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At the battle of Leyte Japan started the first organized Kamikaze attacks. Individual suicide attacks have been happening all the time but this time they sent out organized waves of Kamikazes. What impact did they have in your opinion? - Thanks.
If that first organized attack had been more successful, I would not be here typing this post. My father was a member of the fighter squadron assigned to the USS Kitkun Bay which had been part of the Taffy Three task force that had been chased by the Japanese surface fleet that morning. When the kamikaze attack came, the ship's anti aircraft guns managed to shoot down a Betty bomber aiming to crash into the ship, but was then struck by a Zero in the port catwalk, killing one and wounding 16.
It knocked the ship out of the fight, forcing it to return eventually to Pearl Harbor for repairs. The kamikaze strike had taken out the portion of the hull which had been outside the officer's head. My father said that on the trip back to Pearl, any officer using that bathroom could look out over open ocean while sitting there relieving himself.
At the battle of Leyte Japan started the first organized Kamikaze attacks. Individual suicide attacks have been happening all the time but this time they sent out organized waves of Kamikazes. What impact did they have in your opinion? - Thanks.
Impact? They were highly effective tactically for the Japanese, studies show that they were about 10x more effective then traditional air-to-ship sorties (that it's, conventional dive bombers and fighters) in the damage they inflicted. Strategically they were self-defeating as the Japanese had to sacrifice pilots and planes. I read they were holding back quite a bit on releasing the final waves of Kamikaze attacks for the expected US/allied invasion of Japan in late 1945 or 46. Thank God for the atom bomb because the casualties to our invasion fleet alone would have been devastating.
As with any type of warfare however, there are countermeasures. Maneuvar, coordinated fire, and throwing as much metal in the air to bring down those fighters before they made impact with their ship, and CAPs to make sure those kamikaze fighters never made it close to the fleet in the first place.
If that first organized attack had been more successful, I would not be here typing this post. My father was a member of the fighter squadron assigned to the USS Kitkun Bay which had been part of the Taffy Three task force that had been chased by the Japanese surface fleet that morning. When the kamikaze attack came, the ship's anti aircraft guns managed to shoot down a Betty bomber aiming to crash into the ship, but was then struck by a Zero in the port catwalk, killing one and wounding 16.
It knocked the ship out of the fight, forcing it to return eventually to Pearl Harbor for repairs. The kamikaze strike had taken out the portion of the hull which had been outside the officer's head. My father said that on the trip back to Pearl, any officer using that bathroom could look out over open ocean while sitting there relieving himself.
Thanks for sharing the story and also for your great Civil War threat. I can't wait for every single update from you. It's awesome and made me check out more books from the library on it.
Impact? They were highly effective tactically for the Japanese, studies show that they were about 10x more effective then traditional air-to-ship sorties (that it's, conventional dive bombers and fighters) in the damage they inflicted. Strategically they were self-defeating as the Japanese had to sacrifice pilots and planes. I read they were holding back quite a bit on releasing the final waves of Kamikaze attacks for the expected US/allied invasion of Japan in late 1945 or 46. Thank God for the atom bomb because the casualties to our invasion fleet alone would have been devastating.
As with any type of warfare however, there are countermeasures. Maneuvar, coordinated fire, and throwing as much metal in the air to bring down those fighters before they made impact with their ship, and CAPs to make sure those kamikaze fighters never made it close to the fleet in the first place.
Wow! I had no idea they were this effective compared to conventional attacks. As far as I know Kamikazes only managed to sink smaller ships like transports or destroyers so I really discounted their effectiveness. I still have the idea in my head that the Japanese pilots of 1941/42 were much more effective conventionally than any Kamikaze.
Wow! I had no idea they were this effective compared to conventional attacks. As far as I know Kamikazes only managed to sink smaller ships like transports or destroyers so I really discounted their effectiveness. I still have the idea in my head that the Japanese pilots of 1941/42 were much more effective conventionally than any Kamikaze.
It wasn't simply a matter of superior effectiveness which caused the Japanese to turn to the Kamikazes in late '44. By then the US navy's submarine arm had pretty much wiped out the entire Japanese merchant marine, creating severe fuel shortages for their armed forces. Simultaneously, the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot battle had extinguished most of Japan's remaining veteran airmen.
So, with a shortage of fuel, and an absence of experienced pilots to train replacements, a solution which overcame these problems was needed. The Kamikaze was the efficient answer. There was no need to waste a lot of time and fuel training them because the flying skills needed would be minimal. Kamikaze missions were one way trips, so they could be sent out with gas tanks half full.
Great thread. Reminded me that over the weekend here there was a reunion of Taffy 3 sailors who were in the Battle of Samar. 55 survivors attended, some under their own power, others in wheelchairs. Held on the retired carrier USS Midway. These guys are in the 90's and wanted folks to remember.
It wasn't simply a matter of superior effectiveness which caused the Japanese to turn to the Kamikazes in late '44. By then the US navy's submarine arm had pretty much wiped out the entire Japanese merchant marine, creating severe fuel shortages for their armed forces. Simultaneously, the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot battle had extinguished most of Japan's remaining veteran airmen.
So, with a shortage of fuel, and an absence of experienced pilots to train replacements, a solution which overcame these problems was needed. The Kamikaze was the efficient answer. There was no need to waste a lot of time and fuel training them because the flying skills needed would be minimal. Kamikaze missions were one way trips, so they could be sent out with gas tanks half full.
If you think about it ww2 was really fought to the bitter end and total surrender. None of our wars has even come close to that, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf, ...
Great thread. Reminded me that over the weekend here there was a reunion of Taffy 3 sailors who were in the Battle of Samar. 55 survivors attended, some under their own power, others in wheelchairs. Held on the retired carrier USS Midway. These guys are in the 90's and wanted folks to remember.
My father passed away in 1994, but had never been the sort to attend reunions. Among the things he left me was an original print of this photograph, taken from aboard the Kitkun Bay showing an kamikaze going down in flames, trying to strike one of the Taffy Three escort carriers as it falls. (it missed.)
Japan and American had opposite policy on nearly everything, and this was reflected in their aircraft, piolots, and training. The Americans have the view that the human being is the most important componant in everything and so American aircraft had one-inch thick steel armor around the cockpit. Japanese aircraft had none. As a result, American aircraft were heavier, slower, and less maneuverable--but they could take a lot of punishment and still keep fighting. Japanese aircraft were lighter, swifter, and highly maneuverable--but if you got your guns on them they disintigrated quickly. American pilots were rotated back stateside to train the new pilots. Japan was of the opnion that their veterans were needed on the front so trained their pilots by men who often had little experience. As a result, American rookies went into battle already knowing a lot of the tricks of the trade and went up against Japanese rookies who were green as green could be. In battle after battle the Americans slaughtered the Japanese. Since a high percentage of Japanese pilots were only going to fly a one-way mission anyway, why not train them for that?
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