The KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force Makes a Sortie -Imperial Headquarters Naval Information Department- Reports have come in concerning the brave men in the special submarines bearing torpedoes which meant certain death to the enemy, submarines which struck at distant PEARL HARBOR, SIDNEY HARBOR, and MADAGASCAR, and did not return. Now at a time when these remain as a keen Remembrance in the depths of the hearts of all of us, we receive information about sure hit, sure death heroes of the sky, the KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force, spread out over the PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, and it brings a lump to our throat. The KAMIKAZE Force is a special attack force of patriotic self-abandonment which takes upon itself the functions of a bomb, and whose members unite perfectly in one explosive charge the quality of a human bullet and the science of destroying enemy ships. It was originally the outgrowth of an idea of force members themselves, and its adoption was requested of their superior officers. The name KAMIKAZE is born of a fervent prayer that the divine tempest, which saved the country in a crisis by overwhelming at one stroke the great army of Mongolia at the time of the Mongolian invasion, reappear this time in the guise of a human bullet, backed by the loyal spirit of our young flyers. Furthermore, the names of the SHIKISHIMA, YAMATO, ASAHI, YAMAZAKURA and other units which make up the KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force comprise the essence of the spirit of Bushido. If we speak to men of the poetic spirit of Japan, We mean the scent of the mountain cherry flowers at dawning. The above is included in an old poem, and “I could not return, I presume, So I will keep my name Among those who are dead with bows” is written on the walls of NYOIRIN Temple and doubtless reflects the mental attitude of those who endeavor to inherit the way of life of OKUSIMI who was struck down in a fight for a great cause. Then, when we hear the names of units such as the CHUYU, GIRETSU, JUNCHU, SHISEI, and SEICHU which were selected for the second KAMIKAZE force, it is sufficient to make us believe in the reincarnation of the spirit of the fighting men of the Imperial Navy. It is easy to utter the words sure hit, sure death and to pen the words I will strike without returning. But how can these brave warriors be children of humanity, born of blood relations, moreover each one a youth in his twenties who has just entered the spring of life. They probably have a great love for the land of their birth and aspire after greatness. Moreover, at their young age, how sublime is the form the young flyer who, like clear undisturbed water, moves along, winning our envy, and endeavors to live, with a smile, for a perpetually great cause. The Fierce Eagles of the TSUCHIURA Air Unit, the cradle of the preparatory training program which produced the brave warriors of the KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force, speak of their mental state upon succeeding to the rank of seniors as follows, At the time of entering the unit death etc, were not thought of at all, and we were simply engrossed in military matters exclusively. However, when the period was half over and we approached the senior group, we heard talk of self-destruction, and we began to think of the matter of life and death. However, in no time at all, we came to understand the fact that duty is more important than the matter of life or death and the matter of whether we lived or died left our thoughts completely, and so, now, we think about how we can die most worthily. Consequently, there is no one in preparatory training who considers dying a fearful thing. While we think of them as they were only yesterday gathered jubilantly at the head of the station, wearing national banners attached to their school caps, our young flyers have already become fine Imperial soldiers who have risen above life and death. Moreover, once they have left for the front lines, they all pray that they may become brave warriors of the KAMIKAZE Force. Indeed they afford the greatest reassurance, and with those brave young warriors, Japan will certainly be victorious. The deceased Fleet Admiral Yamamoto, deeply impressed by the mental attitude of the brave warriors in the special submarines which earlier were ranging about near Pearl Harbor, said In speaking of the youth of today we ought not to call them braggarts, and called further for grave reflection by the people. These young eagles, who sally forth enthusiastically into the sky never to return again, with a smile playing upon their ruddy countenances, tanned in the southern countries, cherishing the fighting spirit which is set aflame by the destruction of enemy ships, are indeed living gods of war. The very heart of the Commandant who slaps his respectful and devoted subordinate on the shoulder with a Let em have it and holding back bitter tears, sees him off on the glorious road saying Hit em hard; do great deeds; we are grateful to you, that heart is cut deeply, and he feels grievously wounded. However at the present stage of this Japanese-American war we must repress our tears and boldly resolve upon unwished for sacrifices, so that the minds of our one hundred million people will be clearly impressed with the fact that we are pressing the attack. Indeed, the trend of the war is serious. In spite of the overwhelmingly great battle gains of the Imperial forces in the air battle off FORMOSA, the enemy reversed his course, and assembling the full power of his Pacific Fleet in the Philippine area, made a strike and has already put four divisions of soldiers ashore on LEYTE Island. In view of the large scale of their material and the vigor and pertinacity of their, battle spirit, the tide of battle does not allow of optimism. Moreover, if by any chance circumstances should arise so that the Philippines fall again into the enemy’s hands, it goes without saying that a corner of the necessary line of defense of the home land will be shattered and at the same time it will have the effect of obstructing the line of transport between Japan and the zone of military occupation and will cause a serious check to our power to prosecute the war. Nevertheless, the situation in the Philippines is entirely different from what it was in the isolated, distant, small islands like those in the GILBERTS, MARIANAS, and MARSHALLS, These are large islands which have had more of the moral character of the continent. Accordingly, against attacks by the vulnerable enemy carriers, we possess countless unsinkable land bases throughout all the islands, and furthermore, whereas the enemy must pay the price of great waste as he lengthens and enlarges his multiple supply lines, we prefer to keep ours very short. Thus we are able to gather our military forces at points we choose thereby securing advantageous points for so-called operations on interior lines. Accordingly, we have hereupon discovered an opportunity for victory by waiting. Now if we assume that the only key to the problem of seizing this opportunity for victory is aircraft, our one hundred million people must bend every effort and strive earnestly to increase the production of aircraft. However, modern warfare, to use a hackneyed phrase, is in truth all out warfare and the Japanese-American war is, in the final analysis, a decisive war in which the 130,000,000 people of America and the 100,000,000 people of Japan have been mobilized to determine who shall devour and who shall be devoured. Consequently, if the one hundred million people of Japan, each at his respective post submits to the enemy American people, the brave warriors in the front lines cannot win this war no matter how hard they struggle to do so. That is to say, when our one hundred million people, each at his own post, have been able to overwhelm the enemy Americans at the same posts, we can anticipate for the first time the victory of Japan. Oh, stand firm! If you do not stand firm, how can you justify yourselves before the departed spirits of the KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force? And so, you who strive day and night on the ramparts of production behind the guns must remember that even one plane more is a sacred plane which rushes to destroy the enemy, when that one plane has aboard the sacred spirit of a member of the KAMIKAZE Force. The young eagles of the KAMIKAZE Special Attack Force who dare to dash headlong and happily to the destruction of the enemy are waiting anxiously for that plane to fly to the front lines, saying to themselves,Ill too shall go.So it is, the brave, ruddy-faced warriors with handkerchiefs tied about their heads at peace in their favorite planes, smiling happily as if gathered to the fond bosoms of their mothers and the forms which dash out spiritedly to the attack along a path of assault from which there is no return, do they not appear vividly before us? Increase production! Stand firm! Drive on!
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:52:35 +0000
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