Kamikaze Rockets?

Most of you guys already know about the infamous kamikaze bombings carried out by the Japanese during World War II’s hard-fought final battles in the Pacific. I for one thought that each case was an isolated scenario, a brave pilot running his plane into a group of enemy soldiers after realizing that all hope was lost. To my surprise, Kamikaze warfare wasn’t just a one-time heroic sacrifice, but rather a key military strategy, employed by the Japanese army in mass numbers and to its fullest effect.
Japanese suicide planes came to be an important asset to the war effort for destroying US battleships as they sailed from island to island. Before such tactics were used, the Japanese faced problems with getting their expensive fighter planes to a location where they could effectively bomb carriers and other naval ships without being shot down. The expenses and experienced manpower being lost lead the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal to create the MXY-7 Ohka (“Cherry Blossom.”). The cherry blossom promised to do what the fighters were supposed to but at a cheaper price and a harder to it hit airplane. The Ohka’s three Type 4 rocket boosters allowed the manned missile to jet at 400 miles per hour in level flight—not bad—and attain up to 600 miles per hour in dive, far faster than any fighter then in service.  Furthermore, the Ohka wouldn’t require all the expensive components like landing gear a traditional aircraft incorporated to get pilots safely back onto the ground.  Instead, the Ohka’s carried a 1.25-ton ammonium-nitrate warhead—enough for even one Ohkas to sink a destroyer with a direct hit.
Japan built 852 Ohkas all told, and even had plans to launch Ohka’s off the side of coastal cliffs, in the event of a U.S. invasion of Honshu and Hokkaido.  There were more sophisticated models in the works, including two-seat trainers and a thermo-jet powered Model 22 that could fly further on its own power, and could be carried by faster P1Y1 Ginga bombers, improving chances of evading interception before launch.  Though 50 Model 22s were built, none entered service. There was also a turbojet-powered Ohka Model 33 designed for launch from a four-engine G8N1 Renzan strategic bomber, a Model 43 with folding wings designed for catapulting off of submarines, and a second turbojet-powered Ohka Model 53 designed to be towed behind an aircraft, instead of carried underwing.  None ever saw action. Records also suggest a non-suicidal bomber interceptor variant of the Okha called the Suzuka-24 was also built, ditching the warhead for two 20-millimeter cannons.  These were twice launched at U.S. B-29 bombers over Japan, without successfully hitting them.  At least, reports indicate their pilots survived.
A key part of the Kamikaze bombings was that even though there were obvious improvements in cost and manpower, the person in the plane was guaranteed to die, and you had to find someone willing to lay down their life for the greater good of the country. Though the Japanese government said that many of their boys were eager to sign up and die for their country, historians are skeptical of these accounts, especially after hearing first hand from prior kamikaze students. Though technically the government did only recruit volunteers, many tactics were used to coerce citizens to volunteer for the dangerous job. Some men were recruited to the program by way of a simple questionnaire. The
questionnaire comprised of a single multi-choice question that asked: “Do you desire earnestly/wish/do not wish to be involved in kamikaze attacks?”  All the men had to do was circle the statement they most agreed with. The kicker is that although the men were free to say they didn’t want to take part, they still had to sign their name to it. The pressure on young men to do something for their country during that time was significant, and the threat of retaliation, if you said no, was very real, especially to family members back home. Other methods of encouraging men to volunteer included putting them in a room filled with their peers. After a lengthy speech on patriotism, it was asked that anyone who didn’t wish to be a kamikaze step forward. As you can imagine, volunteering by default in this way was extremely effective.
Even though there were cases like this, forcing more people into kamikaze service, there was still a great portion of volunteers that were actually willing to die for their countries. Many young men were willing to lay down their lives, believing that they were the last line of defense between the US and the motherland of Japan where they were born.

Sources:
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-japan%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Ccherry-blossom%E2%80%9D-manned-missiles-rocket-powered-kamikaze-killers-77476
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Special_Attack_Units
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/11/kamikaze-pilots-chosen/
https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/prologue/2014/spring/kamikazes.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY-7_Ohka