Today in history .... the Divine Wind ....

Today in 1944, the Japanese first began to try Kamikaze (divine wind) attacks. They were named after the typhoon's that stopped the Mongal fleet's invasion of Japan (under Kublai Khan) in 1274 and 1281.

The worst moment of Kamikaze attacks came in the Battle of Okinawa when as many as 20 planes at once dived bombed into the Destroyer Laffey. Some sailors went insane just thinking about it.

By the end of the war, there were 15,000 casualties due to Kamikazes, and the attacks figured significantly into Trumen's decision to use atomic weapons rather than a invasion.  From THE PERILOUS FLIGHT.

HD Stock Footage WWII Japanese Kamikaze Attack on U.S.