List of Allied vessels struck by Japanese special attack weapons

There were more than 400 Allied vessels struck by Japanese special attack weapons in the last twelve months of World War II, including some vessels that were struck as many as six times in one attack.^[1] The one special weapon that is most often associated with World War II is the Japanese kamikaze aircraft. Kamikaze was used to describe the way the Japanese believed they would be victorious by destroying the Allied fleet by crashing aircraft into their ships. The word kamikaze originated as the name of major typhoons in 1274 and 1281, which dispersed Mongolian invasion fleets under Kublai Khan. The Allies referred to these special weapons as "suicide" attacks, and found it difficult to understand why an individual would intentionally crash an airplane into a ship, as the two cultures clashed in battle. Both Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army had Special Attack Units organized specifically for this mission. Aircraft were not the only special attack weapons. Attack boats, suicide divers, and several types of submarines were also used to destroy ships and landing craft as the Allied forces advanced toward Japan.^[2]

Kamikaze aircraft

Yokosuka D4Y3 Suisei (Allied code name "Judy") Japanese dive bomber dives on the Essex (November 25, 1944)

Kamikaze (神風, literally: "God wind"; common translation: "Divine wind") [kamikaꜜze], official name: Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (特別攻撃隊), Tokkō Tai (特攻隊) or Tokkō (特攻) were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy warships more effectively than was possible with conventional attacks. Numbers quoted vary, but at least 47 Allied vessels, from PT boats to escort carriers, were sunk by kamikaze attacks, and about 300 damaged. During World War II, nearly 3,000 kamikaze pilots were sacrificed.^[3] About 14% of kamikaze attacks managed to hit a ship. The Japanese high command exaggerated the effectiveness of the tokko attacks, claiming six aircraft carriers, one escort aircraft carrier and ten battleships had been sunk.^[3]

Standard IJN and IJA aircraft

Almost every make and model of aircraft were used as kamikazes.^[3] The most often seen were the Mitsubishi A6M ("Zero," allied code name "Zeke"), Aichi D3A (Allied code name "Val"), Mitsubishi G4M (Allied code name "Betty"), Nakajima B5N (Allied code name "Kate"), Yokosuka P1Y (Allied code name "Francis"), although in the final months of the war, every flyable aircraft was used. The Army used the Kawasaki Ki-61 (Allied code name "Tony"), Mitsubishi Ki-46 (Allied code name "Dinah"), although like the Navy, all available aircraft were to be used as the threat to Japan increased after Iwo Jima fell.^[4]

Ohka at the Yasukuni Shrine

Ohka

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (also spelled Oka) (櫻花; Shinjitai: 桜花; "cherry blossom"; Hebon-shiki transcription Ōka) was a purpose-built kamikaze aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in the last months of World War II.^[3] US forces gave the aircraft the Japanese name Baka which loosely translates as "idiot" or "fool" in English.

Ohka was a small flying bomb that was carried underneath a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty", Yokosuka P1Y Ginga "Frances" or the planned Heavy Nakajima G8N Renzan (Allied code name "Rita") transport type 43A/B and heavy bomber to within range of its target; on release, the pilot would first glide towards the target and, when close, enough he would fire the Ohka's engine(s) and dive into the ship to destroy it.^[5] That final approach was almost unstoppable (especially for the rocket-powered Ohka Type 11) because the aircraft was capable of attaining tremendous speed. Later versions were designed to be launched from coastal air bases and caves, and even from submarines equipped with aircraft catapults, although the war ended before they were used this way.

Tsurugi

Ki-115 Tsurugi with propeller removed at the end of the war.

The Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi (剣 "Sabre") was a one-man purpose-built kamikaze aircraft developed by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in the closing stages of World War II in late 1945.^[6] More than 100 Ki-115s were completed.

Toka

The Toka (藤花, "Wisteria Blossom") was the IJN version of the Nakajima Ki-115 Ko. Showa was to build the Toka for the IJN.^[7]

J8M Shusui "Sword Stroke"

Shusui

The Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui (Japanese: 三菱 J8M 秋水, literally "Autumn Water", used as a poetic term meaning "Sharp Sword" deriving from the swishing sound swords make) used by the Navy and Ki-200 for the Army. The Shusui ("Sword Stroke") was a rocket powered interceptor. It was the Japanese copy of the German Me 163 rocket powered interceptor fighter that was specially designed for use against high flying B-29 bombers. The prototype flew on 7 July 45. The War ended before production.

Hiryu To-Go

The Hiryu To-Go, also known as the Ki-167 "Sakura-dan", was a Mitsubishi Ki-67 Kai (Allied code name "Peggy") twin-engine bomber with guns removed and faired over, crew reduced to four men. This flying bomb was built with 3 ton thermite shaped-charge bomb behind the cockpit, pointed forward and angled slightly down, and a blast radius of 1 km. Two of these aircraft were known to have been built. One sorted 17 April 1945 and did not return.

Shinryu

The Mizuno Shinryu ("Divine Dragon") was a proposed rocket-powered kamikaze aircraft designed for the Imperial Japanese Navy towards the end of World War II. It never reached production.

Maru-Ten

The Maru-Ten was Nakajima's designation for the 'Kōkoku Nigō Heiki (皇国二号兵器, "Imperial Weapon No.2"). This was a suicide weapon with no landing gear, was catapult launched using Rocket Assisted Take Off (RATO), used Ne-12B engines, and carried a single bomb. It was never built, as it evolved into the Nakajima Kikka (中島 橘花, "Orange Blossom").

Baika

The Kawanishi Baika (梅花, "Ume Blossom") was a pulsejet-powered kamikaze aircraft under development for the Imperial Japanese Navy towards the end of World War II. The war ended before any were built. The design was greatly inspired by the manned version of the German V1 flying bomb, the Fieseler Fi 103R "Reichenberg".

Boats

A Shinyo suicide boat.

Shin'yō

The Shin'yō (Japanese: 震洋, "Sea Quake") were Japanese suicide boats developed during World War II.^[8] They were part of the wider Special Attack Units program. These fast motorboats were driven by one man, to speeds of around 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph). They were typically equipped with 250 kg (551 lb) pounds of explosives packed in the bow with several impact fuses. The Shinyo units were known as Shimpu Tokubetsu-Kogekitai. About 6,200 Shinyo were produced for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Maru-Ni

An additional 3,000 of the Shinyo were produced for the Imperial Japanese Army as Maru-Ni. The Maru-Ni units were known as Shimbu Tokubetsu-Kogekitai. About 400 of these boats were sent to Okinawa and Formosa, the rest were stored on the coast of Japan for the ultimate defense against the invasion of the Home islands. The Mary-Ni attacked by dropping one or two shallow-set depth charges as close to the target ship as possible, with the intention of turning away as the depth charges were released off the stern.

Midget submarines

Ko-hyoteki

Type A Ko-hyoteki class submarine, No.19, grounded in the surf on Oahu after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 1941

The Type A Ko-hyoteki (甲標的甲型, Kō-hyōteki kō-gata, Target 'A', Type 'A') class was a class of Japanese midget submarines (Ko-hyoteki) was manufactured in three Types:

• Type A Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarines were used in the 1942 Attack on Sydney Harbour, Attack on Diego Suarez Harbor and the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.^[9]
• Type B Midget Ha 45 prototype built 1942 to test Type A improvements.^[10]
• Type C Midget Ha 62–76 similar to Type A with crew of 3 and radius increased to 350 nautical miles (650 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h) surfaced or 120 nautical miles (220 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h) submerged.^[10]
• Type D Koryu (115 completed) improved Type C with crew of 5 and radius increased to 1000 miles at 8 knots surfaced and 320 miles at 16 knots submerged.^[11][12]

Kaiten manned torpedoes, secured on the deck of a submarine.

Kaiten

The Kaiten (Japanese: 回天, literal translation: "Return to the sky", commonly rendered as: "The turn toward heaven", "The Heaven Shaker" or "Change the World"^[13]) was a torpedo modified as a suicide weapon, and used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.^[8]

Early designs allowed for the pilot to escape after the final acceleration towards the target, although whether this could have been done successfully is doubtful. There is no record of any pilot attempting to escape or intending to do so, and this provision was dropped from later production kaitens. The inventor of the Kaiten, Lt. Hiroshi Kuroki was lost during one of the first training missions. When the sub was raised a note was found with a note written during his final minutes before death, sending his respects to his family and detailing the cause of the accident and how to repair the defect.

Kairyu

A Kairyu in the Aburatsubo inlet.

The Kairyu (海龍, Kairyū, "Sea Dragon") was a Small, 2-man, midget submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy of 20 ton that was based on the Type A midget submarine that was used in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.^[12] All five of the Type A midget submarines used were captured (1) or destroyed (4). Midgets also attacked in Sydney (all four lost) and Madagascar in June 1942. The Kairyu mini-submarines were meant to meet the invading American Naval forces upon their anticipated approach of Tokyo. Although not intended only as a suicide weapon, crew survival was possible, but the odds of survival were not high. These mini-submarines were built so that they could be equipped with either two torpedoes or a 1,000 pound warhead in the bow, for crashing into ships as the kaiten did. Over 760 of these submarines were planned, and by August 1945, 200 had been manufactured, most of them at the Yokosuka shipyard, but of the 200, only 115 were ready for use at the time of surrender.

Fukuryu

Fukuryu (Japanese:伏龍, Fukuryu "Crouching dragons") suicide divers were a part of the Special Attack Units prepared to resist the invasion of the Home islands by Allied forces.^[14] They were equipped with a diving jacket and trousers, diving shoes, and a diving helmet fixed by four bolts. They were typically weighed down with 9 kg (20 lb) of lead, and had two bottles of compressed air at 150 bars. They were expected to be able to walk at a depth of 5 to 7 m (16 to 23 ft), for about six hours. The Fukuryu were armed with a 15 kg (33 lb) mine fired with a contact fuse, fitted onto the end of a 5 m (16 ft) bamboo pole. To attack, they would swim under a ship and slam the mine onto the ship's hull, destroying themselves in the process. This new weapon is only known to have been used a few times operationally:

• January 8, 1945: Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-404 damaged by suicide divers in Yoo Passage, Palaus.
• February 10, 1945: Attempted attack on surveying ship USS Hydrographer (AGS-2) by suicide divers in Schonian Harbor, Palaus.

Land-based suicide weapons

Nikaku

Although the Nikaku were not specifically designated as anti-ship weapons, the mental conditioning and training they received prepared them to pilot a Maru Ni, should the need arise. Nikaku were IJA soldiers with explosives strapped to their bodies, acting as human anti-tank mines. The method used in the attack was very simple: the soldier would crawl between the tank treads or allow the tank to drive over him, then explode the charge. The army pioneered this technique in the Philippines and on Okinawa. Other methods used were where the weapon was a shaped-charge on a spike or a simple hand grenade.

Giretsu Kūteitai

Giretsu (義烈空挺隊, Giretsu Kūteitai) was an airlifted special forces unit of the Imperial Japanese Army formed from Army paratroopers, in November 1944 as a last-ditch attempt to reduce and delay Allied bombing raids on the Japanese home islands. These forces were airlifted and crash landed onto Allied Army or Marine air strips, with the intention of destroying as many aircraft as possible before being killed.

List of ships

This table list every known ship that was attacked and damaged by a Japanese special weapon. Not included are ships that were not damaged from a near miss, or were damaged when debris from another ship that was attacked and hit fell or flew on or into it.

Unless otherwise noted, these ships were hit by one kamikaze aircraft.

Bibliography

• LCI: Landing Craft Infantry, Volume II. Turner Publishing. 1995. ISBN 1563112620. 
• Ball, Donald L. (1997). Fighting Amphibs; The LCS(L) in World War II. Williamsburgh, VA: Mill Neck Publications. ISBN 0965905500. 
• Browning Jr., Robert M. (1996). US Merchant Vessel War Casualties of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1557500878. 
• Cressman, Robert J. (1999). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Naval Historical Center: Contemporary History Branch. 
• Masterson, Dr. James R. (October 1949). U. S. Army Transportation, In The Southwest Pacific Area. US Army: Transportation Unit Historical Division Special Staff. 
• Rielly, Robin L. (2008). Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships. Havertown, PA: Casemare. ISBN 978-1935149415. 
• Rielly, Robin L. (2010). Kamikaze Attacks of World War II. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland ∓ Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0786446544. 
• Watts, Anthony J. (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company. 
• Zaloga, Steven J. (2010). Defense of Japan. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781846036873. 
• Ships' Data US Naval Vessels Vol I 250-010. Navships. April 15, 1945. 
• Ships' Data US Naval Vessels Vol II 250-011. Navships. April 15, 1945. 
• Ships' Data US Naval Vessels Vol III 250-012. Navships. April 15, 1945. 
• Casualties: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels, Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II 7 December 1941-1 October 1945. Department Of The Navy: Naval History And Heritage Command. 
• Stern, Robert L. (2010). Fire From the Sky: Surviving the Kamikaze Threat. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1473814219. 

Notes

United States Navy
Portal Category
Leadership	Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy 4-star admirals House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces Senate Subcommittee on Seapower
Structure	Navy Navy Reserve Fleet Marine Force Expeditionary Combat Command Merchant Marine The Pentagon Units Aircraft wings Aircraft squadrons Carrier strike group Installations Naval Observatory Master jet base Operating forces Fleet Forces Command Pacific Fleet Naval Forces Europe Naval Forces Central Command Naval Forces Southern Command Naval Special Warfare Command Naval Reserve Forces Operational Test and Evaluation Force Naval Network Warfare Command Military Sealift Command Shore Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Air Systems Command Naval Facilities Engineering Command Naval Supply Systems Command Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Fleet Cyber Command Naval Academy Naval Education and Training Command Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Office of Naval Intelligence Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center Naval Legal Service Command Naval Observatory Navy Occupational Safety & Health Bureau of Naval Personnel Chief of Naval Personnel Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Navy Installations Command Fleets Third Fleet Fourth Fleet Fifth Fleet Sixth Fleet Seventh Fleet Tenth Fleet Ships A–B C D–F G–H I–K L M N–O P Q–R S T–V W–Z Aircraft carriers Airships Amphibious warfare ships Auxiliaries Battleships Cruisers Destroyers Destroyer escorts Escort carriers Frigates Mine warfare vessels Monitors Patrol vessels Sailing frigates Steam frigates Steam gunboats Ships of the line Sloops of war Submarines Torpedo boats
Personnel and training	People Officers Insignia Designators Enlisted Rates Ratings Classification Personnel Chaplain Corps Chief United States Navy EOD Medical Corps Dental Corps Nurse Corps Medical Service Corps Supply Corps Civil Engineer Corps JAG Corps NCIS Boatswain's mates Hospital corpsman Naval Aviator SEALs Seabees SWCCs Hispanic sailors Training Recruit United States Naval Academy Officer Candidate School STA-21 NROTC BESS BFTT CNATT COMPTUEX NAWCTSD AIM Naval Chaplaincy School Naval Hospital Corps School Naval Justice School Naval Postgraduate School United States Armed Forces School of Music Navy Senior Enlisted Academy Navy Supply Corps School Naval War College Nuclear Power School JMTC TOPGUN USNTPS Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Equipment	Uniforms Awards Badges Current fleet Reserve fleet Aircraft Weapons Naval reactors
History and traditions	History "Anchors Aweigh" Blue Angels Ceremonial Barge Chesapeake Continental Navy Ensign Fleet bands Fleet Week Jack Line-crossing ceremony National Museum Navy Band Navy Flag Navy Hymn Navy Memorial Navy service numbers Sailor's Creed Ship commissioning Ship decommissioning Tingey House USS Constitution Wetting-down United States naval gunfire support debate

Imperial Japanese Navy
Admirals Aircraft Battles Fleets Ships Weapons