One of the most fascinating Kamikazee attack stories, to me, is the one that happened against the USS Missouri. Although the attack was, more or less, successful as the Japanese aircraft managed to strike the great U.S. battleship, the damage was minimal. What makes the attack so unique though was that the body of the Japanese pilot was not only recovered but also given a full military naval burial at sea, from beneath a Japanese flag, by the crew of the USS Missouri.
I read that while the plane itself did minimal damage the body of the pilot struck a gun mount with such force that it temporarily put the gun out of action. God, that must have been horrific.
My grandpa's brother was a Marine that was on guard duty aboard the California when Pearl Harbor got hit.No word for two weeks wether he survived or not.He then went on to get the St Lo shot out from underneath him.He gave my dad some neat souveniers that are passed down through the family.RIP Tom.
I was an exchange student to Japan in the summer of '79. My host family took me to meet some family they had. The eldest male was trained as Kamikaze. He discussed through my host sister what his duties were during the war. He was not one of those who were called to action. He showed me all types of gear and memorials given to him from family and neighbors. He was not called to the final act though. He was a very friendly man, was anti war. I'll never forget that experience.
IN CANADA WE HAD THAT IN 1971 THRU PENPAL,, STUDENTS THEY THE JAPANESE WOULD COME SHE CAME FOR A MONTH TO OUR HOME DRESSED IN HER JAPANESE WARDROBE N SLIPPERS,, HER NAME WAS SOCHIKA ,, NICE GIRL,, SHE WAS 17,, HER FAMILY WERE MILLION AIRS ,, SHE MADE 1000 PAPER SMALL BIRDS FOR US AS A GOOD LUCK TO OUR FAMILY,,
My second cousin passed on in 2015. He was a young sailor on the USS Liddle when it was hit by a Kamikaze on December 7, 1944 during the battle of Ormoc Bay, Phillipines. It struck the bridge, killing 38 officers and enlisted ranks. For the rest of his life, he would break into a sweat when he heard the sound of a single engine airplane.
I was in the navy from 1954 to 1958. One of the ships I was on had been hit by a Kamikazee in a forward gun turret but was not damaged so badly that it was able to be repaired and remain in service.
My dad was aboard the destroyer DD-514 USS Thatcher during a moderately successful kamikaze attack. He rarely talked about his service in the Pacific, but did mention that they were hit by a kamikaze. As I recall (reading various references) the Thatcher limped back to some port, was patched-up, and able to resume serviceto some extent.
4 месяца назад+4
You’ve got to hand it to them. They had balls of steel and were very brave
They got brainwashed to be zombie suicide bombers to die for the emperor who cares about nobody but himself. Not much different from the cult followers who have blind faith in a church or a political party.
8:42 You can visit the USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, then walk over to the USS Constitution next door. And if you are feeling like a little walk, go over to the Bunker Hill Memorial in Charlestown. Parking is difficult. Take the "T".
There's a great documentary called "Wings of Defeat" in which Kamikaze pilots who survived are interviewed. There are guys who never launched, or, had plane trouble and never made it to their targets. It's not as if these pilots thought any of this was really sane. One guy had plane trouble and ditched on a remote island where - luckily for everyone - he was forced to wait out the war. Again, most of these poor pilots thought the war, and, this whole kamikaze thing was absolutely crazy.
Squadron CO: "I need three volunteers for a special mission!" Nugget pilot: "What kind of special mission, sir?" Squadron CO: "I need two more volunteers!"
They knew what they were doing last resort last stand U had no more Navy so u sent kamikazes I don't think it was right to use the A bombs that was fuckin wrong Too many innocent people died but remember PEARL Harbor a lot of people think it's pay back The USA gave you money for U to rebuild look where you are now did the same thing for Germany and a lot of other people and places now we know nukes don't work if we have a war like that NO ONE WILL SURVIVE WELL ALL BE FUCKED we should all get together and get along we have enough resources to make this planet to work together and make it work no hunger everybody has shelters what are we thinking about but if anyone trys to take my stuff I'll protect it
many were forced.Many of That generation of japanese soldies were depraved,merciless and down right EVIL! dont believe it? Maybe the Residents of NANKING CAN FILL YOU IN! MURDERED TENS of thousands. Impaled babies on pitchforks.I could go on, but my lunch may not stay down! Raped girls as young as 5 to 90 and often forced families to watch. The Japanese Barbarism made the Holocaust seem like summer camp. How odd that todays Japanese are modest and easy going. And a great Ally of USA!
You do realize that japan started the war at pearl harbor right? You don't go go making a bear angry by messing with it's cub and not expect retaliation
Watched this! "I Knew" Navy, Marines, USAAC, Merchant Marine, and Seabees, who Survived these BATTLES! RIP GREATEST! Miss! Ya'll Y'ALL! Kinda shure I had bosses, buddies, or family on the Frankland and Nashville or others attcked.
HMS Sussex: "... What was that?" It also has to be stated that not all the Kamikaze were volunteers. Their training was brutal, too. There was a surviving Kamikaze pilot that spoke of their training as terrible. Often resorting to beating the last bit of patriotism the new trainee had.
Japan warriors are fearless. They were outnumbered and they know they are losing but still ready to die for the cause. True warriors and earned the respect of their enemies
More like hated by their enemies. In Saipan they were having moms through their children off a cliff before jumping themselves. In Okinawa they gave highschool girls acting as nurses to blow themselves up and kill Americans trying to help the girls surrender. In Japan they had the plan of 100 million deaths. Arming everyone with anything to kill as many Americans as possible. That's just what they did to their own people. Don't talk about the human experiments at unit 731, the rape of Nanking and the horrible pow camps. And the bullshit about dishonor in surrender was created in the 20s and 30s by Japanese propaganda. They were willing to surrender and accept and respect surrendering enemies in the Russo Japanese war and WW1. Japanese officers in WW2 were desperate to cover their war crimes which is a major reason they demand troops fight on
I find it odd that they would attack from the sides and not directly above. Most AA guns won't point straight up (if any). It's relatively easy to point a plane straight down (one has to cut the engine). Seems trying to hit at the waterline was considered more important.
Most of the pilots were not well trained . They are not trained long term for a dive bombing technique. Also their planes are not suitable for dive bombing and would fall apart or miss the ship due to ship evasive maneuver
It is pretty well-known & well-analyzed by now that despite the psychological effects of the kamikaze, their actual effects on the war was minuscule to negligible...most of them were either shot down or fell short of their mark or failed to secure 'kill hits'...most vessels, even when hit, were not sunk, or destroyed, or even damaged beyond repair...many-to-most continued on their mission sets... All in all, the general consensus among experts is that the whole last ditch effort of the kamikaze, howsoever brave (or batshit crazy, depending on how you see it), was, nevertheless, not very effective and, overall, has been deemed a failure...
@@shantanusapru You need to consider that at that stage of the war their survival as regular pilots wouldn't be much better. And Kamikaze attacks off Okinawa accounted for most of the over 5000 American sailors killed, the most by far in the the history of the US Navy.
@@joeyartk "You need to consider that at that stage of the war their survival as regular pilots wouldn't be much better." --- I don't know where this assumption comes from...and is not supported by either data or logic... "And Kamikaze attacks off Okinawa accounted for most of the over 5000 American sailors killed, the most by far in the the history of the US Navy." --- Yeah, that was not my point. I don't care about the Kamikaze 'kill rate' w.r.t. Americans/America. My point remains - as is pretty much the consensus among historians - that the most kamikaze pilots achieved was in terms of psychological effects. Their real/actual effects on the whole war effort was negligible-to-minimal. Also, their killing was highly inefficient: For example, ~3000 kamikaze pilots killed ~5000 US sailors. So, not even a 1:2 ratio! Had they simply fired their bullets or dropped bombs they'd have achieved a higher kill ratio!
If the Japanese had started kamikaze right away in 1942, they'd very likely have sunk all US carriers. Even late in the war, their chances of getting through to strike the target were better than getting a bomb on target the normal way early on in the war.
They didn't want to waste aircraft, and were short of experienced pilots. But if they went all-in earlier in the war, and built thousands of Oka rocket-powered flying bombs, there would have been carnage.
5:09 Imagine what that pilot is seeing, the one in the parachute that opens up after a few moments, left of center, near the bottom. I think that's his aircraft rapidly spinning out directly to his right, black smoke pouring out. Another aircraft is also falling out of the sky just above that aircraft to its right. The sky is completely full of tracers (and the rounds between them.) Everything's going bananas. Beneath the pilot waits the US Navy. What a view.
From what I have heard that those suicide pilots were lacking experience and training, But above all, the anti-aircraft ammunition when armed with proximity fuses were of vastly increased efficiency.
They did all this cause they lost their pro pilots at midway they were losing more then they could train.So they switched to suicidal tactics that's what made them worse then Germany and Italy.Which is why their dumb ass got nuked when they refused to end the war when it was clearly lost.😒🤦🏾♂️
Interesting that the flagship of the RAN, HMAS AUSTRALIA, was an early kamikaze target twice. In one, the CO, CAPT Dechaineux was killed, but the ship remained in action.
The Australia was actually the first ship to ever the attacked by kamikaze fighters. I find it insulting that it doesn't even get a mention in this video.
The training base for the first Kamakaze pilots was the captured former USAAF Clark Field in the Philippines. There were 2 airstrips used for the training known as Mabalacat East and Mabalacat West. Thete is a monument to the pilots at the former Mabalacat West on what is now New Clark City. We were stationed at USAF Clark Air Base 1971-73 and never knew about any of that.
I have read a book by a surviving Japanese fighter pilot. According to him Japan could have had hundreds of experienced pilots more if their training schools hadn't been so unnecessarily strict before the war, i.e. some promising prospective pilots were thrown out of the school for not wearing their cap at the correct alignment.
Hundred of ships were damaged by kamikazes, of which 34 were lost. The USN had almost 7000 active ships towards the end of the war, although not all in the Pacific of course, so in terms of outcome of the war it was insignificant.
True but if the Japanese had not run out of planes/pilots to sacrifice as bombs they likely could've eventually forced the allies into a much better bargaining position for Japan. My father was strongly of this opinion and he fought the Japanese in the S. Pacific from '42 to the war's end so I give it credence. He described the kamikazes as a "nightmare".
@@srf2112 Once the Russians entered the war against Japan it was all over no matter what Japan might have done. They were Japan's last hope of negotiating a way out, and emperors and kings fear nothing more than Communism. Communists tend to be rather harsh to royal families. Japan did the logical thing once Russia declared war, surrender to the Americans as fast as possible and at least save the emperor.
@@joeyartk I don't know the exact timelines. Suffice it to say that if Japan had turned to these tactics at the right time with the logistics they needed they could've affected their position/strength as far as surrendering but then again if a frog had wings ... thanks for your input.
Many pilot were forced. When they did not volunteer their commanders said you go first to those that did not volunteer. ( from the book Kamikaze written by a japanise pilot)
IMO the IJN began Kamikaze attacks too late in the war. I asked Captain Elliott Buckmaster (who had been the skipper of USS Yorktown and, later USS Franklin) what would have happened if the IJN had initiated Kamikaze attacks at the Battle of Midway. Since, they could have added at least one more carrier to the battle. He said that the USN would have been in a world of trouble. Fortunately for America, the Kamikaze attacks were not started until we had overwhelming sea power.
Early in the war the Japs had many skilled pilots! To sacrifice all the time and effort of training these individuals would have been an admission of defeat! SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD NEVER HAD ADMITTED EARLIER IN THE WAR!
I am Japanese. At the time of the Battle of Midway, Japanese Navy pilots were so skilled that there was no consideration given to losing pilots in a kamikaze attack.
Kamikaze came about bc at that stage of war, pilots could not be trained to fight n win in air combat. Skilled US naval pilots would shoot them all down easily. So, instead of losing them doing air combat, turn these less-skilled pilots into flying bomb pilots. Brainwashing them using duty, honor, patriotism, n shaming them to sacrifice for the country, they became zombies n drones to serve the evil imperial Japanese navy/military. Cannon fodders for the corrupt Japanese military.
Suppose that a kamikazi plane was able to approach the target at just above the water level, could any of the guns on the ships have been lowered enough to hit it?
@@davidhull1481 Sure, the WW2 5"/38 went down to -15° The 40mm Bofors to -5° Even when your ship is rolling or heeling over in a turn, you still want to shoot at the enemy !
Good video, and nice narration from Dan, Battle Guide team. The footage you shared is incredible. I've seen some kamikaze footage before, but not as much as here. I cannot imagine how horrifying and intense it must've been for the crew on the ships to face such attacks. I appreciate how you're able to share a lot of information within a concise video too. Keep up the great work. Have a nice Wednesday, Battle Guide team :]
Ca 10:00. Involved in the recovery of a P-47, back in 2004, that nose dived into 'soft' ground (pilot jumped successfully at ca 500 ft, following a steep climb after being hit by flack attacking a train and hitting a tree before climbing with a dead engine. Couldn't believe how compact the fighter became (ca 4 ft from tail to prop). Can't imagine what the compression was for the a/c hitting that Royal Navy ship. Recovered a perfectly intact 1st aide kit in the P-47. Doubt one was issued to the Kamikasi pilots for lack of hoppe or need.
As an Aussie how can you say that this is a great video. There is no mention of the HMAS Australia. It was both our navy's flagship and the first ship to ever be attacked by kamikaze fighters. The Captain was killed in the attack.
There is footage of full attacks. Not just cut away's and cameras being turned on after a hit. I've seen footage of a Kamikaze that hit a battleship. AA fire coming in from all side. It was taken from another ship. Straight into the side of the battleship.
the whole rumor of "they couldn't return" is based on the fact that most kamikazes were given just enough fuelto make it to the targets, near the end of the war.... then there is the other kamikazes that were sealed into rocket power assisted bombs... the blueprints of which they actually got from the germans... the engines on the kamikaze rockets were the same engines used on the 1st iterations of the v1 bombs...
It seems as though the Sussex would have much more fire / burnt paint damage from the planes fuel. Unless the image was captured after cleansing and repairs had began there would be black soot all over the side of the ship.
At some point going into battle no matter what has a high chance of dying anyways. That said I could see where the mentality of guarunteed death would be different.
My uncle Billy Deverell 19 years old from Lapeer, Michigan was Killed in Action December 28th 1944 when a Kamikaze hit the SS John Burke (Ammunition ) Ship my uncle was on LST 750 very near the John Burke and was killed from shrapnel when the SS John Burke exploded. Later in the day LST 750 was hit from a Torpedo and was scuttled
My father was in Japanese Army, he never talked about Kamikaze. But I’ve heard they drink sake 🍶before get in cockpit and they believed that they become god. Crazy.
Ich lebe jetzt nicht Berlin, sondern Hamburg, aber ich habe schon zweimal Berlin gereist. Die Stadt war sehr schön, besonders Museuminsel. Ich mag gern ins Museum gehen. Als ich dem in Berlin besuchte, die Leute sehr nett waren. Natürlich Restaurant auch. Ein lustige Erfahrung hatte ich. Eine deutsche Frau fragte mir, wo könnte man U-Bahn einsteigen. Meine Gesicht ist ganz koreanische Frau :) Aber ich kannte den Weg, konnte ich antworten. Ich kann nicht die
There was a US destroyer, I can't remember the name, it was on radar picket duty and was hit by 5 seperate kamikaze planes and survived. Testament to how well those US destroyers were built :-)
Japanese military/government are experts at using social rules, honor, duty, patriotism, royalty to emperor, n other nice sounding jingles to brainwash or force you to do what they want. These were young men, easily manipulated in an already obey/conformity based societal environment. Many post war interviews (those who weren't deployed) said that they feel shamed if they don't "volunteer." Everybody was "volunteering" when asked. We all need to be free thinkers.
there are many instances of japanese officers being involved in kamikaze attacks, most notably the japanese admiral matome ugaki which is the last known kamikaze of the entire pacific war
As I recall, and I am no expert, the Nazi employed similar tactics, but didn't kill themselves, they would find a target, ram into it, and paraschute out, so they could continue the attack another day. Even if that tactic was used by the Japanese aviators, it probably would not sway the war for the Japanese. There are other factors that play in, why the Kamikaze lost, like I had said, I am no expert, and there are plenty of others who have greater insight than me. Take care, and all the best.
One of the most fascinating Kamikazee attack stories, to me, is the one that happened against the USS Missouri. Although the attack was, more or less, successful as the Japanese aircraft managed to strike the great U.S. battleship, the damage was minimal. What makes the attack so unique though was that the body of the Japanese pilot was not only recovered but also given a full military naval burial at sea, from beneath a Japanese flag, by the crew of the USS Missouri.
Yup and I’ve just been on the Missouri and you can still see very minor battle damage. Like a mosquito biting a blue whale.
I read that while the plane itself did minimal damage the body of the pilot struck a gun mount with such force that it temporarily put the gun out of action. God, that must have been horrific.
You’d better respect your enemy.
I was on Missouri 16 years ago and that scare is still there!!
@@bazd884 unbelievable ship. The scale of the BBs is truly amazing.
That kamikaze imprint on HMS Sussex is surreal
Yeah,no dents on the ship....even from the nose and heavy engine.
@@simmonsrenos9111 It looks like the plane struck the armoured belt of the Sussex.
So it hit the ship and bounced off and sunk leaving the imprint. Amazing.
戦闘機の外板は0.5～1.0ｍｍ。重装甲の前では文字通り紙みたいなもんです。
Apparently he was commencing his attack with landing gear out 🤣 And it was heavier than a wing with armaments. This is some Looney Tunes/9.11 logic.
My grandpa's brother was a Marine that was on guard duty aboard the California when Pearl Harbor got hit.No word for two weeks wether he survived or not.He then went on to get the St Lo shot out from underneath him.He gave my dad some neat souveniers that are passed down through the family.RIP Tom.
I was an exchange student to Japan in the summer of '79. My host family took me to meet some family they had. The eldest male was trained as Kamikaze. He discussed through my host sister what his duties were during the war. He was not one of those who were called to action. He showed me all types of gear and memorials given to him from family and neighbors. He was not called to the final act though. He was a very friendly man, was anti war. I'll never forget that experience.
IN CANADA WE HAD THAT IN 1971 THRU PENPAL,, STUDENTS THEY THE JAPANESE WOULD COME SHE CAME FOR A MONTH TO OUR HOME DRESSED IN HER JAPANESE WARDROBE N SLIPPERS,, HER NAME WAS SOCHIKA ,, NICE GIRL,, SHE WAS 17,, HER FAMILY WERE MILLION AIRS ,, SHE MADE 1000 PAPER SMALL BIRDS FOR US AS A GOOD LUCK TO OUR FAMILY,,
My second cousin passed on in 2015. He was a young sailor on the USS Liddle when it was hit by a Kamikaze on December 7, 1944 during the battle of Ormoc Bay, Phillipines. It struck the bridge, killing 38 officers and enlisted ranks. For the rest of his life, he would break into a sweat when he heard the sound of a single engine airplane.
Makes one wonder how woman and children in axis cities felt when they saw or heard any aircraft at all.
Good video and excellent human narration. Thank you.
At 5:13, there appears to be a parachute deployed near the burning airplane.
Another great video, always learning something new everyday in ww2 rabbit hole
Thanks for the kind comment Harry.
I was in the navy from 1954 to 1958. One of the ships I was on had been hit by a Kamikazee in a forward gun turret but was not damaged so badly that it was able to be repaired and remain in service.
Is it a typo 1954-58? Kamakazis were active during WW2. Not post ww2
@@jaymo8206 Reading comprehension is obviously not your strong suit.
@@PatrickW-rx1mm2 people liked his comment.....perhaps they attended the same school.
@@jaymo8206he said “had been hit” meaning that this was an older ship from the war.
My dad was aboard the destroyer DD-514 USS Thatcher during a moderately successful kamikaze attack. He rarely talked about his service in the Pacific, but did mention that they were hit by a kamikaze. As I recall (reading various references) the Thatcher limped back to some port, was patched-up, and able to resume serviceto some extent.
You’ve got to hand it to them. They had balls of steel and were very brave
Not sure brave is a word I would I use. Not much different from a present-day fanatical suicide bomber.
They got brainwashed to be zombie suicide bombers to die for the emperor who cares about nobody but himself. Not much different from the cult followers who have blind faith in a church or a political party.
They were high on methamphetamines.
and stupid the higher ups wouldnt do it
8:42 You can visit the USS Cassin Young at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, then walk over to the USS Constitution next door. And if you are feeling like a little walk, go over to the Bunker Hill Memorial in Charlestown. Parking is difficult. Take the "T".
There's a great documentary called "Wings of Defeat" in which Kamikaze pilots who survived are interviewed. There are guys who never launched, or, had plane trouble and never made it to their targets. It's not as if these pilots thought any of this was really sane. One guy had plane trouble and ditched on a remote island where - luckily for everyone - he was forced to wait out the war. Again, most of these poor pilots thought the war, and, this whole kamikaze thing was absolutely crazy.
A little light on how bad Franklin was damaged
Yes, the Franklin was hit by two bombs in a conventional dive bombing attack, not by a kamikazi.
A great video as always .just for reference , Kamikaze translates to , Divine Wind .
Thanks for that. Who knew? 😂
Squadron CO: "I need three volunteers for a special mission!"
Nugget pilot: "What kind of special mission, sir?"
Squadron CO: "I need two more volunteers!"
特攻兵はテロリストではありません。彼らは正規の軍人であり一般市民を巻き込むことはしませんでした。
そうですね、米軍とは違います。私の母は街中で米軍の戦闘機による銃撃を受けました。幸い当たりませんでしたが。
They knew what they were doing last resort last stand U had no more Navy so u sent kamikazes I don't think it was right to use the A bombs that was fuckin wrong Too many innocent people died but remember PEARL Harbor a lot of people think it's pay back The USA gave you money for U to rebuild look where you are now did the same thing for Germany and a lot of other people and places now we know nukes don't work if we have a war like that NO ONE WILL SURVIVE WELL ALL BE FUCKED we should all get together and get along we have enough resources to make this planet to work together and make it work no hunger everybody has shelters what are we thinking about but if anyone trys to take my stuff I'll protect it
many were forced.Many of That generation of japanese soldies were depraved,merciless and down right EVIL! dont believe it? Maybe the Residents of NANKING CAN FILL YOU IN! MURDERED TENS of thousands. Impaled babies on pitchforks.I could go on, but my lunch may not stay down! Raped girls as young as 5 to 90 and often forced families to watch. The Japanese Barbarism made the Holocaust seem like summer camp. How odd that todays Japanese are modest and easy going. And a great Ally of USA!
You do realize that japan started the war at pearl harbor right? You don't go go making a bear angry by messing with it's cub and not expect retaliation
Watched this! "I Knew" Navy, Marines, USAAC, Merchant Marine, and Seabees, who Survived these BATTLES!
RIP GREATEST! Miss! Ya'll Y'ALL!
Kinda shure I had bosses, buddies, or family on the Frankland and Nashville or others attcked.
HMS Sussex: "... What was that?"
It also has to be stated that not all the Kamikaze were volunteers. Their training was brutal, too. There was a surviving Kamikaze pilot that spoke of their training as terrible. Often resorting to beating the last bit of patriotism the new trainee had.
Japan warriors are fearless. They were outnumbered and they know they are losing but still ready to die for the cause. True warriors and earned the respect of their enemies
More like hated by their enemies. In Saipan they were having moms through their children off a cliff before jumping themselves. In Okinawa they gave highschool girls acting as nurses to blow themselves up and kill Americans trying to help the girls surrender. In Japan they had the plan of 100 million deaths. Arming everyone with anything to kill as many Americans as possible. That's just what they did to their own people. Don't talk about the human experiments at unit 731, the rape of Nanking and the horrible pow camps. And the bullshit about dishonor in surrender was created in the 20s and 30s by Japanese propaganda. They were willing to surrender and accept and respect surrendering enemies in the Russo Japanese war and WW1. Japanese officers in WW2 were desperate to cover their war crimes which is a major reason they demand troops fight on
Mmmm warriors debatable
I find it odd that they would attack from the sides and not directly above. Most AA guns won't point straight up (if any). It's relatively easy to point a plane straight down (one has to cut the engine). Seems trying to hit at the waterline was considered more important.
Most of the pilots were not well trained .
They are not trained long term for a dive bombing technique.
Also their planes are not suitable for dive bombing and would fall apart or miss the ship due to ship evasive maneuver
The Val…was dive bomber, fixed landing gear acted as air brakes…
It is pretty well-known & well-analyzed by now that despite the psychological effects of the kamikaze, their actual effects on the war was minuscule to negligible...most of them were either shot down or fell short of their mark or failed to secure 'kill hits'...most vessels, even when hit, were not sunk, or destroyed, or even damaged beyond repair...many-to-most continued on their mission sets...
All in all, the general consensus among experts is that the whole last ditch effort of the kamikaze, howsoever brave (or batshit crazy, depending on how you see it), was, nevertheless, not very effective and, overall, has been deemed a failure...
Thanks for the insight.
@@BattleGuideVT Nice video, though! (I think I forgot to mention that)
We appreciate that, thank you.
@@shantanusapru You need to consider that at that stage of the war their survival as regular pilots wouldn't be much better. And Kamikaze attacks off Okinawa accounted for most of the over 5000 American sailors killed, the most by far in the the history of the US Navy.
@@joeyartk
"You need to consider that at that stage of the war their survival as regular pilots wouldn't be much better."
--- I don't know where this assumption comes from...and is not supported by either data or logic...
"And Kamikaze attacks off Okinawa accounted for most of the over 5000 American sailors killed, the most by far in the the history of the US Navy."
--- Yeah, that was not my point. I don't care about the Kamikaze 'kill rate' w.r.t. Americans/America.
My point remains - as is pretty much the consensus among historians - that the most kamikaze pilots achieved was in terms of psychological effects. Their real/actual effects on the whole war effort was negligible-to-minimal.
Also, their killing was highly inefficient: For example, ~3000 kamikaze pilots killed ~5000 US sailors. So, not even a 1:2 ratio!
Had they simply fired their bullets or dropped bombs they'd have achieved a higher kill ratio!
If the Japanese had started kamikaze right away in 1942, they'd very likely have sunk all US carriers.
Even late in the war, their chances of getting through to strike the target were better than getting a bomb on target the normal way early on in the war.
They didn't want to waste aircraft, and were short of experienced pilots. But if they went all-in earlier in the war, and built thousands of Oka rocket-powered flying bombs, there would have been carnage.
5:09
Imagine what that pilot is seeing, the one in the parachute that opens up after a few moments, left of center, near the bottom.
I think that's his aircraft rapidly spinning out directly to his right, black smoke pouring out. Another aircraft is also falling out of the sky just above that aircraft to its right.
The sky is completely full of tracers (and the rounds between them.) Everything's going bananas. Beneath the pilot waits the US Navy.
What a view.
I don’t think that view lasted too long
Must be an American Pilot.
From what I have heard that those suicide pilots were lacking experience and training, But above all, the anti-aircraft ammunition when armed with proximity fuses were of vastly increased efficiency.
Yep, that's the answer for deadly AA guns
@@mikebarnes7734 watch the video he said all that
Proximity fuses reduced the number of shells required for a kill from 1,000 to 250 in WW2 and 5 with modern radar guided guns.
They did all this cause they lost their pro pilots at midway they were losing more then they could train.So they switched to suicidal tactics that's what made them worse then Germany and Italy.Which is why their dumb ass got nuked when they refused to end the war when it was clearly lost.😒🤦🏾♂️
are you retarded dude?
Interesting that the flagship of the RAN, HMAS AUSTRALIA, was an early kamikaze target twice. In one, the CO, CAPT Dechaineux was killed, but the ship remained in action.
The Australia was actually the first ship to ever the attacked by kamikaze fighters. I find it insulting that it doesn't even get a mention in this video.
Why no mention of the HMAS Australia? The first ship to ever be hit by a kamikaze attack.
Proximity fuse crucial to accuracy to shooting them down Japanese stunned at how effective out AA was
The training base for the first Kamakaze pilots was the captured former USAAF Clark Field in the Philippines. There were 2 airstrips used for the training known as Mabalacat East and Mabalacat West. Thete is a monument to the pilots at the former Mabalacat West on what is now New Clark City. We were stationed at USAF Clark Air Base 1971-73 and never knew about any of that.
I have read a book by a surviving Japanese fighter pilot. According to him Japan could have had hundreds of experienced pilots more if their training schools hadn't been so unnecessarily strict before the war, i.e. some promising prospective pilots were thrown out of the school for not wearing their cap at the correct alignment.
Dan Hill could as well read Grandma's assembled best Sunday roast recepies, and I would still be listening;)
That gave the team here a laugh!
Cheers guys! @@BattleGuideVT
Nice video. Should add the footage of the kamikaze attack on the USS Louisville. It’s on RUclips and shows the entire scene of the attack
Hundred of ships were damaged by kamikazes, of which 34 were lost. The USN had almost 7000 active ships towards the end of the war, although not all in the Pacific of course, so in terms of outcome of the war it was insignificant.
True but if the Japanese had not run out of planes/pilots to sacrifice as bombs they likely could've eventually forced the allies into a much better bargaining position for Japan. My father was strongly of this opinion and he fought the Japanese in the S. Pacific from '42 to the war's end so I give it credence. He described the kamikazes as a "nightmare".
@@srf2112 Once the Russians entered the war against Japan it was all over no matter what Japan might have done. They were Japan's last hope of negotiating a way out, and emperors and kings fear nothing more than Communism. Communists tend to be rather harsh to royal families. Japan did the logical thing once Russia declared war, surrender to the Americans as fast as possible and at least save the emperor.
@@joeyartk I don't know the exact timelines. Suffice it to say that if Japan had turned to these tactics at the right time with the logistics they needed they could've affected their position/strength as far as surrendering but then again if a frog had wings ... thanks for your input.
I wouldn't call 7,000 lives insignificant
Read and watch it again!
top notch pro soldier
Many pilot were forced. When they did not volunteer their commanders said you go first to those that did not volunteer. ( from the book Kamikaze written by a japanise pilot)
OP this was a very interesting and well made documentary, the footage was good and never repeated itself as it does in so many other posts.
That imprint is amazing
It's fake. Part of UK propaganda work.
My dad was on, the USS Colorado when it was hit by two Kamikazess.
My was there on the
Colorado as well. Chief Petty Officer in the engine room.
IMO the IJN began Kamikaze attacks too late in the war. I asked Captain Elliott Buckmaster (who had been the skipper of USS Yorktown and, later USS Franklin) what would have happened if the IJN had initiated Kamikaze attacks at the Battle of Midway. Since, they could have added at least one more carrier to the battle. He said that the USN would have been in a world of trouble.
Fortunately for America, the Kamikaze attacks were not started until we had overwhelming sea power.
Early in the war the Japs had many skilled pilots! To sacrifice all the time and effort of training these individuals would have been an admission of defeat! SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD NEVER HAD ADMITTED EARLIER IN THE WAR!
I am Japanese. At the time of the Battle of Midway, Japanese Navy pilots were so skilled that there was no consideration given to losing pilots in a kamikaze attack.
Kamikaze came about bc at that stage of war, pilots could not be trained to fight n win in air combat. Skilled US naval pilots would shoot them all down easily. So, instead of losing them doing air combat, turn these less-skilled pilots into flying bomb pilots. Brainwashing them using duty, honor, patriotism, n shaming them to sacrifice for the country, they became zombies n drones to serve the evil imperial Japanese navy/military. Cannon fodders for the corrupt Japanese military.
Very well researched and presented. Thanks for the education.
Thanks for that!
Suppose that a kamikazi plane was able to approach the target at just above the water level, could any of the guns on the ships have been lowered enough to hit it?
All AA guns
@@Wannes_ they can point down at the angle needed? I guess if they can shoot at a small ship they can shoot the plane.
@@davidhull1481 Sure, the WW2 5"/38 went down to -15°
The 40mm Bofors to -5°
Even when your ship is rolling or heeling over in a turn, you still want to shoot at the enemy !
The 5” guns were dual purpose - they were also for engaging surface targets (and in one case a US aircraft carrier did engage a Japanese ship).
Good video, and nice narration from Dan, Battle Guide team.
The footage you shared is incredible. I've seen some kamikaze footage before, but not as much as here. I cannot imagine how horrifying and intense it must've been for the crew on the ships to face such attacks.
I appreciate how you're able to share a lot of information within a concise video too.
Keep up the great work.
Have a nice Wednesday, Battle Guide team :]
Ca 10:00. Involved in the recovery of a P-47, back in 2004, that nose dived into 'soft' ground (pilot jumped successfully at ca 500 ft, following a steep climb after being hit by flack attacking a train and hitting a tree before climbing with a dead engine. Couldn't believe how compact the fighter became (ca 4 ft from tail to prop). Can't imagine what the compression was for the a/c hitting that Royal Navy ship.
Recovered a perfectly intact 1st aide kit in the P-47. Doubt one was issued to the Kamikasi pilots for lack of hoppe or need.
Subbed. Thanks for your hard work.
I appreciate the normal narration, i cant listen to AI voices
Wild that reporters covering scenes like these from literal World Wars were far safer than those currently covering Gaza.
Another great video, as always.
I’m Aussie so a video on Kokoda would be cool to see!
hypohystericalhistory has a very good video. so is it "track" or "trail"?
Noted!
@@greenflagracing7067It is track. Trail is an American word
@@andrewstackpool4911 thanks.
As an Aussie how can you say that this is a great video. There is no mention of the HMAS Australia. It was both our navy's flagship and the first ship to ever be attacked by kamikaze fighters. The Captain was killed in the attack.
My Grandfather was injured from a kamikaze attack in Okinawa... the ship next to his was hit and he received shrapnel in his back
“ I see a madman beget more madmen.” - Starbuck, from Moby Dick.
“Their technology and industrial might proved to be a significant advantage for the United States during World War II.” - General Tomoyuki Yamashita
Good video.
The Intrepid was hit by so many suicide planes that she was called "The Evil I."
12:57 I've never seen "zero" and "hayabusa" flying together!
A big problem was the aircraft used were not big or heavy enough to penetrate deep into most of their targets!
My grand uncle Benny seen a couple in late 44 when he was on a transport ship on the way to a stage area
He was a marine fighting in the Pacific
My uncle served on the USS North Carolina, and witnessed kamikaze attacks against other ships.
He hated everything Japanese until the day he died.
No Mention of the USS LAFFEY a legend on its own
Really enjoyable video. Have a sub
Thank you
You don’t mention the attack on the USS Kidd by a single Kamikazee, the Kidd is now a floating museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
HMS Sussex wasn’t a “near miss” - it was a direct hit but was totally ineffective.
Clearly we cover that in the video
I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
There is footage of full attacks. Not just cut away's and cameras being turned on after a hit. I've seen footage of a Kamikaze that hit a battleship. AA fire coming in from all side. It was taken from another ship. Straight into the side of the battleship.
“The power of America was formidable, and it was a daunting realization for us.” - General Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister
And now we have the media referring to unmanned drones as “Kamikaze”.
The fact that it hit smack in the armoured belt 4 1/2" or 114 mm
“We underestimated the strength and resolve of the American people, and paid a heavy price for it.” - Colonel Tsuji Masanobu
“Despite our best efforts, we could not overcome the determination and resilience of the American people.” - Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai
the whole rumor of "they couldn't return" is based on the fact that most kamikazes were given just enough fuelto make it to the targets, near the end of the war.... then there is the other kamikazes that were sealed into rocket power assisted bombs... the blueprints of which they actually got from the germans... the engines on the kamikaze rockets were the same engines used on the 1st iterations of the v1 bombs...
It seems as though the Sussex would have much more fire / burnt paint damage from the planes fuel. Unless the image was captured after cleansing and repairs had began there would be black soot all over the side of the ship.
1:54 "...the perceived horrors of an Allied invasion." AKA projection. The same thing that led to the infamous mass suicides.
Gotta watch Eien no Zero again after this.
Seeing the perfect outline of a plane on the side of that ship made me think of 911 for some reason, both Pentagon and wtc.
At some point going into battle no matter what has a high chance of dying anyways. That said I could see where the mentality of guarunteed death would be different.
“We shall never forget the heroic deeds of the American soldiers who fought bravely against the Japanese forces.” - Emperor Hirohito
I would like to recommend the book: Divine Wind. It even has the letters from the pilots and their families.
My uncle Billy Deverell 19 years old from Lapeer, Michigan was Killed in Action December 28th 1944 when a Kamikaze hit the SS John Burke (Ammunition ) Ship my uncle was on LST 750 very near the John Burke and was killed from shrapnel when the SS John Burke exploded. Later in the day LST 750 was hit from a Torpedo and was scuttled
Is there any truth that chicken teriyaki was named for the only surviving kamikaze?
There is a parachute at 12:57, Kamikaze with a parachute? I don't think this is of a Kamikaze Attack, all the same a good video on the Kamikaze!
Sorry my mistake, reading the wrong time, its 5:11 is where you see the parachute!
My father was in Japanese Army, he never talked about Kamikaze. But I’ve heard they drink sake 🍶before get in cockpit and they believed that they become god. Crazy.
僕の父も戦争に行きましたよ。同じように神風のことなど親父からは一言も聞いたことがなかった。
日本ではお祝いの席では酒を飲むのが習慣ですからね。しかし、特攻隊員が、死んでから神になることを信じていた、というのは全然違うと思う。
それはイスラム的な考え方でしょう。特攻隊の切実な願いは、天皇陛下のために死ぬのではなく、家族や故郷を何としても守りたい、ということだったと思う。『天皇陛下万歳』と言って死んで行ったというのは大嘘らしい。あれは米国側の洗脳情報だと思う。
Lmaoo. Thats not what i was expected
Ich lebe jetzt nicht Berlin, sondern Hamburg, aber ich habe schon zweimal Berlin gereist. Die Stadt war sehr schön, besonders Museuminsel. Ich mag gern ins Museum gehen. Als ich dem in Berlin besuchte, die Leute sehr nett waren. Natürlich Restaurant auch. Ein lustige Erfahrung hatte ich. Eine deutsche Frau fragte mir, wo könnte man U-Bahn einsteigen. Meine Gesicht ist ganz koreanische Frau :) Aber ich kannte den Weg, konnte ich antworten. Ich kann nicht die
There was a US destroyer, I can't remember the name, it was on radar picket duty and was hit by 5 seperate kamikaze planes and survived. Testament to how well those US destroyers were built :-)
Why did they wear a helmet?
Deering the early part of the war. The Japanese made little to no effort to recover downed pilots.
Wonderful narration, far superior to the AI generated garbage...
it was a rational decision, considering that the success rate for kamikazes was higher for than conventional attacks.
It's looks as if those planes bounced off of the deck and sanked into the water.
I did not know most Kamikazee pilots were volunteers, that's some serious patriotism.
Japanese military/government are experts at using social rules, honor, duty, patriotism, royalty to emperor, n other nice sounding jingles to brainwash or force you to do what they want. These were young men, easily manipulated in an already obey/conformity based societal environment. Many post war interviews (those who weren't deployed) said that they feel shamed if they don't "volunteer." Everybody was "volunteering" when asked. We all need to be free thinkers.
These Kamikaze pilots were brave but very stupid being led by officers that haven’t the balls to do the job themselves
You don't know what you're talking about
there are many instances of japanese officers being involved in kamikaze attacks, most notably the japanese admiral matome ugaki which is the last known kamikaze of the entire pacific war
As I recall, and I am no expert, the Nazi employed similar tactics, but didn't kill themselves, they would find a target, ram into it, and paraschute out, so they could continue the attack another day.
Even if that tactic was used by the Japanese aviators, it probably would not sway the war for the Japanese.
There are other factors that play in, why the Kamikaze lost, like I had said, I am no expert, and there are plenty of others who have greater insight than me.
Take care, and all the best.
Who says they were not un manned drones
私は日本人です。鹿児島県の知覧特攻博物館に行った事があります。有名な日本人特攻部隊のメンバーの写真と共に統治していた韓国人の若い特攻の方も多く展示されていた事にびっくりしたました。
また、真珠湾での特攻でメンテナンスの為ハワイから離れていたアメリカ船空母を全く攻撃できなかった事が敗戦の始まりだと思います。
considering only one kamakazi pilot ever sank an american ship its safe to say this was not a good idea
They missed the hit on the enterprise
Check out the story of the Laffey!
My late brother inaw told me an my older brother that at one time while had a Kamikazee land on his CVE rather than die.
They weren't kamikaze pilots, they just couldn't see, a bit of string was on the windshield 😂
9:36 imagine being so dumb you gave up your life and all you did was leave a scorch mark
侵略する側では有り得ないかもしれないが、追い詰められた側なら理解できるんじゅないか？
I GUARANTEE GUYS WERE PISSING OFF BOAT SIDE WHILE THE KAMIKAZE PILOTS GETTING DUMPED
10:16 All hail to the belt armour!
Did you hear about the kamikaze pilot who survived the war? His name was Chicken Teriyaki!!!