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Because a large piece of metal hitting the side of another piece of metal causes lots and lots of damage. The Japanese pilots of WW2 were trained to fight until all their ordinance was gone and their fuel was almost expended, then they would have no choice but to 'die with honor' by dealing as much final damage as they could with the only viable weapon left in their arsenal - their plane. At those speeds, a plane impacting the side of a warship could deal more damage than the bombs the fighter carried as ordinance, and certainly more then a light machine gun. The goal was to take down the enemy no matter what. "Never give up, Never surrender."
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When did the Kamikazes first attack the US?
December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor.
What is the nickname given to the World War 2 Japanese figther planes?
Same as the other combatants...pilots, airmen, or aviators. But you're probably thinking of the "Kamikazes." Kamikazes were just pilots that flew their bomb laden airplanes into US or British warships commencing about October 1944 at the battle of Leyte Gulf. Allied men called them suicide pilots, which was the final result of the Kamikaze pilot...but they were called "Special Attack Squadrons" by the Japanese themselves. More importantly though, the Kamikazes weren't out to commit suicide...they were out to sink ships! So when you think about it, trading one man (the Kamikaze) for 300 men and one multi-million dollar warship; militarily speaking...that's tactically a very deadly weapon. Today's Kamikazes are called "Cruise Missiles."
How are the gulf of tonkin resolution and Iraqi resolution similar?
The Iraqi Government did NOT send out it's Iraqi Navy Torpedo Boats to attack US Navy warships on the high seas. The North Vietnamese Navy DID attack US Navy warships upon the high seas. No comparison.
How many pilots does the US marines have?
The Marine Corps operates 12% of all US Fighter and Attack Aircraft and 19% of all Attack Helicopters.
What were Japanese kamikazes?
Kamikazes were Japanese suicide planes (around 1944-1945) whose pilots deliberately crashed themselves into Allied warships. Japan was faring poorly during the last year of World War II, and out of desperation, trained kamikaze pilots to try to hold off the Allied advance toward Japan. Although they caused a lot of damage, the kamikazes were ultimately unsuccessful in holding back the Allies.
How bad was the bombing at Pearl Harbor?
The attack was successful as it eliminated the US Battleships. The attack was a failure because it failed to eliminate the warships that counted...aircraft carriers.
How and when did the US rebuild Pearl Harbor after the inital attack?
The Naval base was operational within weeks of the attack. Warships were worked on through out 1942; being salvaged, refloated, etc.
German wolf-packs?
Use of groups of up to 40 submarines to patrol areas of the Atlantic and attack convoys at night to prevent US supply ships from reaching Europe; US warships had permission to attack these wolf-packs
Why did us navy commodore george denwey lead an attack on ship in the manila bay during the spanish-american war?
He was ordered to attack the Spanish, and Manila Bay was where the Spanish warships were anchored.
How many battles were kamikazes used in and how many kamikaze pilots died?
Around 2000 kamikaze flights were mounted during World War II. They sank 40 US ships. 3,913 Japanese kamikaze pilot's died altogether.
What were kamikaze pilots in world war2?
Kamikaze pilots were Japanese suicide pilots in World War 2. Because of limited armaments and lack of skilled pilots, young men were trained to fly their planes, loaded with explosives, into US ships. The word kamikaze means "divine wind."As with other air attacks on the US Navy, improved anti-aircraft weapons meant that very few of the kamikazes made it to their target. However, one or two would be enough to severely damage or sink a large warship, especially if they hit an ammunition magazine or fuel bunker.
Did Japanese Kamikaze pilots wear parachutes?
Most did not. Some were sealed in their planes and only had enough fuel for their one-way trip to the US fleet. They were suicide pilots, and their only means of attack was to crash their aircraft into US ships.
