Kamikaze
Kamikaze, officially Shinpū Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (神風特別攻撃隊), were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to destroy warships more effectively than with conventional air attacks.
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Japanese Special Attack Units
During World War II, Japanese Special Attack Units (特別攻撃隊), also called shimbu-tai, were specialized units of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army normally used for suicide missions.
They included kamikaze aircraft, fukuryu frogmen, and several types of suicide boats and submarines.
Kaiten
Kaiten (回天) were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.
For the Navy, this meant Kamikaze planes, Shinyo suicide boats, Kaiten submarines, and Fukuryu suicide divers or human mines.
Suicide attack
Any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used.
Suicide attacks have occurred throughout history, often as part of a military campaign (as with the Japanese kamikaze pilots of 1944–1945 during World War II), and more recently as part of terrorist campaigns (such as the September 11 attacks in 2001).
Shin'yō-class suicide motorboat
The Shinyo (震洋) were Japanese suicide motorboats developed during World War II.
For the naval department this meant kamikaze planes, kaiten submarines, fukuryu suicide divers or human mines, and shinyo suicide boats.
Mitsubishi A6M Zero
Long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945.
During the final phases, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved.
This was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks, and the last naval battle between battleships in history.
USS Franklin (CV-13)
One of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy, and the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name.
Franklin and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) (damaged by two kamikazes) were the only Essex-class carriers not to see active service as aircraft carriers after World War II.
Missile
Guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor.
The US Navy also started missile research to deal with the Kamikaze threat.
Escort carrier
Small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the United States Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.
Among their crews, CVE was sarcastically said to stand for "Combustible, Vulnerable, and Expendable", and the CVEs were called “Kaiser coffins" in honor of Casablanca-class manufacturer Henry J. Kaiser. Magazine protection was minimal in comparison to fleet aircraft carriers. was sunk within minutes by a single torpedo, and exploded from undetermined causes with very heavy loss of life. Three escort carriers—USS St. Lo (CVE-63), USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) and USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95)—were destroyed by kamikazes, the largest ships to meet such a fate.
Mongol invasions of Japan
Major military efforts were taken by Kublai Khan of the Yuan dynasty in 1274 and 1281 to conquer the Japanese archipelago after the submission of the Korean kingdom of Goryeo to vassaldom.
The failed invasions also mark the first use of the word kamikaze ("Divine Wind").