Kamikaze 1945

[STEED]

Has anyone swung by Okinawa in that time frame?

Any ships in big groups?

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Kamikaze pilots were always told to go after capital ships, so I don't think they'd ever bother w/a submarine.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Torvald Von Mansee

Kamikaze pilots were always told to go after capital ships, so I don't think they'd ever bother w/a submarine.

That's the odd irony of the kamikaze program. They were told to concentrate on sinking capital ships; carriers, battleships, cruisers, etc. But it was the picket destroyers at Okinawa that took the biggest beating. The poorly trained Japanese pilots simply didn't know the difference. As far as I know US submarines were never attacked by kamikazes. Probably because kamikazes were usually held in reserve for attacking large amphibious forces en masse. They weren't expected to fly routine patrol missions.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Torvald Von Mansee

Kamikaze pilots were always told to go after capital ships, so I don't think they'd ever bother w/a submarine.

I think you're right on this one, but if there was nothing else around, they might go for it.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Well, another thing: subs would be typically lone wolves, or in a small group. Out in the middle of nowhere. Kamikazes would typically go for task forces and the like!!

[Torplexed]

I only saw this today, but I guess there is a least one recorded instance of a US sub being attacked by a kamikaze.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Devilfish_%28SS-292%29

However, There are instances throughout the war of Japanese pilots flying their (usually damaged) planes into ships or other planes even before the Special Attack Corps was started. Maybe this was one of these.

[The Fishlord]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

I only saw this today, but I guess there is a least one recorded instance of a US sub being attacked by a kamikaze.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Devilfish_%28SS-292%29

However, There are instances throughout the war of Japanese pilots flying their (usually damaged) planes into ships or other planes even before the Special Attack Corps was started. Maybe this was one of these.

Definetely. The first deliberate Kamikaze attack was in 1943 during the New Guinea campaign, made by a twin engine Ki46 "Dragon Slayer" destroyer.

[Torplexed]

Interesting Fishlord...apparently, there was a Japanese Lt. Idia, who during the Pearl Harbor attack tried to fly his damaged plane into the armoury building at Kanehoe Air Station. He missed and hit a hill instead. Oddly, in the movie Tora, Tora, Tora he's shown dramatically making a direct hit. According to his fellow pilots before the raid, he had vowed to hit a worthy target if fatally damaged.