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To: Buttons12
and they weren’t going to be getting off the ground, which even kamikaze pilots require.

Sure Japan in the end had severe fuel shortages, but Kamikaze pilots require very little fuel. Regards

Admiral Matome Ugaki was recalled to Japan in February 1945 and given command of the Fifth Air Fleet on Kyūshū. The Fifth Air Fleet was assigned the task of kamikaze attacks against ships involved in the invasion of Okinawa, Operation Ten-Go, and began training pilots and assembling aircraft for the defense of Kyūshū, the first invasion target.

The Japanese defense relied heavily on kamikaze planes. In addition to fighters and bombers, they reassigned almost all of their trainers for the mission. More than 10,000 aircraft were ready for use in July (with more by October), as well as hundreds of newly built small suicide boats to attack Allied ships offshore.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall#Kamikaze

116 posted on 08/06/2022 8:18:33 AM PDT by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees)
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To: tlozo
More than 10,000 aircraft were ready for use in July (with more by October)

10k's an impressive number to be sure, and I have the highest regard for wikipedia... But there were problems. Maintenance, repairs, material, pilots, technicians, airfields, aviation fuel...

Japan was running out of all these. 10k planes shiny new were not inspected, fueled, manned and good to go. "More by October" was imaginary.

I have a lot of links, we all do, but here's one for a basic idea of the challenges they were facing:

https://www.historynet.com/japans-fatally-flawed-air-forces-in-world-war-ii-2/

129 posted on 08/06/2022 8:51:13 AM PDT by Buttons12 ( )
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