Desperate Measures at the War’s End
As the tide of war turned in 1944, the Japanese increasingly resorted to suicide or kamikaze attacks. Although kamikaze planes are the best-known suicide weapon, suicide attack boats were also used to attack the US Pacific Fleet, and proved quite effective during the Philippines Campaign. Called Maru-Re, these lightweight plywood speedboats measured 5.6 meters long by 1.8 meters wide and weighed 1,200 kg, making them light enough to skim rapidly over the water en route to offloading two 120-kilogram depth charges on their target. In the Kerama Islands, the boats were operated by the 3rd Sea Raiding Squadron under the command of a Colonel Akamatsu. Located just behind Tokashiku Beach, this 12-meter-deep bunker was built to protect suicide attack boats from bombardment. It was dug out of hard black phyllite rock by conscripted laborers from Korea, probably with the help of members of the local Women’s Youth Association.
This historic American footage from the end of World War II shows suicide attack boats in their bunkers and even an American serviceman joy-riding in one of the boats (at 3:00 minutes in).