Von Schadewald wrote: ↑30 Jun 2022, 14:02
Without the Bofors and the 5" proximity fuse as last resorts, the Allied navies would have had trouble fending off the kamikazes from 1944. The pom-pom, Oerlikon and Chicago Piano were insufficient.
The Kamikaze motto was "one plane, one warship!". This was a legacy of Japanese military culture and religion. Even today 36,000 Japanese commit suicide per year (the UK is 5000).
But militarily it makes sense. WI "Bushiddo", "Banzai", "Sepuku", "Harikiri", "Samurai", and "Kamikaze" suicidal aircraft tactics had been deployed already in 1943 or even earlier?
With rapidly reducing critical assets and air fleets on both sides, it would either result in a 1 year war and a truce, or something from "The Shape of Things to Come" ie a 30 year war with humanity reduced to barbarism.
So much is wrong with this...So let's take it from the top.
Without the Bofors and the 5" proximity fuse as last resorts, the Allied navies would have had trouble fending off the kamikazes from 1944. The pom-pom, Oerlikon and Chicago Piano were insufficient.
The 40mm Bofors was inadequate in stopping the Kamikaze, as the shell was to small to reliably destroy a Kamikaze aircraft before it impacted the target vessel. This is why the USN switched to the 3-inch/50 caliber as it's primary tertiary AA weapon system - the larger shell had enough destructive force and could utilize the proximity fuse.
The best defense against the Kamikaze was the proximity fuse & the "Big Blue Blanket."
The Kamikaze motto was "one plane, one warship!".
It was a motto the Kamikaze never lived up to.
Between losses, mechanical problems, navigation errors, and poor information, it took many more aircraft than one plane.
This was a legacy of Japanese military culture and religion.
Bull Crap!
The Kamikaze were a product of Japan's increasing desperation as their conventional naval forces continued to suffer ever mounting losses, while being completely unable to stop the USN.
The Japanese IGHQ rational was - If our pilots are going to die anyway, they might as well die ramming US ships.
Read some of the Kamikaze last letters or their diaries, there is little to nothing about military culture or religion...Many wrote about giving their lives to keep the Americans away from their loved ones back in Japan.
WI "Bushiddo", "Banzai", "Sepuku", "Harikiri", "Samurai", and "Kamikaze" suicidal aircraft tactics had been deployed already in 1943 or even earlier?
Why? Japan was not yet suffering enormous losses and Conventional attacks were still relatively successful in 1942.
They began to feel the bite in 1943, but 1943 was a quiet year for major fleet actions, as both sides were rebuilding & reequipping their navies for 1944.
Further, the inability of Japan to transfer large amounts of aircraft, base them, and maintain them until needed argues against the mass Kamikaze raids of 1944-45 occurring in 1942-43. For instance, 1 large 1944 Kamikaze raid would strip all aircraft from Rabaul in 1 day, leaving 0 for it's defense. Thus, allowing the Americans free reign over any and all Japanese military bases with in range.
TLDR - Japan Kamikazes earlier, Japan runs out of planes & pilots earlier, Japan is defeated earlier.