Figure 1.--The major Japanese military code was unyielding allegiance to Emperor and country. There was no shortage of voluteers to fly Kamikaze missions, althought not all the pilots were truly volunteers. There were three times the number of volunteers as there were available planes.

The Japanese military code was Bushido--unyielding allegiance to Emperor and country. There was no shortage of volunteers willing to fly Kamikaze missions, although not all the pilots were truly volunteers. There were three times the number of volunteers as there were available planes. The Kamikazes were not experienced pilots. Experienced pilots were in very short supply. Japan began the War having gone for quality over quantity. Japanese pilots had been selected at a young age and carefully groomed and trained. Thus after years of selection and training had a small group of expert pilots, probably the most formidable cadre of aviators in World War II. This was created by an exhaustive, demanding training program aimed art creating a few expert air men. They thus had a small cadre of very well trained and experienced pilots. A major concern of Admiral Yamamoto, Admiral Nagumo, and other naval commanders was preserving their corps of pilots and not expending them before the U.S. Pacific fleet was destroyed. And then after launching the Pacific war made no real effort to do what America did, train a large number of competent airmen. Thus after Midway and the draining air combat in the Solomons, Japan steadily lost their well trained trained aviators, including their carrier pilots. They launched an expanded training program, but it was a truncated program that turned out out pilots with minimal skills. In addition, began producing a new generation of highly advanced aircraft--most prominently the Grumman F6F Hellcat. This culminated in the Battle of the Philippines Sea (June 1944). The Japanese were forced to go for quantity over quality on a emergency basis. They had neither the time or the aviation fuel to properly train pilots. No longer able to compete with American pilots and aircraft, Japan's answer was the Kamikaze. Kamikaze pilots did not even get the truncated training of Japan's second generation of combat pilots. Unable to dog fight with the Americans, the Japanese answer was to flood American air defenses with waves of attacking aircraft, knowing that some will break through and crash into American ships. This tactic was used, because Japan's second generation of pilots no only did not have flying skills, they also did not have bombing skills. Kamikaze pilots only had to learn how to take off and basic operating skills. Like the 9-11 bombers, there was no need to learn how to land and many other flying skills. The Kamikaze pilots were generally recruited from young, often idealistic students. Most were older teenagers drafted before completing their studies. Many would have pursued university educations. Many had at least some training in science and technology making them more suitable for pilot training. Most of the Kamikaze pilots were students. Some believed that because of their sacrifice for the Emperor God, that the the Kamikaze campaign would save Japan from defeat. There were, however, a wide range of feelings. Some of the pilots saw the War as lost, but felt duty compelled to then to sacrifice themselves. Others were youths anxious to be treated as adult men. They were not, as often depicted mindless fanatics. Their country through no fault of their own was imperiled and they saw resisting the Americans as their duty, to both protect their country and their people. The overwhelming characteristic is the normality of these young men and the families from which they came. A good example is an unidentified middle-class family in 1944.

Bushido

The Japanese military code was based on Bushido--unwavering allegiance to Feudal masters cinverted to Emperor and country. Bushido originated as the ethical code of Japan's medieval Samurai warriors. The central theme was unquestioning loyalty to their Feudal Daimyo (大名) or Feudal master -- an unquestioning obedience in all matters. Bushido has been likened to European chivalry --the ethical code of medieval knights. And there was a great deal of similarity. We note some objections to this with authors maintaining differences. First of all we have to understand that despite the legends that both Samurai and Knights in reality were mire kike armed thugs brutally treating the common people and defeated opponents. The major difference we see in moderating force of Western Christianity. Of course this also can be overstated. The Christian knights that fought the Crusades committed terrible atrocities. But this was a brutal age and Muslim forces were hardly the soul of the code of tolerance. justice, and mercy. But over time, Christianity moderated and channeled overall Western society in a more humane direction. This did not occur in Japan. Some Japanese authors contend that classic Bushido placed an emphasis on compassion, benevolence, and other non-martial qualities. his of course is how Western chivalry came to be viewed. There appear to be eight principal qualities emphasized by Bushido. they include: 1) Justice, 2) Courage, 3) Mercy, 4) Politeness, 5) Honesty, 6) Honor, 7) Loyalty, and 8) Self Control. Bushido was based on a belief in an absolute, universal moral code. Now we can question how close this came to the behavior of actual Samurai warriors came during the medieval and modern era. We believe that Western society developed in a more positive direction than Japanese society. This can be debated, but what can not be questioned is the fact that the Japanese military in the Meiji Era seized upon Bushido and its code and eventually fashioned it in its own image, not only as a code for the military itself, but after sizing control of the nation (1930s), imposed Bushido on the population nation as whole. The military retained many aspects of Bushido (Courage, Honor, and Loyalty), but displaced or reduced many other features (Justice, Mercy, Politeness, Honesty, and Self Control). Especially lacking was any degree of Mercy. What is observable is the difference between the begavior if the Japanese Army in previous wars. There were in the Russo-Japanese War (1905) and World War I (1914-18) none of the attrocities reported during World War II. A fctor had to be like the NAZIs tht they had won the War and thete would be no post ar ccojunting. The military leaders built a code of suicide to a an unprecedented degree never held as part of Bushido. Here the idea was that the military spirit of the Japanese soldier could overcome the material supperority of the pleasure loving Americans. In the run up to World War II, Japan's military leaders sought to inculcate the entire Japanese nation with this ethos of Samurai warriors including women and children. And as the war began tyo turn and battlefield losses mounted, the militarists began training women and chikdren for Ketsugo. So it is not surprising that large numbers of young men were willing to sacrifice themselves as well as Japanese civilians on Saipan and Okinawa. and the assumtion as in the case of the NAZIs that the War was won and Japan would never have to answer for the attrocities committed. In fct Japan has a nation has never come to terms with the attrocities committed by the Imperial army in its name.

Volunteers

There was no shortage of volunteers willing to fly Kamikaze missions, although not all the pilots were truly volunteers. There were three times the number of volunteers as there were available planes.

Pilot Training

The Kamikazes were not experienced pilots. No real effort or training was put inyo preparing them. Experienced pilots were in very short supply. Japan began the War having gone for quality over quantity. Japanese pilots had been selected at a young age and carefully groomed and trained. Thus after years of selection and training had a small group of expert pilots, probably the most formidable cadre of aviators in World War II. This was created by an exhaustive, demanding training program aimed art creating a few expert air men. They thus had a small cadre of very well trained and experienced pilots. A major concern of Admiral Yamamoto, Admiral Nagumo, and other naval commanders was preserving their corps of pilots and not expending them before the U.S. Pacific fleet was destroyed. And then after launching the Pacific war made no real effort to do what America did, train a large number of competent airmen. Thus after Midway and the draining air combat in the Solomons, Japan steadily lost their well trained trained aviators, including their carrier pilots. The Japanese were forced to go for quantity over quality on a emergency basis. They had neither the time or the aviation fuel to properly train pilots. They launched an expanded training program, but it was a truncated program that turned out out pilots with minimal skills. In addition, America began producing a new generation of highly advanced aircraft--most prominently the Grumman F6F Hellcat. This culminated in the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot during the Battle of the Philippines Sea (June 1944).

Kamikaze Answer

No longer able to compete with American pilots and aircraft, Japan's answer was the Kamikaze. Kamikaze pilots did not even get the truncated training of Japan's second generation of combat pilots. Unable to dog fight with the Americans, the Japanese answer was to flood American air defenses with waves of attacking aircraft, knowing that some will break through and crash into American ships. This tactic was used, because Japan's second generation pilots no only did not have flying skills, they also did not have bombing skills. Kamikaze pilots only had to learn how to take off and basic operating skills. Like the 9-11 bombers, there was no need to learn how to land and many other flying skills.

The Youth

The Kamikaze pilots were generally recruited from young, often idealistic students. They were youth not men. Most were older teenagers drafted before completing their studies. TYhis included many university students and even some high school students. Many had at least some training in science and technology making them more suitable for pilot training than the uneducated peasantry or unban youth with klimited schooling. Most of the Kamikaze pilots were students. Some believed that because of their sacrifice for the Emperor God, that the the Kamikaze campaign would save Japan from defeat. But regardless of thast, the Americans were depicted as such monsters that they believed they had no real choice, but to resuist. There were, however, a wide range of feelings. Some of the pilots saw the War as lost, but felt duty compelled to then to sacrifice themselves. Others were youths anxious to be treated as adult men. They were not, as often depicted mindless fanatics. Their country through no fault of their own was imperiled and they saw resisting the Americans as their duty, to both protect their country and their people. The overwhelming characteristic is the normality of these young men and the families from which they came. A good example is an unidentified middle-class family in 1944. It seems very lkely that young Smericans confronted with similar circumstances, mamely facing invasion by geniocidal invaders, would have reacted similarly. Of course the Anmericans were not genocidal monsters, but gthat is what they had been told and many believed.

Created: 6:57 AM 10/13/2008
Last updated: 9:49 PM 8/1/2023