the first suicide bombers
 

By the end of World War II, the Japanese naval air service had sacrificed 2,525 kamikaze pilots, and the army air force had lost 1,387. According to an official Japanese announcement, the missions sank 81 ships and damaged 195, and according to a Japanese tally, suicide attacks accounted for up to 80 percent of the U.S. losses in the final phase of the war in the Pacific.

According to a U.S. Air Force source:

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 anti-aircraft 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. [6]
In a 2004 book, World War II, the historians Wilmott, Cross & Messenger stated that more than 70 U.S. vessels were "sunk or damaged beyond repair" by kamikazes.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze

Haven't read this article before. It's an informative one.

Thanks for posting bradley! :winkwink:

Yep, they could be deadly.

I've read that is was the japs that gave the idea to the arabs. a joint terrorist attack in the 70's at an airport and the jap blew himself up

I've read that is was the japs that gave the idea to the arabs. a joint terrorist attack in the 70's at an airport and the jap blew himself up. reading this now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_wave

Good read and kinda scary. Talk about a commitment to your Country or leader. It's one thing to go into the war knowing you may not come home..but it's another when you KNOW your not coming home and your taking your own life for the sake of your leader.

Cool :helpme:error

it's a cultural phenomena. if you read the article not so very many were so willing to go.

I will be 100% honest and say I could not do it.

The kamikaze effort ultimately failed though...



The really good ones never made it through practice :thumbsup


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think in terms of your children lives being threatened.

if you read about war you'll find very many things about the human condition you might not have considered before. general g patton: war is the most noble of all human endeavors.

possibly not in a positive way, yet very extreme in its consequence on the individuals involved hence the opportunities for noble behaviors whether you agree with the war or not.

one guy came back 9 times so they shot him :)

ok yes given the set of conditions and fearing for the life of others..yes maybe i could too.

But to say just do it....slame your plane into that Ship and you will die a hero - for me is hard to believe in. However with enough Brain Washing I suppose you could get anyone to Do it.

nothing like clean mind and a healthy body!! read the article