Tales of the notorious kamikaze pilots, who crashed their explosives-laden aircraft into enemy ships, have survived long beyond their deployment in World War II.
But, less commonly known are the kamikaze motorboats – the suicide attack vessels that took to the seas during this same period, equipped with explosives that detonated by switch or impact.
Half a mile off the coast of Japan, a diver has discovered what appears to be the remains of Shinyo kamikaze boats lying on the seafloor 32 meters (105ft) deep.
While these boats were vulnerable by nature and often never even reached their targets, experts suspect the newly-found remains came from vessels that survived the war, but were deliberately sunk after Japan’s surrender.
Half a mile off the coast of Japan, a diver has discovered what appears to be the remains of Shinyo kamikaze boats lying on the seafloor 32 meters (105ft) deep. Pictured above is what’s thought to be a 1-meter-long engine
Pieces of the suspected Shinyo suicide motorboat were discovered by 79-year-old Hiroyuki Arakawa during a dive roughly 1 kilometer (.6 miles) northwest of the Hasama fishing port in Tateyama, according to The Asahi Shimbun.
There, the diver stumbled upon what’s thought to be a 1-meter-long engine, a 30-centimeter-wide propeller, and what could even be the remains of explosives.
It’s been several decades since the war came to an end, leaving the artifacts to decay for more than 70 years beneath the ocean’s surface.
But, according to a former driver of the kamikaze boats, the remains ‘are no doubt from Shinyo,’ Asahi reports.
The site was once home to a No. 59 Shinyo unit base, where 53 single-seat suicide boats and five two-seaters were to be deployed, according to Asahi.
Experts suspect the newly-found remains came from vessels that survived the war, but were deliberately sunk after Japan’s surrender. The diver stumbled upon what’s thought to be an engine, a propeller, and what could even be the remains of explosives (above)
JAPAN’S SHINYO SUICIDE BOATS
During World War II, Japan deployed suicide attack boats against enemy ships
While the term kamikaze is most commonly associated with the aerial suicide attacks launched by Japanese pilots from the Special Attack Unit during World War II, planes weren’t the only vessels used for these purposes.
During the same time period, suicide motorboats took to the seas equipped with explosives that detonated by switch or impact.
Known as the Shinyo, these kamikaze boats were most commonly driven by one man, at speeds up around 30 knots.
They were made from plywood, making them vulnerable by nature, and often didn’t reach their targets.
But, those that did could detonate their 660lbs of bow-mounted explosives by impact or from a manual control.
The boats were made from plywood, making them vulnerable by nature, and often didn’t reach their targets
They also carried two anti-ship rockets mounted on launchers positioned at either side of the boat.
During the war, roughly 6,200 Shinyo were made for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In some cases, as with the No 59 Shinyo unit, officers ordered the deliberate destruction of any surviving suicide boats after the war ended.
These boats were constructed from plywood, and launched from a concrete ramp to attack US ships.
According to a former serviceman, who was in charge of maintaining the boats at the base, the remains discovered six months ago could be from the No 59 unit.
After the war ended, now 88-year-old Katsumi Muto was ordered to sink the kamikaze motor boats.
‘I cannot clearly remember where I sank them, but the remains may be part of the Shinyo,’ Muto, who says he sank about 20 of the boats off Tateyama by drilling holes into the bottom, told The Asahi Shimbun.
Pieces of the suspected Shinyo suicide motorboat were discovered by 79-year-old Hiroyuki Arakawa during a dive roughly 1 kilometer (.6 miles) northwest of the Hasama fishing port in Tateyama. Among the artifacts was a 30-centimeter-wide propeller (pictured)
‘I was overcome with emotion to hear they might still lie in the waters after more than 70 years.’
Muto was one of 176 servicemen in that unit, and joined efforts after the war to dismantle the base, according to Asahi.
Arakawa, who discovered the remains, runs the Hasama Kaichukoen diving company and plans to provide assistance for the recovery of these artifacts.
All in all, there were roughly 6,200 Shinyo produced during World War II for the Imperial Japanese Navy – each packed with 250 kilograms of explosives.
The WWII relics were found during a dive roughly 1 kilometer (.6 miles) northwest of the Hasama fishing port in Tateyama. The site was once home to a No. 59 Shinyo unit base, where 53 single-seat suicide boats and five two-seaters were to be deployed, according to Asahi