Kamikaze planes not real? What kind of BS is that? EVERYONE (well, everyone with a brain) know that kamikaze pilotes exists. Kamikaze is a tactic the Japanese used to get what ever they can out of their war materials. A pilots is taught to crash his (not many hers) plane into anything within reach. At the end of the war, green pilots (new recruits) are specifically taught to crash their planes, most specifically designed and armed with nothing but lots of explosives and one way fuel to sink any U.S. ship that can be found. Kamikaze means the "Devine Wind" (my japanese isn't so great. Hard to learn a asian language. My chinese is a lot better than my japanese ). Most of the pilots are volunteers to serve the Emperor and the Empire of the Rising Sun (bunch of BS since the Hirohito is a pacifist with bean for power, Tojo is the real guy in control).

"I do think there are aspects to be explored.
In the case of the kamikaze, there "was" a legal state of war; there was the Rising Sun on the Nakajimas and Mitsubishis; there was no possibility of mistaking their intent; there was absolutely no issue of non-combatant casualties."

Well put. And these aspects are what distinguishes honorable acts of war, to cowardly acts of terrorism.

I will though advocate not harping on the original poster. He may just be young, and given the current state of education, it doesn't surprise me, but the fact that he comes here to help verify the facts, shows some intelligence, and I say kudos for that at least...

To further clarify for pizza...

"people that got shot and flew into things"

Though this did indeed occur, there is a distinct difference between these individuals, and kamikaze's. Kamikaze's had specifically outfitted planes, made to be a flying bomb. They had enough fuel to reach the target, and not to come back. They got their affairs in order before leaving, wills, etc. and performed a special ceremony prior to taking off. This is the difference.

My thanks to Gazrok for the well-deserved chiding with regard to etiquette: my apologies to I-love-p for being Indig-estragon; but one has been provoked of late.

Forgot to say that the "Devine Wind" was the wiind that destroyed the Mongolian fleet when the Mongolians (forgot which Khan, maybe Kublai) tried to invade Japan. The Japanese hoped naming those suicide missions with this name will bring them good luck and turn the tide of the war. Kamikaze was very effective in elliminating the option of a land assult from any U.S. military plans because the Kamikaze pilots scared the U.S. generals to hell (Gosh, I would be scared to land on a island of "maniacs" who are willing to sacrifice themselfs to kill a few U.S. soldiers). The Kamikaze missions ironically achieved what they sought to do and indeed protected Japan from invasion. Anyway, any association of Kamikaze pilots with suicide bombers are false. Kamikaze pilots are honourable soldiers who chose to give their lives to defend their country. I doubt many U.S. AF pilots would do that do defend this country.

for propaganda. But it's true that there were Kamikazi airpane pilot like there are kamikazi bombers in israel.

Peoples endocrinated to kil other people...

They forget that Suicide is a deadly sin...

Yep, quite literally....

and,

Quite welcome Estragon...

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Yes, they were real. They were volunteers on top of that. No parachute was necessary as they were on a one way mission for their god. They were seen as heroes and martyrs willing to give all knowing their was no hope of survival.

Not only were they heroes, but they were officially elevated to the rank of GOD.

The original post here sounds more like the revisionist history we are seeing in our instiutions of higher learning. "No there were no Kamikazes, that is a lie perpetrated by the U.S. government to justify thier unconscionable aggression against the peaceful Japanese people." You know, that sort of tripe.

I have always wondered why kamakazi pilots wore helmets... anyone willing to enlighten me?

There were kamikazi pilots...they were different from the other pilots because they knew they were going to crash their explosives laden plane into a ship or other target.

They did not even wait to be hit as they had no weapons, everything was stripped to put bombs on.

The Japs learned all too late that paper airplanes don't make good airplanes, but they do make good Missiles.

The Kamikazi pilots wore helmets to try and live as long as possible as they flew into a hail of gunfire, because it was their job to make sure they hit the target, rather than being shot down early and falling into the sea...which many did.

Seems like your friend wasted his time/credits on that class. Yeah, the nazi's never practiced genocide either.

Originally posted by FreeMason
There were kamikazi pilots...they were different from the other pilots because they knew they were going to crash their explosives laden plane into a ship or other target.

They did not even wait to be hit as they had no weapons, everything was stripped to put bombs on.

The Japs learned all too late that paper airplanes don't make good airplanes, but they do make good Missiles.

The Kamikazi pilots wore helmets to try and live as long as possible as they flew into a hail of gunfire, because it was their job to make sure they hit the target, rather than being shot down early and falling into the sea...which many did.

I doubt helmets helped them that much.

Originally posted by ilovepizza
he says he took a whole semester on japanesse history and there were no kamakzi pilots. just people that got shot and flew into things.

The word is KAMIKAZE, and means Wind of the Gods / Divine wind.. and there sure the hell was them..

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944:

First serious Kamikaze attack..

1. Zero hit and damaged escort carrier USS Sante. (first successful kamikaze?)
2. Another Zero hits and damages escort carrier USS Suwannee
3. Third Zero hits escort carrier USS St Lo sinking it within one hour.. (first US ship to sunk because of kamikaze attack..)

Battle for Okinawa, March-July 1945:

Largest Kamikaze attack..

Japanese fly total 34000 sorties by 6000 aircraft, many of them suicide attacks. US pilots and gunner claimed 2,336 shot down, losing total of 790 aircraft. American naval loses amounted to 33 ships sunk (including 13 destroyers..) and 119 severly damaged, including 9 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier and three escort carriers, nine battleships and 37 destroyers.

[Edited on 9-8-2003 by Uninen]

The Japanese also employed other forms of Suicide attack, i think they had a form of manned Torpedo altough i dont think many were used, anyone know of any others?

Nice link cheers!
Ive just found this pic ... u can see the conning tower at the front.

Originally posted by SilverDeath
I have always wondered why kamakazi pilots wore helmets... anyone willing to enlighten me?

Helemts contained the headphones for thier commo gear.
They needed intercept info to find the ships they were attacking.

Originally posted by MidnightDStroyer
Actually, that's what a Kamakazie pilot was *ordered* to do & it's what defined what a Kamakazie pilot *was*...If their plane was hit, they tried to make it crash in a place where it could do some good (at least, good for the Jap war effort).


[Edited on 20-3-2003 by MidnightDStroyer]

but what about the pilots that loaded the inside of the plane with explosives? ask any surviving WWII vet that served in the pacific.

I was watching TV this morning and being the aniversary of VJ Day they had a bit of a special. An old guy who was the commander of a Kamikaze unit on Tanegashima was interviewed. He gave them their orders and sent them out to die. He said he felt like he had killed those guys himself.