List of Allied vessels struck by Japanese special attack weapons
The Allies referred to these special weapons as "suicide" attacks, and found it difficult to understand why an individual would intentionally crash an airplane into a ship, as the two cultures clashed in battle.
Attack boats, suicide divers, and several types of submarines were also used to destroy ships and landing craft as the Allied forces advanced toward Japan.
Kamikaze (神風, literally: "God wind"; common translation: "Divine wind") [kamikaꜜze] ⓘ, official name: Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (特別攻撃隊), Tokkō Tai (特攻隊) or Tokkō (特攻) were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy warships more effectively than was possible with conventional attacks.
Numbers quoted vary, but at least 47 Allied vessels, from PT boats to escort carriers, were sunk by kamikaze attacks, and about 300 damaged.
[4] The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (also spelled Oka) (櫻花; Shinjitai: 桜花; "cherry blossom"; Hebon-shiki transcription Ōka) was a purpose-built kamikaze aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in the last months of World War II.
Ohka was a small flying bomb that was carried underneath a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty", Yokosuka P1Y Ginga "Frances" or the planned Heavy Nakajima G8N Renzan (Allied code name "Rita") transport type 43A/B and heavy bomber to within range of its target; on release, the pilot would first glide towards the target and, when close enough, he would fire the Ohka's engine(s) and dive into the ship to destroy it.
Later versions were designed to be launched from coastal air bases and caves, and even from submarines equipped with aircraft catapults, although the war ended before they were used this way.
The Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi (剣 "Sabre") was a one-man purpose-built kamikaze aircraft developed by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in the closing stages of World War II in late 1945.
It was the Japanese copy of the German Me 163 rocket powered interceptor fighter that was specially designed for use against high flying B-29 bombers.
The Hiryu To-Go, also known as the Ki-167 "Sakura-dan", was a Mitsubishi Ki-67 Kai (Allied code name "Peggy") twin-engine bomber with guns removed and faired over, crew reduced to four men.
The Mizuno Shinryu ("Divine Dragon") was a proposed rocket-powered kamikaze aircraft designed for the Imperial Japanese Navy towards the end of World War II.
This was a suicide weapon with no landing gear, was catapult launched using Rocket Assisted Take Off (RATO), used Ne-12B engines, and carried a single bomb.
The Kawanishi Baika (梅花, "Ume Blossom") was a pulsejet-powered kamikaze aircraft under development for the Imperial Japanese Navy towards the end of World War II.
About 400 of these boats were sent to Okinawa and Formosa, the rest were stored on the coast of Japan for the ultimate defense against the invasion of the Home Islands.
The Fukuryu were armed with a 15 kg (33 lb) mine fired with a contact fuse, fitted onto the end of a 5 m (16 ft) bamboo pole.
These forces were airlifted and crash landed onto Allied Army or Marine air strips, with the intention of destroying as many aircraft as possible before being killed.
On 24 May 1945, a Giretsu force of five Mitsubishi Ki-21 bombers, commanded by Captain Chuichi Suwabe, attacked Yontan airfield, in northern Okinawa.
