[dragoon500ly]

We've mentioned on a couple of threads the effect that Kamikaze's had on the Allies and the late war strategic decision to drop the A-bombs.

Kamikaze's were organized in the fall of 1944 and the first attack took place on October 25, 1944 off Samar Island in the southern Philippines. The results were encourging with two CVEs damaged and one CVE sunk.

Further attacks were made in between October 1944 and January 1945. 378 Kamikazes were sent out, all were lost as well as 102 escorting fighters. The sank 16 ships (2 CVEs, 3 DDs, 1 DMS and several smaller craft) and another 87 were damaged (7 CVs, 2 CVLs, 13 CVEs, 5 BBs, 3 CAs, 7 CLs, 23 DDs, 5 DEs,and 1 DMS). Shocked by the sudden change in Japanese tactics, the USN quickly began to change its defensive procedures in an effort to limit the damage that would be caused by future Kamikazes.

The Battle of Iwo Jima saw further Kamikaze attacks. The Japanese were hampered by the extreme range to be flown and their attacks were not as devastating. Several ships were struck, but the only real damage was to one CV and to a CVE that was sunk.

The Battle of Okinawa in April 1945 was the heyday of the Kamikaze. The Japanese deployed over 1,500 kamikazes (all lost) and nearly as many regular aircraft against the USN. American losses were heavy. 21 ships were sunk and 43 damaged so badly that repairs were not completed by the end of the war, another 23 were damaged, but would return to service within 30 days and 151 more were damaged to one degree or another. The USN suffered 9,700 casualties, 4,300 of whom were dead. For the Navy, the Battle of Okinawa was the most costly of the war. Seven percent of all USN losses for the war were suffered off of Okinawa.

All of this was in spite of the many counter-measures taken against the Kamikazes. In addition to better control of defending fighters and antiaircraft guns, there was inhanced crew training in damage control. There was also the the use of radar-equipped destroyers with fighter direction parties forming a picket line to give advance warning of Kamikazes and to direct fighters onto them.

The key problem facing the USN was that the Japanese had 200 airfields within range of Okinawa, too many even for the vast air power available to the US to shut down.

After Okinawa was Operation Downfall, the two invasions that would be launched against Japan itself. For this eventuality, the Japanese had over 5,000 Kamikazes ready. And since this would be fought close to the Japanese home islands, radar pickets and fighters would be less effective. The USN estimated that supporting Downfall would cost them over 10,000 casualties and at least 300 ships sunk or damaged.