Kamikazes: Suicide Patriots

21 Pages 5255 Words

ration had finally reached the point of no return. Armed forces high command had long resisted the idea of "special attacks" because of the dire consequences such operations would have on discipline. Now they could no longer resist the demands by their officers that something be done to stop the Allies. Grudgingly, they authorized the formation of the Thunder Gods Corps, and cleared the way for building of special "sure-hitting" attack craft. The first Japanese Kamikaze and Thunder Gods offensives were soon to become a reality, and for the first time since 1941 Japanese pilots would again begin giving more than they received, but at the ultimate cost!
The idea for a kamikaze campaign began not with imperial high command but with lower level field officers who began reporting acts of spontaneous body crashes by their pilots and crews. The first officer to officially broach the subject was Captain Motoharu Okamura. He and his superiors arranged for the first investigations and reports on the plausibility and designs for premeditated body-crash attacks. The investigations however, were just convenient methods to gain more political leverage, and gave the growing number of proponents the influence they needed. Soon the Thunder Gods program was well underway despite its relative unpopularity. In October, 1944, as the Thunder Gods Corps was officially coming into existence, Vice-Admiral Takijiro Onishi requested permission to use bomb-laden fighters in a "Kamikaze" offensive at his new command in the Philippines. He received permission, on the provision that all participants volunteered. The stage was now set for two parallel suicide attack programs: the Thunder Gods; and the Kamikazes. .
The special attack program was a terribly divisive issue within Japanese military circles. Many veteran field commanders thought the idea an obscene waste of valuable lives. Certainly they were willing to sacrifice themselves, but in genuine ...