Show JAPANS WEAPON V japans employment of suicide planes against the american fleet off okinawa may be the tactics of desperation but this should not obscure the fact that these planes have proved dangerous moreover there is increasing reason to suspect that the tactics are calculated as much as they are desperate the situation which prompted sec detary of the navy forrestall Forre plea for manpower to repair battle dam aged ships certainly points in this di the japanese cannot hope now for a military victory in this war they do strive to hold off invasion of the home islands and of vital areas in manchuria as long as possible on the chance that something may happen to save them from utter defeat if the baca planes can damage enough important american ships and if repairing these ships takes a long enough time they will win delay so it is is not alone a battle between the guns and planes of the american fleet and the kamikaze pilots it is likewise a race between japans capacity to recruit and train these one way airmen and americas ability to repair damaged ships and replace those sunk once an amphibious operation has moved ashore the news spotlight tends to follow the land fighting too little is said of the men in ships who must keep the supply lines open for the troops even though it means remaining week after week in waters close to the enemy airfields the fact that the navy has suffered oven oveil casualties off 0 kidawa alone suggests what it has meant to stay on the job in the face of japans V weapons |