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Chapter II
Own and Enemy Successes

Sufficient reports have been received of suicide actions between 1 October 2944 and 31 January 1945 to permit analysis of the extent and seriousness of the new enemy tactics, and of our own success in coping with them. These reports are not complete, but represent a sample large enough to give an accurate picture of results during this period.

Unfortunately a plane's intentions on approaching within gun range, when it becomes an AA. problem, are not always clear. If it is shot down at long range its intentions are never revealed. The statistics on the suicide problem presented in Tables I and II at the end of this chapter, accordingly, are restricted to only those planes which definitely commit themselves to suicide attacks. They reveal AA. performance under surprise and close-range conditions only.

Suicide attacks by no means represent the only tactics in current use by Japanese aircraft. From 1 October through January, when 312 suicide crash attempts were made, some 1,132 planes which did not make suicide attacks menaced our surface forces, i.e., approached within gun range. Of these 936 either made conventional attacks or withdrew in the face of ships' gunfire, and obviously were not suiciders since they neither crash dived nor were shot down.

The remaining 196 fall in an indefinite category. Since they were shot down it cannot be said with any degree of certainty whether or not they intended to commit suicide. It seems reasonable to assume that the same proportion of these 196 intended to suicide as is determined from the known cases, and that AA. performance had equal success against conventional and suicide attackers. Thus 24 percent of the total sorties which reached within ships' gun range were suicide attackers, and 76 percent used conventional attacks or harassing tactics.

Summarizing, analysis of AA. actions shows:

1444 suicide and non-suicide planes were taken under fire.
352 suicide planes approached within gun range.
40 or 11 percent of these were shot down before committing themselves to a crash attempt.
312 suicide attempts actually were made on ships.
191 or 61 percent were shot down or deflected, but of these 53 or 17 percent, crashed close enough to ships to damage them.
1092 non-suicide planes were taken under fire.
156 or 14 percent, were shot down.
23 or 1.2 percent, scored hits on ships.

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Following is a box score showing results by months:

Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Totals
Total planes 510 282 320 332 1444
Suicide planes 54 79 109 110 352
Non-suicide planes 456 203 211 222 1092
Suicide kills 36 51 76 68 231
Non-suicide kills 95 16 23 22 156
Suicide hits 18 28 33 42 121
Non-suicide hits 10 1 3 9 23

Successes By Ships Types

Battleships have been more successful in protecting themselves from damage by suicide planes than any other type of ship, as is indicated in Table II. This is unquestionably due to the greater firepower of these ships, better distribution of guns and less distraction from the AA. problem.

The very low success of merchant ships indicates that defense in the late stages of a suicide attack must be borne primarily by the target ship. It also demonstrates that a suicide pilot, unless opposed by very heavy AA. fire, has virtually a certainty of hitting his target.

Carriers, especially CV's have been more susceptible to damage than any other types of naval vessels. Two of every three planes attacking managed to score a hit or damaging near miss on one of these ships. Always the primary target of suicide planes, CV's present a target so large that an attacking plane is almost certain to hit unless it suffers severe structural damage. CVE's, comparatively slow and lacking the fire power of their larger sisters, have nevertheless given a creditable performance.

Table II includes merchant ships and Australian ships. Suicide planes attacking these ships were taken under fire by U.S. Naval Vessels, and they also assisted in the destruction of enemy aircraft. For the purpose of determining our own and the enemy's successes, therefore, these ships are included with U.S. Naval vessels.

Table III is a list of ships hit and damaged by near misses, classifiedaccording to ship type. It showsthat 19 ships were sunk, including two CVE's, three DD's, one APD, one ATO, one DMS, one LCI, two LSM's, four LST's, one SC and three merchant vessels.

Several ships have been hit by more than one plane. The HMAS Australia, for example, was hit five times, the Intrepid (CV-11) and Mahan (DD-364) by three each. Seven other ships were hit by two planes.

Table IV is a supplementary list of ships sunk or damaged by suicide planes.

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Data on these ships were not sufficiently adequate to warrant inclusion in Tables I, II, and III. The table shows that four planes hit the Saratoga (CV-3) off Iwo Jima on 21 February. Two PT's are listed as sunk.

Ammunition Performance

Tables V and VI give data on ammunition fired in suicide and non-suicide actions, respectively during the period of 1 October through January. Statistics include figures on rounds expended, planes shot down by various calibers, and rounds-per-bird by caliber.

Two features stand out in these tables:

  1. The success of the automatic weapons.

  2. The poor performance of 5-inch batteries, especially during suicide attacks.

Credit for approximately 80 percent of all plane kills in suicide actions goes to the automatic weapons (50 percent to 40mm. and 27 percent to 20mm.), leaving 20 percent to 5-inch batteries, which fired disappointingly small quantities of ammunition at the many targets presented.

Against planes in non-suicide actions the 5-inch weapons were more successful, getting credit for 34% of all kills.

Approximately the same proportion of VT fuzes (27% of 5-inch projectiles) was used against both types of attacks. In the case of the suicide planes, VT fuzes score 56 percent of all 5-inch kills, and in the case of non-suicide planes they scored 37 percent of such kills.

The poor performance of 5-inch batteries, exclusive of fire control considerations, may be credited to:

  1. Small 5-inch expenditures, especially during suicide attacks, a result of failure to open fire at maximum range.

  2. Failure to use a sufficient proportion of VT fuzes.

Because the suicide attack presents a close-in AA. problem, the preponderance of automatic weapon successes was to be expected.

The fact that 5-inch performance in non-suicide attacks was reasonably good is a result of the expenditure of large quantities of ammunition, much of it at long range. Since a high percentage of planes was prevented from reaching attack position the higher RPB is not to be deplored.

The importance of destroying the highest possible percentage of planes by 5-inch fire is apparent when it is considered that of the suicide planes shot

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down all but a few crashed dangerously close to ships. In contrast to the effect of automatic weapons, that of 5-inch bursts is to cause a plane to crash at a safe range from the ships firing.

Although many ships have criticized the 20mm. as a defensive weapon against suicide planes, Tables V and VI indicate that it still is an effective AA. weapon both against suicide and non-suicide attacks. However, the 40mm. was by far the most effective weapon against suicide planes.

Five-inch battery problems are discussed in Chapter IV.

TABLE I
Month Suicide Attempts Suicide Hits Damaging Near Misses Suiciders Shot Down Clear % Misses Due to AA. % Hits % Damaging Near Misses
Oct. 43 18 7 18 58 42 16
Nov. 73 28 11 34 62 38 26
Dec. 97 33 13 51 66 34 13
Jan. 99 42 22 35 58 42 22
TOTALS 312 121 53 138 61 39 17

TABLE II
Ship Type Suicide Attempts Suicide Hits Damaging Near Misses Suiciders Shot Down Clear % Misses Due to AA. % Hits % Damaging Near Misses
BB 12 5 0 7 58 42 0
CA-CL 34 13 6 15 62 38 18
CV 17 9 1 7 47 53 6
CVL 5 2 1 2 60 40 20
CVE 30 12 8 10 60 40 27
DD 75 22 13 40 70 30 17
Smaller Ships 107 37 19 51 65 35 18
Merchant Ships 32 21 5 6 34 66 16

TABLE III
SHIPS SUNK OR DAMAGED BY SUICIDE PLANES

13 October 1944 -- 31 January 1945

H = Hit D = Damaging Near Miss
Each Letter Represents One Suicide Plane
Dates Given are for Zone Time

BB
California BB-44 H 6 Jan.
Colorado BB-45 H 27 Nov.

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Maryland BB-46 H 29 Nov.
New Mexico BB-40 H 6 Jan.
Mississippi BB-41 H 9 Jan.
CA
HMAS Australia H 21 Oct.
" H 5 Jan.
" H 6 Jan.
" D 8 Jan.
" H 9 Jan.
Louisville CA-28 H 5 Jan.
" " H 6 Jan.
Minneapolis CA-36 D 6 Jan.
HMAS Shropshire H 5 Jan.
CL
Reno CL-96 H 14 Oct.
Denver CL-58 D 28 Oct.
Montpelier CL-57 D 27 Nov.
St. Louis CL-49 HD 27 Nov.
Nashville CL-43 H 13 Dec.
Columbia CL-56 HD 6 Jan.
" " H 9 Jan.
CV
Franklin CV-13 H 13 Oct.
" " H 30 Oct.
Intrepid CV-11 H 29 Oct.
" " HH 25 Nov.
Lexington CV-16 H 5 Nov.
Hancock CV-19 D 25 Nov.
Essex CV-9 H 25 Nov.
Ticonderoga CV-14 HH 21 Jan.
CVL
Belleau Wood CVL-24 H 30 Oct.
Cabot CVL-28 HD 25 Nov.
CVE
Fanshaw Bay CVE-70 D 25 Oct.
Kalinin Bay CVE-68 HH 25 Oct.
Kitkun Bay CVE-71 HD 25 Oct.
" " H 8 Jan.
Sangamon CVE-26 D 25 Oct.
Santee CVE-29 H 25 Oct.
St. Lo CVE-63 H (Sunk) 25 Oct.
Suwannee CVE-27 H 25Oct.
" " H 26Oct.
White Plains CVE-66 D 25 Oct.
Marcus Island CVE-77 DD 15 Dec.
Ommaney Bay CVE-79 H (Sunk) 4 Jan.

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Manila Bay CVE-61 HD 5 Jan.
Savo Island CVE-78 D 5 Jan.
Kadashan Bay CVE-76 H 8 Jan.
Salamaua CVE-96 H 13 Jan.
DD
Claxton DD-571 D 1 Nov.
Ammen DD-527 H 1 Nov.
Abner Read DD-526 H (Sunk) 1 Nov.
Anderson DD-411 H 1 Nov.
Richard P. Leary DD-664 D 6 Jan.
Ross DD-563 D 27 Nov.
Aulick DD-569 HD 29 Nov.
Saufley DD-465 HD 29 Nov.
Drayton DD-366 H 5 Dec.
Mugford DD-389 H 5 Dec.
Mahan DD-364 HHH (Sunk) 7 Dec.
Lamson DD-367 H 7 Dec.
Hughes DD-410 H 10 Dec.
Reid DD-369 HD (Sunk) 11 Dec.
Caldwell DD-605 D 11 Dec.
" " H 12 Dec.
Haraden DD-585 H 13 Dec.
Howorth DD-592 DD 15 Dec.
Bryant DD-665 D 22 Dec.
Pringle DD-477 H 30 Dec.
Gansevoort DD-608 H 30 Dec.
HMAS Arunta ---- H 5 Jan.
Allen M. Sumner DD-692 H 6 Jan.
Walke DD-723 H 6 Jan.
O'Brien DD-725 H 6 Jan.
Bush DD-529 D 9 Jan.
Newcomb DD-586 D 6 Jan.
Helm DD-388 D 5 Jan.
Maddox DD-731 H 21 Jan.
AGP
Orestes AGP-10 H 30 Dec.
AO
Cowanesque AO-79 H 3 Jan.
APA
Alpine APA-92 H 18 Nov.
James O'Hara APA-90 D 24 Nov.
Callaway APA-35 H 8 Jan.
HMAS Westralia LSI(L) D 8 Jan.
DuPage APA-41 H 10 Jan.
Zeilin APA-3 H 13 Jan.

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APD
Ward APD-16 H (Sunk) 7 Dec.
Liddle APD-60 H 7 Dec.
Brooks APD-10 H 6 Jan.
Belknap APD-34 H 12 Jan.
ARD
ARD-19 H 27 Nov.
ARL
Achilles ARL-41 H 12 Nov.
ATF
Apache ATF-67 H 6 Jan.
ATO
Sonoma ATO-12 D (Sunk) 24 Oct.
AVP
Orca AVP-49 H 6 Jan.
DE
Stafford DE-411 H 5 Jan.
Hodges DE-231 D 9 Jan.
LeRay Wilson DE-414 H 10 Jan.
Gilligan DE-508 H 12 Jan.
Richard W. Suesens DE-342 H 12 Jan.
DMS
Long DMS-12 HH (Sunk) 6 Jan.
Southard DMS-10 H 6 Jan.
IX
Porcupine IX-126 H 30 Dec.
LGI
LCI-65 H 24 Oct.
LCI-1065 H (Sunk) 24 Oct.
LCI-1075 H 10 Dec.
LCI-70 H 5 Jan.
LSM
LSM-20 H (Sunk) 5 Dec.
LSM-23 H 5 Dec.
LSM-318 H (Sunk) 7 Dec.
LSM-18 D 7 Dec.
LST
LST-693 D 26 Oct.
LST-66 H 12 Nov.

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LST-737 H 7 Dec.
LST-909 D 15 Dec.
LST-670 D 15 Dec.
LST-472 H (Sunk) 15 Dec.
LST-738 H (Sunk) 15 Dec.
LST-460 H (Sunk) 21 Dec.
LST-749 H (Sunk) 21 Dec.
LST-1014 D 21 Dec.
LST-205 D 29 Dec.
LST-912 H 8 Jan.
LST 700 D 12 Jan.
LST-700 H 13 Jan.
LST 268 D 12 Jan.
LST 579 D 12 Jan.
SC
SC-744 H (Sunk) 27 Nov.
Y
Y-14 D 16 Dec.
YMS
YMS 53 D 6 Jan.
YMS 340 D 12 Jan.
Merchant Ships
Augustus Thomas H 24 Oct.
Benjamin Wheeler H 27 Oct.
Matthew P. Deady H 3 Nov.
Jeremiah Daily H 12 Nov.
Leonidas Merritt BH 12 Nov.
Morrison Waite H 12 Nov.
Thomas Nelson H 12 Nov.
Alexander Majors H 12 Nov.
William A. Coulter DH 12 Nov.
Gilbert Stuart H 18 Nov.
Alcoa Pioneer H 19 Nov.
Cape Romano D 19 Nov.
Marcus Daly H 5 Dec.
" " H 10 Dec.
William S. Ladd 7176 Gr. Tons H (Sunk) 10 Dec.
Juan De Fuca H 21 Dec.
William Sharon H 28 Dec.
John S. Burke 7180 Gr. Tons H (Sunk) 28 Dec.
Lewis L. Dyche 7176 Gr. Tons H (Sunk) 4 Jan.
Otis Skinner H 12 Jan.
Kyle Johnson H 12 Jan.
Edw. N. Westcott D 12 Jan.
D.D. Field D 12 Jan.
Elmira Victory D 12 Jan.

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TABLE IV
SHIPS SUNK OR DAMAGED BY SUICIDE PLANES
SUPPLEMENTARY LIST

Details are not yet available for the following attacks and they are not included in Tables 1, 2 or 3.

CV
Saratoga CV-3 HHHH 21 Feb.
CVE
Saginaw Bay CVE-82 H 21 Feb.
Lunga Point CVE-94 H 21 Feb.
Bismarck Sea CVE-95 HH (Sunk) 21 Feb.
AKN
Keokuk AKN-4 H 21 Feb.
PT
PT-323 (Total Loss) 11 Dec.
PT-300 (Sunk) 18 Dec.

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TABLE V
AMMUNITION PERFORMANCE IN SUICIDE ACTIONS

(1 October -- 31 January)

Ammunition Expended
5" Com. 5" VT 3"/50 40mm. 1.1" 20mm. 50 Cal.
October 2,218 1,575 88 51,729 109,813 8,193
November 6,064 1,942 392 65,025 61 113,814 14,704
December 4,440 870 194 33,235 92,433 12,471
January 9,363 3,216 3,943 109,068 2, 170 244,693 34,804
TOTALS 22,085 7,603 4,617 259,057 2,231 560,753 70,172
Planes Destroyed -- By Ammunition Type
October 1.5 6.5 1.5 23.5 11.0
November 5.0 6.0 1.0 27.0 13.0
December 9.0 4.0 33.0 23.5 .5
January 3.5 8.0 4.0 30.5 1.0 15.0 2.0
TOTALS 19.0 (8%) 24.5 (11%) 6.5 (3%) 114.0 (50%) 1.0 (0%) 62.5 (27%) 2. 5 (1%)
Rounds per Bird -- By Ammunition Types
October 1,479 242 59 2,201 9,983
November 1,213 324 392 2,408 8,755
December 493 218 1,007 3,933 24,942
January 2,675 402 986 3,576 2,170 16,313 17,402
AVERAGE 1,162 310 710 2,272 2,231 8,972 28,069

(NOTE: This table provides data for actions in which at least one suicide crash was attempted, but some kills were planes not definitely identified as having suicidal intentions.)

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TABLE VI
AMMUNITION PERFORMANCE IN NON-SUICIDE ACTIONS

(1 October -- 31 January)

Ammunition Expended
5" Com. 5" VT 3"/50 40mm. 1.1" 20mm. .50 Cal.
October 17,213 7,265 1,176 84,449 2,278 210,660 19,993
November 3,902 798 216 7,496 693 17,359 875
December 3,975 1,164 251 20,431 53,834 9,655
7,058 3,249 1,367 42,251 1,793 79,347 14,893
TOTALS 32,148 12,476 3,010 154,627 4,764 361,200 45,416
Planes Destroyed -- By Ammunition Types
October 23.0 9.5 4.0 23.0 27.0 .5
November 1.5 1.0 6.5 5.5 1.0
December 5.0 6.5 9.5 8.0
January 4.0 3.0 7.5 10.0 1.5
TOTAL 33. 5 (21%) 20.0 (13%) 4.0 (3%) 46.0 (29%) 50.5 (32%) 3.0 (2%)
Rounds per Bird -- By Ammunition Types
October 748 65 294 3,672 7,802 39,986
November 2,601 798 1,249 3,156 875
December 795 179 2,151 6,729
January 1,765 1,083 5,633 7,935 9,929
Average 960 624 752 3,361 7,152 15,139

(NOTE: This table provides data for actions in which no suicide dives were made and no planes shot down were identified as bent upon crashing ships.)

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The Columbia (CL-56), just before and after being hit by Zeke on 6 January as seen from the Portland (CA-33).

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Last phase of suicide attack of the White Plains (CVE-66) on 25 October.
Zeke misses 50 -- 100 feet astern.

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Power glide carried this suicide Zeke, afire and badly damaged, into the New Mexico (BB-40) at Lingayen on 6 January.

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Transcribed and formatted by Larry Jewell & Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation