The following link shows a complete and extensive reporting a collection of photos, some known and others, rare and dramatic, about this iconic group of pilots who flew and fought in WW2: http://aviacaoemfloripa.blogspot.com.br/2011/02/kamikaze.html Hope you enjoy and I count on your visit!
Thanks for sharing the link Lawrence, really interesting article and in Portuguese! Today we call them suicidal terrorists those days were kamikaze...
Fantastic read and pictures! Thanks a bunch for this. I love looking at the pictures and just thinking to myself what is going through their minds know they're going to die and they are absolutely certain of it. I can't imagine the fear they must be facing or the thoughts flying (no pun intended) through their head. Gives you the chills. Would love to see more of stuff like this!
Well, here is another timeline-album with Nakajima ki 115T . http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation history/photo_albums/timeline/ww2/kamikaze.htm And another one from the Pacific. The Kamikaze Pilots' action :
The philosophy of the kamikaze hasn't changed much, today they are promised heaven, were the Japanese promised something as well or they just believed in "team" sacrifice?
A lot of these kamikaze pilots viewed themselves as the last defense between their families and country, and the Americans. Japan was being firebombed regularly, they were losing the naval war, lots of people were dying and progress was not being made. This was a last resort. Also, they were honored to die for their country and their emperor- it was, in Japanese culture, honorable. This was reinforced by propaganda- glorifying kamikaze stories to young people, creating false stories of great kamikazes, creating false stories of American cruelties... there are a lot of parallels to modern suicide bombers As a sidenote, the origin of the name "kamikaze" is interesting. The Mongol Empire under Kublai Khan tried to invade Japan on two occasions, and on both occasions, the fleets were destroyed by typhoons. This was called a divine wind- kami (divine) kaze (wind).
Yes, good essay, 57B. Have you ever studied pre-war Japanese educational system? Back then there was a formalized national religion called "State Shinto". This was the institutionalized part of compulsary education for all Japanese citizens that taught the Emperor was DIVINE and everyone owned a duty to Him (giri), and this was the reason so many were ready to die. State Shinto also included compulsory military training in their Public Education so many Japanese soldiers were trained and discipline even before induction (unlike in the US). At the end of the war there was a policy set by the OCCUPYING POWER of de-militarizing the nation, seperating Shinto from State Shinto, and makeing Hirohito no longer divine. (By the way, I understand the new Emperor, Hirohito's son, is once again Divine).
Wow, I didn't know Japan still had an emperor. Kind of like the U.K. or Spain in that sense. It seems there's someone set up in line to succeed him- his third grandson. Thanks for the info, Interrogator.
I watched a lot of documentaries about WW2. What I've found interesting is that Japan implemented the kamikazes in the last stages of the war. I forgot the total japanese planes that were lost in the war, but from my estimates if it took 5 to 10 kamikazes planes to cripple a american naval ship. If they did kamikazes in the beginning of the war, Japan could of maybe had the upperhand in naval battles.
Japan had an array of weapons which were considered as suicide weapons, beside aircraft. For instance: Occupation forces discovered many 'human-guilded torpedoes' held in readiness for the pending invasion. In addition each able-bodied civilian was to arm themselve with a stout, sharpened bamboo PIKE so as to sell their lives dear meeting the expected invaders.
Japanese always had a very specific way of thinking and still do, they inspired suicide bombers of these days with their kamikaze actions I'm afraid.
