029 THE KAMIKAZE CAMPAIGN 1944-45: Imperial Japan's Last Throw of the Dice

1-968029

Examines the decisions behind the kamikaze campaign, how it developed, how it became a key part of Japanese strategy, and the missions themselves. Although the attacks started on an almost ad hoc basis, the kamikaze soon became a major Japanese policy. By the end of the war, Japan was manufacturing aircraft specifically for kamikaze missions, including a rocket-powered manned missile. A plan for a massive use of kamikazes to defend the Japanese Home Islands from invasion was developed, but never executed because of Japan's surrender in August 1945. Packed with diagrams, maps and 3D reconstructions of the attacks, this book also assesses the Allied mitigation techniques and strategies and the reasons and the degree to which they were successful.