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Because in a war of attrition you're never going to win if you are wasting resources like this. It's an act of desperation and the Japanese knew it, that's why they did it. The very name, Kamikaze refers back to an unwinnable situation where the Divine Wind (not a man-made action, mind) saved Japan from the Mongol fleet. Yes, for Japanese it's understandable because of their culture, but changing the balance of power and swinging the war in Japan's favour? Next to impossible.then why not fill the aircraft with explosive and aim it at the target?
Either way you lose the pilot and aircraft
nd yet, as a tactic, it is still alive and strong today,
It should also be noted that the waves of Kamikazes weren't meant to win the war, but make Allied losses untenable
Next to the successes, I'd like to see the failure rate too, those shot down and those who missed their targets and died trying.
it was a glorious sacrifice for the Emperor and their homeland.
Again, the Kamikazes weren't intended to win the war, they were instead, meant to make Allied losses so untenable that the Allies would negotiate with the Japanese for a favorable armistice.Kamikazes couldn't win the war, simply because 1) they couldn't stop B-29s, and 2) they couldn't stop the strangulation by submarine. Either one of those strategies could, imho, have won they war, and indeed both played a vital role.
Kamikazes could not affect either of them.
The Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns were only a taste of what Japan had in store for the Allied invasion fleet.
And Allies - they conservatively estimated losses well over a million Allied persons killed and over twice that number wounded, with a projected victory early to mid-1946.Yeah, gulp... US losses would have been horrendous if Downfall went ahead.
Again, the Kamikazes weren't intended to win the war, they were instead, meant to make Allied losses so untenable that the Allies would negotiate with the Japanese for a favorable armistice.
The Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns were only a taste of what Japan had in store for the Allied invasion fleet.
While I pretty much agree with most of your post, the exception I think is the overseas garrisons. Most if not all the islands would have been bypassed and left to die on the vine so to speak, just a tragic waste of human life as it were.I read somewhere that damage wise, the Kamikaze achieved better results and fewer losses than conventional attacks.
Suicide attacks are very difficult to stop so it's a win if you can find volunteers.
It's a fine edge if Japanese mentally and socially accepted suicide more than the West. Can you imagine if the Germans fought to the bitter end?
Odd talking about the Emperor and the role of the Emperor. It's likely his personal involvement ended the war and his stamp allowed Japanese overseas garrisons to surrender. Had Suzuki or Anami said so, overseas garrisons would have ignored and the war would have gone on.
Japanese overseas garrisons were known for ignoring Tokyo.