Secret operation "Z": Soviet pilots invented kamikaze tactics

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

During the Sino-Japanese War, the USSR began to provide military assistance to China. The covert operation was codenamed "Z". So, in 1937, a detachment of Soviet pilots was sent to the PRC, who in the spring of 1938 collided with Japanese fighters. Many believe that it was this event that served as an example for future units of Japanese kamikaze, who became famous at the end of World War II.

Helping the communist brothers

At the beginning of the second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Japanese had about seven hundred aircraft in service, while the Chinese had no more than six hundred. These were mainly biplanes with a maximum flight speed of up to 350 km / h. In turn, since 1936, Japan began the production of Mitsubishi A5M fighters, which could accelerate to the outrageous at that time 450 km / h. Because of their significant speed superiority, Japanese fighters destroyed many more Chinese aircraft and quickly gained air superiority. The situation became critical, and China was forced to ask for help from the Soviet Union.

On September 26, 1937, Stalin launched the covert Operation Z (following the example of Operation X in Spain). 93 aircraft were sent to China as air support, including I-16 fighters, I-15 bis fighters and SB bombers. Since many experienced Soviet aces fought in Spain, most of the pilots were sent to China from among the cadets of the Moscow Flight Academy who did not have combat experience.

The main problem was the transportation of aircraft to the PRC. The nearest airport to the Chinese border was in Almaty and the pilots had to fly through the Himalayas. At prohibitive heights, without an accurate map and in low temperatures. The first reconnaissance plane sent to plot the route crashed into a mountain and crashed to the ground. The pilot managed to escape and a week later, frostbitten, but found alive by the local residents. Gradually, the route was drawn up, but the next Soviet squadron lowly lost every third plane in the mountains.

Reply to the Japanese

By the time all Soviet aircraft arrived at the scene, there was practically nothing left of the Chinese air fleet. The Japanese completely controlled the air. On November 21, 1927, seven Soviet I-16s went on their first combat mission. They were opposed by twenty of the latest Japanese aircraft. The Russians won the battle without casualties, but managed to shoot down two Japanese A5Ms and one bomber. The next day, another Japanese fighter was shot down. With relatively similar flight characteristics, more powerful weapons were installed on Soviet vehicles.

On November 24, the Japanese took revenge and shot down three Soviet I-16s. The Russians quickly mastered combat tactics and soon began to outnumber the Japanese in diving and turning. According to Novate.ru, on December 1, Soviet pilots managed to shoot down four Japanese fighters and ten bombers. In this battle, two I-16s crashed, but fortunately, the pilots managed to eject and landed in the rice fields.

Towards the end of the year, Soviet bombers attacked a Japanese airbase in Shanghai and destroyed about thirty fighters and biplanes. On February 23, 1938, a squadron of twenty-eight SB made the legendary raid on a Japanese airbase in Taiwan. In total, about two thousand bombs were dropped and forty brand new Italian Fiat p.20 bombers were destroyed.

Kamikaze tactics

In the spring of 1938, Japanese and Soviet fighters began to ram each other, which had never been practiced before. The first ram was made by the Soviet pilot Shuster in battle on April 29. Both pilots were killed in a violent head-on collision. In May of the same year, the Soviet ace Gubenko successfully rammed a Japanese fighter. Later, for this act, he was awarded the Golden Star of a Hero. On July 18, the Japanese A5M made the first attempt at kamikaze. The fighter rammed with a Soviet fighter that it had previously fired upon. The Japanese pilot was killed, and the Soviet pilot managed to survive and even land the damaged I-16.

These incidents greatly interested the future organizer of the legendary raid on Pearl Harbor Takijiro Onishi, who in the future will be called "the father of the kamikaze". Later, the Japanese described these cases in his memoirs. It was Onisi who founded the first squadron of suicide pilots in 1944, but few people know that it was Soviet pilots who inspired him to this act.