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Origin of Initial Kamikaze attacks of "Ten Go", March 1945

Discussion in 'Naval Warfare in the Pacific' started by Colonel FOG, Sep 26, 2011.

  1. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    ATTN: PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE KAMIKAZES IN TAIWAN!

    It seems I have ran across an online book (posted in its entirety) that has much of the information I have been seeking.
    Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket ... - Robin L. Rielly - Google

    It's called "Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships"

    It presents detailed information of the Kamikaze attacks originating from Taiwan, with the first attack on a picket DD 521 Kimberly occuring March 24 1945 (see page 97-8, 101) by two Vals flying from Taiwan, perhaps staging at Ishigaki Shima located about 50 miles offshore of Karenko (Hualien). Karenko is again mentioned as the source of the Kamikazes on page 102 (note the reference to "Karenko South"), with B-24 and B-25 raids being conducted against them. The 17th Air Regiment at Karenko South was the IJA base; therefore Karenko North (nearer to my home) would be the IJN's Kamikaze base.

    Although the book presents a conflict between its text and its Appendices in regards to airbases used by the IJN's 1st Air Fleet (Karenko = primary fighter base; listed in Appendix IV) and the IJA's 8th Air Division [17th Air Regiment fighters](noted in the text on page 88; but not in the Appendix), thus both arms being listed as having fighter bases in Karenko (Hualien), this actually coordinates well with there being TWO airbases: Karenko North and Karenko South (separated by a good distance) as shown in the recce photos from CVL-25 Cowpens that I have dated Jan, 1945. The bases appear mostly empty at that time (only two a/c visible); I suggest they must have come into use again for Operation Ten-Go as an explanation for the story I have about Kamikaze pre-flight ceremonies being conducted near my home.

    See also: Asisbiz KAWASAKI-KI-100 Ki,100,I,Otsu,17Sentai,Karenko,East,Formosa,1945

    And, finally... on pages 49 and 51 "17th Air Regiment": http://www.scribd.com/doc/54916741/Kawasaki-Ki-61-Ki-100-Aircam-Aviation-21
    The IJA (JAAF) pilots were flying Ki-61s (initially) and Ki-100s out of Karenko South and Ishigaki Island as fighter escort for kamikazes missions until the end of the war.

    This might also explain references to Kamikaze missions from the north of Formosa flying towards Formosa first; perhaps they were picking up their fighter escorts. ??
     
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  2. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    Thanks for the post!

    I had seen "Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships" before, but it sound like a worthwhile read. Looks like this will move to the top of my "To get" list.
     
  3. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    Additional confirmation of 17th Regiment being active in the first phases of Kamikaze attacks during the Battle for Okinawa.

    _•—“Á•ÊUŒ‚‘à/‰«“ꌈí
    You'll have to translate the Japanese. However, the missions listed as "Stone" 石垣 are the ones flown out of Karenko.

    The mission of April 1st is noteworthy in that it coincides with the report in the Rielly text on page 102 regarding a flight from Karenko (paragraph beginning with Bennett).
    Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket ... - Robin L. Rielly - Google

    The missing sequencial "team" numbers for Stone coincide with other Kamikaze missions originating in Taiwan at Hsinchu and Taichung. This might indicate that the 17th was flying only fighter escort on these missions (and/or had contributed only a few aircraft).

    Interstingly enough, Hualien (Karenko) is known today as "The City of Stone" due to the extensive marble deposits mined hereabouts and used to pave the sidewalks, as well as the famous "Hualien Pictures Stones" (a rosestone) manufactured/sold/displayed as fine artwork. The International Stone Festival is held here every two years (right down the road and only "a stone's throw" from my home, haha), and is about to start next week, lasting for a month, with international artists carving huge blocks of marble into beautiful works of art. Come on over for a visit everybody!
     
  4. Volga Boatman

    Volga Boatman Dishonorably Discharged

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    Fog, are suicide attacks from other countries listed as well?

    There is a very famous example of Wade McKluskey's Dive Bombers at Midway, launching their attack with full knowledge that the 'KidoButai' were out of range for a return flight. Mcklusky's aircraft , initially, failed to make contact with the IJN carriers, and flew in a wide search pattern in order to establish same. They were pointed to their goal by the IJN DD 'Arashi', who had detached from the main fleet to investigate and destroy a submarine contact. After finding nothing, 'Arashi' sped back toward the Combined fleet at top speed. This is how McKluskey found her, acting like a big 'pointer' toward his goal....

    The rest is history. McKluskey appeared over the carriers, as we all know, as the first of their attack craft were rolling down the flight decks.

    Many of the aircraft that flew that particular mission had to ditch. Some, like Torpedo '8' from Enterprise, actually flew into the centre, with full knowledge that they would not make it home.

    I believe this qualifies just as much as the 'Divine Wind' as a 'Kamikaze'.

    And from red-blooded Americans who wanted to make it home like any other serviceman.

    What do you think?
     
  5. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    Sorry, Volga, but this attack is in no way, shape, or form, anywhere comparable to the Kamikaze. You have your facts wrong. While many claim the battle to be a "miracle", the Americans committed many "screw ups" that cost them dearly.

    First, as far as the US pilots knew, the Japanese were within range of their aircraft, although for the fighters it would be a stretch - the new model of the Wildcat, the F4F-4 had a shorter combat range than the older F4F-3.

    Second, the combat inexperience of the USS Hornet & USS Enterprise showed up early on in how they launched their aircraft. The USS Hornet launched her fighters first - this was a mistake because they were the shortest ranged of all the aircraft and should have been launched last, their higher cruise speed would easily allow them to catch up. But with the fighters being launched first, they had to burn fuel circling the Hornet waiting for the other planes to be launched. The Enterprise performed slightly better launching her SBDs first, and then respotting her deck and launching the F4Fs and TBDs, but ran into problems respotting the deck to launch the fighters and torpedo-bombers, which cost her and extra 20 minutes or so. The optimum way for launching was to launch the slowest planes(the TBDs) first, the launch the slower SBDs second, and the fastest planes last. Also, once launched, the planes would head towards the enemy and form up on the way, instead of burning precious fuel waiting for all planes to be launched, then form up and head towards the enemy.

    Third, the Hornet and Enterprise conducted flight operations while on their way to rendezvous with their returning planes, and this wasted precious time the returning planes could ill afford to lose. As a result the Hornet and Enterprise were not where they were expected to be, when they were expected to be there. Thus, their aircraft had to continue to hunt for them, wasting even more fuel. Meanwhile, the Yorktown didn't conduct flight operations and was exactly where she was supposed to be.

    Fourth, the homing beacons did not perform as advertised.

    Fifth, pilot inexperience, coupled with the beacon problems, also caused their share of out-of-gas ditchings, as returning Hornet fighters actually sighted the carrier group, but thought it was "Japanese". Thus they avoided it and kept searching until they ran out of gas and ditched.

    Actually, quite the opposite. They had every reason to believe that they would live. The TBDs suffered very little during combat in the Coral Sea.
     
  6. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    You guys have derailed my thread on Kamikazes. But, it's interesting enough.

    So, it seems that what I have here in my backyard is an important JAAF fighter escort base for Kamikaze missions, with the suicide missions being split about half and half between the IJN and IJA on Taiwan. I have to believe some local yokel has a photo or two lying around of his days in the service. Time for some groundpounding... ... before the last of them dies off.

    @Takao - i thought Ens. Gay was the sole survivor of the Midway TBD attack. Yes?
     
  7. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    Back to the topic of the Kamikazes...
    ‘吼‘뎡˜Y
    On Oct 19th, 1944, Vice Admiral Takejiro Onishi was transferred to take charge of the IJN's First Air Fleet in Luzon.
    He immediately realize he had insufficient numbers of aircraft on Luzon to fight off the American fleet using normal tactics.
    He then became the "Father of the Kamikazes"...
    On Nov 25, 1944, the USS Essex was attacked by a Kamikaze off Luzon.
    See pages 113-116 Torpedo Squadron Four - A Cockpit ... - Gerald W. Thomas - Google

    On Jan 10, 1945 V. Adm. Takejiro Onishi was transferred (along with all remaining aircraft) to take charge of the garrisons on Taiwan.
    He remained there at least through late-May, organizing the "Ten Go" series of Kamikaze attacks, recorded as the fiercest ever encountered.
    He committed suicide (Harikiri) on Aug 16th, 1945, a week after the two atomic bombs hit Japan.
     
  8. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    Is there any reason why Taiwan was chosen as a Kamikaze atack place rather than continental China or Iwo Jima for instance?
     
  9. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    Iwo Jima had already been captured by the Americans, and it had been knocked out as an air base before the landings (Feb 19). It's also almost a thousand miles from Okinawa, a long over-water flight even for one-way operations.

    Taiwan had been under Japanese control since 1895 and probably had better developed air bases and support infrastructure than the recently occupied territory on the mainland. Whatever air units were on the mainland would probably have been primarily tasked with supporting the land war or engaging the US and Chinese air forces.
     
  10. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    No offense, but the comments on Midway are all wrong. First as Takao noted, the Americans expected the Japanese to be within range, although it would be a bit tight for the fighters. Task Force 16 steamed towards the enemy for over an hour from the initial sighting before launching to get within range; TF 17 followed suit and launched about another hour later.

    When McClusky failed to spot the Japanese on his outbound leg, he flew a standard search pattern, turning 90 degrees at 0945, intending to turn 90 degrees again in 15 minutes. The return leg would be about 50 miles off the outbound track and would enable him to search an area not previously covered. He spotted Arashi at 0955, five minutes before he would have turned NE anyway. Without the sighting, the SBDs would have flown about 15 miles west of the center of Nagumo's formation and would probably have sighted them anyway.

    The combination of added flight time, battle damage, and the carriers' not being at the planned "Point Option" caused about half of McClusky's SBDs to go down. It was noted that their self-sealing fuel tanks coped with 7.7mm slugs; it may be that some of the lost aircraft took 20mm shell hits.

    Most of Hornet's group flew in the wrong direction, almost due west, for reasons which are unclear, and air group commander Ring clung to this course as fuel ran low and even after radio reports of contact with the Japanese fleet were received by some of the aircraft. His fighter and dive bomber squadrons eventually broke off, against orders, but as noted all the fighters and several SBDs ran out of fuel. Incidentally Hornet's after-action report appears to have been falsified to cover up the errors.

    Torpedo 8 - from Hornet, CV-8 - broke off early because its commander, John Waldron, recognized that Ring was leading them in the wrong direction. No doubt Waldron appreciated the danger of attacking unsupported; I wouldn't quite call it suicidal, but it's as close as any American action at Midway gets. Incidentally since Waldron led his planes almost directly to the enemy, survivors would have had fuel for the flight home. VT-6 from Enterprise also attacked unsupported, although they had more reason to hope that their SBDs and fighters might be in the vicinity.
     
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  11. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    Cheers Carronade, I'm learning every day here
     
  12. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    Taiwan was chosen because there was already sufficient infrastruture and military facilities on the island to support operations, and its geographic location offered the ability to strike at US ships navigating the South China Sea, the Bashi Channel, the Philipppine Sea, and the Pacific Ocean in the region of the Okinawa/Ryukyu chain as the Japanese retreated from the Philippines.
    Bashi Channel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    And, last night, I received directions to the old JAAF base for the 17th Air Combat Regiment. It became a sugar cane plantation after the war, but there are still some elderly persons thereabouts who can speak Japanese.
     
  13. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    I am hoping it is the 17th Air Combat Regiment at Karenko South. I suppose it is possible that it is the 23rd or the 105th. After reviewing the details of my CVL-25 recce photos from 3 Jan 1945, I now have found a total of 8 fighter aircraft and 1 twin-engined plane, several in heart-shaped earthen revetments a good distance from the airstrip, with a burning building, a bombed out structure, and several craters seeming to indicate prior bombing attacks using (I would venture to guess) 100lbs and 500lbs bombs.

    I expect to making a visit to the area tomorrow, with photos in hand of various a/c types showing different livery, to see if any elderly residents recognize something familiar to them.

    Wish me luck!
     
  14. Colonel FOG

    Colonel FOG Member

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    I have found a very good website that shows the aircraft types and bases for all the IJAAF Sentai of WW2.
    Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units 1931-1945

    A quick look through it and I note that no less than SEVEN different Sentai operated out of Hualien (Karenko) during the Spring-Summer of 1945, as follows:

    17th ; Ki.61, Ki.100
    19th ; Ki.61
    20th ; Ki.43 III, Ki.45
    23rd ; Ki.61
    24th ; Ki.43 II
    26th ; Ki.43 III
    105th ; Ki.61
    204th ; Ki.43 III

    I still have some questions though...
    If all these Sentai were here in Hualien at nearly the same time, how could they have fit onto the same small airbase?
    If no Sentai are listed as having arrived prior to March of 1945, what Sentai had the nine planes on the ground that I've seen in the aerial photos from January 1945?
     
  15. CTBurke

    CTBurke Member

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    Quickly..

    >@Takao - i thought Ens. Gay was the sole survivor of the Midway TBD attack. Yes? <

    No.

    Ens. Gay was the sole survivor or the HORNET's TBD attack. The Enterprise only had some three or four TBD's make it back, and I think (not sure) Yorktown's group had similar stats. The TBD's just came at the perfect time for the Japanese to take them out---no fighter cover, low, slow approach, Zeroes perfectly positioned to intercept, etc. "Historically", a lot of people put the "blame" for the disaster on the poor performance of the TBD bomber, but I would venture a big-a$$ bet that if all the American torpedo planes were the brand-spanking-new TBF Avengers instead, that the EXACT same thing would have happened to them!
     

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