My grandfathers carrier survived 2 different hits by kamikazes. I never knew this until after he passed when I was a kid. USS Ticonderoga. Theres a clip of one of the attacks on youtube I think. 100 Sailors lost their lives.
A retired Captain of my Royal Naval Reserve unit was a Direction Officer onboard HMS Formidable when she was stuck by a Kamikaze. He was on watch in the island and they lost electrical power. He was uninjured. He served throughout WW2 but never felt any anger about Japan. Germany was a different matter, though.
A friend of mine's uncle was killed by a Kamikaze attack. He was RCN but seconded to the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable. He was on the flight deck on April 1 1945 when a Japanese aircraft managed to evade Seafires and AA guns and exploded on the carrier's flight deck, and he was killed. Luckily for the ship the British carriers had armoured flight decks and less open space below deck than the U.S. ones, which limited the damage done. Within a few hours, Indefatigable was fully operational again. There is an apocryphal story of a US Navy liaison officer commenting on the difference: "When a kamikaze hits a U.S. carrier it means 6 months of repair at Pearl [Harbor]. When a kamikaze hits a Limey carrier it’s just a case of "Sweepers, man your brooms."”
I can understand the culture reasons for why individuals would have volunteered for it but it was such a waste of limited resources with such a little chance of big returns. They had to know that even a fully loaded aircraft couldn't take out a carrier.
That tactic would have had a bigger impact earlier in the war for sure. In 1945, was a very poor use of resources. The rate of production of ships by the Americans was mind boggling.
@@OTDMilitaryHistory In the inception, when the US only had four carriers in the Pacific (three of which were lost) , erasing Carriers would have been significant. A whole different bent on Sea power. It's no longer a surface fleet duel.
My grandfathers carrier survived 2 different hits by kamikazes. I never knew this until after he passed when I was a kid. USS Ticonderoga. Theres a clip of one of the attacks on youtube I think. 100 Sailors lost their lives.
Wow. I can't imagine what that would have been like to go through. Thanks for posting this!
You’re welcome! I assume it would be utterly terrifying.
@@OTDMilitaryHistory I agree!
A retired Captain of my Royal Naval Reserve unit was a Direction Officer onboard HMS Formidable when she was stuck by a Kamikaze. He was on watch in the island and they lost electrical power. He was uninjured. He served throughout WW2 but never felt any anger about Japan. Germany was a different matter, though.
@iainstewart9844 Very interesting. Seems national origin plays into these things.
A friend of mine's uncle was killed by a Kamikaze attack. He was RCN but seconded to the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable. He was on the flight deck on April 1 1945 when a Japanese aircraft managed to evade Seafires and AA guns and exploded on the carrier's flight deck, and he was killed. Luckily for the ship the British carriers had armoured flight decks and less open space below deck than the U.S. ones, which limited the damage done. Within a few hours, Indefatigable was fully operational again. There is an apocryphal story of a US Navy liaison officer commenting on the difference: "When a kamikaze hits a U.S. carrier it means 6 months of repair at Pearl [Harbor]. When a kamikaze hits a Limey carrier it’s just a case of "Sweepers, man your brooms."”
Good vid! Just the facts and an example of what it felt like to be there.
@@geneclayton2467 Thanks Gene! I hope to make more videos like this that are quick and punchy and based on primary sources.
The mentality by Japan to order inexperienced youngsters to be kamikaze pilots is inexplicable from a western point of view.
I can understand the culture reasons for why individuals would have volunteered for it but it was such a waste of limited resources with such a little chance of big returns. They had to know that even a fully loaded aircraft couldn't take out a carrier.
Can you imagine what trained kamikaze pilots would have done in '42? It would have been a much different Pacific war
That tactic would have had a bigger impact earlier in the war for sure. In 1945, was a very poor use of resources. The rate of production of ships by the Americans was mind boggling.
@@OTDMilitaryHistory In the inception, when the US only had four carriers in the Pacific (three of which were lost) , erasing Carriers would have been significant. A whole different bent on Sea power. It's no longer a surface fleet duel.
hi out of interest what is a 'trained' kamikaze pilot' i mean as opposed to never done it before ? lol