Dear myxamatosis,
Here are the results of my research concerning your questions:
-- The Effect of Kamikaze on the War --
Of the several books I consulted for information on this particular
topic, all agree that the Kamikaze attacks did not affect the course
war in favor of the Japanese at all. On the contrary, it directed the
events on a more devastating path. Representatively for all the
similar views, I quote author Raymond Cartier:
"[The Kamikazes] left an enormous mark and led to the considered
opinion that Japan could only be defeated by eradicating all
Japanese."
The material losses caused by Kamikaze attacks were, as the list below
shows, very annoying but not a real threat to the Allied war
machinery. Ships could be replaced or repaired, and after the first
shock was gone, ways were found to lower the Kamikazes' chances of
attacking successfully, like using more long-range scouting destroyers
and more anti-aircraft weapons aboard the ships. What was worse was
the permanent fear of Kamikaze attacks among the ships' crews. That,
in combination with the relatively high number of victims in
successful attacks, undermined morale to a certain degree. On the
other side, wrath and hate against the Japanese also grew as a result
of the suicide attacks, leading to an even stronger grimness.
The Kamikaze attacks convinced the leading persons on the Allied side
that the Japanese were fraught with fanaticism in their fight, and
that this fanaticism would not diminish, but rather increase as their
situation became more and more hopeless. Presumption was that in case
of an Allied landing at the Japanese coast, countless Kamikazes might
attack the ships, landing craft, and troops, with horrifying effect.
And the absolute determination of the Kamikaze pilots was regarded an
expression of a general attitude among the Japanese people, so for a
fight on the Japanese islands, prospects were frightening.
At least concerning the threat of huge Kamikaze attacks during an
invasion of the Japanese mainland, the danger was real: Admiral
Kakijivo, who founded and commanded the Kamikaze corps, had built up a
reserve of thousands of aircraft of all kinds for attacking the Allied
fleet should they try to invade Japan.
In the end, it was the suicidal, fanatic militantness that led
President Truman to the decision to drop the atomic bombs and thus
bring the war to a quick end.
-- Allied Ships affected by Kamikaze Attacks --
- Sunken -
3 Escort Aircraft Carriers
13 Destroyers
1 Escort Destroyer
2 Fast Minelayers
1 Submarine Destroyer
1 Minesweeper
3 Fast Transports
5 Tank Landing Craft
1 High Sea Tugboat
1 Auxiliary Ship
1 Outpost Ship
2 Torpedo Boats
--
34 Ships total
- Damaged -
16 Heavy Aircraft Carriers
3 Light Aircraft Carriers
17 Escort Aircraft Carriers
15 Battleships
5 Heavy Cruisers
10 Light Cruisers
87 Destroyers
1 Submarine
24 Escort Destroyers
13 Light Minelayers
15 Fast Minelayers
1 PT Boat Escort Vessel
2 Surveying Ships
1 Hospital Ship
2 Freighters
3 Attack Freighters
1 Net Ship
10 Minesweepers
2 Tankers
14 Attack Transports
15 Fast Transports
1 Hospital Transport
2 Repair Ships for Landing Craft
1 Fleet Tugboat
3 Seaplane Motherships
1 Seaplane Recovery Ship
1 Minelayer
11 Tank Landing Craft
1 Outpost Ship
2 Torpedo Boats
1 Transport
1 Demagnetization Ship
6 Auxiliary Minesweepers
--
288 Ships total
Apart from the mere loss of war material, about 15,000 men lost their
lives as victims of Kamikaze attacks.
On the Japanese side, 2514 Kamikaze missions were carried out, with a
loss of 1428 planes (incl. escort fighters).
-- The Principles of Kamikaze Attacks --
The Japanese Kamikaze units had two ways of attacking enemy ships:
1. Approach in approximately 6000-7000 meters height. When the target
is spotted, diving in a 20° angle to reach the necessary speed. At ca.
1000-2000 meters, changing to Stuka-like nosedive, in an angle of
between 45° and 55°, heading directly for the enemy ship.
2. Approach in extremely low height, only 10-15 meters above the ocean
surface, to avoid being spotted by Radar. When the target comes in
sight, heaving to approximately 400-500 meters, then nosedive for the
ship.
Larger Kamikaze formations combined both attack techniques. If
possible, experienced fighter pilots provided escort for the Kamikazes
as long as they could.
The technology behind Kamikaze attacks was not at all sophisticated:
All kinds of Planes were used, the famous Zero fighters (Mitsubishi
A6M5) as well as out-dated warplanes, bi-engine bombers, torpedo
planes, trainer biplanes, etc. The only requirement was that the
planes could carry a load of explosives that could, at collision,
inflict serious damage to an enemy vessel. Often, the explosives were
bombs like the Japanese 250 kilograms bomb which was carried by
Kamikaze Zeros.
In addition to using standard airplanes, special Kamikaze aircraft
were designed: The Oka ("Oka" = "Cherry Blossom") was a lightweight
one-seat rocketplane with a bomb used as a warhead in the
frontsection. This aircraft was dropped from a bomber and piloted to
the target by use of the rocket motor. While the Oka bomb saw actual
use (800 were built, 50 saw action and sunk a total of 3 ships), the
Nakajima K-115 "Tsurugi" (="Sabre"), a special one-way plane for
Kamikaze units, never was used for attacks.
When attacking Allied naval forces, the main target of Kamikazes were
aircraft carriers, since they were the most valuable and also the most
vulnerable naval units. The large shafts of the big plane elevators,
connecting the lower hangar decks with the flight deck, were the
points where carriers could be hit most crushing. But also the wooden
flight decks of most American carriers (British carriers usually had
steel flight decks) were a favorite target: The impact of a Kamikaze
plane could cause enormous destruction deep into the lower decks and
also lead to conflagration. When attacking other kinds of major
warships, the Kamikaze pilots usually aimed, if possible, at the
bridge to "decapitate" the vessel.
The most noteworthy Kamikaze attacks were:
- 25 October 1944, Leyte Bay. The first attack of the new Kamikaze
corps: 5 Zero fighters, each with a 250 kg bomb, attack the US
aircraft carriers "St. Lo", "Kitkun Bay", "Fanshaw Bay", and "White
Plains". The "St. Lo" sinks, the other carriers suffer damages.
Several more Kamikaze attacks followed this one during the Leyte Bay
operations.
- 21 February 1945, Iwo Jima. 32 Kamikazes attack the Allied fleet,
sinking the carrier "Bismarck Sea" and damaging tha carrier
"Saratoga".
- 19 March 1945, Iwo Jima. The carriers "Franklin", "Wasp", and
"Enterprise" suffer heavy damages from Kamikaze attacks.
- 1 April-21 June 1945, Okinawa. During the Okinawa campaign alone,
1465 Kamikaze planes attacked the Allied fleet. They damaged 164
vessels and sunk 26, among them Admiral Mitcher's flagship "Bunker
Hill".
Sources:
Zentner / Bedürftig: Das große Lexikon des Zweiten Weltkriegs.
Published by Südwest, 1988. ISBN 3-517-00903-2
Raymond Cartier: Der Zweite Weltkrieg, Vol. 2. Published by R. Piper &
Co, 1977. ISBN 3-492-02284-7
Jacobsen / Dollinger: Der Zweite Weltkrieg in Bildern und Dokumenten,
Vol. 3. Published by R. Löwit, 1963.
Clark G. Reynolds: Die Flugzeugträger. Published by Time-Life in
cooperation with Bechtermünz, 1993. ISBN 3-86047-054-X
Dan's Histoy: Japanese Bombers and Kamikaze Planes
http://www.danshistory.com/ww2/japanese.shtml
The Perilous Fight: The Kamikaze Threat
http://www.pbs.org/perilousfight/psychology/the_kamikaze_threat/
Google Answers: Number of victims of Kamikaze attacks, by Researcher
techtor-ga
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=207863
USS Essex CV9: The Kamikaze
http://ussessex.bravepages.com/thekamikaze.html
Search terms used:
kamikaze casualties
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=kamikaze+casualties&spell=1
kamikaze attacks "flight decks"
://www.google.de/search?q=kamikaze+attacks+%22flight+decks%22&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&start=10&sa=N
Hope this is what you needed!
Best regards,
Scriptor |
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