
Stories

Stories

A-K

A-K
Amakusa Air Group Association
Amakusa Air Group Association
Amakusa Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane Squadron
Amakusa Two-seat Reconnaissance Seaplane Squadron
Among the Remnants of the Suicide Subs
Among the Remnants of the Suicide Subs
Assorted Thoughts During War
Assorted Thoughts During War
Continued Commitment: Main Force for Mainland Decisive Battle
Continued Commitment: Main Force for Mainland Decisive Battle
Crash Attack With New Wife On Board
Crash Attack With New Wife On Board
Drop Training: Hard-to-use Spear, Observed Reality
Drop Training: Hard-to-use Spear, Observed Reality
Final Settlement of Accounts of Life
Final Settlement of Accounts of Life
First Battle Results: Change in Tactics, Only Sinking
First Battle Results: Change in Tactics, Only Sinking
For Five Seconds, A Gunner
For Five Seconds, A Gunner
Human Bomb Corps: 160 Men Annihilated in First Battle
Human Bomb Corps: 160 Men Annihilated in First Battle
Kamikaze Pilots Visit Ritsu Tsurumaru’s Home
Kamikaze Pilots Visit Ritsu Tsurumaru’s Home
Kamikaze, the Ultimate Sacrifice
Kamikaze, the Ultimate Sacrifice

L-N

L-N
Lack of Experience: Hard 600-km Flight over the Sea
Lack of Experience: Hard 600-km Flight over the Sea
Last Letters: Collection of Final Writings Published, Testimony Preserved
Last Letters: Collection of Final Writings Published, Testimony Preserved
Last Writings: Hero, Dying in Vain, Reality That Cannot Be Expressed by Dualism
Last Writings: Hero, Dying in Vain, Reality That Cannot Be Expressed by Dualism
LCS 118: A Radar Picket Patrol
LCS 118: A Radar Picket Patrol
Magnificent Comrades of Tsukuba Unit
Magnificent Comrades of Tsukuba Unit
Man Killed In Action Who Returned
Man Killed In Action Who Returned
May 28, 1945—Another Day of Infamy
May 28, 1945—Another Day of Infamy
Mighty Midgets 2007 Reunion
Mighty Midgets 2007 Reunion
My Personal History: Two Lives
My Personal History: Two Lives

O-R

O-R
Observer Training Aircraft: Mobilization of Plane Not Fit for Battle
Observer Training Aircraft: Mobilization of Plane Not Fit for Battle
Perilous Full Moon: I Survived Due to Old Airframe
Perilous Full Moon: I Survived Due to Old Airframe
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 1): Squadron Members With No Wish to Volunteer
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 1): Squadron Members With No Wish to Volunteer
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 2): Sudden Cancellation, Not Even Any Record
Phantom Daytime Attack (Part 2): Sudden Cancellation, Not Even Any Record
Phantom Kenmu Squadron: Cancelled Just Before Takeoff
Phantom Kenmu Squadron: Cancelled Just Before Takeoff
Preparing to Sortie and Waiting for Orders Every Day for Two Weeks
Preparing to Sortie and Waiting for Orders Every Day for Two Weeks
Puzzle Left for Couple: Journey of Seven Years to Search for Date of Death
Puzzle Left for Couple: Journey of Seven Years to Search for Date of Death
Remembering Times Past from 34 Years Ago
Remembering Times Past from 34 Years Ago
Rescued Kamikaze Pilot Also Callaghan Survivor
Rescued Kamikaze Pilot Also Callaghan Survivor
Resentment: Tradition of Commanding Officer’s Taking Lead Disappeared
Resentment: Tradition of Commanding Officer’s Taking Lead Disappeared

S-Z

S-Z
Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron
Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron
Sinking of USS Drexler DD-741
Sinking of USS Drexler DD-741
Sorties Cancelled Twice: Enjoyment of Long Life Due To Small Difference
Sorties Cancelled Twice: Enjoyment of Long Life Due To Small Difference
Special Attack Corps Waiting Room at Tomitaka Base
Special Attack Corps Waiting Room at Tomitaka Base
Special Mission: Symbolic of "Irresponsibility" in Upper Ranks
Special Mission: Symbolic of "Irresponsibility" in Upper Ranks
Spiritual Foundation of Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Members
Spiritual Foundation of Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Members
Survival of Drexler Survivors Reunion Association
Survival of Drexler Survivors Reunion Association
Two Days Before War’s End, Jinrai Butai’s Last Sortie
Two Days Before War’s End, Jinrai Butai’s Last Sortie
2007 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
2007 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
2007 USS Morrison (DD-560) Reunion
2007 USS Morrison (DD-560) Reunion
2010 USS Drexler (DD-741) Reunion
2010 USS Drexler (DD-741) Reunion
2012 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
2012 USS Callaghan (DD-792) Reunion
Who Sank the Destroyer Drexler?
Who Sank the Destroyer Drexler?
Without Telegraph: No Way to Communicate Battle Results
Without Telegraph: No Way to Communicate Battle Results
Young Ski Jumper Who Was Olympic Contender
Young Ski Jumper Who Was Olympic Contender

Books

Books

Personal Narratives

Personal Narratives
Imamura, Shig: The True Story of an American Kamikaze
Imamura, Shig: The True Story of an American Kamikaze
Inoguchi and Nakajima, The Divine Wind
Inoguchi and Nakajima, The Divine Wind
Nagatsuka, I Was a Kamikaze
Nagatsuka, I Was a Kamikaze
Sakamaki, I Attacked Pearl Harbor
Sakamaki, I Attacked Pearl Harbor
Yokota and Harrington, Kamikaze Submarine
Yokota and Harrington, Kamikaze Submarine
Yoshida, Requiem for Battleship Yamato
Yoshida, Requiem for Battleship Yamato

General (A-H)

General (A-H)
Aeronautical Staff of Aero Publishers, Kamikaze
Aeronautical Staff of Aero Publishers, Kamikaze
Axell and Kase, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods
Axell and Kase, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Gods
Burlingame, Advance Force Pearl Harbor
Burlingame, Advance Force Pearl Harbor
Carruthers, Australia Under Siege
Carruthers, Australia Under Siege
Cea, Tokubetsu Kogeki Tai. Special Attack Units
Cea, Tokubetsu Kogeki Tai. Special Attack Units
Charles River Editors, The Kamikazes
Charles River Editors, The Kamikazes
Cortesi, Valor at Okinawa
Cortesi, Valor at Okinawa
Delgado et al., The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor
Delgado et al., The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor
Grose, A Very Rude Awakening
Grose, A Very Rude Awakening
Hagoromo Society, The Cherry Blossom Squadrons
Hagoromo Society, The Cherry Blossom Squadrons

General (I-R)

General (I-R)
Ishiguro and Januszewski, Japanese Special Attack Aircraft
Ishiguro and Januszewski, Japanese Special Attack Aircraft
Jenkins, Hitting Home: The Japanese Attack on Sydney 1942
Jenkins, Hitting Home: The Japanese Attack on Sydney 1942
Lambert, Bombs, Torpedoes and Kamikazes
Lambert, Bombs, Torpedoes and Kamikazes
Lamont-Brown, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Samurai
Lamont-Brown, Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Samurai
Lardas, The Kamikaze Campaign 1944-45
Lardas, The Kamikaze Campaign 1944-45
Lind, Toku-tai: Japanese Submarine Operations in Australian Waters
Lind, Toku-tai: Japanese Submarine Operations in Australian Waters
Morris, Battleship Yamato
Morris, Battleship Yamato
Mortensen, Divine Wind: Kamikaze Attacks Against the US Navy
Mortensen, Divine Wind: Kamikaze Attacks Against the US Navy
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms
Rielly, Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships
Rielly, Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships

General (S-Z)

General (S-Z)
Sears, At War with the Wind
Sears, At War with the Wind
Sholin, The Kamikaze Nightmare
Sholin, The Kamikaze Nightmare
Sholin, The Sacrificial Lambs
Sholin, The Sacrificial Lambs
Sholin, Truman’s Decision
Sholin, Truman’s Decision
Smith, Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Smith, Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Spurr, A Glorious Way to Die
Spurr, A Glorious Way to Die
Stewart, Kamikaze: Japan’s Last Bid for Victory
Stewart, Kamikaze: Japan’s Last Bid for Victory
Stille, US Navy Ships vs Kamikazes 1944-45
Stille, US Navy Ships vs Kamikazes 1944-45
Takaki and Sakaida, B-29 Hunters of the JAAF
Takaki and Sakaida, B-29 Hunters of the JAAF
Thurman, Picket Ships at Okinawa
Thurman, Picket Ships at Okinawa
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Terror
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Terror
Warner and Seno, The Coffin Boats
Warner and Seno, The Coffin Boats
Warner and Warner, The Sacred Warriors
Warner and Warner, The Sacred Warriors
Zaloga, Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944-45
Zaloga, Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944-45
Zimmerman, Battleship Yamato: Why She Matters Today
Zimmerman, Battleship Yamato: Why She Matters Today

Ship Histories (A-C)

Ship Histories (A-C)
Acord and Holbrook, Hell and High Water in the Pacific
Acord and Holbrook, Hell and High Water in the Pacific
Andersen, Three Minutes Off Okinawa
Andersen, Three Minutes Off Okinawa
Ball, Fighting Amphibs: The LCS(L) in World War II
Ball, Fighting Amphibs: The LCS(L) in World War II
Becton, The Ship That Would Not Die
Becton, The Ship That Would Not Die
Billingsley, The Emmons Saga
Billingsley, The Emmons Saga
Blanton, Boston——to Jacksonville (41,000 Miles by Sea)
Blanton, Boston——to Jacksonville (41,000 Miles by Sea)
Bonner and Bonner, USS Missouri at War
Bonner and Bonner, USS Missouri at War
Brown and Anteau, Historical Review: U.S.S. Drexler DD-741
Brown and Anteau, Historical Review: U.S.S. Drexler DD-741
Bustin, Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII
Bustin, Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII
Calhoun, Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945
Calhoun, Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945
Charney, USS Ingraham DD694: 1944-1945
Charney, USS Ingraham DD694: 1944-1945
Cline, Escort Carrier WWII
Cline, Escort Carrier WWII
Craig, USS Cassin Young: Fletcher Class Destroyer DD793
Craig, USS Cassin Young: Fletcher Class Destroyer DD793
Craighead, All Ahead Full
Craighead, All Ahead Full
Crew, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate
Crew, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate

Ship Histories (D-J)

Ship Histories (D-J)
Dennis, The Destroyer U.S.S. Flusser DD368: Her Life of Service
Dennis, The Destroyer U.S.S. Flusser DD368: Her Life of Service
Dennis, U.S.S. Frustrate: "The Luckiest Ship in the Navy"
Dennis, U.S.S. Frustrate: "The Luckiest Ship in the Navy"
Duffy, The Wonderful World of John Duffy: An Autobiography)
Duffy, The Wonderful World of John Duffy: An Autobiography)
Fillmore, War History of USS Leutze (DD-481)
Fillmore, War History of USS Leutze (DD-481)
Foster, The Last Destroyer: The Story of the USS Callaghan
Foster, The Last Destroyer: The Story of the USS Callaghan
Graves, Men of Poseidon: Life at Sea Aboard the USS Rall
Graves, Men of Poseidon: Life at Sea Aboard the USS Rall
Griggs, Preludes to Victory: The Battle of Ormoc Bay in WWII
Griggs, Preludes to Victory: The Battle of Ormoc Bay in WWII
Harmon, U.S.S. Cassin Young (DD-793)
Harmon, U.S.S. Cassin Young (DD-793)
Harper, Too Close for Comfort
Harper, Too Close for Comfort
Irons, Phalanx Against the Divine Wind
Irons, Phalanx Against the Divine Wind
Jones, Days of Steel Rain
Jones, Days of Steel Rain

Ship Histories (K-N)

Ship Histories (K-N)
Kalosky, Harm’s Way—Every Day
Kalosky, Harm’s Way—Every Day
LCS(L) Landing Craft Support (Large)
LCS(L) Landing Craft Support (Large)
Lott, Brave Ship Brave Men
Lott, Brave Ship Brave Men
Lott and Sumrall, USS Ward—The First Shot
Lott and Sumrall, USS Ward—The First Shot
MacKay, The U.S. Navy’s "Interim" LSR(R)s in World War II
MacKay, The U.S. Navy’s "Interim" LSR(R)s in World War II
Mair, Oil, Fire, and Fate
Mair, Oil, Fire, and Fate
Malott, "If We Save But One"
Malott, "If We Save But One"
McBride, ed., Good Night Officially
McBride, ed., Good Night Officially
Monsarrat, Angel on the Yardarm
Monsarrat, Angel on the Yardarm
Novotny, In the Wake of Jellybean
Novotny, In the Wake of Jellybean

Ship Histories (O-Sk)

Ship Histories (O-Sk)
Olson, Tales from a Tin Can
Olson, Tales from a Tin Can
Payne, H.M.A.S. Australia 1928-1955
Payne, H.M.A.S. Australia 1928-1955
Rielly, Mighty Midgets At War
Rielly, Mighty Midgets At War
Ronck, Battleship Missouri
Ronck, Battleship Missouri
Rooney, Mighty Midget U.S.S. LCS 82
Rooney, Mighty Midget U.S.S. LCS 82
Samuels, War Patrol of the PCE(R)852
Samuels, War Patrol of the PCE(R)852
Simmons, USS Tennessee in World War II
Simmons, USS Tennessee in World War II
Skeldon, USS Kadashan Bay VC-20
Skeldon, USS Kadashan Bay VC-20

Ship Histories (Sl-Z)

Ship Histories (Sl-Z)
Stafford, Little Ship, Big War: The Saga of DE343
Stafford, Little Ship, Big War: The Saga of DE343
Stafford, The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise
Stafford, The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise
Stillwell, Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History
Stillwell, Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History
Stone, "My Ship!" The U.S.S. Intrepid
Stone, "My Ship!" The U.S.S. Intrepid
Streb, Life and Death Aboard the U.S.S. Essex
Streb, Life and Death Aboard the U.S.S. Essex
Sumrall, USS Kidd (DD-661)
Sumrall, USS Kidd (DD-661)
Surels, DD 522: Diary of a Destroyer
Surels, DD 522: Diary of a Destroyer
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Destroyer
Veesenmeyer, Kamikaze Destroyer
White and Gandt, Intrepid
White and Gandt, Intrepid
Wolfe, Wole, and O’Hara, History of the USS Kidd (DD661)
Wolfe, Wole, and O’Hara, History of the USS Kidd (DD661)
Wukovits, Hell from the Heavens
Wukovits, Hell from the Heavens
Y’Blood, The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan
Y’Blood, The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan

Fiction (A-L)

Fiction (A-L)
Deutermann, Sentinels of Fire
Deutermann, Sentinels of Fire
Fowler, The Astrological Diary of God
Fowler, The Astrological Diary of God
Freedman, The Seventh Stone
Freedman, The Seventh Stone
Grant, Attack from the sun
Grant, Attack from the sun
Grant, Night Flying Avenger
Grant, Night Flying Avenger
Kaga, Riding the East Wind
Kaga, Riding the East Wind
Kuwahara and Allred, Kamikaze
Kuwahara and Allred, Kamikaze

Fiction (M-Z)

Fiction (M-Z)
Mannock, The Sen-Toku Raid
Mannock, The Sen-Toku Raid
Meade, The Dignity of Danger
Meade, The Dignity of Danger
Morris, The Last Kamikaze
Morris, The Last Kamikaze
Nicole, The Ship with No Name
Nicole, The Ship with No Name
O’Keefe, A Thousand Stitches
O’Keefe, A Thousand Stitches
Park, When My Name Was Keoko
Park, When My Name Was Keoko
Sakamoto, One Hundred Million Hearts
Sakamoto, One Hundred Million Hearts
Somma, Midori and the 1000 Stitch Belt
Somma, Midori and the 1000 Stitch Belt
Wheatcroft, Answering Fire
Wheatcroft, Answering Fire

Writings

Writings
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies

Related Topics (A-M)

Related Topics (A-M)
Bawal, Jr., Titans of the Rising Sun
Bawal, Jr., Titans of the Rising Sun
Delgado, Kamikaze: History’s Greatest Naval Disaster
Delgado, Kamikaze: History’s Greatest Naval Disaster
Eadon, Kamikaze: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet
Eadon, Kamikaze: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet
Evans, The Japanese Navy in World War II
Evans, The Japanese Navy in World War II
Gandt, The Twilight Warriors
Gandt, The Twilight Warriors
Grossberg, Last Letter Home
Grossberg, Last Letter Home
Hara, Japanese Destroyer Captain
Hara, Japanese Destroyer Captain
Kemp, Underwater Warriors
Kemp, Underwater Warriors
King, The Last Zero Fighter
King, The Last Zero Fighter
Klinkowitz, Pacific Skies
Klinkowitz, Pacific Skies
Lubeski, Linebackers of the Sea
Lubeski, Linebackers of the Sea

Related Topics (N-Z)

Related Topics (N-Z)
Sakaida and Takaki, Genda’s Blade
Sakaida and Takaki, Genda’s Blade
Samples, Wings over Sakishima
Samples, Wings over Sakishima
Shibusawa, America’s Geisha Ally
Shibusawa, America’s Geisha Ally
Thompson, Why Do Kamikaze Pilots Wear Helmets?
Thompson, Why Do Kamikaze Pilots Wear Helmets?
Tsouras, Rising Sun Victorious
Tsouras, Rising Sun Victorious
Vernon, The Hostile Sky: A Hellcat Flier in World War II
Vernon, The Hostile Sky: A Hellcat Flier in World War II
Werstein, Okinawa: The Last Ordeal
Werstein, Okinawa: The Last Ordeal
Westheimer, Death is Lighter than a Feather
Westheimer, Death is Lighter than a Feather
Young, American Aces Against the Kamikaze
Young, American Aces Against the Kamikaze

Comics (A-J)

Comics (A-J)
Air War Stories - Kamikaze!
Air War Stories - Kamikaze!
Authentic War Stories - The Kamikaze
Authentic War Stories - The Kamikaze
Battle - Kamikaze! (July 1954)
Battle - Kamikaze! (July 1954)
Battle - Kamikaze! (April 1959)
Battle - Kamikaze! (April 1959)
Blackhawk - The Red Kamikaze Terror
Blackhawk - The Red Kamikaze Terror
Fightin’ Air Force - Kamikaze Pilot
Fightin’ Air Force - Kamikaze Pilot
Fightin’ Marines - Kamikaze
Fightin’ Marines - Kamikaze
Fightin’ Navy - Kamikaze Killer
Fightin’ Navy - Kamikaze Killer
Fubar 2: Empire of the Rising Dead
Fubar 2: Empire of the Rising Dead
Ghostly Tales - The Last Kamikaze!
Ghostly Tales - The Last Kamikaze!

Comics (K-Z)

Comics (K-Z)
Navy Task Force - Kamikaze!
Navy Task Force - Kamikaze!
Our Fighting Forces - Battle Album: Kamikaze
Our Fighting Forces - Battle Album: Kamikaze
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! - The Last Kamikaze
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! - The Last Kamikaze
A Sailor’s Story and A Sailor’s Story, Book Two
A Sailor’s Story and A Sailor’s Story, Book Two
Star Spangled War Stories - I Was a Kamikaze Pilot!
Star Spangled War Stories - I Was a Kamikaze Pilot!
True Comics - Name to Remember
True Comics - Name to Remember
USS Stevens: Ride the Baka
USS Stevens: Ride the Baka
Wings Comics (August 1946)
Wings Comics (August 1946)
Wings Comics - Kamikaze (Fall 1952)
Wings Comics - Kamikaze (Fall 1952)

Films

Films

Documentaries (A-G)

Documentaries (A-G)
Day of the Kamikaze: November 25, 1944
Day of the Kamikaze: November 25, 1944
The Fleet That Came to Stay
The Fleet That Came to Stay
Gladiators of World War II: The Kamikazes
Gladiators of World War II: The Kamikazes
Great Blunders of World War II
Great Blunders of World War II

Documentaries (H-K)

Documentaries (H-K)
Kamikaze: Death From the Sky
Kamikaze: Death From the Sky
Kamikaze: Mission of Death
Kamikaze: Mission of Death
Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor
Kamikaze / War in the Pacific
Kamikaze / War in the Pacific

Documentaries (L-Z)

Documentaries (L-Z)
No Surrender: Japanese and German Kamikazes
No Surrender: Japanese and German Kamikazes
S.O.S. Catastrophe: Typhoons and Kamikaze
S.O.S. Catastrophe: Typhoons and Kamikaze
War Stories wtih Oliver North: Attack of the Japanese Midget Subs!
War Stories wtih Oliver North: Attack of the Japanese Midget Subs!
The Cockpit: Kamikaze Stories
The Cockpit: Kamikaze Stories
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

Japanese

Japanese
Aa tokubetsu kougekitai (Ah, Special Attack Corps)
Aa tokubetsu kougekitai (Ah, Special Attack Corps)
Deguchi no nai umi (Sea without exit)
Deguchi no nai umi (Sea without exit)
Gekkou no Natsu (Summer of the Moonlight Sonata)
Gekkou no Natsu (Summer of the Moonlight Sonata)
Hokui 15° no Dyuo (15 Degrees North Latitude Duo)
Hokui 15° no Dyuo (15 Degrees North Latitude Duo)
Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
Matsuo Keiu to sono haha (Keiu Matsuo and his mother)
Matsuo Keiu to sono haha (Keiu Matsuo and his mother)
Nijūroku ya mairi (A Moon Twenty-six Days Old)
Nijūroku ya mairi (A Moon Twenty-six Days Old)
Ningen no Tsubasa (Wings of a Man)
Ningen no Tsubasa (Wings of a Man)
Taiheiyou no Tsubasa (Wings of the Pacific)
Taiheiyou no Tsubasa (Wings of the Pacific)

Museums

Museums
Bansei Tokkō Peace Museum
Bansei Tokkō Peace Museum
Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots
Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots
Etajima Museum of Naval History
Etajima Museum of Naval History

Hotaru Museum

Hotaru Museum
Cherry Blossoms of Same Class
Cherry Blossoms of Same Class
Kamikaze Special Attack Museum
Kamikaze Special Attack Museum
Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum
Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum
Tokushima Air Base Museum
Tokushima Air Base Museum
Tsukuba Naval Air Base Museum
Tsukuba Naval Air Base Museum
Yokaren Museum - Tsuchiura
Yokaren Museum - Tsuchiura

US Museums

US Museums
Battleship Missouri Memorial
Battleship Missouri Memorial
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
National Museum of the Pacific War
National Museum of the Pacific War
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
USS Cassin Young (DD-793)
USS Cassin Young (DD-793)

Monuments

Monuments

A-B

A-B
Aichi Gokoku Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Aichi Gokoku Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Akita Special Attack Corps Monument
Akita Special Attack Corps Monument
Amakusa Naval Air Group Monument
Amakusa Naval Air Group Monument
Arari Never Forget Monument
Arari Never Forget Monument
Army Command Reconnaissance Units Monument
Army Command Reconnaissance Units Monument
Army Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Army Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Bansei Special Attack Monument
Bansei Special Attack Monument
Battleship Yamato Memorial Tower
Battleship Yamato Memorial Tower
Battleship Yamato Monument (Kure)
Battleship Yamato Monument (Kure)
Battleship Yamato War Dead Monument
Battleship Yamato War Dead Monument
Bōnotsu Shin’yō Corps Monument
Bōnotsu Shin’yō Corps Monument

C-F

C-F
Chiba Special Attack Corps Monument
Chiba Special Attack Corps Monument
Chikugo Pilot Training School Monument
Chikugo Pilot Training School Monument
Chiran Special Attack Peace Kannon Shrine
Chiran Special Attack Peace Kannon Shrine
Chiran Triangular Barracks Site Monument
Chiran Triangular Barracks Site Monument
Donryu Jizo Great Bodhisattva
Donryu Jizo Great Bodhisattva
Ehime Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ehime Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ehime Pilot Training School War Monument
Ehime Pilot Training School War Monument
Ehime Special Attack Corps Monument
Ehime Special Attack Corps Monument
56th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Iwadate Unit Monument
56th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Iwadate Unit Monument
Flight Reserve Students 13th Class Monument
Flight Reserve Students 13th Class Monument
41st Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
41st Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
44th Shin’yō Squadron Accident Victims Monument
44th Shin’yō Squadron Accident Victims Monument
Fukui Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukui Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukuoka Special Attack Corps Monument
Fukuoka Special Attack Corps Monument

G-Ha

G-Ha
Genkai 118th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Genkai 118th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Giretsu Airborne Unit Monument
Giretsu Airborne Unit Monument
Gunma Special Attack Corps Monument
Gunma Special Attack Corps Monument
Hachijojima Shin’yō Monument
Hachijojima Shin’yō Monument
Hachimanyama Jinja Special Submarine Monument
Hachimanyama Jinja Special Submarine Monument
Hakata Naval Air Group Monument
Hakata Naval Air Group Monument
Hakkō Sekichō Squadron Monument
Hakkō Sekichō Squadron Monument
Haramachi Airfield Monument
Haramachi Airfield Monument

Hi-J

Hi-J
Hijirigaura Shin’yō Monument
Hijirigaura Shin’yō Monument
Himeji Naval Air Group Monument
Himeji Naval Air Group Monument
Hokota Army Flight School Monument
Hokota Army Flight School Monument
Hososhima Shin’yō Monument
Hososhima Shin’yō Monument
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Hyakuri Air Base)
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Hyakuri Air Base)
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Kushira)
Hyakurihara Naval Air Corps Monument (Kushira)
Ibusuki Naval Air Base Remembrance Monument
Ibusuki Naval Air Base Remembrance Monument
Isahaya Naval Air Base Monument
Isahaya Naval Air Base Monument
Iwakuni Yokaren 2nd Toku Otsu Class Monument
Iwakuni Yokaren 2nd Toku Otsu Class Monument
Iwate Army Airfield Monument
Iwate Army Airfield Monument
Iwo Jima 1st and 2nd Mitate Special Attack Squadrons Monument
Iwo Jima 1st and 2nd Mitate Special Attack Squadrons Monument
Izumi Special Attack Monument
Izumi Special Attack Monument

Kab-Kam

Kab-Kam
Kabira Bay Shin’yō Peace Monument
Kabira Bay Shin’yō Peace Monument
Kagawa Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagawa Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagoshima Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagoshima Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Sekishin Monument
Kagoshima Naval Air Group Sekishin Monument
Kakogawa Airfield Site Monument
Kakogawa Airfield Site Monument
Kakogawa Special Attack Corps Monument
Kakogawa Special Attack Corps Monument
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Chiran)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Chiran)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Izumi Tokkō Jinja)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Izumi Tokkō Jinja)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Mabalacat)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Mabalacat)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Yasukuni Jinja Yūshūkan)
Kamikaze Pilot Statue (Yasukuni Jinja Yūshūkan)
Kamikaze Special Attack Corps 3rd Ryūko Squadron Monument
Kamikaze Special Attack Corps 3rd Ryūko Squadron Monument

Kan-Ki

Kan-Ki
Kanoya Special Attack Corps War Dead Memorial Tower
Kanoya Special Attack Corps War Dead Memorial Tower
Kashihara Shrine 13th Kō Class Navy Yokaren Monument
Kashihara Shrine 13th Kō Class Navy Yokaren Monument
Kashima Naval Air Group Monument
Kashima Naval Air Group Monument
Kashiwajima Special Attack Shin’yō Base Monument
Kashiwajima Special Attack Shin’yō Base Monument
Kataura Shin’yō Base Monument
Kataura Shin’yō Base Monument
Kawatana Special Attack War Monument
Kawatana Special Attack War Monument
Kikaijima Naval Air Group Monument
Kikaijima Naval Air Group Monument
Kikaijima Shin’yō Storage Tunnel
Kikaijima Shin’yō Storage Tunnel
Kitaura Naval Air Group Monument
Kitaura Naval Air Group Monument

Ko-Ky

Ko-Ky
Kōchi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kōchi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Kōchi Naval Air Group Monument
Kōchi Naval Air Group Monument
Kofuji Naval Air Group Monument
Kofuji Naval Air Group Monument
Kohama Island Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Kohama Island Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Barrel Valley)
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Barrel Valley)
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Uwatoko Park)
Kokubu No. 2 Air Base Special Attack Corps Monument (Uwatoko Park)
Kokubu Special Attack Base Monument
Kokubu Special Attack Base Monument
Koniya Naval Air Group Monument
Koniya Naval Air Group Monument
Kōyasan Naval Air Group Monument
Kōyasan Naval Air Group Monument
Kuroshima Battleship Yamato Monument
Kuroshima Battleship Yamato Monument
Kuroshima Special Attack Peace Kannon
Kuroshima Special Attack Peace Kannon
Kushira Naval Air Base War Dead Memorial Tower
Kushira Naval Air Base War Dead Memorial Tower
Kyōdomari Shin’yō Special Attack Base Monument
Kyōdomari Shin’yō Special Attack Base Monument

L-Me

L-Me
Mabalacat West Airfield Monument
Mabalacat West Airfield Monument
Makurazaki Battleship Yamato Monument
Makurazaki Battleship Yamato Monument
Matsuo Monument (Kikuchi Jinja)
Matsuo Monument (Kikuchi Jinja)
Matsuo Monument (Yamaga City)
Matsuo Monument (Yamaga City)
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Monument
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Monument
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Site Monument
Matsuyama Naval Air Group Site Monument
Metabaru Airfield Monument
Metabaru Airfield Monument

Mi-Mu

Mi-Mu
Mie Special Attack Corps Monument
Mie Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyagi Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyagi Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyakonojō East Airfield Monument
Miyakonojō East Airfield Monument
Miyakonojō Hayate Shinbu Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyakonojō Hayate Shinbu Special Attack Corps Monument
Miyakonojō Pilot Training School Monument
Miyakonojō Pilot Training School Monument
Miyakonojō West Airfield Monument
Miyakonojō West Airfield Monument
Miyara Bay Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Miyara Bay Shin’yō Boat Tunnels
Miyazaki Special Attack Base Monument
Miyazaki Special Attack Base Monument

N

N
Nagamine Farewell Poem Monuments
Nagamine Farewell Poem Monuments
Nagano Special Attack Corps Monument
Nagano Special Attack Corps Monument
Nagasaki Pilot Training School Monument
Nagasaki Pilot Training School Monument
Nagasaki Prefecture Yokaren Monument
Nagasaki Prefecture Yokaren Monument
Nagoya Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Kusanagi Unit Monument
Nagoya Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Kusanagi Unit Monument
Nangō Human Torpedo Kaiten Training Site Monument
Nangō Human Torpedo Kaiten Training Site Monument
Naramoto Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Naramoto Jinja Battleship Yamato Monument
Navy Flight Reserve Students Monument
Navy Flight Reserve Students Monument
Niigata Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Niigata Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
19th Hikō Sentai Special Attack Monument
19th Hikō Sentai Special Attack Monument
Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack Corps Monument
Noshiro Hachiman Jinja Special Attack Corps Monument

O-R

O-R
Ōdōtsu 117th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Ōdōtsu 117th Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Ōi Naval Air Group Monument
Ōi Naval Air Group Monument
Ōita Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōita Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōita Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Takeoff Site Monument
Ōita Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Takeoff Site Monument
Ōita Special Attack Corps Monument
Ōita Special Attack Corps Monument
Okazaki Naval Air Group Monument
Okazaki Naval Air Group Monument
Ōsaka Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōsaka Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Ōtsushima Kaiten Monument
Ōtsushima Kaiten Monument
Ōurasaki Special Attack Base (P Base) Monument
Ōurasaki Special Attack Base (P Base) Monument
Ozuki Air Base Foundation of Peace Monument
Ozuki Air Base Foundation of Peace Monument

S

S
Saitama Special Attack Corps Monument
Saitama Special Attack Corps Monument
Sakudari Kannon Temple Wakazakura Kanzeon Bosatsu
Sakudari Kannon Temple Wakazakura Kanzeon Bosatsu
Sekiguchi Tokko Brothers Monument
Sekiguchi Tokko Brothers Monument
Sendai Pilot Training School Monument
Sendai Pilot Training School Monument
Seseraginoyu Ōka Monument
Seseraginoyu Ōka Monument
Setagaya Special Attack Peace Kannon
Setagaya Special Attack Peace Kannon
Shiga Naval Air Group Monument
Shiga Naval Air Group Monument
Shimizu Naval Air Group Monument
Shimizu Naval Air Group Monument
Shimoda Shin’yō and Kairyu Monument
Shimoda Shin’yō and Kairyu Monument
Shōdoshima Special Submarine Monument
Shōdoshima Special Submarine Monument
Shinshū Fumetsu Special Attack Squadron Monument
Shinshū Fumetsu Special Attack Squadron Monument
Special Attack Fleet Ryukon Monument
Special Attack Fleet Ryukon Monument
Special Submarine Base (Q Base) Monument
Special Submarine Base (Q Base) Monument
Submarine Crewmen Who Gave Lives for Country Monument
Submarine Crewmen Who Gave Lives for Country Monument

T

T
Takuma Naval Air Group Monument
Takuma Naval Air Group Monument
Tochigi Special Attack Corps Monument
Tochigi Special Attack Corps Monument
Tokunoshima Special Attack Peace Monument
Tokunoshima Special Attack Peace Monument
Tomitaka Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Sortie Site Monument
Tomitaka Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Sortie Site Monument
Tosashimizu 132nd Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Tosashimizu 132nd Shin’yō Special Attack Squadron Monument
Toshio Shimao Literature Monument
Toshio Shimao Literature Monument
Tsuiki Kamikaze Ginga Squadron Sortie Site Monument
Tsuiki Kamikaze Ginga Squadron Sortie Site Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Peace Monument
Tsukuba Naval Air Group Peace Monument

U-Z

U-Z
Urato Naval Air Group Monument
Urato Naval Air Group Monument
Usa Naval Air Group Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Usa Naval Air Group Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Usa Special Attack Monument
Usa Special Attack Monument
Wakayama Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Wakayama Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Yamaguchi Special Attack Corps Monument
Yamaguchi Special Attack Corps Monument
Yamanashi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Yamanashi Gokoku Jinja Yokaren Monument
Yatabe Naval Air Group Monument
Yatabe Naval Air Group Monument
Yatabe Naval Air Group Pilot Statue and Guard Gate
Yatabe Naval Air Group Pilot Statue and Guard Gate
Yonago Pilot Training School Monument
Yonago Pilot Training School Monument
Youth Pilots’ Memorial Column
Youth Pilots’ Memorial Column
Yudonosan Kaiten Patriotism Monument
Yudonosan Kaiten Patriotism Monument
Zenkōji Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Zenkōji Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Monument
Zen’yōji Special Cadet Pilots Monument
Zen’yōji Special Cadet Pilots Monument

Lists

Lists
Type of Special Attack Corps
Type of Special Attack Corps

Internet

Internet
Air Group 4 - "Casablanca to Tokyo"
Air Group 4 - "Casablanca to Tokyo"
Aozora no hateni (To the blue sky’s end)
Aozora no hateni (To the blue sky’s end)
Junkoku no ishibumi (War Memorials)
Junkoku no ishibumi (War Memorials)
Kaiten Tokkōtai (Kaiten Special Attack Corps)
Kaiten Tokkōtai (Kaiten Special Attack Corps)
Tokkō (Special Attack Forces)
Tokkō (Special Attack Forces)
Yokaren Shiryoukan (Yokaren Museum)
Yokaren Shiryoukan (Yokaren Museum)

Other Forms

Other Forms

Chiran Speech Contest

Chiran Speech Contest
Junior High School Division
Junior High School Division
Special Attack Picture Postcards
Special Attack Picture Postcards
Tokkōbana (Kamikaze Flower)
Tokkōbana (Kamikaze Flower)

Writings

Writings

A-J

A-J

Ab-Ar

Ab-Ar

As-Fuj

As-Fuj

Fuk-G

Fuk-G

Ha

Ha

Hi-Ho

Hi-Ho

Ic-In

Ic-In

Is

Is

It-J

It-J

K-N

K-N

Ka-Kas

Ka-Kas

Kat-Ki

Kat-Ki

Koa-Kon

Koa-Kon

Kos-Ku

Kos-Ku

Ma-Mas

Ma-Mas

Mat-Min

Mat-Min

Mio-Miz

Mio-Miz

Mo-Mu

Mo-Mu

Nag

Nag

Nak

Nak

Nam-No

Nam-No

O-Z

O-Z

Og-Oi

Og-Oi

Ok-On

Ok-On

Os-Ot

Os-Ot

Sa

Sa

Se-Shim

Se-Shim

Shin-Su

Shin-Su

Tab-Tak

Tab-Tak

Tan-Tsu

Tan-Tsu

U

U

W

W

Yab-Yamag

Yab-Yamag

Yamam-Yamaw

Yamam-Yamaw

Yan-Yu

Yan-Yu

Books

Books
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Gordon, Facing Death: Last Writings of Japanese Special Attack Corps Members
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Kawatoko, The Mind of the Kamikaze
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Lartéguy, The Sun Goes Down
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, Listen to the Voices from the Sea
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Ohnuki-Tierney, Kamikaze Diaries
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Todai Gakusei Jichi-kai, In the Faraway Mountains and Rivers
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies
Yamashita, Leaves from an Autumn of Emergencies

Thesis

Thesis
Excel file that supports thesis
Excel file that supports thesis

Links

Links

About Project

About Project
Kamikaze Images and Friendship Dolls
Kamikaze Images and Friendship Dolls
Final Project Paper (PDF file)
Final Project Paper (PDF file)

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The Coffin Boats: Japanese Midget Submarine Operations in the Second World War
by Peggy Warner and Sadao Seno
Leo Cooper, 1986, 206 pages
Japanese midget submarines carried out torpedo attacks during WWII at Pearl Harbor,
Sydney, and Diego Suarez in Madagascar. The Coffin Boats presents an in-depth
examination of these three attacks and provides background information on
Japanese midget
submarines and their pilots. Midget submarines, referred to as special
submarines (tokushu senkōtei) in Japanese, were Japan's first tokkōtai (special
attack units) since the pilots did not expect to return alive from their
missions. Peggy Warner and Sadao Seno, who collaborated with Denis Warner on the
1982 book The Sacred Warriors about Japan's kamikaze operations, thoroughly
researched this narrow topic of Japanese midget submarines as evidenced by a four-page bibliography of both
Japanese and English language sources and by the number of people interviewed
who were connected with Japan's use of midget submarines during World War II.
Most chapters of The Coffin Boats cover the history of the first three midget
submarine attacks on Pearl Harbor (Ch. 3-6), Sydney (Ch. 7-10), and Diego Suarez
(Ch. 11). The book's first chapter has the story of the capture of midget submarine
pilot Kazuo Sakamaki, who became America's first prisoner of war when his
submarine ran aground after being released from the mother submarine. Chapter 2
describes the development of the Target A (Kō-Hyōteki) midget submarine and the
decision to use five of them in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The book's last
chapter covers sorties of other Japanese midget submarines later in the war, and
the Epilogue tells several postwar stories of persons associated with Japan's
midget submarines. The book includes 12 pages of photos.
Advance Force Pearl Harbor (1992) by Burl Burlingame thoroughly covers the
midget submarine attack on Pearl Harbor, but The Coffin Boats also has detail
descriptions of the attacks on Sydney and Diego Suarez and the pilots who
participated in these attacks. Peggy Warner is an Australian, which explains the
extensive details of the Sydney attack covering four chapters. The two authors
objectively present the history of Japan's midget submarines and critically
examine the Japanese propaganda surrounding the war god status of the midget
submarine pilots who died in the attacks. The book generally has a tight
narrative, but at times the background material, especially Chapter 7 for the
Sydney attack, seems long and does not have much direct relevance to the main
history.
The midget submarine units were designated as tokkōtai (short for tokubetsu
kōgekitai and meaning "special attack units") even though the mother submarine
that launched the midget would try to rendezvous after the attack with the
midget submarine. However, the crewmembers clearly understood that there would
be little likelihood of survival as they wrote last letters to their family
members, and no mother submarine successfully recovered a crewman from a launched midget for
the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Sydney, and Diego Suarez. The Japanese public first
heard the term tokkōtai (special attack unit) on December 18, 1941, in an
official Japanese communiqué reporting the results of the opening of the Greater
East Asia War. The Japanese military also used the term tokkōtai later in the
war to apply to kamikaze aircraft and to other suicide weapons such as kaiten
torpedoes and shin'yō motorboats. Although both kamikaze and midget submarine
squadrons were referred to by the same term, the midget submarine crewmembers
were encouraged to return alive, although very few did so, whereas kamikaze
pilots were ordered to die while crashing their aircraft into enemy ships.
However, it was not uncommon for kamikaze pilots to return alive due to bad
weather or engine problems.
On November 28, 1941, five mother submarines carrying one midget submarine
each departed Japan for Pearl Harbor. The five two-man midget submarines were
successfully launched in the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, but
problems with the gyro compass on the one piloted by Kazuo Sakamaki made the
midget submarine very difficult to navigate. The other four midgets were lost
without causing any confirmed damage to American ships, while Sakamaki's midget
drifted aground. He and his midget submarine were captured, so the midget no
longer was a secret weapon.
The most interesting chapter in the book describes how the nine midget
submarine crewmen who died in the Pearl Harbor attack became a legend generated
by the Japanese propaganda machine. One midget submarine was credited by the
Navy with the sinking of the battleship USS Arizona, much to the chagrin of
Mitsuo Fuchida who led the aerial attack on Pearl Harbor and knew that the
Arizona had been sunk by his horizontal bomber group. The nine men were
acclaimed as war gods and posthumously promoted two ranks, which also irked the
commanders of the airmen who had died in the attack but were posthumously
promoted only one rank. The story of Masaharu Yokohama, who was credited with
sinking the Arizona, was made into a popular wartime film. On April 8, 1942, a
formal naval funeral service was held for the nine war gods. In contrast to the praise for
the nine crewmen who died, censors prohibited any mention of Kazuo Sakamaki and
his capture.
Three two-man midget submarines tried to enter Sydney Harbor on May 31, 1942.
The six men's last letters or poems made clear that they considered the mission
to be one in which they would lose their lives. One midget got caught up in the boom net protecting the harbor,
and the two crewmen set the self-demolition charge to destroy
themselves and the midget rather than suffer the ignominy of capture as did
Kazuo Sakamaki. Another midget fired its two torpedoes, and one sank the depot
ship Kuttabul and caused the deaths of 19 men. Depth charges later destroyed
this midget. The final midget did not have the opportunity to fire its torpedoes
after depth charges and possible glancing blows from two ships. The two crewmen
tried and failed to set the self-demolition mechanism, and they both died with
shots to the head. The midget was recovered about a week later.
On June 9, 1942, the four Japanese midget submarine crewmen who had been
found in Sydney Harbor were cremated with full naval honors. The brief ceremony with no words
spoken was attended by only a small number of people, but Rear Admiral
Muirhead-Gould came under criticism for his actions. He defended his actions a few days
later with the following words (pp. 128-9):
I have been criticized for having accorded these men military honours at
their cremation, such honours as we hope may be accorded to our own comrades who
have died in enemy hands; but, I ask you, should we not accord full honours to
such brave men as these? It must take courage of the very highest order to go
out in a thing like that steel coffin. . . . Theirs was a courage which is not
the property or the tradition or the heritage of any one nation. It is the
courage shared by the brave men of our own countries as well as of the enemy
and, however horrible war and its results may be, it is courage which is
recognized and universally admired. These men were patriots of the highest
order. How many of us are really prepared to make one thousandth of the
sacrifices that these men made?
Japan honored the six men who died in the Sydney attack as new war gods. When
the ashes of the four midget submarine crewmen found were returned by Australia
to Yokohama later in the year, thousands of people came in remembrance of the
brave heroes. When the Australian High Command learned how the cremation
ceremony was being used for propaganda purposes in Japan, they ordered that this
type of funeral not take place again.
The May 30, 1942, night attack of two midget submarines on the harbor at
Diego Suarez, Madagascar, had some success but had no effect on the overall
course of the war. One torpedo hit and seriously damaged the old battleship Ramillies, but there were no casualties. A second torpedo sank the motor tanker
British Loyalty and killed six men from the engine room where the torpedo hit.
Neither midget was salvaged, but two midget submarine crewmen died on June 2
when British soldiers found and overpowered them in the hills within sight of
the place where the midget had planned to rendezvous with the mother submarine.
A third midget was going to be launched at Diego Suarez, but this one had to be
ditched in the sea due to damage sustained during heavy swells on the way to
Madagascar.
The Japanese Navy also lost midget submarines in Guadalcanal, Kiska, the
Philippines, and Okinawa with very limited success. By the last year of the war
the Japanese Navy had almost no mother ships with which to launch midget submarines. The photo of
dozens of midget submarines lined up like giant cigars at Kure dry dock became
an enduring image of Japan's defeat in World War II.
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