crate78
07-23-09, 11:49 AM
I just finished reading a fascinating and absorbing book entitled “Thunder Gods”. It’s an account of the Japanese Kamikaze operations against the U.S. forces in the final stages of WWII.
This one was written by a Japanese author, Hatsuho Naito, about the Japanese side of the war. It was translated into English by Motoji Ichikawa, himself a Kamikaze pilot whose collateral duties prevented him from going on a mission. The book is Forwarded by American author James Michener and Prefaced by Hachiro Hosokawa, a Kamikaze pilot who was the only pilot of his group to survive the war.
Kamikaze pilots have been portrayed in the U.S., mostly by the movie industry, as being hardcore fanatics, focused 100% on their mission. This was not necessarily the case. Becoming a Kamikaze pilot was strictly voluntary, and more than one pilot had second thoughts after volunteering but would not back out for fear of being branded a coward. A significant number became undisciplined drunks, some simply partying while they still had the chance, some used alcohol as a means to steel themselves against their mission. (Who would discipline them under those conditions?) With missions being scrubbed and aborted because of weather conditions and mechanical failures, the Kamikaze pilots were on an unbelievable emotional roller coaster. When it became obvious that Japan was not going to win the war, many others began questioning why they should die for a lost cause. One, flying a Zero with a heavy bomb load, strafed his own command post out of sheer frustration as a parting gesture while leaving on a mission.
Although mention is made of conventional fighter planes being used as Kamikazes, the book mainly focuses on the “Ohka”, which was basically a large rocket propelled bomb with a human guidance system that was carried to the target area slung under a “Betty” bomber and released when the Ohka was within range of the target. It contained a small cockpit with just enough controls to allow the pilot to steer it to a target. I haven’t seen it, but one is supposedly on display at the U.S. Navy Memorial Museum in Washington DC. There is also one at the aviation museum at Dulles Airport. We’re going to DC in September, so I’ll have to look. (They were also referred to as “Baka Bombs”, Baka meaning “stupid”.)
There were other frustrations. A large number of missions failed because of mechanical failures. Opportunities for a successful mission were lost because the pre-mission ceremony was so lengthy that the situation had changed by the time the Kamikazes arrived on the scene. One entire squadron was lost in inclimate weather and never heard from again without ever contacting a target.
Guess this got a bit wordy, but the book would be of great interest to anyone interested in WWII. It does an excellent job of portraying the fact that the enemy was human, also. At times before a mission, even hardened Admirals were reduced to tears and unable to speak to the pilots.
All in all, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in WWII history.
crate
This one was written by a Japanese author, Hatsuho Naito, about the Japanese side of the war. It was translated into English by Motoji Ichikawa, himself a Kamikaze pilot whose collateral duties prevented him from going on a mission. The book is Forwarded by American author James Michener and Prefaced by Hachiro Hosokawa, a Kamikaze pilot who was the only pilot of his group to survive the war.
Kamikaze pilots have been portrayed in the U.S., mostly by the movie industry, as being hardcore fanatics, focused 100% on their mission. This was not necessarily the case. Becoming a Kamikaze pilot was strictly voluntary, and more than one pilot had second thoughts after volunteering but would not back out for fear of being branded a coward. A significant number became undisciplined drunks, some simply partying while they still had the chance, some used alcohol as a means to steel themselves against their mission. (Who would discipline them under those conditions?) With missions being scrubbed and aborted because of weather conditions and mechanical failures, the Kamikaze pilots were on an unbelievable emotional roller coaster. When it became obvious that Japan was not going to win the war, many others began questioning why they should die for a lost cause. One, flying a Zero with a heavy bomb load, strafed his own command post out of sheer frustration as a parting gesture while leaving on a mission.
Although mention is made of conventional fighter planes being used as Kamikazes, the book mainly focuses on the “Ohka”, which was basically a large rocket propelled bomb with a human guidance system that was carried to the target area slung under a “Betty” bomber and released when the Ohka was within range of the target. It contained a small cockpit with just enough controls to allow the pilot to steer it to a target. I haven’t seen it, but one is supposedly on display at the U.S. Navy Memorial Museum in Washington DC. There is also one at the aviation museum at Dulles Airport. We’re going to DC in September, so I’ll have to look. (They were also referred to as “Baka Bombs”, Baka meaning “stupid”.)
There were other frustrations. A large number of missions failed because of mechanical failures. Opportunities for a successful mission were lost because the pre-mission ceremony was so lengthy that the situation had changed by the time the Kamikazes arrived on the scene. One entire squadron was lost in inclimate weather and never heard from again without ever contacting a target.
Guess this got a bit wordy, but the book would be of great interest to anyone interested in WWII. It does an excellent job of portraying the fact that the enemy was human, also. At times before a mission, even hardened Admirals were reduced to tears and unable to speak to the pilots.
All in all, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in WWII history.
crate