terrible decision.
The Kamikaze attackers, on the other hand, introduced a new aspect to nautical warfare. The Kamikazes expressed their emotions and ideas about the missions in haiku poems. In numerous of the Kamikaze pilots’ haiku, the Emperor is mentioned in the first line. Students were instructed to sacrifice for the emperor at public schools during this era (1926-1945).
Kamikaze pilots were no exception to this indoctrination. The Kamikaze attacks started in October 1944 and continued until the end of World War II. In all, there were more than 2,500 Kamikaze attacks, and they sank 34 ships and damaged 368 others. The first Kamikaze attack took place on October 25, 1944, when a Japanese pilot crashed his plane into the USS St. Lo (a fleet carrier). The ship exploded and sunk within minutes.
The Kamikaze attacks caused the United States to change their naval strategy. Prior to the Kamikaze attacks, the United States anticipated that it would take about three months to win the war in the Pacific Theater. However, after experiencing the devastating effects of the Kamikaze attacks, the United States revised their estimate and predicted that the war would last at least six months (Bix 992-994).
The Kamikaze pilots were not just young men who wanted to die. Many of them were experienced pilots who had been flying planes since they were teenagers. They were also well-educated; many of them had college degrees. In fact, many of the Kamikaze pilots volunteered for the mission even though they knew that they would probably not survive. Their sense of duty and honor was so strong that they were willing to give up their own lives for their country.
The Kamikaze pilots were an important part of World War II. Their sacrifice helped Japan to maintain its independence and allowed the country to continue fighting until the very end. The Kamikaze pilots were true heroes who will never be forgotten.
By late 1944, the phrase Jusshi Reisho meaning “sacrifice one’s life” was taught (Morimoto 150-151). Most of the suicide attackers who volunteered were born late in the Taisho era (1912-1926) or in the first two or three years of Showa. As a result, they had been brainwashed and subjected to militaristic Japan’s indoctrination. In addition, “suicide attacks” had already taken place since Japanese troops attacked Pearl Harbor (Shinbusha 267). Two kinds of suicide strikes have been utilized.
One was a hit-and-run attack in which the pilot flew his plane into an enemy ship or installation. The other type was a kamikaze attack in which the pilot deliberately crashed his plane into an enemy target.
The first organized suicide attacks had been made on November 25, 1944, when nine specially trained pilots attacked the American fleet off Leyte Island in the Philippines. After that, more than a thousand pilots made similar attacks. Most of these pilots were volunteers, but there were also some who were ordered to make suicide attacks. The Japanese called these pilots “Shinpu” (Divine Wind) because a similar wind had saved Japan from invasion in 1281. In World War II, however, the Shinpu were not able to save Japan from defeat.
The pilots who made suicide attacks were often called “kamikaze” (Divine Wind). The word “kamikaze” was originally used to describe a typhoon that had helped the Japanese navy in its attack on the Mongol fleet in 1281. After World War II, the word came to be used for any pilot who deliberately crashed his plane into an enemy target.
