Ohka bomb

[Amrit]

Does anyone know the success rate of kamikazies in wwII? I dont think it is very high.

Although not often thought of as a precision weapon, the various Kamikaze attackers that first appeared in the fall of 1944 functioned much like modern antishipping missiles, and thus can legitimately be considered a part of the precision weapon story. The Kamikaze was the deadliest aerial antishipping threat faced by Allied surface warfare forces in the war. Approximately 2,800 Kamikaze attackers sunk 34 Navy ships, damaged 368 others, killed 4,900 sailors, and wounded over 4,800. Despite radar detection and cuing, airborne interception and attrition, and massive antiaircraft barrages, a distressing 14 percent of Kamikazes survived to score a hit on a ship; nearly 8.5 percent of all ships hit by Kamikazes sank. As soon as they appeared, then, Kamikazes revealed their power to force significant changes in Allied naval planning and operations, despite relatively small numbers. Clearly, like the antishipping cruise missile of a later era, the Kamikaze had the potential to influence events all out of proportion to its actual strength

From: https://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mi...aponspower.htm

[panzerpete]

well, now i have a new percspective for kamakazies!

the 14 percent that scored a hit did lots of damage.

cool and thanks

[Twitch1]

Gee Sherman man 2 against one? Is some sort of pissing contest or what? Don't get your panties in a bunch dude. The Oka 11 & 22 was normally launched 25-50 miles from its intended target. 70+ mile was the alleged range for the forthcoming Oka 30-40-50 series with turbojets.

On March 21, 1945 the 1st attack was launched with Oka 11s 60 miles from the US fleet. It really doesn't matter the range since US air superiority ruled. If they were 100 miles out the Hellcats would have carved up the G4Ms carrying them. . All sixteen Bettys and OKAs were destroyed despite thirty Zero escorts.

During the savage Okinawa struggle on April 16, 1945 seventy-four OKAs were airborne under the Bettys. Fifty-six were dropped early or shot down while attached. Some OKAs did find their target but exactly how many and other details remain uncertain. The destroyer USS Abele was definitely sunk by an OKA. But remember the Okas arrived very late on the war scene, were very few in number and had no viable opportunity to prove themselves thanks to the Hellcat screens.

During the aforementioned Okinawa operation- designated Kikusui (Floating Chrysanthemum), from April 6- June 22, 1945 the largest kamikaze force yet was unleashed using Zeros, Judys, Francis, Bettys, Nells, Jills, Kates plus the antique Claudes and recon aircraft with bombs. Out of 1,462 planes 846 from Japan hit targets. A further 357 aircraft from Formosa were flown with forty-eight hitting vessels.

Seventeen U.S. vessels were sunk and 198 damaged. Killed by kamikaze operations to that point were over 4,900 U.S. sailors and wounded 4,800 more. The U.S. Army’s casualties to secure Okinawa alone amounted to 7,613 killed and 31,800 wounded. The nearer to the homeland the Americans got the more fierce the resistance was.

All kamikazes used a total of over 2,500 planes and 1,189 scored hits. They subsequently sank thirty-four ships and damaged 368.

Whether I would desire to become a kamikaze pilot is a moot point since the Japanese history, culture, philosophy and bushido code of the era was completely alien to Americans and has no bearing whatsoever on Western values. The important thing is that the concept was viable to the Japanese borne out of their desperation.

In that the Emperor was considered a living god it was completely logical to sacrifice ones life relative to those times under those circumstances. Certainly no American would do the same for a president.

In that the US Navy's highest losses to that point in the war was attributable to kamikaze attacks it would be difficult not to conclude that they were successful to some degree.

[panzerpete]

i just read a book about the japanese and the bushido code, spirit warriors, indiustrialation etc. and u are dead on, u are absolutely right that that

"era was completely alien to Americans and has no bearing whatsoever on Western values. The important thing is that the concept was viable to the Japanese borne out of their desperation.
In that the Emperor was considered a living god it was completely logical to sacrifice ones life relative to those times under those circumstances."

good post, and by the way, the book i read was FLYBOYS by james bradley,



P.S. i think that sherman wasn't trying to be offensive.

best
regards

[GregP]

The "Baka" bomb was nothing at all like a German V-2.

It was MUCH closer to a German V-1, but did not run on a pulse jet like the V-1; it had rockets for propulsion.

From the comments, not many today apparently understand the WW2 Japanese devotion to country and emperor. The emperor was a God to be obeyed without question. That may SEEM strange 70 years later, but that is the way it was.

To this day, there are people that devoted to causes, just not to emperors. Think about it. There are still people williling to drive a car bomb into an area and blow themselves up. What is the difference between them and a Kamakaze pilot? What about the people who bombed the USS Cole? Or flew airplanes into the World Trade Center on 9/11?

Is there really any difference?

[Major Walter Schmidt]

Um... yeah.. they were fighting more for their loved ones than one entity.

[GregP]

Mostly, according to Japanese friends I know, very few, if any, Japanese soldiers fought for family or anything personal; they were fighting for the Emperor, Duty and Homeland.

This is not a flame contest ... it's what the Japanese themsleves SAY they were fighting for ...

If you disagree, that's OK.

Suicide bombers today are fighting for whatever cause they believe is worth their life, but their determination is the same; get the job done at the cost of their own life.

[GregP]

Hey Twitch, I see you live in Los Angeles. Come out to the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino airport any Saturday and ask for Greg in the restoration hanger. I'll show you around and we can talk.

- Greg :-)

[Major Walter Schmidt]

Ok. thanks for the correction.

[maleonardo]

Just a V-1 with Pilot.

[rhubarbpie]

The following account is from the 04/12/45 log of the USS Stanly, provided by Bob Alexander. Bob was a Gunner's Mate 1st Class on the ship and his memory of the attacks is quite good.

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At 1449 diving out of a melee on our starboard boom, an unidentified plane out-ran our Combat Air Patrol and was taken under fire by 5” battery and automatic weapons as it approached on a collision course. The plane, although hit by automatic fire, crashed into our starboard bow, frame 23, about five feet above the water line, parts of it passing through the ship and continuing through the port side. A large explosion of the port bow at this time seemed to indicate that a bomb exploded there after passing through the ship. The plane, as sketched in enclosure (E), was approximately 20 feet long, had a 15 foot wing span and no engine or propeller was observed. Remains of a pilot were found in compartment A-302-L with the wreckage. Our speed at this time was 30 knots. At 1458 while we were maneuvering radically another dog-fight was going on high on our starboard quarter, and two Nips were shot out of the sky by our CAP. Suddenly a plane appeared out of nowhere low on our starboard beam. He closed us so rapidly that he was taken under fire by automatic weapons only. Many hits were observed, and a small section of his wing was shot away as he passed over the ship just aft of #2 stack, ripping our ensign. As we took him under fire to port he attempted to bank but hit the water 2,000 to 3,000 yards off our port bow, bounced once, hit the water again, and disintegrated. This was another engine less, propeller less plane, similar to the one that crashed into the ship. The speed of both planes was estimated to be in excess of 500 knots, and only a “swishing” was heard.

[JR*]

A person who is fully willing to sacrifice his or her own life in whatever interest is a very dangerous weapon. A human being who has committed himself to a "definitely no return" mission in an Okha flying bomb must have been one of the most dangerous "guidance systems" in history - at least assuming that his Betty bomber "carrier" did not get shot down before the "bombload" could be released, a very frequent occurrance. However, as regards the voluntary character of this act, yes, clearly, it often was; however, veteran interviews I saw recently suggest that a good proportion of kamikaze pilots were induced to the act by moral pressure, from their superiors, their comrades, their families, or all three. It must have been difficult for a very young, probably immature man raised in that culture to resist such pressure. Best regards, JR.

[leccy]

Howdy JR nice to see you in here.

With reference to your time out issues, when you log in tick the little box near where you enter your password, says something like remember my password, it should not keep logging you out then (of course only do this on your computer).

I have read several accounts now from kamikazi pilots (some actually did return due to various faults or failures to locate the enemy, along with those who never actually left for missions) who stated they were encouraged to volunteer by their peers and family. It was for the honour of the family 'pity it often ended the line of the family'.

[Nickdfresh]

Thread moved out of archive and back into Japanese Military Forum...

[burp]

Baka in that case is not "stupid" but "crazy". From American point of view the suicide attacks are a waste of life. Kamikaze attacks are not able to pose a real threat to US Navy so the name is correct.