Now it will seem funny, but in the 30s of the twentieth century, Japanese design engineers were considered capable of only copying the achievements of colleagues from Europe and America. The fallacy of this view was then well understood by the Americans at Pearl Harbor. But the first Europeans to learn from themselves what Japanese engineers were, were Russians. In 1937, Soviet fighters collided in Chinese skies with the A5M, the world's first carrier-based monoplane fighter developed in Japan.
The Imperial Army set the Mitsubishi Design Bureau the task of creating a carrier-based fighter with a horizontal speed of at least 400 km/h. The normal speed of European biplanes was 350-370 km / h, the A5M monoplane on the first tests gave out 414 km / h, but the receivers did not believe it and demanded a test flight. For the second time, the A5M accelerated to 449 km / h and was put into service.
At first, experienced pilots of the Yokosuka Experimental Squadron preferred the old biplane, much more maneuverable in horizontal turns in the classic “dog dump” that originated over the trenches of the First World War. However, young pilots who tried to fight on vertical turns were delighted with a dive attack on slow targets.
The Second Sino-Japanese War began when a private of the Imperial Army, Shimura Kukujiro, got lost at night after going to the toilet. According to the legend, the Japanese command took advantage of the fact that the Chinese were not allowed to let the private search for Japanese soldiers, and gave the order to the artillery. Kukujiro returned when his commanders had already begun bombarding Beijing. Twenty days later, on July 28, 1937, the capital of China was taken.
The Japanese had about 700 aircraft, the Chinese - 600, both of them mostly biplanes. Just before the start of the war, Chiang Kai-shek bought about a hundred advanced American Curtiss Hawk III biplanes. During the first month of fighting over Beijing and Shanghai, the Chinese shot down about 60 Japanese aircraft.
Soon, the Kaga aircraft carrier with an A5M squadron approached the coast of China. On September 7, over Lake Tan, Captain Igarashi, having a speed advantage of 60 km / h, shot down three Hawks in a row. Within a week, the Japanese had gained air supremacy.
On September 19, Japanese aircraft carried out a raid on Nanjing, which became the new capital of China. A total of 45 aircraft were involved, including 12 A5Ms. They were met by 23 Chinese fighters: American Hawks and Boeings, Italian Fiats, English Gladiators. During the battle, the Chinese shot down four Japanese biplanes, and the A5M shot down seven Chinese.
Chiang Kai-shek turned to the USSR for help, and Stalin announced Operation Z (similar to Operation X in Spain), sending the Soviet I-16 squadron (31 aircraft, 101 people) to a foreign war - the world's first production monoplane fighter with a retractable chassis flight, as well as a squadron of I-15 bis biplane fighters (31 aircraft, 101 people) and a squadron of SB bombers (31 aircraft, 153 people).
Volunteer pilots in China. From right to left: F.P. Polynin, P.V. Rychagov, A.G. Rytov, A.S. Blagoveshchensky
Volunteers Stalin's falcons became like this: in early October 1937, the cadets of the Moscow Zhukovsky Academy were gathered by the commanders and announced: “The Motherland decided to send you on a secret special assignment to China. Who refuses?
There were none.
The best Soviet pilots at that time were in Spain, and people went to China who had absolutely no combat experience. They planned to use monoplanes in conjunction with biplanes: in the pre-war aviation doctrine of the USSR, the theory dominated that high-speed monoplanes should catch up with the enemy and tie him up in battle, and then destroy him with more maneuverable biplanes.
In addition to inexperienced pilots and outdated views on tactics, there was another problem. It was easy for Stalin to wave his hand over the map: “Deliver planes to China!” But how to do it? The nearest airfield is in Alma-Ata, and it turned out that we had to fly through the Himalayas. Without maps, at extreme altitudes, without intermediate airfields and in open cockpits.
The first plane, which set off to lay the route, flew into a remote gorge, noticed it too late and crashed on impact against a sheer wall. The navigator managed to survive and ten days later, frostbitten and hungry, went out to the locals. Gradually, the route was laid, but the Soviet squadrons still lost every second aircraft during the flight to China.
Fighter I-16 with identification marks of the Air Force of the Republic of China
By the time the Soviet planes and pilots got there, 81 planes remained from the Chinese Air Force, almost all the Hawks were shot down. Japanese aircraft dominated the skies. The Japanese Land Army stormed Nanjing. On November 21, 1937, seven I-16s flew over Nanjing on their first flight (the I-16 was nicknamed "donkey" in the USSR, and "fly" and "rat" in Spain). Led by commander Blagoveshchensky, the pilots entered into battle with 20 Japanese aircraft. The Donkeys shot down one bomber and two A5Ms without loss.
The next day, November 22, six I-16s engaged six A5Ms, shooting down one of them. The Japanese pilot Miyazaka was taken prisoner.
With similar performance characteristics, as Soviet pilots found out, the A5M was seriously inferior to the I-16 in terms of weapon accuracy and the weight of a second salvo. They were equipped with two old English machine guns "Vickers", and on the I-16 - four of the latest Soviet machine guns ShKAS.
The Japanese did not expect the appearance of enemy monoplanes at all. However, they retained the advantage of combat experience.
Georgy Zakharov, a participant in the battles, recalled: “Already later, having fought, gaining experience in battles, we naturally came to understand the tactics of modern air combat by those standards. And at first, the pilots did not even take into account such tactical basics as entering the attack from the side of the sun. Therefore, they often started the battle from a deliberately disadvantageous position.
Soviet pilots quickly retrained: they abandoned the tactics of sharing monoplanes and biplanes and mastered combat in vertical turns.
On November 24, the Mikado pilots took revenge: six A5Ms, escorting eight Bombers, shot down three of the six I-16s that took off to intercept.
On December 1, the Japanese Air Force tried to bomb the Nanjing airfield where the Soviet units were based. In total that day, in five sorties, the Russians shot down about ten Bombers and four A5Ms. Their losses - two I-16s, the pilots jumped out with parachutes. One plane landed on a flooded rice field due to running out of fuel.
The Chinese peasants dragged him out with oxen. The bombers were never able to descend for an aimed strike and dropped their cargo at an altitude of five kilometers without causing damage to the target.
By the end of 1937, the Soviet Air Force had gained air supremacy over Nanjing. The Japanese took their aircraft away from the front line.
On New Year's Eve, nine SB bombers, piloted by Soviet pilots under the command of Machin, took off from Nanjing and raided Japanese air bases near Shanghai. According to our pilots, in total they destroyed 30-35 Japanese aircraft on the ground.
Another group of bombers that day reported the destruction of the Yamato light aircraft carrier, which had not had time to take its planes into the sky. But, according to Japanese data, there has never been any Yamato aircraft carrier in the Japanese fleet. There was another ship with that name, but it was sunk by an American submarine in 1943. Perhaps the Soviet bombers destroyed some large transport.
In January, after the bombing of the bridges across the Yellow River, the SB of squadron commander Captain Polynin was intercepted by an A5M troika and shot down. His son later said that his father's plane planned and landed in a rice field between the infantry positions of the Japanese and Chinese.
For the next ten minutes, Polynin, holding a pistol in his hand, watched with interest the Japanese and Chinese soldiers running towards his bomber from different directions. If the Japanese were the first to run, the captain, in accordance with the order, was obliged to shoot himself in the head. He was lucky: the Chinese ran faster.
On February 23, 1938, 28 SB planes under the command of Commander Polynin made a sensational air raid on a Japanese air base on the island of Taiwan, dropping 2080 bombs and destroying 40 new Italian twin-engine Fiat BR.20 bombers and about fifty of the best Japanese pilots caught in the bombing during lunch.
Polynin's squadron used a trick: it went around Taiwan in a wide arc and went east, from Japan. Later, the Japanese would do the same in the first raid on Pearl Harbor, and also successfully: they would be taken for their own and not pay attention to them.
In the spring of 1938, Soviet and Japanese pilots began to ram each other in the Chinese sky. The first ram was made by the aircraft of Senior Lieutenant Shuster in an air battle on April 29 over Wuhan: during a frontal attack, he did not turn and collided in the air with the A5M. Both pilots were killed.
In May, a successful ramming on the I-16 was made by an ace pilot (seven air victories), Senior Lieutenant Gubenko. A year later he got for it golden star Hero.
July 18 first air ram carried out by the Japanese. In an air battle over Nanchang, Lieutenant Commodore Nango's A5M collided with a Soviet fighter he had previously fired upon. The Japanese died, but the Soviet pilot, junior lieutenant Sharay, survived, managed to land the damaged I-16, and a year later received the Order of the Red Banner for this battle.
These cases were of interest to Takijiro Onishi, the future developer of the air raid on Pearl Harbor, and at that time the commander of aviation on the aircraft carrier Hose. In 1938, he founded the Society for the Study of Air Power and published the book Combat Ethics of the Imperial Navy, which, in particular, addresses the issue of the readiness of subordinates to complete the task even at the cost of their own lives.
These developments were very useful to him in 1944, when he began to form the first squadron of suicide pilots (remained in history as the "father of the kamikaze"). In October, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, his subordinates conducted the first and most successful operation against the US Navy, sinking one and damaging six aircraft carriers (losing 17 aircraft in the process).
After that, Onishi was instructed to create a suicide air fleet. Japanese aviation has already switched to the next generation of its aircraft - the famous A6M Zero - so the obsolete A5M has become the main aircraft for kamikaze. Propaganda in the country began to work, and soon all the boys of Japan dreamed of dying heroically, according to the custom of samurai warriors, leaving the world to say goodbye to short verses “jisei” (jisei is a song of death, poems that were written before suicide). For example, like this:
We just want to fall
Cherry petals in spring
So clean and radiant!
In 1944-1945, 2525 naval and 1388 army pilots were killed in kamikaze attacks.
On April 29, the birthday of Emperor Hirohito, over the three-city Wuhan, which became the next capital of China after the fall of Nanjing, the largest air battle of the entire war took place.
The Japanese decided to avenge the bombing of Taiwan and stage a bomber raid under the cover of 27 A5M. 45 I-16s flew to intercept them. In a 30-minute battle, 11 Japanese fighters and 10 bombers were shot down, while 12 aircraft piloted by Chinese and Soviet pilots were lost. After that, the Japanese did not raid Wuhan for a month.
And TB-3 arrived in the Soviet units. At the end of the summer, a group of these bombers defiantly flew over the Japanese islands during the day, dropping not bombs, but leaflets.
The Japanese understood the hint correctly and began to probe the ground for peace negotiations with the USSR. In the summer of 1938, the first batch Soviet pilots returned to the USSR. The commander of the I-16 squadron, Captain Blagoveshchensky, was supposed to overtake the captured A5M for study in Moscow, but the Japanese agents in China worked well, and sugar was poured into his gas tanks. Over the Himalayas, the engine failed and the plane crashed. Blagoveshchensky, with a broken arm, spent several days getting to his own people and was immediately arrested by them.
The ace pilot (14 victories in the skies of China) was transferred to Moscow and spent several unforgettable months at the Lubyanka, while the investigators found out if he had crashed the latest Japanese fighter on purpose. On the eve of Stalin, dissatisfied with the heavy losses on the Himalayan route, ordered the NKVD to look for saboteurs there.
This hassle ended with the fact that one day, during interrogation, the investigator pointed to a paper lying in front of him. “This is an anonymous denunciation that you have long been an enemy of the people and a Japanese spy. And this, - he pointed to a stack of sheets lying next to him, - are the statements of your colleagues who vouch for you as for themselves. You may go, Comrade Captain."
A year later, Alexey Blagoveshchensky received the Gold Star of the Hero for China.
On October 15, 1944, a fighter aircraft took off from a small military airfield in the Philippines. He did not return to base. Yes, however, no one expected his return: after all, he was piloted by the first suicide pilot (kamikaze) Rear Admiral Arima, commander of the 26th air flotilla.
Young officers tried to dissuade the rear admiral from participating in the deadly flight. But he tore off the insignia from his uniform and boarded the plane. Ironically, Arima failed to complete the task. He missed and crashed into sea waves without reaching the target of the American ship. Thus began one of the darkest combat campaigns of the Second World War in pacific ocean.
By the end of 1944, the Japanese fleet, having suffered several defeats, was a pitiful shadow of the formidable imperial fleet. The forces of naval aviation, which was entrusted with air cover for the Philippines, were also weakened. And although the Japanese industry produced enough aircraft, the army and navy did not have time to train pilots. This led to the complete dominance of the Americans in the air. It was then that the commander of the first air fleet in the Philippines, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi, proposed the creation of groups of suicide pilots. Enishi saw that due to poor training, hundreds of Japanese pilots were dying without causing significant damage to the enemy.
The end of World War II was approaching, the American navy was approaching the Japanese coast, and Japan simply needed to take some drastic measures to prevent an undesirable outcome. So it was decided to create a unique detachment called "Special Strike Force". But this unit was better known as the kamikaze squad, which translates as "divine wind." The division consisted of volunteers who were supposed to deliberately crash their planes into American ships.
10. Battle of the Philippine Sea
One of the key naval battles during World War II was the battle in the Philippine Sea, which took place on June 19 and 20, 1944. The American army emerged victorious, seriously damaging the Japanese fleet with minimal personal losses.
The reason for this vulnerability of Japan turned out to be that its army flew Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircraft (Zeek for short), which were absolutely ineffective in the fight against powerful military equipment USA. By and large, Japanese aircraft exploded on approach from simple machine-gun bursts, not having time to harm the enemy. During this battle, the Japanese lost 480 combat vehicles, which accounted for 75% of their air fleet.
As American forces approached the coast of the Philippines, then occupied by Japan, the Japanese military commanders increasingly thought that they needed to take drastic measures. At the meeting of the most higher ranks Navy Captain Motoharu Okamura said that only the Suicide Squad would save the situation. Okamura was sure that enough volunteers would be called to save his homeland from disgrace, and about 300 aircraft would need to be allocated for them. The captain was sure that this would change the course of the war and turn the situation in favor of Japan.
Everyone present at the meeting agreed with Okamura, and the necessary resources were allocated to him. For this mission, the planes were specially lightened, machine guns were dismantled, armor was removed and even the radio was removed. But the fuel tank was enlarged, and 250 kg of explosives were loaded on board the aircraft. Now all Okamura needed was to find pilots for this desperate mission.
9Japanese pilots agreed to commit suicide for fear of embarrassment
But how did you manage to recruit pilots for such a terrible task? In fact, the authorities simply asked people to volunteer.
And as for how anyone can agree to such a death, it’s already worth turning to the culture of Japan. Shame is a very hot topic in this country. If the authorities asked the pilot to sacrifice himself, and he would have answered: “No, I do not want to die for my country”, this would not only dishonor him, but also dishonor his entire family. In addition, dead suicide pilots were promoted by two ranks.
So in fact, the volunteer detachment was not so free to choose. They could stay alive, embarrass themselves throughout the country, and tarnish the reputation of their family in a society extremely strongly oriented towards honor and pride. Or volunteers could die and be extolled as heroes who died for their homeland.
8. The best pilots of aviation died in the first raid
When the Japanese authorities decided to form a kamikaze squadron, the first pilot they chose to be their fighter pilot was their best lieutenant, a young boy of 23, Yukio Seki. It could be assumed that when the guy was told that he was needed for such a responsible task, he replied that he would gladly serve the country. But there are rumors that Seki shared his doubts with the journalist that this would be the best use of his talents.
In October 1944, Seki and 23 other airmen began training for the mission. On October 20, Admiral Takihiro Onishi said: “In mortal danger. The salvation of our country is now not at all in the hands of chiefs and ministers like me. It can only come from brave young people like you. Therefore, on behalf of our entire country, I ask you for this sacrifice and pray for your success.
You are already gods, liberated from earthly desires. But the only thing that still makes sense to you is the knowledge that your sacrifice will not be in vain. Unfortunately, we can no longer tell you this. But I will keep an eye on your efforts and report your deeds to the emperor himself. You can be sure of this.
And I ask you to do the best you can."
After this speech, 24 pilots got behind the wheel of their planes and took off to certain death. However, during the first five days of flights, they did not manage to make a single collision with American ships until they met with a rival in the Philippines.
The Americans were surprised by the Japanese suicide attack. The kamikaze pilot managed to sink one of the most important ships of the US Navy, an entire aircraft carrier. The collision of the Japanese plane with the ship caused multiple explosions inside the ship, and she sank. There were 889 people on board at the time, and 143 of them were killed or are considered missing.
In addition to sinking the aircraft carrier, the kamikaze group managed to damage three other ships. The Japanese took it a good sign and expanded the membership of the Suicide Squad.
7. The Japanese designed the plane specifically for the kamikaze mission.
As mentioned above, the Japanese Ziki were quite ineffective against American aircraft. With flying bombs, things were no better. Another problem was that the pilots had to be trained urgently in a very difficult task. And in order to even get close to US warships, you had to be a very good pilot. Instead of simply canceling the operation, the Japanese decided to simplify the aircraft itself, making it more suitable for the purposes and specifics of the kamikaze mission. The new machine was named the Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka, or simply Cherry Blossom.
The aircraft actually became a guided missile 6 m long with short wings. A significant drawback of the projectile was that it could only fly 32 km. So the Japanese had to use another plane that would deliver the Cherry Blossom to the target. They became the Mitsubishi G4M bomber. As soon as the kamikaze pilot got close to his target, he launched rocket boosters, which allowed him to bypass the enemy's defensive fire and hit the armor of the enemy ship.
In addition to being lighter, these new aircraft were also easier to fly than the Zikis. Pilots didn't have to learn how to take off and land, they just had to keep the right heading and fire the boosters so they didn't have to maneuver and dodge American defensive fire.
The cockpit of the Cherries was also special. Behind the head of the pilot's seat was a special compartment for a samurai sword in case the suicide bomber survived the collision.
6. It was supposed to be psychological warfare
Of course, the main task of the kamikaze was to sink as many ships as possible. However, the Japanese believed that on the battlefield, new tactics would certainly help them gain a psychological advantage over the enemy. The Japanese wanted to be seen as fierce warriors without a sense of proportion, who would rather die than lose and surrender.
Unfortunately, this did not have the expected effect. Not only did the Americans easily repel the attacks of the Japanese, they also nicknamed the kamikaze planes "Baka", which Japanese means "fool" or "idiot".
5. Kamikaze pilots who controlled torpedoes
In addition to lightweight aircraft, the Japanese created guided torpedoes for kamikaze, which they later called kaitens.
The procedure was as follows: first, the pilot had to look out for a ship through the periscope, then, using a stopwatch and a compass, he had to almost blindly ram the enemy ship. As you might have guessed, it wasn't easy, and it took months to train the pilots.
Another difficulty was the size of the torpedoes. They were large, and this did not allow them to be sent over too long distances. Torpedoes had to be delivered first on large submarines. The "mother" ship transported from 6 to 8 kaitens to its destination.
On November 20, 1944, 5 kaitens were fired into the American tanker USS Mississinewa. One of them hit the target, and the explosion was huge, as you can see in the video above. The Japanese thought that they sank as many as 5 ships due to the fact that the explosion was incredibly strong. As a result, management found the torpedo idea so successful that kaiten production was increased.
4 Nazi Suicide Squad
The Japanese were not the only ones in the aggressor coalition who, at the end of the war, became so desperate that they launched suicide bombers. Germany also formed its own detachment special purpose, nicknamed the "Squadron of Leonidas". The creation of the detachment was proposed by Hannah Reitsch, a German test pilot. Reitsch was twice awarded the Iron Cross and became the German woman who got closer than any other of the fair sex to direct hostilities.
In 1944, when Reitsch received her second Cross, she spoke about her idea to Adolf Hitler himself, who participated in the presentation of the award. She suggested putting the pilots in modified V-1 rockets loaded with explosives and using them as weapons. At first, Hitler did not like this idea, but later he changed his mind. The chancellor liked Hannah's commitment to this venture, and he agreed to the creation of aircraft for suicide missions. The aircraft assigned to this project was a Fieseler Fi 103R, codenamed Reichenberg. Suicide rockets were equipped with bombs weighing 900 kg.
Reitsch was the first to be transferred to the Leonidas Squadron and was the first to take an oath in which she confirmed that she was voluntarily taking part in the mission and understood that death awaited her.
In total, there were 70 volunteers in the new detachment, but the program was curtailed even before anyone had time to use the Reichenbergs.
Reitsch survived the war and subsequently published her autobiography. In addition, Hanna even became the manager of the national gliding school in Ghana in the post-war years. The pilot died at the age of 65 from a heart attack. It happened in 1979.
3 The Pilots May Have Taken Meth
In fact, methamphetamine was invented in Japan as early as 1893. But it didn't become widespread until the drug was brought to the attention of World War II. The German army used a type of methamphetamine called Pervitin, while the Japanese used the drug Philopon.
During the war, the Japanese gave drugs to their soldiers when they were too hungry or tired. Philopon also proved to be useful for kamikaze pilots. In the face of certain death, they had to be resolute and collected. Therefore, before landing in their flying bombs and several hour-long flights to their deaths, the pilots were given high doses of methamphetamine. This helped the suicides stay focused until the very end. Another benefit for the soldiers was that the meth increased the level of aggression.
And although such side effect for drug addicts, it is a rather unpleasant manifestation in everyday life; for Japanese kamikaze, he served faithful service, helping suicides stick to the plan while flying through machine-gun fire.
2. The last kamikaze pilot
In 1945, Admiral Matome Ugaki was appointed commander of the kamikaze units. A month later, on August 15, when the emperor of Japan announced his surrender over the radio, Ugaki decided that the most worthy end for him would be the same death that his subordinates faced daily. Before his last flight, he even took a picture (photo above). True, Ugaki did not have piloting skills, and for this purpose, another voluntary suicide bomber had to be put on the plane.
On the way to his death, Ugaki radioed the following message:
“We have only me to blame for our failure. The valiant efforts of all the officers and soldiers under my command over the past 6 months have been greatly appreciated.
I'm going to strike at Okinawa, where my people died like cherry blossoms. There I will fall upon the conceited enemy in the true spirit of Bushido (samurai code) with firm conviction and faith in the immortality of the Japanese Empire.
I am sure that all units under my command will understand my motives, overcome all difficulties in the future and make every effort to revive our great Motherland.
Long live His Imperial Majesty!”
Unfortunately for Ugaki, the mission failed and his plane was likely intercepted before he could reach his destination.
1. The operation was a failure
The Japanese were naive in their hopes for the success of the kamikaze pilots. Suicide attacks proved to be rather ineffective against the strongest navy of World War II.
As a result, the suicide pilots managed to sink only 51 ships, and only one of them was a large ironclad (USS St. Lo). About 3,000 American and British soldiers died due to the fault of the kamikaze.
But if you compare these figures with the losses on the part of the Japanese, it is hard to believe that they were trying to wage offensive battles. Some 1,321 Japanese aircraft and submarines crashed into American ships, and about 5,000 pilots died in these attempts to cripple the army of the combined forces.
By and large, the American navy defeated the Japanese army due to the fact that he had more people and military equipment. To date, the kamikaze project is considered one of the greatest blunders in the history of World War II.
Japanese suicide bomber pilot
Toward the end of World War II, the allied countries of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis, anticipating defeat, tried to correct the situation in their favor with the help of effective weapons capable of inflicting significant damage to the enemy. Germany relied on V-2 missiles, while the Japanese used a simpler method, mobilizing suicide pilots - kamikaze - to solve this problem.
There is no doubt that Japanese warriors have been considered the most skillful and fearless in the world for centuries. Part of the reason for this behavior was the adherence to bushido, the moral code of the samurai, which prescribes unconditional obedience to the emperor, whose divinity stems from great ancestors who possessed the special physical and spiritual properties of the sun goddess.
Seppuku is hara-kiri
This cult of divine origin was introduced by Jimmu in 660 BC, who proclaimed himself the first emperor of Japan. And somewhere during the Heian era, in the 9th-12th centuries, an important component of the code appeared - the rite of seppuku, better known by the second name "hara-kiri" (literally - "cutting the stomach"). It was suicide in case of insulting honor, committing an unworthy act, in the event of the death of his overlord, and subsequently by the verdict of the court.
The fact that in the process of suicide it was not the heart that was affected, but the stomach was torn open, is simply explained: according to the philosophy of Buddhism, in particular, the teachings of the Zen sect, not the heart, but the abdominal cavity is considered as the main central point of life of a person and thus the seat of life.
Harakiri acquires a massive character during internecine wars, when the opening of the abdomen begins to prevail over other methods of suicide. Very often, the bushi resorted to hara-kiri, so as not to fall into the hands of enemies when the troops of their clan were defeated. With the same samurai, at the same time, they made amends with their master for losing the battle, thus avoiding shame. One of the most famous examples the commission of hara-kiri by a warrior in the event of a defeat is considered seppuku by Masashige Kusunoki. losing
battle, Masashige and 60 of his devoted friends performed the hara-kiri rite.
Seppuku or hara-kiri is a common phenomenon among Japanese samurai.
The description of this procedure is a separate topic, so it is only worth noting one more important point. In 1878, after the fall of the last of the shoguns, the military-feudal rulers of Japan, who had ruled the country for six centuries, power was concentrated in the hands of Emperor Meiji, who headed for the construction of capitalism. And a year later, one of the richest people in Japan, a certain Mitsuri Toyama, together with his influential friends creates secret society"Genyosha" ("Black Ocean"), which set itself the goal of creating on the basis of official religion Shinto military-political doctrine of Japan. Being an enlightened man, Toyama
saw in seppuku a relic of the past, but introduced a new meaning into this order: "suicide as an example of fidelity to duty in the name of the prosperity of the Motherland."
Japanese kamikaze pilots
However, at the beginning of the 20th century and for another four decades, the ideology of seppuku turned out to be unclaimed. But with might and main earned the second principle of the doctrine of "Genyosha": "The gods patronize Japan. Therefore, its people, territory and every institution associated with the gods surpasses all others on earth. All this lays on sacred Japan
mission is to unite the world under one roof so that humanity can enjoy the benefits of being under the rule of a divine emperor.”
Indeed, the victory soon followed. Russo-Japanese War, successful fighting in Manchuria against the Kuomintang Chiang Kai-shek and the People's Liberation Army of Mao Zedong, a crushing blow against the Americans in Pearl Harbor, the occupation of the countries of Southeast Asia. But already in 1942, after the lost battle of the imperial fleet in the naval battle at Midway Atoll, it became clear that the Japanese war machine began to malfunction, and two years after successful ground operations
American troops and their allies in Tokyo started talking about the possible defeat of the imperial army.
That's when a drowning man clutches at straws, General base proposed to recall the principle of hara-kiri in a slightly modified version: to create units of suicide pilots who are ready to voluntarily give their lives for the emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun. This idea was put forward by the commander of the First Air Fleet, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi, on October 19, 1944: “I don’t think there is any other way how to bring down the Zero armed with a 250-ton bomb on the Americans.”
The admiral had in mind the A6M Zero carrier-based fighters, and a few days later, the quickly created groups of suicide pilots flew out on the first and last mission in their lives.
The group got the name "Kamikaze" - "Divine Wind" - not by chance. Twice in 1274 and 1281 armadas Mongol Khan Kublai tried to approach the shores of Japan with an aggressive goal. And both times the plans of the aggressors were thwarted by typhoons that scattered ships across the ocean. For this, the grateful Japanese called their natural savior "Divine Wind".
The first kamikaze attack took place on October 21, 1944. A suicide bomber struck the Australian flagship, the cruiser Australia. True, the bomb itself did not explode, but the superstructure with the ship's cabin was destroyed, as a result of which 30 people died, including the ship's commander. The second attack on the cruiser, made four days later, was more successful - the ship was seriously damaged and forced to go to the docks for repairs.
Japanese kamikaze in World War II
We will not dwell on the enumeration of sorties by kamikaze detachments, which lasted a little more than six months. According to the Japanese, during this time 81 ships were sunk and 195 were damaged. The Americans and allies were more modest in assessing losses - 34 and 288 watercraft of various classes, respectively: from aircraft carriers to auxiliary vessels. But here it is worth noting one interesting feature. The Japanese, one might say, reversed Suvorov's commandment: "Fight not by numbers, but by skill", relying precisely on numerical superiority. However, the air defense systems of the American naval formations were quite effective, so the use of radars
coupled with the actions of more modern carrier-based interceptor fighters of the Corsair or Mustang type, as well as anti-aircraft artillery, gave only one out of ten kamikaze a chance to complete their combat mission.
Japanese kamikaze pilots - students before a sortie
Therefore, very soon the Japanese were faced with the problem of how to make up for the loss of aircraft. There were no problems with suicide volunteers, but the means of delivering live bombs was in short supply. Therefore, at first it was necessary to reactivate and put into operation the A5M Zero fighters of the previous generation, equipped with low-power engines of the 1920s model. And in parallel, start developing a cheap but effective "flying torpedo". Such a sample, called "Yokosuka", was created quite quickly. It was a wooden glider with shortened wings. A charge with a capacity of 1.2 tons of ammonal was placed in the bow of the apparatus, in the middle part there was a cockpit, and in the tail - a jet engine. The landing gear was missing, since the airframe was attached under the belly of the Gingo heavy bomber, which delivered the torpedo to the attack area.
Having reached a predetermined point, the “aircraft” unhooked the glider, and it continued to fly in free mode. Having reached the goal, if possible, planning directly to the limit
low altitude, which provided him with stealth from radar, opposition from fighters and ship anti-aircraft guns, the pilot turned on the jet engine, the glider soared into the sky and from there dived at the target.
However, according to the Americans, the strikes of these air torpedoes were ineffective and rarely reached the target. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Yokosuka received the nickname “Baka” from the Americans, which means “fool” in translation. And there were very good reasons for this.
The point is that for comparatively short term professional pilots who flew as suicide pilots have already completed their life path in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, so the survivors were used only as pilots of Zero fighters, escorting bombers with a man-torpedo. And then a set of people wishing to "commit hara-kiri" was announced in the name of the triumph of the Japanese nation. Oddly enough, this mobilization was received with a bang. Moreover, the decision to become suicide bombers was mainly expressed by university students, where the dogmas of "Genyosha" were actively promoted.
Kamikaze volunteers
For relatively a short time the number of yellow-mouthed youths ready to give up their lives rose to 2525, which was three times the number of aircraft available. However, by that time the Japanese had tried to create another aircraft, also made of wood, but launched with the help of an improved
jet engine. Moreover, to reduce weight with the landing gear separating after takeoff - after all, the bombing aircraft did not need to land.
Nevertheless, the number of volunteers wishing to join the ranks of the kamikaze continued to grow rapidly. Someone was really attracted by a sense of patriotism, someone by a desire to glorify their family with a feat. Indeed, not only the suicide bombers themselves, for whom they prayed in churches, but also the parents of those who did not return from the mission were surrounded by honor. Moreover, clay tablets with the names of the dead kamikaze are still kept in the Yasunuki temple, which the parishioners continue to worship. Yes, even today teachers in history lessons talk about the romantic rites that the heroes went through when they received a “one-way ticket”.
A cup of heated sake vodka, the ceremony of putting on a hachimaki - a white bandage on the forehead, a symbol of immortality, after takeoff - heading to Mount Kaimon and saluting her. However, not only young people were ready to sacrifice their lives. Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki and Rear Admiral Masadumi Arilsa, commanders of the air fleets, also went on their last sortie, wearing hachimaki.
Amazingly, some of the kamikaze managed to survive. For example, non-commissioned officer Yamamura found himself on the verge of death three times. The first time a Gingo transporter was shot down by American fighters, the suicide pilot was rescued by fishermen. A week later, another "Gingo" hit a storm front and was forced to return to base in accordance with instructions. Finally, during the third flight, the torpedo release system did not work. And then the war ended. The day after the signing of the act of surrender, the "father of kamikaze" Admiral Takijiro Onishi wrote a farewell letter. In it, he thanked all the pilots who responded to his call, and ended the message with a three-line in
haiku style: "Now everything is done, and I can sleep for millions of years." Then he sealed the envelope and committed hara-kiri over himself.
Japanese kamikaze on torpedoes
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that kamikaze pilots were not the only voluntary suicide bombers (“tokkotai”), there were other units in the Japanese army, for example, in the navy. For example, the Kaiten (Path to Paradise) unit, in which ten groups of man-torpedoes were formed by the beginning of 1945.
Torpedo, Kaiten units, they died in such Japanese kamikaze on torpedoes
The tactics of using man-torpedoes was as follows: having found an enemy ship, the carrier submarine occupied a certain position along its route, after which the suicide bombers landed in torpedoes. Orienting with the help of a periscope, the commander fired one or more torpedoes, having previously set the course for the suicide bombers.
After passing a certain distance, the driver of the torpedo surfaced and quickly examined the water area. This maneuver was calculated so that the torpedo was on the forward heading angles
enemy ship and at a distance of 400-500 meters from it. In this position, the ship practically could not evade the torpedo, even when it detected it.
The creator of the kamikaze detachments, the commander of the first air fleet, Vice Admiral Onishi Takijiro, stated: “If a pilot, seeing an enemy aircraft or ship, strains all his will and strength, turns the aircraft into a part of himself, this is the most perfect weapon. And can there be a greater glory for a warrior than to give his life for the emperor and for the country?
However, the Japanese command did not come to such a decision from a good life. By October 1944, Japan's losses in aircraft, and most importantly, in experienced pilots, were catastrophic. The creation of kamikaze detachments cannot be called otherwise than as a gesture of desperation and faith in a miracle that can, if not reverse, at least level the balance of power in the Pacific Ocean. The father of the kamikaze and the corps commander, Vice Admiral Onishi and the commander of the combined fleet, Admiral Toyoda, understood perfectly well that the war had already been lost. By creating a corps of suicide pilots, they expected that the damage from kamikaze attacks inflicted on the American fleet would allow Japan to avoid unconditional surrender and conclude peace on relatively acceptable terms.
The Japanese command had no problems only with the recruitment of pilots to perform suicidal tasks. German Vice Admiral Helmut Geye once wrote: “It is possible that among our people there are a certain number of people who will not only declare their readiness to voluntarily go to death, but also find enough spiritual strength in themselves to really do it. But I have always believed and still believe that such feats cannot be performed by representatives of the white race. It happens, of course, that thousands of brave people in the heat of battle act without sparing their lives; this, no doubt, has often happened in the armies of all countries of the world. But for this or that person to voluntarily doom himself to certain death in advance, such a form of combat use of people is unlikely to become generally accepted among our peoples. The European simply does not have that religious fanaticism that would justify such exploits, the European is deprived of contempt for death and, consequently, for his own life ... ".
For Japanese warriors, brought up in the spirit of bushido, the main priority was to fulfill the order, even at the cost of their own lives. The only thing that distinguished kamikaze from ordinary Japanese soldiers was the almost complete lack of chances of surviving the mission.
The Japanese expression "kamikaze" translates as "divine wind" - the Shinto term for a storm that brings benefits or is an auspicious omen. This word was called a hurricane, which twice - in 1274 and 1281, defeated the fleet of the Mongol conquerors off the coast of Japan. According to Japanese beliefs, the hurricane was sent by the thunder god Raijin and the wind god Fujin. Actually, thanks to Shintoism, a single Japanese nation was formed, this religion is the basis of Japanese national psychology. In accordance with it, the mikado (emperor) is the descendant of the spirits of the sky, and every Japanese is the descendant of less significant spirits. Therefore, for the Japanese, the emperor, due to his divine origin, is related to the whole people, acts as the head of the nation-family and as the main priest of Shinto. And it was considered important for every Japanese to be devoted above all to the emperor.
Onishi Takijiro.
Zen Buddhism also had an undoubted influence on the character of the Japanese. Zen has become main religion samurai, who found in the meditation he used a way to fully reveal their inner capabilities.
Confucianism also became widespread in Japan, the principles of obedience and unconditional submission to authority, filial piety found fertile ground in Japanese society.
Shintoism, Buddhism and Confucianism were the basis on which the whole complex of moral and ethical norms that made up the samurai bushido code was formed. Confucianism provided the moral and ethical justification for Bushido, Buddhism brought indifference to death, Shintoism shaped the Japanese as a nation.
A samurai's death wish must be complete. He had no right to be afraid of her, to dream that he would live forever. All the thoughts of a warrior, according to bushido, should be directed to throwing themselves into the midst of enemies and dying with a smile.
In accordance with the traditions, the kamikaze has developed its own special farewell ritual and special paraphernalia. Kamikaze wore the same uniform as regular pilots. However, three cherry blossom petals were stamped on each of her seven buttons. At the suggestion of Onishi, white forehead bands - hachimaki - became a distinctive part of the kamikaze equipment. They often depicted a red solar disk of the hinomaru, and also displayed black hieroglyphs with patriotic and sometimes mystical sayings. The most common inscription was "Seven Lives for the Emperor".
Another tradition has become a cup of sake just before the start. Right on the airfield, they set the table with a white tablecloth - according to Japanese beliefs, this is a symbol of death. They filled cups with drink and offered them to each of the pilots lined up in line, setting off for the flight. Kamikaze accepted the cup with both hands, bowed low and took a sip.
A tradition was established according to which pilots flying on their last flight were given a bento - a box of food. It contained eight small balls of rice called makizushi. Such boxes were originally issued to pilots who went on a long flight. But already in the Philippines they began to supply kamikazes. Firstly, because their last flight could become long and it was necessary to maintain forces. Secondly, for the pilot, who knew that he would not return from the flight, the box of food served as psychological support.
All the suicide bombers left in special small unpainted wooden caskets their nails and strands of their hair to send to their relatives, as each of the Japanese soldiers did.
Kamikaze pilots drink sake before taking off.
On October 25, 1944, the first massive kamikaze attack against enemy aircraft carriers was carried out in Leyte Gulf. Having lost 17 aircraft, the Japanese managed to destroy one and damage six enemy aircraft carriers. It was an undeniable success for Onishi Takijiro's innovative tactics, especially considering that the day before Admiral Fukudome Shigeru's Second Air Fleet had lost 150 aircraft without achieving any success at all.
Almost simultaneously with naval aviation, the first detachment of army kamikaze pilots was created. Six army special attack units were formed at once. Since there was no shortage of volunteers, and in the opinion of the authorities, there could not be refuseniks, pilots were transferred to army kamikaze without their consent. November 5 is considered the day of official participation in the hostilities of army groups of suicide pilots, all in the same Leyte Gulf.
However, not all Japanese pilots shared this tactic, and there were exceptions. On November 11, one of the American destroyers rescued a Japanese kamikaze pilot. The pilot was part of the Second Air Fleet of Admiral Fukudome, deployed from Formosa on October 22 to participate in Operation Se-Go. He explained that upon arrival in the Philippines, there was no talk of suicide attacks. But on October 25, kamikaze groups began to hastily be created in the Second Air Fleet. Already on October 27, the commander of the squadron in which the pilot served announced to his subordinates that their unit was intended to carry out suicide attacks. The pilot himself thought the very idea of such strikes was stupid. He had no intention of dying, and the pilot confessed in all sincerity that he had never felt the urge to commit suicide.
How were air kamikaze attacks carried out? In the face of growing losses of bomber aircraft, the idea was born to attack American ships with fighters alone. The light Zero was not capable of lifting a heavy powerful bomb or torpedo, but could carry a 250-kilogram bomb. Of course, you cannot sink an aircraft carrier with one such bomb, but it was quite realistic to put it out of action for a long period. Enough to damage the flight deck.
Admiral Onishi came to the conclusion that three kamikaze aircraft and two escort fighters were a small, and therefore quite mobile and optimal group. Escort fighters played an extremely important role. They had to repel the attacks of enemy interceptors until the kamikaze planes rushed to the target.
Due to the danger of being detected by radar or fighter aircraft from aircraft carriers, kamikaze pilots used two methods of reaching the target - flying at an extremely low altitude of 10-15 meters and at an extremely high altitude of 6-7 kilometers. Both methods required the proper qualification of pilots and reliable equipment.
However, in the future it was necessary to use any aircraft, including obsolete and training ones, and young and inexperienced replenishment went into the kamikaze pilots, who simply did not have time to train enough.
Yokosuka MXY7 Oka aircraft.
On March 21, 1945, an unsuccessful attempt was made to use the Yokosuka MXY7 Oka manned projectile by the Thunder Gods detachment for the first time. This aircraft was a rocket-powered craft designed specifically for kamikaze attacks and was equipped with a 1,200-kilogram bomb. During the attack, the Oka projectile was lifted into the air by a Mitsubishi G4M aircraft until it was within the radius of destruction. After undocking, the pilot in hover mode had to bring the plane as close as possible to the target, turn on the rocket engines and then ram the intended ship at great speed. Allied troops quickly learned to attack the Oka carrier before it could launch a projectile. The first successful use of the Oka aircraft occurred on April 12, when a projectile, piloted by 22-year-old Lieutenant Dohi Saburo, sank the destroyer of the Mannert L. Abele radar patrol.
In total, 850 projectiles were produced in 1944-1945.
In the waters of Okinawa, suicide pilots inflicted very serious damage on the American fleet. Of the 28 ships sunk by aircraft, kamikazes were sent to the bottom of 26. Of the 225 damaged ships, kamikazes damaged 164, including 27 aircraft carriers and several battleships and cruisers. Four British aircraft carriers received five hits from kamikaze aircraft. About 90 percent of the kamikazes missed their target or were shot down. The Thunder Gods Corps suffered heavy losses. Of the 185 Oka planes used for the attacks, 118 were destroyed by the enemy, 438 pilots were killed, including 56 "gods of thunder" and 372 crew members of carrier aircraft.
The last ship lost by the United States in the Pacific War was the destroyer Callaghan. In the Okinawa area on July 29, 1945, using the darkness of the night, the old low-speed Aichi D2A training biplane with a 60-kilogram bomb at 0-41 managed to break through to the Callaghan and ram it. The blow fell on the captain's bridge. A fire broke out, which led to the explosion of ammunition in the cellar. The crew left the sinking ship. 47 sailors were killed, 73 people were injured.
On August 15, Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan in his radio address. On the evening of the same day, many of the commanders and staff officers of the kamikaze corps went on their last flight. Vice Admiral Onishi Takijiro committed hara-kiri the same day.
And the last kamikaze attacks were carried out on Soviet ships. On August 18, a Japanese army twin-engine bomber tried to ram the Taganrog tanker in the Amur Bay near the Vladivostok oil base, but was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. As follows from the surviving documents, the plane was piloted by Lieutenant Yoshiro Chiohara.
On the same day, the kamikaze achieved their only victory by sinking the minesweeper KT-152 in the Shumshu area (Kuril Islands). The former seiner, the Neptune fish scout, was built in 1936 and had a displacement of 62 tons and a crew of 17 sailors. From the impact of a Japanese aircraft, the minesweeper immediately went to the bottom.
Hatsaro Naito in his book Gods of Thunder. Kamikaze pilots tell their stories ”(Thundergods. The Kamikaze Pilots Tell Their Story. - N.Y., 1989, p. 25.) gives the number of losses of naval and army kamikazes to the nearest person. According to him, 2,525 naval and 1,388 army pilots died in suicide attacks in 1944-1945. Thus, a total of 3913 kamikaze pilots died, and this number did not include lone kamikaze - those who independently decided to go on a suicidal attack.
According to Japanese statements, 81 ships were sunk and 195 damaged as a result of kamikaze attacks. According to American data, the losses amounted to 34 sunk and 288 damaged ships.
But in addition to material losses from the mass attacks of suicide pilots, the allies received a psychological shock. He was so serious that the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, suggested that information about kamikaze attacks be kept secret. American military censorship placed severe restrictions on the dissemination of reports of suicide pilot attacks. The British allies also did not spread the word about the kamikaze until the end of the war.
Sailors put out a fire on the USS Hancock after a kamikaze attack.
Nevertheless, the kamikaze attacks led to the admiration of many. Americans have always been struck by the fighting spirit demonstrated by suicide pilots. The spirit of kamikaze, originating in the depths of Japanese history, illustrated in practice the concept of the power of spirit over matter. “There was a kind of mesmerizing delight in this alien to the West philosophy,” recalled Vice Admiral Brown. “We were fascinated by each diving kamikaze - more like an audience at a performance, and not potential victims who are going to be killed. For a while, we forgot about ourselves and thought only about the person who is on the plane.
However, it is worth noting that the first case of ramming an enemy ship by an aircraft occurred on August 19, 1937, during the so-called Shanghai Incident. And it was produced by the Chinese pilot Shen Changhai. Subsequently, 15 more Chinese pilots sacrificed their lives by bringing planes down on Japanese ships off the Chinese coast. They sank seven small enemy ships.
Apparently, the Japanese appreciated the heroism of the enemy.
It should be noted that in hopeless situations, in the heat of battle, fire rams were made by pilots from many countries. But no one, except the Japanese, did not rely on suicidal attacks.
The former Prime Minister of Japan, Admiral Sudzkuki Kantarosam, who more than once looked death in the eye, assessed the kamikaze and their tactics as follows: “The spirit and exploits of the kamikaze pilots, of course, cause deep admiration. But this tactic, viewed from the point of view of strategy, is defeatist. A responsible commander would never resort to such emergency measures. Kamikaze attacks are clear evidence of our fear of inevitable defeat when there were no other options to change the course of the war. The air operations that we began to conduct in the Philippines did not leave any opportunity to survive. After the death of experienced pilots, less experienced and, in the end, those who had no training at all, had to be thrown into suicidal attacks.