From late 1944 onwards, the Japanese military used the kamikaze tactic against US warships. Yet the military impact of the suicide missions was minimal. Many pilots missed their targets and plunged into the sea. Was it the result of poor training? The following account by a former kamikaze pilot may answer this question.
"That's it, that's what I'll do. I'll take off nonchalantly and then, at the right time, I'll close the valve to the fuel tank so that the other crew members won't notice. Then, because the engine will be out of fuel, the plane will have to make an emergency landing in the ocean. I may lose a leg or an arm, but I will still be alive." This was the way I thought at age twenty- six. We surrendered before I was ordered to take off.
一九四四年杪開始，日本軍方使用神風特攻戰術對付美國軍艦，但這樣的自殺攻擊，軍事上影響輕微。不少飛行員不能命中目標，衝入大海。是因為訓練不足嗎？以下文字，作者曾任神風特攻隊飛行員，或可解答這個問題。
「就這樣吧，我會這樣做。我會若無其事，駕機起飛，到了恰當的時候，趁其他機員不覺察，就把油箱活門關上。由於發動機燃油耗盡，飛機就不能不緊急降落海面。我可能斷腿或斷手，但會保住性命。」這是我二十六歲時的想法。不過，我還未奉命駕機出征，日本就投降了。