General Discussion

[jcf]

Or personal honour.

Going off to try and find and attack aircraft carriers an unknown distance away when
you're only carrying enough fuel to get you from northern Kyushu, or southern Honshu,
to the landing zones on southern Kyushu, would be an abrogation of personal honour.
Setting aside, of course, that most of what people think they know about the subject
of "honour" in the context of Japanese society and history is an invented mythology. 

[jcf]

I can see some of the types that were specifically designed for kamikaze operations being used against troops etc, but larger types just seems a waste. However I suppose the whole kamikaze concept is exceptionally difficult for those of us from outside of Japan to understand ?

The landbased bombers, single and multi-engined, were going to be sent out to find and attack the capital ships and carriers. These were going to be one-way missions using the normal weapon loads, after the bombs, torpedos etc. were used the aircraft itself would become the weapon.

The aircraft carriers were, for the most part, not going to be operating close in, the USN had learned a hard lesson with the Franklin when it was hit during the Okinawa campaign. Franklin had been operating around 50 miles off the coast of Honshu when it was attacked and damaged by landbased IJN torpedo and dive bombers, not off Okinawa and not by kamikazes as many seem to believe. The carriers were also not going to be operating off of the landing zones, their primary job was going to be attacking the bases on northern Kyushu and southern Honshu while operating well off shore.

As to being exceptionally difficult to believe, that all depends on what you know, or rather think you know, about Japanese society and history, the realities that is, not the myths promulgated by the Empire of Japan and still taken as ironclad fact by the majority outside of Japan. Is it really that much harder to understand than the industrialized chattel slavery invented by the British and perfected by their colonial offspring? Or the Nazi technocrats and their machine of industrialized extermination and slave labour to support their ideology and war machine?

[NARSES2]

Jon I didn't say "believe" I said "understand". Different words, different meanings, at least in "English"

[jcf]

Jon I didn't say "believe" I said "understand". Different words, different meanings, at least in "English"

I know what you said, know what the words mean and that the meaning varies depending on usage and context and that they can be synonymous depending on usage and the context in "English". Idiom also comes into play.

My comment wasn't directed at you personally, "you" in the general sense, rather than the specific. I'm simply making an observation about common perceptions, misconceptions, misunderstandings and biases in regards to Japan, and the people. Commentary about the subject of kamikazes has tended to revolve around the hoary old "Eastern mind" vs. the "Western mind" myth. It's a false dichotomy steeped in bias and a self-deceiving sense of moral superiority. 

[Andrew Gorman]

Late to the party. but I stumbled across these Japanese decoys.  Interesting things, and could e relatively easy to whip out if you've built some balsa flying models. The stone tank could be whittled out of sign or insulation foam:
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/04/bamboo-bombers-and-stone-tanksjapanese-decoys-used-in-world-war-ii/480186/

[McColm]

Does anyone know what airfields were available for the Tiger Force to use?

[kitbasher]

Does anyone know what airfields were available for the Tiger Force to use?

Okinawa.  Check the Wikipedia Op Downfall and Tiger Force pages.