By: History.com Editors

1944

First kamikaze attack of the war begins

History.com Editors

Published: November 16, 2009

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

On October 25, 1944, during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, the Japanese deploy kamikaze (“divine wind”) bombers against American warships for the first time. It will prove costly—to both sides.

This decision to employ suicide bombers against the American fleet at Leyte, an island of the Philippines, was based on the failure of conventional naval and aerial engagements to stop the American offensive. Declared Japanese naval Capt. Motoharu Okamura: “I firmly believe that the only way to swing the war in our favor is to resort to crash-dive attacks with our planes…. There will be more than enough volunteers for this chance to save our country.”

Remember Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor survivors share the valuable lessons that future generations can take away from the attacks.

The first kamikaze force was in fact composed of 24 volunteer pilots from Japan’s 201st Navy Air Group. The targets were U.S. escort carriers; one, the St. Lo, was struck by a A6M Zero fighter and sunk in less than an hour, killing 100 Americans. Japanese pilots took down 34 ships in the gulf battle.

For their kamikaze raids, the Japanese employed both conventional aircraft and specially designed planes, called Ohka (“cherry blossom”) by the Japanese, but Baka (“fool”) by the Americans, who saw them as acts of desperation. The Baka was a rocket-powered plane that was carried toward its target attached to the belly of a bomber.

All told, more than 1,321 Japanese aircraft crash-dived their planes into Allied warships during the war, desperate efforts to reverse the growing Allied advantage in the Pacific. While approximately 3,000 Americans and Brits died because of these attacks, the damage done did not prevent the Allied capture of the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on October 25th

1415

Battle of Agincourt

The Battle of Agincourt, held in northern France in October 1415, brought a decisive victory for the forces of England's Henry V over a far larger French army.

1764

John Adams marries Abigail Smith

On October 25, 1764, future President John Adams marries Abigail Smith. This devoted couple’s prolific correspondence during their married life has provided entertainment and a glimpse of early American life for generations of history buffs. Future first lady Abigail Adams was the daughter of a parson. She was home-taught and read everything from the classics […]

1853

Native Americans attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah

On October 25, 1853, members of the Paiute Indian Tribe attack U.S. Army Captain John W. Gunnison and his party of 37 soldiers and railroad surveyors near Sevier Lake, Utah. Gunnison and seven other men were killed, but the survey party continued with its work and eventually reported its findings to the United States Congress. U.S. officials […]

1854

Charge of the Light Brigade

In an event alternately described as one of the most heroic or disastrous episodes in British military history, Lord James Cardigan leads a charge of the Light Brigade cavalry against well-defended Russian artillery during the Crimean War. The British were winning the Battle of Balaklava when Cardigan received his order to attack the Russians. His […]

1881

Pablo Picasso born

Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, is born in Malaga, Spain. Picasso’s father was a professor of drawing, and he bred his son for a career in academic art. Picasso had his first exhibit at age 13 and later quit art school so he could experiment full-time […]

1920

Greece’s King Alexander dies after being bitten by a monkey

On October 25, 1920, Greece’s King Alexander dies from wounds he received after a monkey attacked him earlier in the month. He was 27 years old. The incident leading to King Alexander’s death occurred while he was walking on the grounds of the castle outside of Athens. A Barbary macaque that belonged to a resident […]

Black and white formal portrait of King Alexander I of Greece, a young man wearing a military uniform, with his short cropped hair parted in the center

1929

Cabinet member found guilty in Teapot Dome scandal

October 25, 1929: During the Teapot Dome scandal, Albert B. Fall, who served as secretary of the interior in President Warren G. Harding’s cabinet, is found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office. Fall was the first individual to be convicted of a crime committed while a presidential cabinet member. As a member of […]

Cabinet member Albert B. Fall found guilty in Teapot Dome scandal

1954

President Eisenhower pledges support to South Vietnam

President Eisenhower pledges support to South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem’s government and military forces in a letter on October 25, 1954. Eisenhower made it clear to Diem that U.S. aid to his government during Vietnam’s “hour of trial” was contingent upon his assurances of the “standards of performance [he] would be able to maintain […]

1957

Atomic Age sci-fi thriller “The Amazing Colossal Man” premieres in New York

Movie audiences in New York City are treated to the science-fiction thriller The Amazing Colossal Man on October 25, 1957. The film revolves around a character named Colonel Manning, who strays too close to the test of an atomic device in the Nevada desert and is bombarded with “plutonium rays.” This was but one of […]

1964

Minnesota Vikings’ Jim Marshall runs wrong way with recovered fumble

On October 25, 1964, after recovering a fumble against the 49ers in San Francisco, Minnesota Vikings star defensive end Jim Marshall runs 66 yards the wrong way into his own end zone. The four-year veteran believes he has scored a touchdown, so he throws the ball out of bounds in celebration, resulting in a safety […]

1971

The U.N. seats the People’s Republic of China and expels Taiwan

U.N. representatives vote to seat the the People’s Republic of China as a permanent member and expels Taiwan, led by the Chinese Nationalist Party.   The U.S.—which had unsuccessfully proposed seating both the PRC and Taiwan—was interested in seeking the PRC’s help in resolving the sticky Vietnam situation, using influence with the PRC as diplomatic leverage […]

1980

Australian rock gods AC/DC earn their first Top 40 hit with “You Shook Me All Night Long”

On October 25, 1980, AC/DC earn their first pop Top 40 hit with “You Shook Me All Night Long”—clocking in at number 39. Back when they were releasing albums like Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1977), AC/DC would have seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of the top-selling pop-music acts of all time. But […]

1983

United States invades Grenada

President Ronald Reagan, citing the threat posed to American nationals on the Caribbean nation of Grenada by that nation’s Marxist regime, orders U.S. forces to invade and secure their safety. There were approximately 1,000 Americans in Grenada at the time, many of them students at the island’s medical school. In little more than a week, […]

1994

Susan Smith reports a false carjacking to cover her murder

Susan Smith reports that she was carjacked in South Carolina by a Black man who took her two small children in the backseat of her car. Although authorities immediately began searching for three-year-old Michael and one-year-old Alex, they could find no trace of them or of Smith’s car. After nine days of intense national media […]

Related Articles

See All Articles
German men showing off a Nazi flag while on expedition from the book, "The Third Reich in Antarctica: The German Antarctic Expedition 1938-39."
World War II

Hitler’s Secret Expedition to Antarctica

In preparation for war, Hitler wanted to find substitutes for fat-based products—including margarine—in case imported sources were cut off.

World War II

How Did the Nazis Really Lose World War II?

Countless history books, TV documentaries and feature films made about World War II, many accept a similar narrative of the war in the West, which may not be entirely accurate.

World War II

When the Nazis Invaded the Hamptons

Even before the US entered World War II, German military intelligence had developed a plan to secretly infiltrate the East Coast and sabotage American war efforts.

Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler posing with a young member of the Nazi Youth.
World War II

How the Hitler Youth Turned a Generation of Kids Into Nazis

Hitler’s war against Boy Scouts fueled the Third Reich’s ideology—and its military might.

See All Articles

About the author

History.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

Citation Information

Article title
First kamikaze attack of the war begins
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
March 25, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 24, 2025
Original Published Date
November 16, 2009

History Every Day

Sign Up for "This Day in History"

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us