Q&A · 3:09:29-3:09:58

Would kamikaze tactics appear in this war?

A question about desperation tactics distinguishes their possible late appearance from the industrial and operational conditions needed to sustain them.

Question

If Japan became desperate, would kamikaze tactics emerge during this war?

Short answer

They might appear late, but Japan would need enough aircraft and time to organize them, while growing Allied air power and armoured carriers would shape their effectiveness.

Notes

Kamikaze attacks are possible rather than inevitable. The tactic requires aircraft, organization, and a sufficiently long deterioration in Japan's position before leaders adopt it. This counterfactual is already constricting Japanese aircraft production and may end before a large suicide campaign can be assembled. If it does emerge, the Allies are simultaneously fielding more carriers, more powerful aircraft, and armoured flight decks, so the historical balance of attack and defense would not simply repeat.