We have all heard about people like kamikaze. There was no end to those wishing to try their hand in this matter, because for their people they were heroes, and they terrified the enemy. What else was the mass character of such a phenomenon associated with, what kind of imprint does it leave on the modern inhabitants of the island state, and which manufacturers had their hands on it? In this article, we'll talk about other kamikaze - underwater ones. Not everyone has heard of them, but this page was also in the book of Japanese history.
First of all, it is worth understanding where, as they say, legs grow at all and what for the Japanese means death for the good of others.
Even now, Japan leads the country in terms of the number of suicides per capita. In the culture and teachings of the Japanese, suicide has always been considered something different than in other cultures. Especially if it is related to winning a battle or not being captured by the enemy. Even the well-known word "hara-kiri" also refers to the culture of the Japanese and is an integral part of bushido.
Who are the kamikaze
I think few people will have to explain that the term "kamikaze" was mainly used by military pilots at the end of the Second World War. They were dying for their country, but there was one "but" - they had no right to survive after the battle. There were exceptions and we will talk about them a little below, but exceptions only confirm the rule.
A kamikaze squad before a combat mission (everyone is happy).
The history of the term "kamikaze" dates back to 1281, when a sudden hurricane that swooped in made it possible to defeat the troops of Khan Khibulai. That hurricane was named "Divine Wind", which in translation means "kamikaze". That is why this name was chosen for the units that were supposed to smash American ships during the Second World War.
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What the kamikaze looked like
In general, kamikaze outwardly did not differ much from ordinary Japanese military pilots of that era. The main difference was the headband with the Japanese flag and hieroglyphs.
As a rule, two characters were written, namely, "Kami" (in the Japanese reading "Jin") and "Kadze". Accordingly, the same "Divine wind". But there were exceptions, when the pilots themselves wrote on their bandages what came to their minds at the moment of their emotional patriotic upsurge.
Reasons for the appearance of kamikaze
One of the main reasons for the appearance of kamikaze is the poor technical equipment of the air force. The aircraft were of average quality, often broke down and did not have outstanding flight characteristics. All this prevented the pilots from fully going on missions and returning from them.
There was no time to develop new types of aircraft, and it was quite possible to increase the production of existing ones with an even greater number of defects (due to the acceleration of production and economy). They saved on literally everything. For example, the Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi didn't even have a chassis. The plane rolled along the strip on racks, which then remained on the ground. For landing, the landing gear was not needed, so the cart was placed under another aircraft and the takeoff procedure was repeated.
Airplane Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi (the front landing gear fell off during takeoff, there is no rear gear at all).
Against the background of the fact that giving their lives for their homeland was always honorable for the Japanese, and the fact that this idea was additionally cultivated by the country's leadership, thoughts about a new type of warriors began to arise. So, on the basis of the first Japanese air fleet, suicide pilot squads were formed.
To recruit volunteers, invitations to the ranks of the kamikaze fell to the Japanese, which could not be denied. The fact is that there was a question in the invitation, formed in such a way that a negative answer meant an admission of cowardice. This is not acceptable to the Japanese.
The third factor in the appearance of kamikaze was an additional psychological advantage in combat. The appearance of aircraft, which flew with a full bomb load and crashed into ships, exerted very strong pressure on the enemy and demoralized him.
This is what the attack on enemy warships looked like.
How was it taken in kamikaze
Since there were a lot of people who wanted to, and in the military registration and enlistment offices, queues were lined up from those who wanted to give their lives for their homeland, and at the same time to receive glory and honor, certain requirements were imposed on them, and not all passed the turn. In addition to the basic requirements that are needed to fly the plane, the applicant had to have no family. It was a must.
There is a case in history when Hajime Fuji really wanted to get into the "divine wind" squad, but he had a wife and two children. On this basis, he was refused. Without hesitation, the wife decided to kill the children and herself so that her husband could accomplish the feat. It looks a little creepy, but this is how the work of the kamikaze was built. This dispels their romantic image a little.
After a potential kamikaze was accepted into the detachment, he had to undergo training. It cannot be called difficult and time-consuming, since he only needed basic aircraft control skills and some psychological preparation. Naturally, it was easier for the acting pilots.
Interesting facts about kamikaze
Kamikaze could not go back, as the fuel in their tanks was only up to the target. Plus, the goals were very far away. This was the advantage that neutralized the disadvantages of the aircraft. Japanese aircraft of that time could not fly far. If they had yet to return to base, the flight time would be at least halved. Instead, they flew far away, carried out their mission, and never returned.
Of course, it was not always possible to complete the mission, since most of the aircraft were shot down by enemy ships, but some of them were sunk anyway. Japan and the United States publish different data, however, the number of ships sunk was in dozens, and severely damaged - in hundreds.
As I said above, the pilots could not return from the mission, but they did not. There were times when, after departure, the pilot changed his mind about dying, but this was rather an exception. Despite the prohibition on returning from a regular flight, this did not contradict the obligation of the pilot to return if it was impossible to complete the mission. For example, bad weather, technical failure and the like.
The record holder in this regard was the pilot Yamomura, who returned from the mission alive three times. First, his plane was shot down, but fishermen rescued him and returned to base. On the second flight, he was prevented by weather conditions and the inability to properly direct the plane to the target. The third flight ended in technical malfunctions, and he had to return again. So the pilot, who passionately wanted to give his life for his people, survived the war and lived for many more years. We can say, "a winner in life."
Who built kamikaze planes
The aircraft that were used for the deadly rams were building several factories in Japan. As a rule, they had a somewhat unified design, which made it possible to install different engines on them with a power of 800 hp or more. up to 1300 HP
Major manufacturers include Yokosuka and Nakajima. In addition, aircraft from the well-known Kawasaki company were often used for attacks. Now she is known, first of all, for her motorcycles, but in those days they made airplanes that were very useful to the Japanese in the war.
By the way, this is largely why Japanese motorcycles and cars are now considered the best in the world. After the war, Japan did not have the right to produce military aircraft, and many manufacturers switched to civilian goods, directing all their strength, resources, know-how and hard work precisely to this area. But this is a topic for a separate article.
Underwater kamikaze
While the kamikaze with a deadly whirlwind (or divine wind) raided the enemy ships from the air, something no less terrible was happening under water. The suicide bombers worked inside special submarines, which were more torpedoes than really deep-sea vehicles.
These wars began with the battle near Midway Atoll near Hawaii. The most serious battle in that part of the globe in the framework of the Second World War unfolded there. The Imperial army lost 4 aircraft carriers, many warships and enough personnel to undermine the morale of the survivors.
The fleet needed new warriors, with a spark in their eyes, with a firm hand and not afraid of death. They appeared, and the very submarines called Kaiten (translated from Japanese as "the will of heaven") were specially developed for them.
What is kaiten
The kaitens were small torpedo boats attached to a carrier submarine. The total number of such "stuck" was from 4 to 6. A large submarine cruised under water and at the right time the captain gave a command to special people who made their way through a narrow pipe inside the kaiten, took their places and went to the last attack.
Launching the kaiten into the water.
It is worth noting that at first they were equipped with a bailout system, but later they refused it, and there was so little space that even the Japanese were cramped inside. Largely because of this, the gun often did not reach the target. The man simply suffocated and the kaiten drowned. In later models, they were equipped with timers so that they somehow exploded.
The management was difficult and there was nowhere to train staff. Schools emerged spontaneously and were often destroyed almost immediately by American bombers. In addition, the “pilots” acted almost blindly. The periscope could be raised for a maximum of three seconds so that the boat could not be detected. Therefore, the kaiten were operated almost blindly.
The kaiten controls were primitive. By and large, only two handles were provided, one of which was responsible for speed, and the other for turning. There was a lever at the legs that let intake water into the compartments to compensate for buoyancy.
Kaiten appearance.
The kaitens worked on pure oxygen. Such engines made it possible to accelerate to 40 knots. This was more than enough to destroy any ship of the time and amplified the effect of the explosion. The downside of the design was that the boat was made of steel only 6 mm thick. This thickness was chosen for reasons of economy, but after several raids the kaitens began to rust, and after a deep dive they could flatten.
The fate of the kamikaze
I don't think it's worth saying that with the modern capabilities of technology, there is no point in putting suicide bombers in it. It takes several years and a lot of money to train a pilot, so every pilot is worth its weight in gold. Rockets can hit any target, and the ethical standards of the modern world do not allow people to be sacrificed just like that.
That is why there are no kamikaze now. Although, such a profession exists. This indicates that many Japanese are still willing to give their lives for their homeland. Against the background of all the events, the attitude towards death, which I spoke about at the beginning of this article, remained in the blood of the Japanese. It is this that leads to sad statistics and a large number of suicides in Japan. Not a very positive note for the end of the article. But the topic is not the most rosy either. It is only from the side of kamikaze that they seem to be romantics, in reality everything was different.
Artem Sutyagin