Japanese pilots from the Gods of Thunder (721st Maritime Air Corps) hull are sitting near a G4M2e Betty bomber with a suspended MXY7 Oka manned projectile (Cherry Blossom).
The Gods of Thunder building was created on October 1, 1944. The MXY7 “Oka” was a rocket-powered projectile driven by a kamikaze pilot that was dropped from a carrier aircraft when approaching the target. Of the 185 G4M2e bombers used for the attacks, 118 were destroyed by the enemy, killing 438 pilots, including 56 pilots of shells and 372 crew members of the aircraft. The results of the combat use of the Gods of Thunder corps were insignificant. Among them: the sinking of the destroyer Manner L. Abel (USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733)) on April 12, 1945, and the damage to the destroyer Stanley (USS Stanley (DD-478). The Oka pierced the ship through, that the charge detonated, taking off from the opposite side, which saved the ship from sinking.
Location: Japan
Date of the photo: 1945