in the 2nd world war, why did japanese kamakazee pilots wear head protection?

Question

its always bothered me why pilots on a suicide mission would want to wear protection or even carry parachutes

Answer 1

Most of the answers here are correct. The headgear houses the communications so they can talk to each other and also to keep their heads warm as these planes do get cold in the cockpit at height. It also protects their heads to a degree so they don't get knocked out or disorientated before they did their deed.

With parachutes I don't believe many, if any of them, actually did carry them. Rumour also has it that if they returned on a failed mission they were executed... but this may only have been if they were considered cowards and did not have a genuine reason to return.

We seem to be one of the few countries that wish to preserve life and hold it dear. A lot of these Asian countries seem to be quite willing to die for the cause. I know there were a few hero's on our side too who paid the ultimate price but on the whole we would rather scrap a failed mission and try again the next chance.

Happy new year,
Mega

Ps. Felix, it's Kamikaze (rough translation "divine wind")... it is not two seperate words, it's just one.

Answer 2

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about kamikaze pilots and their missions caused mainly by Hollywood who saw such things as spectacular scenes in war films.

By the end of World War II, the Japanese naval air service had sacrificed 2,525 kamikaze pilots and the army air force had given 1,387. According to an official Japanese announcement, the missions sank 81 ships and damaged 195, and according to a Japanese tally, suicide attacks accounted for up to 80 percent of US losses in the final phase of the war in the Pacific.

But according to a U.S. Air Force webpage:

Approximately 2,800 Kamikaze attackers sunk 34 Navy ships, damaged 368 others, killed 4,900 sailors, and wounded over 4,800. Despite radar detection and cuing, airborne interception and attrition, and massive anti-aircraft barrages, a distressing 14 percent of Kamikazes survived to score a hit on a ship; nearly 8.5 percent of all ships hit by Kamikazes sank.

Due to anti aircraft fire and fighter action 86% of kamikaze pilots never reached their targets.


However to get back to your question. Kamikaze pilots were used for around 10 months at the end of WWII. They were drafted from Japan's universities (a dreadful waste) as these young men could learn to fly quicker than others. Very few were volunteers. They were threatened with all kinds of punishment if they objected including having their families imprisoned or shot and told that they would be sent to the worst fronlt lines as soldiers where they would always be the first to attacke and certaily be killed. Such regiments were dishonoured and the soldiers would be shamed and lose much face, very important in Japanese culture.

The reason they wore head gear was like any other pilot and contained their radios and oxygen masks. You should also be aware that the reason they were introduced was because Japan was very aware of the threat of invasion and with a depleted navy and air force realised that there was a real threat of invasion and heavy bombing. Most targets were,therefore, aircraft carriers and troopships since as Japan had no noticeable nay left there was no point in attacking destroyers. If such ships could not be found the pilots simply dropped the 250 lb bomb they carried on any ship they could and returned to base for another mission. Many kamikaze pilots defected by landing near ships to be picked up or parachuting out on the assumption that base would assume they had been shot down. Also as inexperienced pilots they were easy pickings for the US fighters. Look at the facts, 3912 pilots lost but only 81 ships sunk, many not aircraft carriers or troopships even. The Americans put this figure down to only 34 ships which is considerably less than Japanese claims.

More than 3,000 kamikaze pilots survived the war, having encountered missions where there were no suitable targets found or anti aircraft and fighter cover was too severe for them to be able to attack.

The word 'kamikaze' means 'Divine Wind' in Japanese and part of the induction included the code of the Knights of Bushido, some religious and some moral.

Answer 3

The helmets were for communications, but I don't recall seeing them with parachutes. I think what you think are parachutes are the safety Harnesses they wore to keep them properly buckled in their seats. They fit over the body like a parachute rig.

I have seen them in allot of pictures, and they do look like Parachute rigs.

However it maybe possible that they may have worn Parachutes, but only to save them should their planes fail before they reach their targets, remember at the end of the war the planes were not the top of the line and were just as likely to crash at take off as they were not to take off at all.

They were suicidal, but they were not stupid.

Answer 4

To protect themselves encase they were unable to complete their mission and have another chance to do it again it the case of the parachute (although many kamakazee pilots didn't wear parachutes) and the head protection was to make sure they didn't have something happen that would disorient them making it impossible to complete their missions.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 5

Originally it wasn't a suicide mission ..it only be came that.. when the Japanese pilots knew the fuel in their plane wouldn't be enough to take them back to base ..
This was one of the reasons ..there is a second reason
that i have forgotten..lol

Answer 6

They never wore head protection. What you've seen is the leather flying helmet, which keeps the headphones over the ears, and the microphone by the mouth!

Answer 7

The Battle of Midway

Answer 8

I does seem silly, but...a helmet could prevent a bullet or flak penetration and help the pilot complete his mission.

Answer 9

Well they needed to get to their destination. It may have made them feel better about it too. I heard that they were only given enough fuel to get to the target, so they couldn't change their minds and fly home.

Answer 10

In case they came to thier senses and decided that they could not finish thier mission or if the plane was damaged to the point that they couldn't crash it into the ship.