Originally posted by Ghosth
I know how it happened seeker.
Early RC & explosives = not such a good mix.
Least they tried to save the pilots life.
The Japanese culture was so different from ours, I doubt anyone not raised in it could truly understand.
I'm not so sure it was that different; in this respect.
The Luftwaffe had the "Leonidas" squadron; which was overwhelmed with volunteers to fly piloted Fi 103 (V1 bombs) to a certain end. The Yanks had Ploesti; where at least two B24 crews choose to push a burning plane all the way to target rather than bail; and any Brit who earned a VC was; by defination; suicidaly couragous.
Where Japan was radicaly different was in coming to terms with this; and giving it official sanction. I seem to remember Sakai expressing disgust with westerners disgust. His theme was that to send up poorly trained boys in badly maintained and underclassed planes was suicide/murder anyway; so their deaths may as well have some effect and not just spilt in vain.
Which is colder? Sakai's attitude; or The British WWI sentiment that parachutes would encourage pilots to jump out of perfectly good (albeit burning) planes?
When Montgomery said "we will win here; or die here"; was that Zen or just good old British bloody mindedness?
