Editor's choiceLocal newsNews
Today in History: Kamikaze pilots get first order
Pilots would have to volunteer to be a kamikaze pilot.
On this day in 1945, Japanese pilots received the first order to become kamikaze, meaning ‘divine wind’ in Japanese.
The suicidal blitz of the kamikazes revealed Japan’s desperation in the final months of World War II. Most of Japan’s top pilots were dead, but youngsters needed little training to take planes full of explosives and crash them into ships. At Okinawa, they sank 30 ships and killed almost 5 000 Americans.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at northsider@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
