USS Bunker Hill was hit by Ogawa (see picture left) and another kamikaze near Kyūshū on May 11, 1945. Out of a crew of 2,600, 372 personnel were killed.

Kamikaze (help· info) (Japanese: 神風; literally: "god 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. Image File history File links BunkerHillKamikaze. ... Image File history File links BunkerHillKamikaze. ... USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, nicknamed Holiday Express for her many attacks launched around the end of the year. ... KyÅ«shÅ« region of Japan and the current prefectures on KyÅ«shÅ« island KyÅ«shÅ« ), literally Nine Provinces, is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The word Kamikaze has several meanings: Kamikaze refers to the suicide attackers used by the Japanese during World War II. A kamikaze is a cocktail. ... Image File history File links Kamikaze. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A suicide attack is an attack in which the attacker (attacker being either an individual or a group) intends to kill others and knows he or she will most likely die (see suicide). ... It has been suggested that Aerial warfare be merged into this article or section. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. ... Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Japan (from 1937)  Germany (1941) Thailand (from 1942) Manchukuo Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki Tojo... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Ensign Kiyoshi Ogawa hit the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill (see picture right).

These attacks, beginning in 1944, followed several very significant and critical military and strategic defeats for Japan, its decreasing capacity to wage war along with loss of experienced pilots, and the Allies' increased ability, due largely to the industrial capacity of the United States and Japan's reluctance to surrender. In these attacks Japanese pilots would deliberately attempt to crash their aircraft into naval vessels and other ships. Sometimes laden with explosives, extra bombs, and carrying just enough fuel to reach an Allied ship, their objective was to stop the Allied advance towards the Japanese home islands by causing as much damage and destruction as possible. Image File history File links Ensign_Kiyoshi_Ogawa_hit_Bunker_Hill. ... Image File history File links Ensign_Kiyoshi_Ogawa_hit_Bunker_Hill. ... Ensign is a junior rank of commissioned officer in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. ... Ensign Kiyoshi Ogawa. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Japanese Archipelago which forms the country of Japan extends from north to south along the eastern coast of the Eurasian Continent, the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. ...

Kamikazes were the most common and best-known form of Japanese suicide attack during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Army had long used "banzai charges", in some situations. However, the Imperial Japanese Navy, in particular, used or made plans for various suicide attacks, including midget submarines, human torpedoes, speedboats (some of which were also commissioned by the army) and divers. The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... Banzai charge (or banzai attack) is a term related to the Japanese samurai spirit and ideology of not accepting the shame of defeat. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍   or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... During the Second World War, Japanese Special Attack Units were specialized units normally used for suicide missions. ... The Kairyu (海龍 Sea Dragon) was a class of Kamikaze midget submarines designed in 1943-1944, and produced from the beginning of 1945. ... The Kaiten (Japanese:回天, translated Change the World or Reverse the Destiny) was a torpedo modified as a suicide weapon, and used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of the Second World War. ... Japanese Shinyo suicide boat, 1945 A Shinyo under way, being tested by an American soldier. ... During the Second World War, Japanese Special Attack Units were specialized units normally used for suicide missions. ...

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. 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). 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. Pars pro toto is Latin for (taking) a part for the whole; it is a kind of synecdoche. ... Selbstopfer (selbst+opfer, German for self-sacrifice) was a late-World War II German project to develop a smart weapon for attacking high-value targets such as bridges and command centers. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... This article is becoming very long. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... This article is about a figure of speech. ... Look up metaphor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Origins of the word kamikaze

Lt Yamaguchi’s Yokosuka D4Y3 (Type 33) Suisei diving at USS Essex, November 25, 1944. The air brakes are extended and the non-self-sealing port wing tank is trailing fuel vapor and/or smoke.

See also: kamikaze (typhoon)

In the Japanese language, kamikaze (IPA: [kamicozy]) (Japanese:神風), usually translated as "divine wind" (kami is the word for "god", "spirit", or "divinity"; and kaze for "wind"), came into being as the name of legendary typhoons said to have saved Japan from Mongol invasion fleets in 1274 and 1281. Image File history File links Yokosuka_D4Y3. ... Image File history File links Yokosuka_D4Y3. ... The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (彗星, comet) was a single-seat dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The fourth USS Essex (CV-9) (also CVA-9 and CVS-9) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier, the lead ship of her class. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... In aeronautics air brakes are a type of flight control used on aircraft to reduce speed during landing. ... Self-sealing fuel tanks are an aviation technology developed during World War II, when it quickly became apparent that fighter aircraft lacked adequate protection. ... Kamikaze (神風 kamikaze) is a Japanese word, usually translated as divine wind, beleived to be a gift from the gods. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. ...

In Japanese, the formal term used for units carrying out these suicide attacks during World War II 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". Shinpū is the on-reading (on'yomi or Chinese-derived pronunciation) of the same characters that form the word Kamikaze in Japanese. However, 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. 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. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍   or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

History

Background

A kamikaze (just left of center near the top border), a Mitsubishi Zero in this case, about to hit the Missouri.

Model 52c Zeros are sent back from Korea to Kyūshū island, to take part in a Kamikaze attack (early 1945).

After six months of continuous victories following their Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces were checked at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, defeated at the Battle of Midway in June of that year, and finally lost their momentum at Guadalcanal. During 1943-44, Allied forces, backed by the industrial might and rich resources of the United States, were advancing steadily towards Japan. Download high resolution version (800x649, 88 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (800x649, 88 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ... Radars: AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar Fire control: 4 × Mk 37 Gun Fire Control 2 × Mk 38 Gun Director 1 × Mk 40 Gun Director EW: AN/SLQ-32 Other: AN/SLQ-25 NIXIE Decoy System 8 × Super Rapid Bloom Rocket Launchers (SRBOC) Armor... Image File history File links A6M5_52c_Kyushu. ... Image File history File links A6M5_52c_Kyushu. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN), Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN), Mitsuo Fuchida (IJNAS), Shigekazu Shimazaki (IJNAS) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 8... Combatants United States Navy Royal Australian Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Frank J. Fletcher John G. Crace Shigeyoshi Inoue Takeo Takagi Strength 2 large carriers, 3 cruisers 2 large carriers, 1 light carrier, 4 cruisers Casualties 1 fleet carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 oil tanker sunk 543 killed 1 light carrier... Combatants United States of America Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi † Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties... Combatants Allied forces including: United States Australia New Zealand British Solomon Is. ...

Japan's fighter planes were becoming outnumbered and outclassed by newer US-made planes, especially the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) was worn down by air battles against the Allies during the Solomons and New Guinea campaigns. 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". 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. Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats on 1 January 1943 F6F-5 ready in catapult on USS Randolph Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat on the flight deck of USS Yorktown (CV-10) prior to take off, having its wings extended Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor scheme on the flight deck The Grumman... Chance Vought F4U Corsair The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service or Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koku Hombu was a major force in the Pacific War during World War II. The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 and followed the development of air combat during World War I with great interest. ... The Solomon Islands Campaign was a large series of battles that occurred in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This was the first large-scale campaign in the War in the Pacific, and the victories achieved by the Americans in the battles of this campaign helped secure vital bases... The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II. Fighting in the Australian mandated Territory of New Guinea (the north-eastern part of the island of New Guinea and surrounding islands) and Dutch New Guinea, between Allied and Japanese forces, commenced with the Japanese... Combatants United States Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Ray Spruance Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 7 heavy carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes 6 heavy carriers, 3 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes Casualties 123 planes... The Battle of the Philippine Sea was an air-sea battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought between the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy on June 19 and June 20, 1944, off the Mariana Islands. ... Fuel is any material that is capable of releasing energy when its chemical or physical structure is changed or converted. ...

On July 15, 1944, the important Japanese base of Saipan fell to the Allied forces. Its capture provided adequate forward bases which enabled US air forces using B-29 Superfortress long-range bombers to strike the Japanese home islands. After the fall of Saipan, the Japanese high command predicted that the Allies would try to capture the Philippines, which were strategically important due to their location between the oil fields of Southeast Asia and Japan. July 15 is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Saipan seen from the air A map of Saipan, Tinian & Aquijan Saipan (IPA: in English) is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10... The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and other military organizations afterwards. ... The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most recognizable and famous bombers of World War II. A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Drilling rig in a small oil field Near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 An oil field is an area with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum (oil) from below ground. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

The prediction came true in October 17, 1944, when Allied forces assaulted Suluan Island, beginning the Battle of Leyte Gulf. 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. 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. The task facing the Japanese air forces seemed totally impossible. The 1st Air Fleet commandant, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi decided to form a suicide attack unit, the Kamikaze Special Attack Force. In a meeting at Magracut Airfield near Manila on October 19, Onishi, visiting the 201st Navy Flying Corps headquarters, suggested: "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.S. carrier, in order to disable her for a week." October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: Blanked by author, previous version was an untranslated sentence of some sort If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr (3rd Fleet) Thomas C. Kinkaid (7th Fleet) Takeo Kurita (Centre Force) Shoji Nishimura(Southern Force) Kiyohide Shima(Southern Force) Jisaburo Ozawa(Northern Force) Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer escorts... Nickname: Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Philippines Region National Capital Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Jose L. Atienza, Jr. ... Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Model 52 The Mitsubishi A6M was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... Nakajima B6N1 Tenzan torpedo bomber (Jill) explodes in the air after a direct hit by 5-inch shell from the USS Yorktown (CV-10) off Kwajalein on December 4, 1943 The Nakajima B6N Tenzan (Japanese: 中島 B6N 天山 - Heavenly Mountain, Allied reporting name: Jill) was the Imperial Japanese Navys standard torpedo... The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... Mitsubishi G4M The Mitsubishi G4M (一式陸上攻撃機:Type 1 land-based attack aircraft; Allied reporting name Betty) was a twin-engined, land-based bomber aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The bomber is nicknamed the Betty by the American military. ... The Yokosuka P1Y Ginga (銀河, Milky Way) was a twin-engine, land-based bomber developed for the Japanese Imperial Navy in World War II. It was the successor to the Mitsubishi G4M and given the Allied codename Frances. The P1Y was designed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Takijirō ÅŒnishi (June 2, 1891–August 16, 1945) (Kanji: 大西瀧治郎, Hiragana: おおにし たきじろう) was a Japanese admiral known as the father of kamikaze. ... Nickname: Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Philippines Region National Capital Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Jose L. Atienza, Jr. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rituals for Kamikaze

There were rituals or ways in which Kamikaze pilots were sent off. They were given the flag of Japan or the Rising sun flag (Japanese naval ensign) with inspirational and spiritual words, Nambu pistol or katana and drank sake before they took off generally. It is also stated that they flew around once or more the mountain or anything with spiritual significance for the pilots and then they would set out on straight course to the target. It was highly patriotic and/or nationalistic procedure. Civil and state flag and ensign (Aug 13, 1999. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Nambu pistol was a semi-automatic pistol used by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy during the First and Second World Wars. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine. ...

See also: Yamato spirit

Yamato Damashi (Japanese: 大和魂, yamato damashii) is a concept meaning Japanese Spirit or the Soul of Old Japan. 大和 (Yamato) refers to the Yamato, or the ancient Japanese and culture that existed before contact with China, and Damashii is the rendaku form of 魂 (tamashii, soul or spirit). This is often explained as...

The first kamikaze unit

Lt (Chui) Yukio Seki wearing a life preserver.

Commander Asaiki Tamai asked a group of 23 talented student pilots, all of whom he had trained, to volunteer for the special attack force. 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. Seki is said to have closed his eyes, lowered his head and thought for ten seconds, before saying: "please let me do that." 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." ^[1] Image File history File links Lt_Yukio_Seki_in_flightgear. ... Image File history File links Lt_Yukio_Seki_in_flightgear. ... Yukio Seki ( ?, 1921 - October 25, 1944) was japanese Kamikaze pilot who led the first official Kamikaze attack in the World War II. He was born 1921 in Iyo Saijo, a small town in Shikoku. ... Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. ... Asaiki Tamai was a commander in the Japanese Army in World War II. He is most noted for forming the first official kamikaze unit. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... Yukio Seki ( ?, 1921 - October 25, 1944) was japanese Kamikaze pilot who led the first official Kamikaze attack in the World War II. He was born 1921 in Iyo Saijo, a small town in Shikoku. ...

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 Bama" by the Japanese classical scholar, Motoori Norinaga. The poem reads: Waka (和歌) or Yamato uta is a genre of Japanese poetry. ... See Waka (disambiguation) for other usages. ... Motoori Norinaga (Japanese: 本居宣長; 21 June 1730–5 November 1801) was a Japanese philologist and scholar during the Edo period. ...

Training and attacking

Tokkōtai/Kamikaze 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 "eliminate all thoughts about life and death" in order to "concentrate [their] attention on eradicating the enemy with unwavering determination," 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 a 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.

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 finals moments before the crash, the pilot was to yell "Hissatsu" at the top of his lungs which roughly translates to "Sink without fail."^{[2] [3]}

The first attacks

The bridge and forward turrets of HMAS Australia, in September 1944. The officer facing right is Captain Emile Dechaineux, killed by the first kamikaze to hit an Allied ship, on October 21, 1944.

At least one source cites Japanese planes crashing into the USS Indiana and USS Reno in mid-late 1944 as the first kamikaze attacks of World War II. [1] However, there is little evidence that these hits were more than accidental collisions or last-minute decisions by pilots in doomed aircraft, of the kind likely to happen in intense sea-air battles. Download high resolution version (733x1000, 155 KB)View of the bridge and forward 8-in turrets of heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, 4 September 1944. ... Download high resolution version (733x1000, 155 KB)View of the bridge and forward 8-in turrets of heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, 4 September 1944. ... HMAS Australia [1] , launched in 1927, was a County-class heavy cruiser in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). ... Geoff/Gsl 07:06, 27 February 2006 (UTC) Category: ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... USS Indiana (BB-58), a South Dakota-class battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 19th state. ... The second USS Reno (CL-96) was laid down by Bethlehem Steel Co. ...

Another source claims that the first kamikaze mission happened on September 13, 1944. A group of pilots, from the army's 31st Fighter Squadron, on Negros Island decided to launch a suicide attack the following morning.^[4] 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 on September 13, planning to crash into carriers. They never returned and there is no record of an enemy plane hitting an Allied ship on September 13, 1944. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... Negros is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas. ...

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. 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. Although Arima was killed, and part of a plane hit the Franklin, it is not clear that this was a planned suicide attack. [2] 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. Official accounts of his attack bore little resemblance to the events concerned. Captain is a nautical term, an organizational title, and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... Masafumi Arima (1895-October, 1944) was a Japanese naval aviator during World War II. He is sometimes credited with being the first to use the Kamikaze attack, but there is little evidence to support this. ... Lt. ... A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ... The United States Navys Essex-class aircraft carriers constituted the Twentieth Centurys largest class of heavy warships, with 24 ships built. ... The fifth USS Franklin (CV-13) (also CVA-13, CVS-13, and AVT-8), nicknamed Big Ben, was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, notable as the hardest-hit carrier to survive World War II. The actual kamikaze attacks on the ship are depicted in the... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Soviet Propaganda Poster during the Great Patriotic War. ... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ...

According to eyewitness accounts, the first kamikaze attack to hit an Allied ship was carried out by an unknown pilot, who was also not a member of the Kamikaze Special Attack Force; the target was the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Australia. [3] The attack took place on October 21, 1944, near Leyte Island; gunners from HMAS Australia and HMAS Shropshire fired at, and reportedly hit, an unidentified Japanese aircraft. The plane then flew away from the ships, before turning and flying into Australia, striking the ship's superstructure above the bridge, and spewing burning fuel and debris over a large area, before falling into the sea. 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, Captain Emile Dechaineux; among the wounded was Commodore John Collins, the Australian force commander. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... HMAS Australia [1] , launched in 1927, was a County-class heavy cruiser in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Leyte (pronounced LAY-teh or LAY-tee) is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines. ... HMS Shropshire (83) was a County class heavy cruiser laid down by William Beardmore and Company, Limited, at Dalmuir in Scotland on 24 February 1926, launched on 5 July 1928 by the Countess of Powis, Baroness D?Arcy de Knayth and completed on 12 September 1929. ... Bridge of the brigantine LEtoile The bridge of a ship is an area or room where the ships navigational controls and other essential equipment related to ship operations are housed and operated. ... Geoff/Gsl 07:06, 27 February 2006 (UTC) Category: ... Commodore is a military rank used in some navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a Captain, but is less than that of a Flag Officer. ... Captain John Collins in 1943 Vice-Admiral Sir John Augustine Collins, KBE, CB (1899–1989) was an Australian naval officer who served in World War I and World War II, and who eventually rose to become the First Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board and Chief of the...

On October 25, 1944 the Australia was hit again and was forced to retire to the New Hebrides for repairs. 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. One Zero attempted to hit the bridge of the USS Kitkun Bay, but instead exploded on the port catwalk and cartwheeled into the sea. Two others dove at USS Fanshaw Bay, but were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire. 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. Its bomb caused fires that resulted in the bomb magazine exploding, sinking the carrier.^[5] October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Motto In God we stand Anthem Yumi, Yumi, Yumi Capital (and largest city) Port Vila Official languages Bislama, English, French Government Republic  -  President Kalkot Mataskelekele  -  Prime Minister Ham Lini Independence from France and the UK   -  Date 30 July 1980  Area  -  Total 12,189 km² (161st) 4,706 sq mi   -  Water... Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (January 27, 1920 - October 26, 1944) was an ace pilot of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force during World War II. It is within reason that he was the most successful individual pilot of the IJN, with over seventy victories. ... The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, was a small aircraft carrier developed by the Royal Navy in the early part of World War II to deal with the U-boat crisis of the Battle of the Atlantic. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ... USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was a US Navy Casablanca class escort carrier launched on 8 November 1943. ... USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) was a Casablanca-class United States Navy escort aircraft carrier, launched 1 November 1943 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Wash, sponsored by Mrs. ... USS White Plains (CVE-66) was laid down on 11 February 1943 at Vancouver, Wash. ... USS (CVE‑63) was laid down as Chapin Bay 23 January 1943; renamed Midway 3 April 1943; launched 17 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. ...

A Mitsubishi Zero (A6M5 Model 52) towards the end of its run at the escort carrier USS White Plains (CVE-66) on October 25, 1944. The aircraft exploded shortly after this picture was taken, scattering debris across the deck.

Starboard horizontal stabilizer from the tail of a "Judy" on the deck of USS Kitkun Bay.

By day's end on October 26, 55 kamikaze from the special attack force had also damaged the large escort carriers USS Sangamon (CVE-26), USS Suwannee (CVE-27), USS Santee (CVE-29), and the smaller escorts USS White Plains, USS Kalinin Bay, and USS Kitkun Bay. In total seven carriers had been hit, as well as 40 other ships (five sunk, 23 heavily damaged, and 12 moderately damaged). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x720, 65 KB) Licensing Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x720, 65 KB) Licensing Source: http://www. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ... The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, was a small aircraft carrier developed by the U.S. Navy in the early part of World War II to deal with the U-boat crisis of the Battle of the Atlantic. ... USS White Plains (CVE-66) was laid down on 11 February 1943 at Vancouver, Wash. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x781, 69 KB)Remains of Yokosuka D4Y Suisei aircraft tail section (starboard elevator unit) aboard USS Kitkun Bay (CVE 71) after Kamikaze attack. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x781, 69 KB)Remains of Yokosuka D4Y Suisei aircraft tail section (starboard elevator unit) aboard USS Kitkun Bay (CVE 71) after Kamikaze attack. ... A view of the Starboard side of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross Starboard is the nautical term that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board the ship and facing the bow (front). ... The tail of a Lufthansa airliner (Airbus A319) in flight, showing the horizontal and vertical stabilizer Mathematics: see Group action. ... Lt. ... USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was a US Navy Casablanca class escort carrier launched on 8 November 1943. ... Two ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Sangamon. ... The USS Suwannee (CVE-27) (originally designated as oiler AO-33, reclassified as an escort aircraft carrier as AVG-27 then later as ACV-27) was laid down on 3 June 1938 at Kearney, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. ... Two ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Santee, after the Santee River of South Carolina. ... Two ships of the United States Navy have been named USS White Plains, after the Battle of White Plains during the American Revolutionary War. ... USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68), originally designated an AVG, was classified ACV-68 on 20 August 1942; laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 26 April 1943 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co. ... USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was a US Navy Casablanca class escort carrier launched on 8 November 1943. ...

HMAS Australia returned to combat at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. However, on January 5, 6, 8 and 9, the ship was again attacked by kamikazes and suffered damage which forced it to retire once more. [4] 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. Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Walter Krueger Tadamichi Kuribayashi Strength 68,000 unknown Casualties none none The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf was an American amphibious operation of WWII carried out in the Phillipines. ... This article is about the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. ...

USS Columbia is attacked by a kamikaze off Lingayen Gulf, 6 January 1945

The kamikaze hits Columbia at 17:29. The plane and its bomb penetrated two decks before exploding, killing 13 and wounding 44.

A kamikaze attacking USS Columbia (CL-56) off Lingayen Gulf, 6 January 1945 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A kamikaze attacking USS Columbia (CL-56) off Lingayen Gulf, 6 January 1945 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The sixth USS Columbia (CL-56) was a light cruiser of the United States Navy, launched 17 December 1941 by New York Shipbuilding Corp. ... The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 359 days (360 in leap years) remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... A kamikaze hits USS Columbia (CL-56) off Lingayen Gulf, 6 January 1945 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A kamikaze hits USS Columbia (CL-56) off Lingayen Gulf, 6 January 1945 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The main wave of kamikaze attacks

Louisville hit by a kamikaze in Lingayen Gulf, January 1945

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 pilots' manual.)

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. USS Louisville (CA-28) hit by a kamikaze in Lingayen Gulf, January 1945 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... USS Louisville (CA-28) hit by a kamikaze in Lingayen Gulf, January 1945 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines. ...

Purpose-built kamikaze planes, as opposed to converted fighters and dive-bombers, had no landing gear at all. A specially-designed propellor plane, the Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi, was a simple, easy-to-build plane, intended to use up existing stocks of engines, in a wooden airframe. The undercarriage was non-retractable: it was jettisoned shortly after take-off for a suicide mission, and then re-used on other planes. Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka rocket-bombs — essentially anti-ship missiles guided by pilots; were first used in March 1945. These were also used against B-29 formations over Japanese cities, and were derisively known as the Baka Bomb ("baka" is Japanese for "idiot" or "stupid"). Small boats packed with explosives, and manned torpedoes, called Kaiten were also manufactured. The Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi (剣 Sword) was a one-man kamikaze aircraft developed by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in the closing stages of World War 2 in late 1945. ... Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 87s, with fixed conventional landing gear. ... Ohka Model 11 replica at the Yasukuni Shrine The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (櫻花 cherry blossom) was a purpose-built kamikaze aircraft employed by Japan towards the end of World War II. The United States gave the aircraft the name Baka (Japanese for fool). It was a small flying bomb that... RBS-15 missile launched from a Sisu missile carriage. ... The Kaiten (Japanese:回天, translated Change the World or Reverse the Destiny) was a torpedo modified as a suicide weapon, and used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of the Second World War. ...

In early 1945, Commander John Thach, a U.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".^[6] This plan called for round-the-clock fighter patrols over Allied fleets. However, the US Navy had cut back training of fighter pilots due to a perceived need for a higher percentage of pilots to fly bombers and transport aircraft,^{[citation needed]} so there were not enough Navy pilots available to counter the kamikaze threat. The Navy hurriedly began to cross-train their carrier pilots on the F6F Hellcat,^{[citation needed]} and brought Marine F4U Corsair squadrons aboard aircraft carriers.^{[citation needed]} John Smith Thach (19 April 1905 - 15 April 1981) was a World War II naval aviator, air combat tactician, and Admiral in the United States Navy. ... An example of the Thach Weave The Thach Weave was an aerial combat tactic developed by naval aviator John S. Thach of the United States Navy early during World War II. Thach had heard of the Japanese Mitsubishi Zeros extraordinary maneuverability and climb rate before he ever experienced it... A diagram of the big blue blanket. ... Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats on 1 January 1943 F6F-5 ready in catapult on USS Randolph Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat on the flight deck of USS Yorktown (CV-10) prior to take off, having its wings extended Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor scheme on the flight deck The Grumman... The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War (and in isolated local conflicts). ...

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 defensive mission for fighter aircraft, in which they guard a designated site, either a fixed site on land, ships at sea, or less commonly support aircraft such as aerial tankers. ... A delay-action bomb is an aerial bomb designed to explode some time after impact with the ground. ... USS McFaul (DDG-74) In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... A Destroyer Escort (DE) is classification for a small, comparatively slower warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Navy in World War II. It is usually employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also some protection against aircraft and smaller... This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll. ...

The peak in kamikaze attacks came during the period of April-June 1945, at the Battle of Okinawa. On April 6, 1945 waves of planes made hundreds of attacks, in Operation Kikusui ("floating chrysanthemums"). At Okinawa, kamikaze attacks focused at first on Allied destroyers on picket duty, and then on the carriers in the middle of the fleet. Suicide attacks by planes or boats at Okinawa sank or put out of action at least 30 US warships[5] and at least three US merchant ships[6], along with some from other Allied forces. 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. Most of the ships destroyed were destroyers or smaller vessels, especially those on picket duty.[7] Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner†, Joseph W. Stilwell, Ray Spruance Mitsuru Ushijima† Isamu Cho† Strength 548,000 regulars, 1300 ships,  ? aircraft 100,000 regulars and militia,  ? ships,  ? aircraft Casualties 12,513 dead or missing, 38,916 wounded, 33,096... April 6 is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... This article is about the prefecture. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Picketing is a form of non-violent resistance in which people congregate outside a place of work or location where an event is taking place and attempt to dissuade others from going in (crossing the picket line). It has two main aims: to harm the business or activity by losing... Cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ... This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser (really an uprated guided missile destroyer), launched in 1992. ...