The deadliest weapon of Japan:
KAMIKAZE ATTACKS
During World War II, thousands of Japanese pilots volunteered to be kamikaze: they committed suicide crashing their planes against enemy targets in the name of their empire
It is difficult to verify the figures, but it is believed that between 3,000 and 4,000 Japanese pilots crashed their planes on purpose against an enemy target.
It is believed that only 10% of the missions had completed successfully
Be a shield for the emperor and die with dignity stamping the plane against the enemy. Many Japanese believed that this is how a Japanese hero should be in World War II. But not everyone thought this way. To understand the Kamikaze phenomenon, three important elements that permeated Japanese society must be taken into account: ultra-nationalism, channeled through emperor worship, iron militarism and education, inspired by bushido, the samurai code of honor, which contemplated ritual suicide, or seppuku, as an act of decorum and dignity.
In 1944, the rapid initial conquest of the Pacific crumbles like a house of cards before the superiority of the allies, capable of manufacturing more advanced ships and planes, in overwhelming quantities and at a higher speed.
However, giving up is not an option. The defeats of Saipan and the Gulf of Leytegolpean hard Japanese morale. The idea of attacking "like bees, who sting and die", begins to haunt the minds of the high command, suggested, apparently, by some pilots, such as the experienced Motoharu Okamura.In 1944 the formation of fighter squadrons equipped with bombs and piloted by men willing to lose their lives is proposed.
Prime Minister Tojo authorizes the creation of the Shinpu, or Special Attack Corps, initially composed of twenty-four aircraft divided into four units, poetically baptized as Asahi (rising sun), Yamazakura (mountain cherry tree), Yamato and Shikishima (archaic names of Japan ). On October 25 the first attack takes place.
Many Kamikazes felt compelled to behave like heroes for their peers of their education.
It must be said that those responsible for the specail attack unit also paid for their decisions with their lives. Butthey failed to turn their sacrifice into something useful. On august 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announces unconditional surrender and Vice Admiral Onishi commited suicide.