World War II: Kamikaze Documents, Bulletins, Histories & Films - Download

World War II: Kamikaze Documents, Bulletins, Histories & Films

2,550 pages of textual material and 30 minutes of film covering the Japanese kamikaze corps.

The World War II Japanese Kamikaze corps was part of the Japanese "Special Attack Unit" that performed suicide attacks against Allied naval vessels in the Pacific, during the later stages of the Pacific campaign.  According to Steven Zaloga, author of "Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944–45," approximately 3,800 Japanese kamikaze pilots died during the war. U.S. Navy studies find that  approximately 3,000 U.S. naval personnel were killed by kamikaze attacks.

Five million German soldiers surrendered to the Allies in Europe. In the Pacific, less than 5% of Japanese forces surrendered. The common concept is that they considered surrendering a disgrace, and instead fought to the death.

Takijiro Onishi was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, he is credited as the father of the kamikaze. The concept pre-dated his actions when he became commander of the 1st Air Fleet. He decided to use this tactic after the loss of the Mariana Islands. The first kamikaze force was made of 24 volunteer pilots from Japan’s 201st Navy Air Group. They targeted U.S. escort carriers during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. The St. Lo, was struck by a A6M Zero fighter and sunk in less than an hour, killing 114 Americans.

Kamikazes sank or damaged more than 300 U.S. ships, with 15,000 casualties. Several thousand kamikaze planes had been set aside for the invasion of the Japanese mainland that never came.

Japan's Supreme War Council, like the U.S. Army, "did not believe
that Japan could be defeated by air attack alone."(1) The U.S. Navy counted 5,000 kamikazes (the Japanese actually had 12,725), who were expected to destroy 30 to 40 percent of the initial Allied assaulting force when it invaded the Japanese homeland.

To reduce casualties from Kamikazes, General Marshall was in the process of arming his infantry with a host of old and new weapons; body armor, a "super flamethrower," and poison gas. But, according to one Army study, it "was the single weapon [the atomic bomb] hitherto unused which assuredly can decrease the cost in American lives and should materially shorten the war.”(2)

Ironically, the kamikaze corps, and the sacrificial philosophy behind it, was one of the reasons President Truman decided to use atomic bombs against Japan. On the eve of the Japanese surrender, Onishi committed suicide, leaving a note apologizing to his dead pilots because their sacrifice had been in vain.


Material in this collection includes:

The KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force Makes a Sortie - Japanese Article - American military intelligence translation of an article in the Weekly Report of 8 November 1944 issued by the Japanese Cabinet Information Board.

Antiaircraft Action Summary: Suicide Attacks, April 1945 - Published by the United States Fleet, Headquarters of the Commander in Chief, Navy Department on April 5, 1945.

This publication deals with Japanese aerial suicide attacks against U.S. surface forces in the Pacific and covers the period from the invasion of Leyte in October 1944 to and including the invasion of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. Covers U.S. and Japanese successes, Japanese tactics, anti-aircraft defenses, summaries of suicide attacks, new weapons, and anti-suicide attack training.

Japanese Rocket Propelled Piloted Flying Bomb - Report by the Headquarters Tenth Army, Office of the A.C. of S., G-2 of April 6, 1945

Report Abstract: "Due to the rapid advance of our troops on OKINAWA we captured intact at least four of the new Japanese rocket propelled, piloted, flying bombs already assembled. Also captured were a number of crated units not assembled. This is believed to be the first actual information we have with respect to this new weapon."

Suicide Weapons and Tactics: "Know Your Enemy"! CinCPac-CinCPOA Bulletin 126-45 1945-05-28 - Covers various types of Suicide attacks by Japanese forces including by plane, boat, and swimmers.

Abstract: The most devastating suicide attacks to date have been the crash-dives of Japanese pilots into ships of Allied fleets. In combat aircraft and in piloted rocket bombs, these pilots tax to the limit most normal defenses against air attacks. The inflammability of planes and the heavy explosive charges carried in suicide aircraft and in the rocket bombs greatly increase the damage potential over that of the ordinary aerial bomb.

Baka: Suicide Attack Plane - Published by the Technical Air Intelligence Center 1945. Contains various illustrations and photographs of the Baka suicide attack plane.

Observed Suicide Attacks by Japanese Aircraft Against Allied Ships - Published by the United States. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Division of Naval Intelligence. Air Intelligence Group, on July 5, 1945.

Summary of Observed Suicide attacks by Japanese aircraft against allied ships during May and June 1945, as reported in dispatches, and Recap of Suicide Attacks for the period October 1944 through June 1945

Attack! Suicide-Boat - Produced by the Intelligence Section, Amphibious Group Seven. Abstract: The suicide boat, which has been mass-produced by the Japanese, is operated by one man, and attacks almost always at night.

 Interrogations of Japanese Officials - 636  pages of reporting of interrogations of Japanese officials produced by the United States Strategic Bombing Survey. The USSBS was established in the War Department as a civilian managed activity on November 3, 1944. The interrogations were conducted in Tokyo during the months of October, November, and December 1945 by officers of the Naval Analysis Division of the U. S. Strategic Bombing Survey. One of the many topics covered with several Japanese Officers was the Kamikaze corps.

 In addition to being interrogated on their particular specialties and experiences,  some of the officers interrogated performed research at the direction of the Naval Analysis Division and, together with the Japanese Naval Liaison Office, gave useful assistance in identifying and procuring other officers for interrogation.

Those interrogated about the Kamikaze corps include:

Captain Fuchida, Mitsuo, UN, a naval aviator since 1928. As air group commander of the AKAGI he led the attacks on PEARL HARBOR, DARWIN and CEYLON. He discussed the organization of the Kamikaze corps.

Captain Inoguchi, Rikibei, UN, Chief of Staff of First Air Fleet throughout the PHILIPPINE Campaign.

Rear Admiral Koyanagi, Tomiji, UN, Chief of Staff to CinC Second Fleet during the Marianas and Philippines actions of 1944.

Commander Yamaguchi, Moriyoshi; from August 1944 to January 1945 Operations Officer on the Staff of Vice Admiral Fukudome, CinC Second Air Fleet (FORMOSA), and after 23 October CinC First Combined Base Air Force (LUZON)

Vice Admiral Ozawa, Jisaburo, IJN, Commander in Chief of the Japanese Task Force.

Vice Admiral Fukudome, Shigeru, IJN; Chief of Staff, Combined Fleet from 1940 to April 1941; Chief First Section, Naval General Staff, TOKYO, April 1941 to May 1943; Chief of Staff, Combined Fleet from May 1943 to March 1944; Commander, Second Air Fleet, July 1944 to 15 January 1945 ; Commander, 10th Area Fleet, 15 January 1945 to end of the war.
 
Third Fleet Operations in Support of Central Luzon Landings Including South China Sea Sweep - Photographic Section II - A 74-page report including coverage of several suicide attacks.

Battle Experience: Radar Pickets and Methods of Combating Suicide Attacks off Okinawa, March-May 1945 - A 218-page, July 15, 1946 information bulletin published by the NAVY DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.

Destroyer Report Gunfire, Bomb And Kamikaze Damage Including Losses in Action, 17 October 1941 To 15 August 1945 - A 167-page report published by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Preliminary Design Section, Bureau of Ships, Navy Department January 25, 1947

Escort Carriers Gunfire, Bomb and Kamikaze Damage and Losses During World War II (1948) - A 226-page report published by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Preliminary Design Section, Bureau of Ships, Navy Department on July 31, 1948.

U.S.S. Enterprise (CV6): War History, 7 December 1941 to 15 August, 1945 - A 123-page report published by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Preliminary Design Section, Bureau of Ships, Navy Department April 30, 1957

Abstract: “The war history of ENTERPRISE is unique in length of active service, in extent of destruction brought to the enemy and in number of instances of damage survived. Therefore, this war damage report has been written with brief summaries of operational history and detailed discussions of each instance of damage to cover the whole war experience of the ship.”

Covers the Kamikaze attacks on the ship at Okinawa of April 11, 1945 and at Kyushu on May 14, 1945

U.S.S. Franklin (CV13)  suicide plane crash damage, Formosa - 13 October 1944  bomb damage, Luzon - 15 October 1944 suicide plane crash damage, Samar - 30 October, 1944 bomb damage, Honshu - 19 March, 1945 - An 88-page report published by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Preliminary Design Section, Bureau of Ships, Navy Department on September 15, 1945

Abstract: "This is a long report. An effort has been made to present a comprehensive summation of the many design and damage control problems which were disclosed or emphasized by the war experiences of FRANKLIN. In addition, various pertinent war experiences of other large carriers have been considered in this report.

The damage sustained by FRANKLIN as a result of the actions of 13 and 15 October 1944 was superficial and is included in this report only for the purpose of rendering her damage history complete. The major damage sustained in each of the actions of 30 October 1944 and 19 March 1945 demonstrates the effectiveness of bomb hits when received by aircraft carriers during the extremely vulnerable period just prior to and during periods of launching strikes."

Battle Experience - Final operations of Units of the Pacific Fleet off the Shores of Japan, July-August 1945 - A 218-page secret information bulletin published by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, July 15, 1946.

Severity of Battle Injuries Occurring on Aboard U.S. Naval Warships – A 1972 Naval Health Research Center study. The report examines the number of sick days caused by battle wounds among forces afloat during World War II and analyzes the effect of various ship and weapon types on wound severity. Evaluates the type of injuries suffered during Kamikaze attacks

From Dam Neck to Okinawa: A Memoir of Antiaircraft Training in World War II - From Dam Neck to Okinawa: A Memoir of Antiaircraft Training in World War II  by Robert F. Wallace; edited by Jeffrey G. Barlow.

The author, wartime reserve officer Robert F. Wallace, served from the fall of 1942 through the fall of 1944 as an instructor at two Atlantic Fleet antiaircraft training centers (AATCs) before joining the battleship Idaho (BB42) as the automatic weapons officer. He served on board the Idaho through the pivotal battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

This memoir offers a unique perspective on the effectiveness of the training program developed to enhance the fleet's antiaircraft defense. When the focus of this works advances to the later stages of the war in the Pacific, much attention is given to efforts to defend against kamikaze attacks.

Defense Against Kamikaze Attacks in World War II and its Relevance to Anti-Ship Missile Defense Volume I (1970) - A 110-page analytical history of kamikaze attacks against ships of the united states navy during World War II. Prepared by the Operations Evaluation Group of the Center for Naval Analyses. This volume describes the Navy's attempts to counter the kamikaze threat during World War II and develops estimates of the effectiveness of both the kamikaze and the Navy's effort to counter it.

The United States Bombing Surveys, (European War) (Pacific War) (Reprint 1987) - Includes a section, “Conversion of Japanese Air Forces to Kamikaze Forces.”

Jointness or Jointless at Leyte (1989) - Jointness or Jointless At Leyte by Lieutenant Colonel Kenny J. Jefferson. This study examines the joint operation ability of the Leyte Campaign during October-December 1944. It bases the evaluation on the principles of war and how they were applied during the Leyte operations. The study addresses the various naval battles during the Leyte Gulf campaign. Examines the effects of Kamikazes.

 The Okinawa Campaign: A Case Study (1991)  - The Okinawa Campaign: A Case Study by Lieutenant Colonel James S. Gavitt United States Army.

Japanese Operational Plans in World War II: Shortfalls In Critical Elements (1994)

Unconditional Surrender, Demobilization, and the Atomic Bomb (1996) - In Unconditional Surrender Demobilization, and the Atomic Bomb, Dr. Michael Pearlman brings home this point through his shrewd assessment of the complex issues confronting U.S. officers as they debated the best course of action to follow in ending the war against Japan. Aside from the list of traditional concerns, such as the human cost of mounting an invasion of Japan, these officers had also to consider such intangibles as continued support for the war effort on the American home front. Unconditional Surrender, Demobilization, and the Atomic Bomb

KAMIKAZES! When Japanese Planes Attacked the U.S. Submarine Devilfish - An article from the Spring 2014 issue of Prologue on the only kamikaze attack on an American submarine, the USS Devilfish (SS 292).

The Effect of Adversary Unmanned Aerial Systems on the US Concept of Air Superiority (2014) - A monograph by Lt Col Jason W. Earley United States Air Force. Makes note of the use of Kamikaze in World War II.

Risk in the Ryukyu Islands: Joint Planning for Okinawa (2017) - A monograph by Maj Gabriel L. Diana United States Marine Corps. Cover the risk and use of Kamikazes by Japan. Abstract: Operation Iceberg, the campaign to seize positions within the Ryukyu Islands, signified the pinnacle of joint expeditionary power projection within the Pacific Theater of War. The campaign provides a useful case study in how shared understanding and acceptance of operational risk enabled people to work together and coordinate air, sea, and land forces to seize key locations within the Ryukyu Islands and develop bases there for future operations against Japan.

Film - Newsreel US Carriers Fight Off Enemy Suicide Attempts (1945) - United Newsreel Issue 166, Part 5: Japanese kamikaze planes strike the battleship Nevada and the carrier Ticonderoga.

Film – Japanese Newsreel (Excerpts-Kamikaze segments) (1945) - Kamikaze Segments/Shots: 7) MS Several Japanese officers conferring in open air. 8) MS Several Japanese pilots walk up hilly road. 9) MS Various shots of Japanese Kamikaze attacking squadron sortie; several planes taking off; officers and enlisted men wave to planes.

Film – Task Force – Collection of Navy Filmed Shots  ID 428-NPC-10896 - Kamikaze shots include: Kamikaze plane striking water off bow of carrier. Kamikaze hitting water, after being hit from aircraft fire. Kamikaze going through flak. Guns firing at Kamikaze aircraft. Kamikaze being hit. Kamikaze plane hitting water next to carrier. Two Kamikazes flying through flak. Kamikaze with flak heading toward plane; with plane striking water. Kamikaze plane diving toward a Carrier, striking carrier in island; smoke rises from island.  AA fire hitting a Kamikaze; Kamikaze exploding in water. Kamikaze striking water near side of carrier. Kamikaze in flight over water through flak; BB firing at plane; plane is hit, hits the carrier and slides across flight deck.

Film – Task Force – Collection of Navy Filmed Shots  ID- 428-NPC-10897 - Kamikaze shots include: Kamikaze striking water ahead of carrier. Kamikaze flying through heavy flak. Kamikaze striking water with a splash. Kamikaze in flight over camera ship, flying through flak, twisting and turning and hitting water.  Kamikaze hit by AA fire, in flames and diving towards the water. Kamikaze hit by flak, twisting and turning on its way down. Men on flight deck (damage control party) fighting a fire caused by a Kamikaze hit.  Kamikaze heading towards camera; plane dives into island of camera ship, throwing up a huge ball of flame and fire. Kamikaze being hit by ship's fire. Kamikaze climbing with tail on fire; flak heads toward aircraft. Japanese plane hit by camera aircraft, goes down in flames.

Film – Japanese Customs & Ceremonies (Kamikaze Segment) - American Air Force Film - A December 14, 1945 U.S. Airforce filming of a staged reenactment of a Kamikaze ceremony.

Foootnotes: 

(1) For Admiral Kantaro (premier of Japan at the time of surrender), quoted on 26 December 1945; for expectation of American losses, see Newman, Truman and Cult of Hiroshima, 49, 51.

(2) Marshall quoted on Japanese soldiers, in The Journals of David E. Lilienthal, 2: Atomic Energy Years (New York: Harper & Row, 1964), 198-200; for military innovations, the number of kamikazes and other quotations from Marshall and from the Army study on poison gas, see Pogue, Marshall, 4:17-18, 500, and Skates, Invasion of Japan, 88-96, 109-10.