Kamikaze

The Kamikaze (神風?, literally: "God wind"; common translation: "Divine wind"), official name: Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (特別攻撃隊?), Tokkō Tai (特攻隊?) or Tokkō (特攻?) were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy warships more effectively than was possible with conventional attacks. Numbers quoted vary, but at least 47 Allied vessels, from PT boats to escort carriers, were sunk by kamikaze attacks, and about 300 damaged. During World War II, nearly 4,000 kamikaze pilots were sacrificed. About 14% of kamikaze attacks managed to hit a ship.