Desperate Sunset - Japan's Kamikazes Against Allied Ships, 1944-45

By mid-1944, Allied attacks had decimated the ranks of the Japanese air corps, leaving them with a lack of skilled, experienced airmen able to effectively attack enemy vessels. As a result, senior Japanese officers became convinced of the need to form Tokubetsu Kogekitai, the Special Attack Units, which would become immortalized as the kamikaze.

The first organized kamikaze attacks took place in late October 1944, when the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force launched sorties against invading American forces off the Philippines. Following a few days of unsuccessful attacks, the kamikazes announced themselves in the immediate aftermath of the Leyte Gulf naval battles, with several successful attacks on the US Navy vessels.

This fascinating book tells the full story of the kamikaze from the Japanese perspective. Drawing on extensive Japanese and Western records including first-hand accounts, the author shines a light on the rationale behind these shocking attacks and reveals the full history of Japans' most terrifying troops.