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World War II: Kamikazes. By: Daniel Klinefelter US History Block 1 Gold May 5, 2009. The Kamikazes Role During WWII. Kamikazes were Japanese pilots who flew suicide missions They dived planes full of explosives into hostile targets
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World War II:Kamikazes By: Daniel Klinefelter US History Block 1 Gold May 5, 2009
The Kamikazes Role During WWII • Kamikazes were Japanese pilots who flew suicide missions • They dived planes full of explosives into hostile targets • They were considered the last hope in stopping the Allied advance • These special attacks were made to strike fear into the hearts of American soldiers; possible leading to an easy surrender
The Kamikazes Impact on WWII • The attacks did shock Americans, and news about these acts was kept from the public for six months • Was also a psychological deterrent for the American soldiers, diminishing moral • Kamikazes destroyed numerous land and naval targets • There were considerable amounts of casualties on both sides
The Kamikazes Portrayal • Kamikazes were respected by the fellow country citizens • Believed to be a privilege to die for the emperor of Japan • It was the ultimate sacrifice - LIFE! • Failure to successfully complete mission was shunned • At the beginning of war was completely volunteer service, but by end, people were being drafted to serve • Became known as more of a symbol of resistance rather than a weapon
The True Fame of the Kamikaze • Due to historical reasons, the kamikaze is respected; there are memorials after some of these individuals • Their sacrifice is known among the greatest to the emperor of Japan • Also known as having a glorious death • Best known suicide units of WWII • Although suicide is frowned upon in today's society • Are related to today’s suicide bombers in the Middle East
WWII Japanese Airforce Plane Kamikaze 1945 A kamikaze dives his Japanese “Val” plane into a U.S. warship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean in June 1945.
WWII Japanese Kamikaze Crash A kamikaze dive bomber misses this U.S. light carrier (part of the U.S. Navy Fleet) in the Pacific on May 4, 1945.
Sources • "American Experience | Victory in the Pacific | UmiYukaba |." PBS. 05 May 2009 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pacific/sfeature/sf_song.html>. • AP :: Images. 05 May 2009 <http://apimages.ap.org/Search.aspx?st=k&kw=kamikaze&id=&ids=&showact=results&sort=relevance&page=1&prds=&intv=None&xslt=&cfas=¶g=&sh=14&dtebf=&dteaf=&kwstyle=and&dbm=&adte=1241527794&adsf=&rids=&ish=&dah=-1&moid=&pagez=20&dteon=>. • "kamikazes." World History: The Modern Era. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 5 May 2009 <http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com>. • Wawro, Geoffrey. "Kamikaze." World Book Advanced. 2009. [Place of access.] 5 May 2009 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar294520>.