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The Americans

USS CABOT
(CVL-28)

USS ESSEX
(CV-9)

USS HANCOCK
(CV-19)

USS INTREPID
(CV-11)

 

The Japanese

The Kamikazes

A6M Zero

D4Y SUISEI

IJN Kumano

IJN Yasoshima

 

Narrated By

Marvin Scott

 

Historical Advisor

Michael Marmé, PH.D.
Fordham University,
New YORK, NY

 

REcommended links

World War II
Multimedia Database

Nine Sisters

 

The Japanese • Day of the Kamikaze

In October 1944, Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral Takajiro Ohnishi arrived in the Philippines to organize the air defense in the face of the coming American invasion. While suicide attacks happened prior to 1944, they were individual choices. Ohnishi quickly realized that his naval aviation resources were neither numerous enough nor adequately trained to fight conventionally. He had to stop the invasion – but how?

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About the Japanese IN day of the Kamikaze

The formation of the Kamikaze Corps by Admiral Ohnishi

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Professor Michael Marmé talks about Japanese suicide pilots

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Kamikaze Pilots in 1945

What Ohnishi came up with was suicide attacks – essentially a manned missile. Flying fast, packed with explosives, Ohnishi hoped his suicide pilots would turn the tide of the invasion by making it too costly for the Americans to maintain the beachhead.

By the time of the mass attack of November 25, 1944, Ohnishi had used up a whole squadron, the 201th Kokutai (Naval Air Group), in small-scale kamikaze attacks. Putting together the Yoshino Special Attack Corps, consisting of the remnants the 201st, plus the 701st, 762nd, and 763rd Kokutai, a total of 125 Japanese suicide planes, and several dozen accompanying reconnaissance planes and fighter cover. It was the biggest Japanese air raid since the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and one of the largest kamikaze raids until the battle of Okinawa in April-June 1945.

Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral Takajiro Ohnishi

Ohnishi called the attacks “Shimpu” a cultured reading of the characters that spelled “Divine Wind” a symbolic victory for Japan in the 13th Century, when strong storms wrecked a Mongol invasion fleet. American intelligence translated the words as the more common "kamikaze." The Japanese called the suicide strikes "special attacks" or "body-crashing." Suicide pilots were quickly adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army as well. Suicide crews were also "volunteered" for small boats, manned torpedoes called Kaiten, and rocket planes called Ohka. The pilots pictured above are Ohka pilots. None of these craft were as nearly as effective as one man in a fast bomb-laden plane.

Unfortunately for the historical record, the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces destroyed many records in August 1945 just after the surrender but before the Allies landed to forestall war crimes trials and prevent sensitive intelligence from falling into Allied hands. Many records about the kamikazes were burned by the Navy Headquarters, including service records. For many of the 5,000 Japanese pilots (and the thousands of Army soldiers who committed suicide attacks during the ground fighting) little or nothing is known. Admiral Ohnishi committed suicide in August 1945, a physical and psychological wreck over sending so many to their deaths. Yet even at the end, he wrote the Emperor calling for the continuation of the war, urging Hirohito to send the entire civilian population into battle as suicide soldiers. Then he disemboweled himself and lingered for two days before succumbing to his self-inflicted wounds.

Imperial Japanese Army kamikaze pilots in Japan in November 1944 before deployment to the Philippines. Only Toshio Yoshitake, middle row, second from left is known to have survived the war.

We don't have personal photos of the kamikaze pilots who attacked the Third Fleet, but we know their names, thanks to the research of Dr. Richard Streb. Dr. Streb was on board the bridge of USS Essex when Yoshinori Yamaguchi crashed into the port side at 1256 hours. Dr. Streb traveled to Japan in the 1980's, and located not only the names of the pilot who hit Essex, but the names of other kamikaze pilots who hit other ships. The names of the pilots that hit the Cabot have not been located.

Japanese Attacks November 25, 1944 USS Intrepid Kamikaze Strikes Suehiro Ikeda 1256 Hours Kohichi Nunoda 1259 Hours USS Hancock Kamikaze Strike Chief Officer 1st Class Isamu Kamitake 1233 Hours USS Essex Kamikaze Strike Yoshinori Yamaguchi 1256 Hours USS Cabot Kamikaze Strikes Unknown pilot 1254 Hours Unknown pilot 1256 Hours Yoshino Special Attack Corps Commander Kimiharu Kohtake

Kamikaze pilot during World War II