Kamikaze 39.pdf

Table of contents

Published in Poland in 2009

by STRATUS s.c.

Po. Box 123,

27-600 Sandomierz 1, Poland

e-mail:office@mmpbooks.biz

for

Mushroom Model Publications,

36 Ver Road, Redbourn,

AL3 7PE, UK.

e-mail: rogerw@mmpbooks.biz

Publications.

http://www.mmpbooks.biz

Japanese Special Attack ...........................................................................................................5

The culture of Kamikaze .......................................................................................................5

Kamikaze - the last chance for the Japanese Empire ............................................................7

The creators of Japanese Special Attack ...............................................................................7

Establishment of the Kamikaze suicide units........................................................................8

Kamikaze pilot training.......................................................................................................10

Last moments before a suicide mission...............................................................................13

Kamikaze over the Philippines............................................................................................16

The last air combats over the Philippines............................................................................21

Kamikaze in defence of Iwo Jima .......................................................................................32

Fighting at Okinawa ............................................................................................................37

The last Kamikaze attacks in defence of the Japanese Islands............................................49

The effects of Kamikaze .....................................................................................................50

The fate of the Kamikaze godfathers ..................................................................................50

Kamikaze effectiveness.......................................................................................................52

List of the most important suicide units and formations .....................................................53

Suicide units of the Army and Navy participating in actions over the Philippines...53

Suicide units of the Army and Navy participating in actions over Okinawa ............53

Organisation of some aircraft suicide units ...............................................................55

Ships damaged and sunk during attacks by Kamikaze or Shimpū suicide units .......57

Kamikaze (or Shimpū ) aircraft..................................................................................................61

Special attack aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army .............................................................65

Kawasaki Ki-48 (‘Lily’)......................................................................................................65

Kawasaki Ki-119.................................................................................................................73

Kokusai Ta-Go ....................................................................................................................77

Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen).........................................................................................82

Mitsubishi To-Go and Ki-167 ............................................................................................90

Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi....................................................................................................96

Rikugun single jet-engine fighter ......................................................................................106

Tachikawa Ki-74 ‘Patsy’...................................................................................................106

Tachikawa Ta-Go..............................................................................................................113

The Experimental Single-seat Attack Aeroplane ..............................................................115

Special attack aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy ............................................................117

Aichi M6A Seiran/Nanzan ................................................................................................117

Kawanishi Baika ...............................................................................................................129

Kugisho D3Y Myojo.........................................................................................................135

Kugisho D4Y Suisei (‘Judy’)............................................................................................140

Kugisho MXY7 Ohka (Baka) ...........................................................................................149

Kokukyoku Jinryu ............................................................................................................174

Nakajima Kikka.................................................................................................................181

Nakajima Toka ..................................................................................................................194

Remote controlled flying bombs of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy ..........................196

Army .......................................................................................................................................196

Fu-Go bomber balloon ......................................................................................................197

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under the Copyright, Design and

Patents Act, 1988, no part of this

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ISBN

978-83-89450-12-8

Editor in chief

Roger Wallsgrove

Editorial Team

Bartłomiej Belcarz

James Kightly

Robert Pęczkowski

Artur Juszczak

Colour Drawings

Artur Juszczak

Zygmunt Szeremeta

Krzysztof Wołowski

DTP

Artur Bukowski

Translation

Wojtek Matusiak

Printed by:

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PRINTED IN POLAND

Rikugun Maru-Ke (Ke-Go) homing bomb .......................................................................201

Kawasaki I-Go-1 Otsu (Ki-148)........................................................................................207

Mitsubishi I-Go-1 Ko (Ki-147) .........................................................................................216

Rikugun I-Go-1 Hei ..........................................................................................................223

Tokyo University I-Go infra-red guided missile...............................................................224

Rikugun AZ and Maru-Ko flying torpedoes .....................................................................224

Tokushu Kogata Bakugekki and Sa-Go ............................................................................225

Navy ........................................................................................................................................226

Kugisho Funryu remote controlled missile .......................................................................226

Kugisho Kudan flying bomb .............................................................................................231

Kugisho Kurai flying anti-submarine torpedo ..................................................................232

Kokukyoku Shusui-shiki Kayaku Rocket .........................................................................236

Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................240

Colour profiles .......................................................................................................................241

All photos via the author

except where stated.

To Makiko and Takuya, my beloved wife and son

Ryusuke Ishiguro

The last air combats over the Philippines

The next stage of the Japanese attacks by suicide aircraft commenced in late November 1944

when the units in the Philippines were reinforced with 450 aircraft from Taiwan. These were used

immediately to form new Kamikaze units. One of these, the 3rd Shimpū Tokubetsu Kogekitai ,

assembled at Nichols Field and Mabalacat. The unit was equipped with Mitsubishi A6M ‘Zero’

fighters, Kugisho D4Y Suisei ‘Judy’ dive-bombers and twin-engined Kugisho P1Y Ginga ‘Frances’

land-based bombers. It began operations on 25 November 1944. The first to go into action was the

Yoshino tai unit, under Sub-Lieutenant Masami Takatake. Six ‘Zero’ fighters and two ‘Frances’

bombers arrived over the American fleet commanded by Admiral Gerald F. Bogan at 1130, and two

more attack groups followed.

The first group was met with heavy AA fire from the carrier USS Cabot , but two Kamikazes hit

the ship. Only slight damage resulted, but 15 American sailors were killed and 16 were wounded.

Two more Japanese aircraft hit the carrier USS Intrepid : the first struck a gun position and destroyed

it, before falling onto the deck and causing a fire to start. The other Kamikaze exploded on the deck,

from which 75 aircraft had just taken off. Damage to the deck was substantial meaning aircraft

from the USS Intrepid had to find alternative places to land. The carrier lost 79 sailors killed and

43 wounded. The third target of the attack was the carrier USS Hancock , which came under attack

by four ‘Zero’ fighters. Two of these were shot down by AA fire and the third burst into flames

after American fighters intervened. When the fourth flew into the dense AA fire, its wings were

shot off and most of the remaining wreckage missed the carrier but hit the destroyer next to her.

The destroyer sustained slight damage. A few fragments of wing and fuselage fell onto the carrier,

causing no damage.

The last to be attacked was the flag carrier, USS Essex . One of the attacking aircraft was shot

down, but another crashed into the flight deck and 15 sailors were killed. A total of eighteen

Kamikaze aircraft were shot down. The attacks continued into the next day and respite only came

A damaged P1Y1 Ginga

bomber from the 763rd

Kokutai seen from

the deck of the aircraft

carrier USS Ommaney

Bay .

Kamikaze effectiveness

The effect of suicide attacks is quantified by the numbers below. However, this can never be

a complete reflection, as in addition to the officially recorded attacks by Kamikaze units, many

suicide attacks were not recorded as they were performed by individual pilots or by small groups

on their own initiative.

Number of attack missions

1944

1945

Number of ships destroyed

1944

1945

Number of ships damaged

1944

1945

112

256

Total pilot casualties , including:

3,913

Imperial Japanese Navy

2,525

Imperial Japanese Army

1,388

The Navy trained a total of 1,727 pilots, whose age varied between 18 and 20 (there were in

fact several pilots aged 17). Of these, 110 pilots were students of the military academy. One Vice-

Admiral and two Captains were killed, and the others were ranks between Warrant Officer and

Lieutenant. Most of them had graduated from the military academy in 1943.

In the Army, most pilots had graduated from advanced flying schools. Most pilots were Sub-

Lieutenants, and their average age was 25. Warrant Officers were generally aged 18 or 19.

The world learned more about the origin and operations of the Kamikaze units through the trials

of Japanese commanders held after WWII. The principal trial was held in Tokyo by the International

Far East Court between 3 May 1946 and November 1948, during which 28 Japanese commanders

were tried for war crimes. The bill of indictment included 55 charges, mostly crimes against world

peace, the conventions of war, and against humanity.

The 48th charge included the use of suicide units. It was agreed that this was not only a case

of a crime against humanity, but also a crime against their own nation. However, on 25 October

1974, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the first Kamikaze unit at the Philippine base

at Mabalacat, a monument with a memorial

plaque was unveiled. Later, subsequent

monuments were built, wherever Kamikaze

units were based. A monument to Yukio

Seki, the first of many subsequent pilots who

gave their lives for Japan and the Emperor,

was also erected.

There are more and more documents

published about the actions of the special

units, mostly memoirs of those who did not

see their turn come. The Japanese have not

forgotten their sons, sent to certain death in

defence of their home.

On 2 September 1945

on the USS Missouri

in Tokyo Bay Lieuten-

ant General Richard K.

Sutherland received the

unconditional surrender

of the Japanese Empire,

signed by Mamoru Shige-

mitsu.

No production Ki-115 Ko aircraft reached combat units. Even so, plans for a further-developed

version designated Ki-115 Otsu were underway. The Otsu variant had a new wing which had

increased span and area. The plan was to fit it with normal flaps, and the cockpit was relocated

slightly forward to improve visibility. It was going to be built entirely of wood, to minimise the use

of duralumin. However, although design work had been completed, no prototype of the Ki-115 Otsu

was built as the project was overtaken by the end of the war.

The Ki-115 Hei variant also remained on paper. This featured significantly improved visibility

as a result of locating the cockpit even further forward than on the Otsu. It was also going to be

fitted with a manual bomb release so the pilot could jettison the bomb, or use the aircraft like a

conventional bomber - previous versions of the Tsurugi had no option to release the bomb from the

cockpit, which would have made landing in the event of an aborted mission impossible.

Two production Ki-115 Ko aircraft were completed and tested with two solid fuel rocket boosters

under the wings. The rockets were intended to accelerate take-off of the aeroplane from hastily

prepared air strips, or to increase diving speed in the final phase of the suicide attack.

The Navy was also interested in the Ki-115 Tsurugi. The Kaigun Koku Hombu issued Nakajima

its own specification for a similar aeroplane type and placed an order, giving the machine the

designation of “Experimental Navy special aeroplane Toka” (Wisteria Blossom). Changes included,

among others, an increased wing area of 13.10m 2 , and a number of minor modifications in the

equipment (mainly the re-scaling of instruments to knots rather than km/h). According to Nakajima’s

calculations, the introduction of the changes requested by the Kaigun Koku Hombu would reduce

One of eight Ki-115

prototypes with main

undercarriage fitted with

shock-absorbers.

Although 105 Nakajima

Ki-115 Tsurugi suicide

aircraft were built, none

took part in combat

operations. This is one of

the production aircraft in

the assembly hall.

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