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attack missions and integrated into its ranks
pilots from sunken carriers in the Battle of
Leyte Gulf, as well as pilots from carrier units
previously assigned to land-based operations.
During the campaign in the Philippines, the
Japanese Navy deployed a total of 421 aircraft
in kamikaze attacks, 43 of which returned
for various reasons. Additionally, 239 fighter
aircraft were assigned as escorts, with
102 lost in action. During these operations, naval
aviators claimed to have sunk 37 ships, including
five aircraft carriers, and were credited with
damaging 68 other vessels, including nine
aircraft carriers.
However, actual losses inflicted by Army and
Navy airmen in these special attack operations
amounted to 20 ships destroyed or scuttled,
including two aircraft carriers and four
destroyers. Another 87 ships sustained damage,
including 22 aircraft carriers.
Battle of Iwo Jima and Operation
Kikusui
During the raids on Formosa in January 1945
and the Iwo Jima landings, only a few special
attacks were conducted. However, in preparation
for the anticipated invasion of Okinawa, the
Japanese Navy Air Force developed Operation
Kikusui, which was launched in coordination
with the Army Air Forces on April 6, 1945 — five
days after the American landing. To ensure and
protect the landing, Allied forces, including
the British Navy, deployed 18 battleships,
27 cruisers, 177 destroyers, 39 aircraft carriers,
and hundreds of support vessels. Around the
island, the Americans stationed destroyers at
15 pre-designated Picket Stations to assist in
directing defensive fighter operations against
Japanese attacks using their radar systems.
Many Allied vessels had limited maneuverability
during these attacks, as they were providing fire
support to the invading forces, supplying troops,
or evacuating the wounded in the immediate
vicinity of the island.
Unlike the fighting in the Philippines, Allied
vessels were positioned at a considerable
distance from Japanese bases on Formosa
and Kyushu. In both cases, the approach route
was approximately 1,000 km long. During
special attacks, Japanese airmen gradually
refined their tactics, optimizing flight paths
based on changing weather conditions and
using the islands around Okinawa as obstacles
to American radar detection. The only naval
fighter capable of escorting kamikaze aircraft
all the way to their targets was the Zero. Shiden
and Shiden-Kai aircraft participated in escort
missions but only for part of the journey.
Ōka planes and Zero pilots
During the battle for Okinawa, the variety of
naval aircraft used in special attack operations
was more diverse compared to the Philippine
campaign. Among the most well-known were
Ōka aircraft, which were carried to their targets
by G4M2e Betty bombers. These slow and highly
vulnerable bombers were escorted by Zeros
HISTORY
The British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable in May 1945 after a kamikaze attack. The armored decks of British aircraft carriers withstood enemy attacks much better than
the decks of American carriers. Photo: IWM
The A6M5 Type 52c aircraft taking off on a special attack mission. A 500kg bomb is mounted under the fuselage,
and the cannons have been removed to reduce weight. Only two machine guns were left in the wings.
Photo: US Naval Heritage Command
INFO Eduard
15
April 2025