2

Published in Poland in 2009by STRATUS s.c.

Po. Box 123,27-600 Sandomierz 1, Polande-mail:office@mmpbooks.biz

forMushroom Model Publications,

36 Ver Road, Redbourn,AL3 7PE, UK.

e-mail: rogerw@mmpbooks.biz© 2009 Mushroom Model

Publications.http://www.mmpbooks.biz

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the pur-

pose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by

any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission. All enquiries should be addressed to the publisher.

ISBN978-83-89450-12-8

Editor in chiefRoger Wallsgrove

Editorial TeamBartłomiej Belcarz

James KightlyRobert Pęczkowski

Artur Juszczak

Colour Drawings

Artur Juszczak Zygmunt Szeremeta Krzysztof Wołowski

DTPArtur Bukowski

TranslationWojtek Matusiak

Printed by:Drukarnia Diecezjalna,

ul. Żeromskiego 4,27-600 Sandomierz

tel. +48 (15) 832 31 92;fax +48 (15) 832 77 87

www.wds.pl marketing@wds.pl

PRINTED IN POLAND

Japanese Special Attack ...........................................................................................................5The culture of Kamikaze .......................................................................................................5Kamikaze - the last chance for the Japanese Empire ............................................................7The creators of Japanese Special Attack ...............................................................................7Establishment of the Kamikaze suicide units ........................................................................8Kamikaze pilot training .......................................................................................................10Last moments before a suicide mission ...............................................................................13Kamikaze over the Philippines ............................................................................................16The last air combats over the Philippines ............................................................................21Kamikaze in defence of Iwo Jima .......................................................................................32Fighting at Okinawa ............................................................................................................37The last Kamikaze attacks in defence of the Japanese Islands............................................49The effects of Kamikaze .....................................................................................................50The fate of the Kamikaze godfathers ..................................................................................50Kamikaze effectiveness .......................................................................................................52List of the most important suicide units and formations .....................................................53

Suicide units of the Army and Navy participating in actions over the Philippines ...53Suicide units of the Army and Navy participating in actions over Okinawa ............53Organisation of some aircraft suicide units ...............................................................55Ships damaged and sunk during attacks by Kamikaze or Shimpū suicide units .......57

Kamikaze (or Shimpū) aircraft ..................................................................................................61Special attack aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army .............................................................65

Kawasaki Ki-48 (‘Lily’) ......................................................................................................65Kawasaki Ki-119 .................................................................................................................73Kokusai Ta-Go ....................................................................................................................77Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (Helen).........................................................................................82Mitsubishi To-Go and Ki-167 ............................................................................................90Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi....................................................................................................96Rikugun single jet-engine fighter ......................................................................................106Tachikawa Ki-74 ‘Patsy’ ...................................................................................................106Tachikawa Ta-Go ..............................................................................................................113The Experimental Single-seat Attack Aeroplane ..............................................................115

Special attack aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy ............................................................117Aichi M6A Seiran/Nanzan ................................................................................................117Kawanishi Baika ...............................................................................................................129Kugisho D3Y Myojo .........................................................................................................135Kugisho D4Y Suisei (‘Judy’) ............................................................................................140Kugisho MXY7 Ohka (Baka) ...........................................................................................149Kokukyoku Jinryu ............................................................................................................174Nakajima Kikka.................................................................................................................181Nakajima Toka ..................................................................................................................194

Remote controlled flying bombs of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy ..........................196Army .......................................................................................................................................196

Fu-Go bomber balloon ......................................................................................................197

Table of contents

3

To Makiko and Takuya, my beloved wife and sonRyusuke Ishiguro

Rikugun Maru-Ke (Ke-Go) homing bomb .......................................................................201Kawasaki I-Go-1 Otsu (Ki-148) ........................................................................................207Mitsubishi I-Go-1 Ko (Ki-147) .........................................................................................216Rikugun I-Go-1 Hei ..........................................................................................................223Tokyo University I-Go infra-red guided missile ...............................................................224Rikugun AZ and Maru-Ko flying torpedoes .....................................................................224Tokushu Kogata Bakugekki and Sa-Go ............................................................................225

Navy ........................................................................................................................................226Kugisho Funryu remote controlled missile .......................................................................226Kugisho Kudan flying bomb .............................................................................................231Kugisho Kurai flying anti-submarine torpedo ..................................................................232Kokukyoku Shusui-shiki Kayaku Rocket .........................................................................236

Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................240Colour profiles .......................................................................................................................241

All photos via the author

except where stated.

21

A damaged P1Y1 Ginga

bomber from the 763rd

Kokutai seen from

the deck of the aircraft

carrier USS Ommaney

Bay.

The last air combats over the Philippines

The next stage of the Japanese attacks by suicide aircraft commenced in late November 1944 when the units in the Philippines were reinforced with 450 aircraft from Taiwan. These were used immediately to form new Kamikaze units. One of these, the 3rd Shimpū Tokubetsu Kogekitai, assembled at Nichols Field and Mabalacat. The unit was equipped with Mitsubishi A6M ‘Zero’ fighters, Kugisho D4Y Suisei ‘Judy’ dive-bombers and twin-engined Kugisho P1Y Ginga ‘Frances’ land-based bombers. It began operations on 25 November 1944. The first to go into action was the Yoshino tai unit, under Sub-Lieutenant Masami Takatake. Six ‘Zero’ fighters and two ‘Frances’ bombers arrived over the American fleet commanded by Admiral Gerald F. Bogan at 1130, and two more attack groups followed.

The first group was met with heavy AA fire from the carrier USS Cabot, but two Kamikazes hit the ship. Only slight damage resulted, but 15 American sailors were killed and 16 were wounded. Two more Japanese aircraft hit the carrier USS Intrepid: the first struck a gun position and destroyed it, before falling onto the deck and causing a fire to start. The other Kamikaze exploded on the deck, from which 75 aircraft had just taken off. Damage to the deck was substantial meaning aircraft from the USS Intrepid had to find alternative places to land. The carrier lost 79 sailors killed and 43 wounded. The third target of the attack was the carrier USS Hancock, which came under attack by four ‘Zero’ fighters. Two of these were shot down by AA fire and the third burst into flames after American fighters intervened. When the fourth flew into the dense AA fire, its wings were shot off and most of the remaining wreckage missed the carrier but hit the destroyer next to her. The destroyer sustained slight damage. A few fragments of wing and fuselage fell onto the carrier, causing no damage.

The last to be attacked was the flag carrier, USS Essex. One of the attacking aircraft was shot down, but another crashed into the flight deck and 15 sailors were killed. A total of eighteen Kamikaze aircraft were shot down. The attacks continued into the next day and respite only came

51

Kamikaze effectivenessThe effect of suicide attacks is quantified by the numbers below. However, this can never be

a complete reflection, as in addition to the officially recorded attacks by Kamikaze units, many suicide attacks were not recorded as they were performed by individual pilots or by small groups on their own initiative.

Number of attack missions 19441945

3175

Number of ships destroyed 19441945

1739

Number of ships damaged 19441945

112256

Total pilot casualties , including: 3,913

Imperial Japanese Navy 2,525

Imperial Japanese Army 1,388

The Navy trained a total of 1,727 pilots, whose age varied between 18 and 20 (there were in fact several pilots aged 17). Of these, 110 pilots were students of the military academy. One Vice-Admiral and two Captains were killed, and the others were ranks between Warrant Officer and Lieutenant. Most of them had graduated from the military academy in 1943.

In the Army, most pilots had graduated from advanced flying schools. Most pilots were Sub-Lieutenants, and their average age was 25. Warrant Officers were generally aged 18 or 19.

The world learned more about the origin and operations of the Kamikaze units through the trials of Japanese commanders held after WWII. The principal trial was held in Tokyo by the International Far East Court between 3 May 1946 and November 1948, during which 28 Japanese commanders were tried for war crimes. The bill of indictment included 55 charges, mostly crimes against world peace, the conventions of war, and against humanity.

The 48th charge included the use of suicide units. It was agreed that this was not only a case of a crime against humanity, but also a crime against their own nation. However, on 25 October 1974, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the first Kamikaze unit at the Philippine base at Mabalacat, a monument with a memorial plaque was unveiled. Later, subsequent monuments were built, wherever Kamikaze units were based. A monument to Yukio Seki, the first of many subsequent pilots who gave their lives for Japan and the Emperor, was also erected.

There are more and more documents published about the actions of the special units, mostly memoirs of those who did not see their turn come. The Japanese have not forgotten their sons, sent to certain death in defence of their home.

On 2 September 1945

on the USS Missouri

in Tokyo Bay Lieuten-

ant General Richard K.

Sutherland received the

unconditional surrender

of the Japanese Empire,

signed by Mamoru Shige-

mitsu.

97

No production Ki-115 Ko aircraft reached combat units. Even so, plans for a further-developed version designated Ki-115 Otsu were underway. The Otsu variant had a new wing which had increased span and area. The plan was to fit it with normal flaps, and the cockpit was relocated slightly forward to improve visibility. It was going to be built entirely of wood, to minimise the use of duralumin. However, although design work had been completed, no prototype of the Ki-115 Otsu was built as the project was overtaken by the end of the war.

The Ki-115 Hei variant also remained on paper. This featured significantly improved visibility as a result of locating the cockpit even further forward than on the Otsu. It was also going to be fitted with a manual bomb release so the pilot could jettison the bomb, or use the aircraft like a conventional bomber - previous versions of the Tsurugi had no option to release the bomb from the cockpit, which would have made landing in the event of an aborted mission impossible.

Two production Ki-115 Ko aircraft were completed and tested with two solid fuel rocket boosters under the wings. The rockets were intended to accelerate take-off of the aeroplane from hastily prepared air strips, or to increase diving speed in the final phase of the suicide attack.

The Navy was also interested in the Ki-115 Tsurugi. The Kaigun Koku Hombu issued Nakajima its own specification for a similar aeroplane type and placed an order, giving the machine the designation of “Experimental Navy special aeroplane Toka” (Wisteria Blossom). Changes included, among others, an increased wing area of 13.10m2, and a number of minor modifications in the equipment (mainly the re-scaling of instruments to knots rather than km/h). According to Nakajima’s calculations, the introduction of the changes requested by the Kaigun Koku Hombu would reduce

One of eight Ki-115

prototypes with main

undercarriage fitted with

shock-absorbers.

Although 105 Nakajima

Ki-115 Tsurugi suicide

aircraft were built, none

took part in combat

operations. This is one of

the production aircraft in

the assembly hall.

155

Not to scale.

Transport trolley.

G4M2e Model 24J

bomber with the Ohka

Model 11 bomb attached.

219

0,50 1 2 m

Mitsubishi Ki-147

(I-Go-1 Ko)

I-Go-1 Ko missile, code

no. 11, attached in the

bomb bay of the Mitsubi-

shi Ki-67 Hiryū bomber.

1/72 scale.

249

Mits

ubis

hi K

i-167

with

sha

ped

char

ge b

omb

Saku

ra-d

an 2

-Go.

Air

craf

t w

as c

omm

ande

d by

Yut

aka

Fuku

shim

a.

Kaw

asak

i Ki-4

8-II

Ots

u w

ith s

ingl

e pr

obe

fuse

.