Five Imperial Japanese Army Mitsubishi Ki-21 (Allied reporting name "Sally") bombers, carrying Giretsu Kuteitai special airborne attack troops, conducted a suicide raid against Kadena and Yontan airfields on Okinawa.

[1] [2] After United States Amy Air Force B-29 Superfortress strategic bombers began attacks on Tokyo from bases in the Mariana Islands, the 1st Raiding Brigade of the Teishin Shudan was ordered to form a commando unit for a "special operations" mission to attack and destroy the bombers on the Aslito Airfield on Saipan.

Captain Michiro Okuyama, commander of the brigade's engineering company and trained in sabotage and demolition was selected as mission leader.

It was initially organized with a command section and five platoons and one independent squad, based at the Imperial Japanese Army's air academy at Saitama.

The fact that there was no provision for extraction of the strike force, along with the rejection of surrender in Japanese military doctrine at the time, meant that the Giretsu ground operations were effectively suicide attacks.

The attack against the Marianas was scheduled for December 24, 1944, but was called off after American raids damaged the planned refueling airfields on Iwo Jima.

[3] In the middle of April, the Sixth Air Army requested the deployment of the Giretsu Special Forces to neutralize these airfields, in what was designated "Operation Gi-gou".

[5] Tenth Army swept across the south-central part of the island with relative ease, capturing the Kadena and the Yomitan airbases within hours of the landing.

[17] The timing of the raid was also meant to coincide with the withdrawal of Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima's 32nd Army from the Shuri Line in southern Okinawa.

The raid was to precede as part of Operation Kikusui VII, one of a number of large Kamikaze attacks flown against US forces in the vicinity of Okinawa.

At 2225 the first of the remaining Giretsu Sally bomber approached Yontan Airfield at very low level and was successfully engaged by Marine anti-aircraft gunners of the 1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group who were tasked with defending the field.

[3] A fourth aircraft was shot down south of the airfield and its severed wing fell and hit an anti-aircraft position killing two Marines from the 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion.

Eventually, led by 1stLt Clark C. Campbell and Technical Sergeant Chandler M. Beasley from VMF(N)-542, the Marines on the field were able to organize a disciplined resistance and begin to engage the remaining Japanese commandos.

[26] After the raid, two Marines from the 8th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion discovered a Japanese officer sleeping in the jungle near the airfield and shot him in the head for which they were court-martialed.

[27] During the raid, Lieutenant Colonel Marion Magruder, commanding officer of VMF(N)-533, was returning to the airfield leading a division of Grumman F6F Hellcats after conducting a combat air patrol.

Corporal Lavate L. Aumiller and Private Nathaniel C. Collinsworth from the 16th AAA Battalion's searchlight battery were killed when a falling Japanese aircraft wing hit their position.

After witnessing the Japanese planes landing, Lt Kelley drove his jeep to the area and began engaging the enemy with his service revolver.

[31] The Japanese considered the Yontan Raid a success so a second large-scale "giretsu" attack was planned with the objective being American bases in the Marianas.

Staff Sergeant Kessler administered first aide to the wounded lieutenant and evacuated him, evading fire, and brought him the medical facility at the airfield.