What Happened When Kamikaze Pilots Failed or Wimped Out? (Short Animated Documentary)

Kamikaze Pilots had one job. Introduce and crash their face (and plane) into the deck of an American Aircraft Carrier or Battleship. They were a late addition to Imperial Japan's arsenal during the latter years of World War 2 when they desperately trying to stop the United States from defeating them.

So what happened to these young pilots when they failed and returned to their bases? Were they punished or just sent back out on another mission to sacrifice it all for victory. Find out in this video, the latest in my very short animated historical documentaries (about history).

Special Thanks to the following Patrons for their support on Patreon:
Alen
Kevin Sanders
Chris Fatta
Richard Wolfe
Stefan Møller
Ian Jensen
D. Mahlik
anon
sharpie660
Andrew Niedbala
Qi Xiao
Wolf
Ariadni Voulgari
John Garcia
Mitchell Wildoer
Paul McGee
Nathan Perlman
Bernardo Santos
Christopher Godfrey
Perry Gagne
Shaun Pullin
Danny Ansteht
James Castañeda
Sam
Chris Hall
August Block
Henry Rabung
Joooooshhhhh
Magdalena Reinberg-Leibel
Vesko Dinev
Yasin Ayas
Troy Schmidt
Mitchell Watene
hamid kadiwala
Blake Dryad
Adam Barrett
I’m Not In The Description
Lachlan
Haydn Noble
FuzzytheFair
Liam Gilleece
Byzans_Scotorius
Jeffrey Schneider

Sources:

Japanese Reflections on World War II and the American Occupation by Edgar A. Porter and Ran Ying Porter

Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney

[octodaddy]

"I've been having some suicidal thoughts, I feel lost"

"I know a spot in the air force that would be perfect for you"

[battleverdun]

“And there’s going to be a next time” this is the most intense I’ve heard you say anything

[Jurgan]

My dad’s family was stationed in Japan during the Korean War, so as a child he met a former kamikaze pilot who got sick on the day of his mission and couldn’t fly. The guy said his friends called him a coward, “but they’re dead and I’m still here so… *shrug*”

[OhayoPippy]

My grandpa was a kamikaze pilot, but he broke his toe during an accident in training and the war ended before he healed, I still don’t know if it was on purpose but here I am thanks to that broken toe!!

[realaurorien]

Imagine seeing a poster in Japan : feeling depressed? Feel like you're useless? Feel like dying? Worry not! Recruit as a kamikaze pilot and crash into a random ship near the shores!

[thegreatcalvinio]

Failed Kamikaze Pilot: “I keep missing, I need some help.”
Kamikaze Trainer: “Alright, let me show you, but I will only do this once.”

[pocdabeno]

I’ve heard a story that right before impacting their target they were told to visualize their mother and utter some words (prayer) and that at the exact moment of their death they would open their eyes again and find themselves in the company of their loved ones. This was part of the brainwashing they went through in order to be able to follow through with these suicide missions, but the fact of the matter is that this took a lot of balls.

[warrmalaski]

This is a story told on a documentary. Where they interviewed a pilot sent out on a Kamikaze raid. 20 miles into the fight his engine gave out. Forcing him to land on a nearby island. When he got back to base he immediately asked for a new plane. And was chastised for not dying in the first one. It was at that moment he realized that his superiors didn't give a dam. And he refused to go on another Kamikaze raid.

[agentcoxack]

Guy who came back nine whole times is the only true “veteran kamikaze pilot”

[williamfairchild]

Went to high school with a japanese kid. This was west coast area in the 1960's. He told me his uncle was a japanese pilot on a suicide mission but decided he wanted to live and landed on a island and survived the war

[mman]

they weren't only the most gifted pilots, they were among the most educated, which cost Japan a great deal of potential

[nicholashodges]

My absolute favorite will always be the one caught on film succeeding *and* failing at the same time on film. The guy hit the deck of his target and left plane shrapnel strewn across the deck as his zero burned and bounced then kept sliding, WITHOUT A SCRATCH, in his seat until he stopped at the feet of waiting US sailors, who's shock you can actually see in that grainy film, to whom he immediately surrendered.
Total casualties: 0
Total damage: 50 yards of deck planks, 1 Mitsubishi Zero and about 100 pairs of boxer shorts.
Is he the luckiest Kamikaze or the unluckiest? I wonder what he told everyone when he got back home after the war?

[samaritan]

''You had one job''
This, quite literally, might be the only one time i've heard you not being serious. Brilliant.

[michaelnicholls]

Japan: Sends only the best pilots on kamikaze missions because they have the best chances of hitting their targets
Also Japan: Gets them drunk first

[Wagyu_Jubei]

The Judo instructor at Brockport College in NY was Dr. Sachio Ashida. He was a Kamikaze Pilot but the war ended before he got a mission, thankfully. He was a great guy and an awesome teacher.

[josesoria]

Commander: "we have few pilots, lets not waste them..."
Private: "we are losing"
Commander: "lets do suicide missions, that way we must surely win"

[HurtSmooch]

Japanese pilot: "Great! So... How do I land?"
Instructor: "Hm?"

[cannonball]

Officer: You returned yet again!
Kamikaze pilot: I was too drunk to find the target.

[shirleyjest]

My mom was in elementary school during WW2. Boys, and I do mean boys younger then 13 years of age, were made into Kamikazes. The girls were forced to go to the air strip to cheer while they flew off. My mom did not go because it was too heartbreaking. Two men came to her house and said that if she did not attend, her sickly father would disappear.

[Norsilca]

Having previously watched this made me extra prepared for Godzilla Minus One!