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Pacific (part 3). Kamikaze. Japanese suicide bombers “divine wind” Deliberately crashed planes into enemy ships Loaded with bombs, only enough gas to reach target Seen as an honor!! (only for the best). Prior to attack. USS Bunker Hill hit by 2 kamikaze in one minute.
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Kamikaze • Japanese suicide bombers • “divine wind” • Deliberately crashed planes into enemy ships • Loaded with bombs, only enough gas to reach target • Seen as an honor!! (only for the best)
Kamikaze pilot Ensign Kiyoshi Ogawa, who damaged the carrier USS Bunker Hill during Operation Kikusui No. 6 on May
Recapturing the Philippines • Battle of Leyte Gulf- 160,000 troops invade Filipino Island of Leyte • MacArthur returns • Greatest naval battle ever- 280 ships • Japanese use almost every remaining battleship (including 4 more carriers!)
80,000 Japanese defenders killed in defeat of Leyte (less than 1,000 POW!)
Iwo Jima • Volcanic island 700 miles from Japan • November, 1944 to Feb, 1945 • 110,000 Americans vs 25,000 Japanese (only 216 POWs taken!) • Bombers could now fly to Japan
Okinawa • April to June, 1945 • 350 miles from Japan • Japan did not challenge beach landing (mistake?) • Kamikaze and “banzai” attacks (charge designed to kill as many as possible before dying) • 50,000 American casualties