Kamikaze Japanese Pilots
by Gunner Charbonneau
The U.S.S. Bunker Hill
This is a picture of the U.S.S. Bunker Hill after it was hit by Japanese Kamikaze fighter planes, 389 were killed and 264 were wounded from a crew of 2,600.
This is Ensign Kiyoshi Ogawa, a japanese kamikaze pilot that flew his aircraft into the USS Bunker Hill on May 11th, 1945. A Kamikaze Pilot's job was to fly the aircraft with explosives directly into a target.
Kamikazi Pilots right before a mission.
The word "Kamikaze" means "Divine Wind". The Pilots were thought to have a special place in heaven.
There was a low chance of a kamikaze actually getting to it's target because of the American Navy's gun power. At Okinawa in 1945, 169 out of 193 planes were destroyed by Kamikazis. At Okinawa, 21 ships were sunk and 66 were damaged.
The Kamikazis and the rest of the Japan Military believed in honor until death. This was a big part of Japan's culture.