Inside the Ohka Manned Missile

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was an one-mission plane with a bomb-sized warhead at the front, solid-fuel rocket engine in the rear and the pilot wedged in-between them. We take you through how it works and how it was deployed. Ohka meaning Cherry Blossom, was used by the Japanese as a desperate attempt to change the course of the war. Let us know in the comments what you think of our new channel, what you would like to see and if we got something wrong.
00:00 Yokosuka MXY-7 “Ohka”
00:34 Fuselage
01:58 Warhead
02:57 Engine
05:52 Cockpit
08:30 Controls
10:06 Starting Process
12:52 Flight
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[@DaysOfFunder]

Good to see they were worried about the pilots safety. God forbid he might get hurt while flying the bomb.

[@johncox2865]

😂😂😂

[@richardbossman9875]

Despite the pilot being sacrificed to complete his mission you wouldn’t want him to become injured before and thus unable to do his job. The seatbelt would keep him in position to properly fly rather than getting rod around due to possible maneuvers he would have to do to avoid flak or via turbulence.

[@adolf4]

The designer view the pilot nothing more than component of the guide system of the bomb the eyes for accuracy of course they wanted that component protected until the bomb reach its target

[@SIMPLEGUY423]

It’s a flying dildo

[@guysavage3347]

those bungee cords and thin metal rods don't come cheap you know

[@SteelBreeze021]

I imagine the instructor saying to the class, ""Now pay attention. I'm only going to show you this ONCE!"

[@DejectedCat]

They did make two seater trainer version of this as gliders.

[@Boss_Tanaka]

The students "we still don’t know how to land "

[@williamviso6690]

​@@DejectedCaty no

[@DonatoTeo]

Bulls eye 🎉

[@leokimvideo]

Only thing missing is an ejector seat

[@nosidenoside2458]

Their doctrine was to not, because if the pilot bailed the plane could veer off course

[@therealspeedwagon1451]

The Japanese did not even use parachutes. They were given them and were incentivized to use them, but they often used them as seat cushions. In Japanese culture, dying for your country or clan was considered the most honorable act a warrior could do, and surrender was seen as dishonorable. Many pilots would go down with their planes and many sailors would’ve rather committed sepukku than abandon ship.

[@imperialofficer6185]

@@therealspeedwagon1451 Yea I'm pretty sure somebody watched too much anime. All men are created equal and endowed among other things with equal instincts. Ian from Forgotten Weapons I think showed Imperial Japanese Arasaka rifles with Imperial coats of arms chiseled off, which the soldiers would do before surrendering. Can't dishonor the coat of arms if there is none

[@therealspeedwagon1451]

@@imperialofficer6185 but it’s true though. Several Japanese soldiers continued to fight long after the war ended. One Japanese soldier continued to fight the war until 1974, long after Japan officially surrendered. Many Japanese officers even tried to shut down the emperor’s official surrender speech. Then again most Japanese citizens couldn’t understand him as he spoke an archaic form of Japanese. The only Japanese person on the Titanic who survived, Masabumi Hosono, was relentlessly shamed and humiliated for surviving and not going down with the ship like a noble warrior for the rest of his life. To surrender in WWII Japan, a heavily militarized society where being a warrior and a soldier was highly respected, was seen as dishonorable and humiliating for you, your family, and your country.

[@imperialofficer6185]

@@therealspeedwagon1451 For one, keeping fighting after the war (in this case WWI) is over because you didn't hear no bell is literally the motivation behind the entire nation of Germany going Nazi, far from a few dozen holdouts, especially considering that the Japanese army had nearly 7 million troops in it at the time of surrender Imperial Japanese officers had almost to a man commited attrocities that would make the nazis blush, trying to prevent the emperor from ordering surrenderwas their only shot at survival and freedom. Besides, it was never really his call to make, like the Brits would be pissed if the king of england went out there and got to starting and ending wars for them Going down with the ship is also a thing in western culture. Not to such an extent maybe but still Not saying japanese culture isn't different from western, may be the most different of all the major ones in fact because of their isolation and whatnot but it's not aliens dude

[@Karadum]

Thank you for having also metric units in the newer videos!

[@Pakicetus_]

Why? don't you like to measure in feet, bananas and in degrees based on horse blood???!!

[@x-ray6418]

My great-grandfather was a pilot for Ohka. However, he was quiet and did not talk about his war experiences at all. I hardly ever spoke to him, and I never saw him smile. He passed away when I was 14 years old. The funeral was held quickly, and I didn't even realize that he was no longer with me. A few days later, when I was sorting through his belongings, I found a small notebook. His experience was written there.The episode was not as spectacular as many people imagined. There was a sense of mourning for the comrades who had died aboard the Ohka, a feeling of worthlessness for surviving in such a situation, and a hatred for the war.And on the last page, written in a small brush was the word "Peace."I couldn't stop crying. Although he never shot anyone or went to war, he was definitely a man who lived through times of war and wished for peace.I still go to his grave once a month and make sure to pay my respects. May all wars end.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

You have to wonder if he expected you to find that one day, since you did then you obviously understood his message. If you did then he did his job by giving you helpful information and a mission

[@tuningsnow]

What? He was a pilot for a kamikaze plane and survived?

[@thecaptainchas2820]

@@tuningsnowthere were many trained Kamikaze pilots who never got the opportunity to fly their mission.

[@kk-qu1zc]

0:45 AluMINIUM? or 0:55 AluMINUM ?????? WHAT is it people?

[@cade8986]

Yeahh

[@user-cp9it7ul5c]

Now, 78 years after the end of the war, such reliable explanations are no longer broadcast on Japanese television. The explanations are very accurate, and even as a Japanese person, I am impressed. If there's one thing I'd like to tell you, it's that Shoichi Ota, who invented Ouka, boarded an airplane without permission and took off on the day Japan was defeated in the war. Everyone thought that he committed suicide, taking responsibility for losing the war after developing Ouka, but many pilots died in battle, but he was still alive. According to Japanese historians, the plane he was on crash-landed in waters far from land, and he was rescued by a fishing boat. Having failed in his suicide attempt, he abandoned the name "Shoichi Ota" and also abandoned his wife and child, whom he had married during the war. Therefore, many people thought that Shoichi Ota was dead. After the war, he gave himself a false name, changed his job many times, and no ID was created, so he couldn't go to the hospital even if he got sick, and in the end, he suffered from cancer and died.

[@user-cp9it7ul5c]

@@TheRasalhaag Immediately after the war, Japan's military had disappeared and the political economy was in turmoil, so it was easy to use a false name, but because of the false name, I could not register as a citizen and I had no ID, so I was unable to do formal work or go to the hospital. I couldn't even go there.

[@imsreki]

In the face of a new war, no government wants to remember past defeats and people whom their predecessors sent to the slaughter for their own interests

[@horationelson57]

Thank you for sharing your memories.

[@dec13666]

Imagine Germans giving detailed explanations in open TV about their WW2 procedures... Remaining silent is for a reason 😉

[@MrGallade475]

@@dec13666 maybe not on TV, but there is interest by many personnel of german companies to comb through their company's history to examine what it was involved in during the holocaust and WWII, also IIRC I think there is a german policy that encourages/requires it. Continental Tire has a good one on their website if you google "continental tire holocaust report". It pulls few punches and discusses how they supplied the german war effort with the help of forced labor from concentration camp detainees.

[@ch-hz1ez]

私の祖父が、この機体に乗って死にました。You Tubeでこの機体を取り上げていただいて感謝します。どうもありがとう。

[@benkelly7499]

GOOD

[@4.478]

あなたも彼らに「広島と長崎に原爆を投下してくれてありがとう」と書きます。

[@dooffff]

@@4.478 Blame your own, if Pearl Harbor hadn't been attacked there wouldn't have been a Nuclear bomb dropped on either city.

[@Drayners]

@@4.478 skill issue

[@baystgrp]

A serious approach to explaining this last-ditch weapon which required the dedication of its human pilot to kill himself in achieving his mission. I have never seen an explanation of how the systems worked. As usual with most Japanese aviation developments, it was an ingenious result. My father was a US Army officer. We lived in Yokohama from 1949 to 1952. My memories though rudimentary if that time are of the city being rebuilt from the heavy bombing it had experienced during the last two years of the war. I have revisited Japan several times; each time I have gone to the Yushukan museum on the grounds of the Yasukuni Shrine. There is a wing of the museum dedicated to those who died in “special attack” units that flew the Ohka and crewed the Kaiten human-guided torpedoes.

[@kotnapromke]

В этом музее написано что это были "герои" или они были "военными преступниками"?

[@sleepCircle]

@@kotnapromke The actual guys who died in the missiles weren't war criminals as much as they were victims.

[@kotnapromke]

​@@sleepCircle У вас нет убитых родственников в Перл-Харборе от рук этих "жертв"?)

[@sleepCircle]

​@@kotnapromke everyone's a victim in war, except those who lead them.

[@kotnapromke]

​​@@sleepCircle А члены СС из зондер-команд, сжигающие деревни в Белорусии вместе с жителями тоже "страдали"? То есть они "жертвы"? И только один Гитлер преступник? Странная логика. Те кто добровольно пошел на агрессивную войну ради захвата чужой земли это не жертвы, это преступники. Жертвы только те кого заставили, то есть насильно мобилизованные. А среди пилотов самолетов камикадзе все были добровольцами.

[@Surestick88]

Missile guidance systems sure have come a long way. I'd think a side attack as depicted would not be the chosen attack type. You'd be attacking the more armoured part of the ship more slowly giving more exposure to AA fire and less certainty of causing damage. The dive angle indicator is a clue here. A dive onto the target exposes the thinner deck armour and increases your speed which give a greater probability of a successful attack.

[@oxcart4172]

Yeah, they were going to use pigeons at one point (its true, honest)

[@johncox2865]

I believe that the side attack would give a higher probability of a hit than the method you mentioned.

[@doomolit]

I think this is the most advanced (smart) missile guidance system..😅😅

[@xTheUnderscorex]

@@oxcart4172 Project Pigeon/Orcon was American rather than Japanese, but yes.

[@jaredthompson2918]

All true except, you would be exposed to less aa fire across the water line more in a dive

[@jiyushugi1085]

Excellent production and very accurate! I've just finished translating the autobiography of Masa'aki Saeki, one of the few surviving Ohka pilots in which he describes in detail the Ohka pilot training process. He was originally a seaplane pilot and, like all the other volunteers for the program, started his training in war weary Zeros. They'd take the Zeros up, pull the throttle back and practice gliding, making mock attacks, etc.The final test (check ride?) involved completing one drop from a Betty in a practice Ohka (one with landing flaps and a landing skid) culminating in a successful landing. Masa'aki's practice drop was 'less than successful' hence his survival to write his memoir. Not surprisingly, there were a few fatal training accidents as well. He stated that twin tails were used to allow the Ohka to nestle more closely to the Betty's fuselage. His account of his training flight would make a very entertaining YT video....

[@elebeu]

Interesting reason for the twin tails, it certainly makes sense.

[@RX552VBK]

Wow! I'd love to read that book Saeki's life and his failed mission.

[@jiyushugi1085]

@@RX552VBK It's not really a book, it's about 35 pages describing his entry into the program, training, base life, and his, er, not very successful test drop, his description of which is both terrifying and hilarious. I've sent it off to a couple of aviation sites and am waiting for a reply. Will post here if something comes of it.

[@rolux4853]

Imagine being so indoctrinated and brainwashed, that you volunteer to kill yourself in a flying bomb. With the intention to harm and kill as many „enemies“ as possible. It’s exactly the same like a terrorist attack, carried out by a suicide bomber. Motivated purely by their beliefs. It’s insane what propaganda can do to humans that are vulnerable to it. Nothing that humanity can be proud about..

[@gupperguppygupper]

How do you end up doing something like that in life. 😅

[@fredhayes6162]

By far the best explanation on the OKHA I have ever seen. Thank you!!!

[@forumboss2620]

Very impressive graphics and cutaways. The explanation of the controls was also excellent. Kudos to the producers.

[@captaincrunch8523]

When attending basic training at Sampson AFB in 1955 we were given a tour of the bases small museum that had an OKA on display . This video so well explained the thing and answered so many questions in regards to the OKA . Can't imagine what must have been going on in the pilots mind on his way down . Kinda sad !

[@user-yi6nb9sj9i]

I can't imagine anything going on in there minds during the whole war . I guess dying for their phoney living god was all to them . Well that and inslaving the whole world was paramount I guess . Warped people .

[@chrisdraughn5941]

I’m guessing many had a bunch of patriotic bullshit going through their minds. The same kind of stuff that is always fed to young men to get them to go out and die for rich and powerful people back home. Maybe they were convinced they were doing it for their families? Patriotism isn’t always a good thing, sometimes it’s dangerous. War is never a good thing, the poor and the vulnerable always pay the highest price.

[@hibbs1712]

Infinitely sad. The realization that all victims of war are victims of the pursuit of monetary profit is the somber cherry on top. Their lives meant nothing thanks to the zeitgeist of the times they lived.

[@oliver9089]

​@hibbs1712 this is a fact. And a hard pill to swallow for many military vets and families.

[@kurtkeiser5955]

Psycho stick

[@blerst7066]

It would be great if you also did a video on the Kaiten. They were Japanese manned torpedoes, and they're equally, if not more, bizarre than the Ohka. Also, props for focusing on the technical aspects only. Many people have strong opinions about WWII, but for once, it's nice to just learn about weird weapons and how they worked.

[@kaasmeester5903]

I saw one once, IIRC in the (excellent) War Museum in Overloon, the Netherlands. Flying the Ohka must have been exhilarating, with a sense of freedom even in the face of inevitable doom. Manning the Kaiten must have been more like a premature burial.

[@markmcgoveran6811]

@@kaasmeester5903 I'd have to agree if you had some kind of set up where you can fly it and land it without it exploding people would come and do it as a tourist trap but I don't think anybody's going to hide in dirty water and poke a boat

[@Dumb_Furry_UwU]

UwU baka

[@MaticTheProto]

somehow the japanese are often exempt from rightful criticism

[@WildBillCox13]

A first rate presentation. Thank you very much for this in-depth view of construction techniques, the MXY7's construction, rocket propellants and their arrangement in a thrust driven plane, generic instrument familiarization, and specific instrument layout for this particular weapon. Wonderful work that covers details most historian posters leave out, thinking them insignificant. Those posters are missing the point. This is how one presents a weapons system for better understanding at all levels of interest.

[@artawhirler]

This is the best video on the Ohka I've ever seen. I just found your channel today and subscribed as soon as the video was over.

[@ZombiedustXXX]

I saw a recovered Ohka at the Chino Air Museum in California around 1978. It was in unrestored condition, and crude on its exterior. I remember the plexiglass canopy panels were hazy and discolored. This presentation was fantastic in how it was engineered, and implemented. That same day by chance, my father and I were able to walk up to a Corsair used in the TV series Baa Baa Blacksheep. We were there with it on our time, with no barriers or security guards to ruin the moment. If I remember correctly, there were two Corsairs there at the time. Also that day, we saw many other aircrafts. The most notable to people today would be an unrestored ME-262 and a P-38, both were stored outdoors. Their fates are not known to me, today.

[@flyerbob124]

The Ohka is still on display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino California along with several other Japanese aircraft including the original Zero which is a flying aircraft. The ME262 was sold to another collector and the P38 was restored to flying condition several years ago and has its own display hangar at the museum. If 1978 was the last time you were at the museum you are in for a real treat if you visit it now. Now there are 6 large hangars and a proper gift shop and office complex. Come visit again.

[@ZombiedustXXX]

@@flyerbob124 Amazing! Thank you for the info.

[@weedmanwestvancouverbc9266]

​@@flyerbob124the aerodrome that has the Spruce Goose in it in Oregon also has an me 262 under one of the Wings apparently

[@weedmanwestvancouverbc9266]

​@@flyerbob124ever see the album cover by Blue Oyster Cult? Their third album Secret Treaties features a photograph of the band in front of one on static display at I believe in Air Force Base in ohio.

[@ZombiedustXXX]

@@flyerbob124 Thank you flyerbob, I poked around the internet, and found another air museum on the grounds. They have an F-102, that might (?) be the same one I saw that long ago. If my memory serves, I saw an unflyable Zero fighter indoors, and a Boeing P-26 Peashooter (propped vertically near a north wall, and pointed nose-first towards the floor to save floorspace). I only remember two buildings at the time.

[@Quasarnova1]

A lot of people forget that guided anti-ship missiles go back to WWII, but the guidance computer was a person! (Actually, Japan, the USA, and Germany all had actual radio guided missiles as well.)

[@wape1]

Same thing with wire-guided missiles, like the German Ruhrstahl-Kramer X-4 air-to-air missile. It was copied quickly and improved upon after the War, although mainly used for anti-tank work. It had an interesting fuze that was meant to (IIRC) explode when the sound level changed when the missile passed the bomber's engines!

[@highdesertutah]

I’m currently binging on the Unauthorized History of the Pacific War channel now and I can’t remember a successful B-17 attack on shipping. The US should have created a specially trained squadron of fortresses that carried a single radio or wire guided 4000lb tall boy that they could use from above the fighter CAP. It would have been cutting edge technology but even one of those would have likely sunk the biggest of Japanese warships.

[@Quasarnova1]

@@highdesertutah Several transports and destroyers were sunk by B-17s at the Battle of the Bismarck Sea using skip bombing, and I have no doubt that there were other successes throughout the war.

[@thefrenchbaguette919]

@@highdesertutahslight mistake the tallboy was 12000 lbs

[@sonwig5186]

There were also tv or radio guided missiles

[@user-xy9ix8jm1k]

I don't think there is anything any of us can tell you in the comments, other than the remarkably personal ones you have collected. Another amazing depiction of the history of WWII and the weapons derived from it that changed the world.

[@davidatovar]

In Jr. High school, or shop teacher gave us a balsa wood glider project of this plane, it was copied onto a piece of paper broken down to fuselage, rear horizontal stabilizer, vertical fins and wings, you used a thin piece of cellophane plastic for the canopy, you had details you could add to the flying model or you could build it with its basic form but you had to build it to fly, the wings had to be shaped correctly with a leading edge and a trailing edge including the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical fins which was part of the grading process, there was a version that you could build using a small model rocket engine, and it instructed you how to use clay on the nose to balance it over the center of gravity. Still have mine and a Xerox copy of the original template.

[@ANPNMNfan]

As a Japanese, I am very happy that you posted this wonderful video. It is very sad that the vertical speedometer was scaled only in the direction of sea level. I will tell you one interesting fact. There was a strong belief in Japan at that time that dying was beautiful. (You can still see it today.) However, there was a big conflict between those who were for and against the "kamikaze". As one engineer put it, "The kamikaze is like a 100% death. A 100% deadly weapon like the kamikaze is a disgrace and a sign of negligence on the part of the engineers." The engineer went on to create an unmanned missile, the "イ号一型乙無線誘導弾" To return to the first story, we in the modern world must never repeat such a sad invention.

[@ObviouslyMich]

I like the story thanks for sharing and 100% agree.

[@robertnortan87]

Islamics took the relay. Russians are sending suicide soldiers toward frontline as well, like in wwii. Good to know you evolved, guys.

[@ErikB605]

The missile is the "Kawasaki I-Gо̄ Model 1 Otsu" for the english readers

[@bonsai5753]

This is one of the highest quality and best videos I’ve ever seen

[@jod125]

Animagraphs is also a high quality channel or similar content style

[@Tyfn954]

Great work mate! The modeling is so good and underlines the overall quality of your videos. Keep it up!

[@mandarin1257]

Wow, I didn't realize the Okha was so complete... I expected there to be a joystick, rudder pedals and three buttons for the rockets in terms of controls, and an all-wood construction. This thing had all the instruments a plane needs for VFR, lol

[@Unus_Annus_]

Kind of a waste of gauges

[@Tokmurok]

​@@Unus_Annus_I think it was for precision bombing.

[@srothmissouri61]

I have seen a intact MXY. It was laying on the ground in a field with other WW 2 aircraft north of Chicago. Also had a fully intact ME 109 . Circa 1977

[@nirktheman-thingstab-cutter]

This has got to be one of the most chilling things a human has ever designed. It puts me in awe of just what terrible things we are capable of.

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

Convincing people to do stuff like this is wild.

[@louisroth5941]

@ilaiabas5951 so brainwashed are you to believe death should be accepted

[@coptotermes]

Cults do this.

[@oldstyle7760]

Outstanding quality. You're going to go far if you keep this up.

[@spacecoyote6646]

You are being ironic, right?

[@willemsterk5048]

As I read in other literature, the pilot got into the 'baka' before the 'Betty' got into the air. He drank saké (probably to strengthen his nerves) and took his katana with him in the cockpit. Then the cockpit was closed and sealed so it could not be opened from the inside. Of course this was done so that he could't change his mind and try and stay alive.

[@BluePawPrint]

That may have also been the case but it wasn’t exclusive. In our sources we found stories of pilots saying goodbye to the crew in the air before entering the cockpit. Also some models did not have oxygen and were dropped from 10000 feet

[@edgar6628]

Please do the ww2 V1 and V2 rocket my grandparents we’re living in east London when those beasts flew above the skies of 1940.

[@robertstallard7836]

@@edgar6628 The V1 and V2 didn't fly above the skies of London in 1940. The first V1 attack was 13 June 1944 and the first V2 attack was in September 1944.

[@bagoistvan3182]

Hi.You are wrong. The Ohka pilot waited for his turn in the Betty fuselage during the flight. When the carieer pilot decided that the moment has come he would activate the circuits arming the Ohka releasing mechanism. The kamikaze pilot usually helped by the aircraft navigator and one of the gunners would take his place in the saddle while all the time a red light will signal that the system is armed. After signaling his readiness by changing the signaling light to green and also through the intercom the moment of release would come. 🇯🇵 🇯🇵 🇯🇵

[@user-vw8it9oo8h]

If the pilots requested, he would be given marijuana or other drugs to numb his fear, but since getting drunk would affect his accuracy, he was only given a small amount of alcohol. Things like tying the pilot in the cockpit and not opening the hatch from inside were completely invented, and I think they were probably made because they couldn't understand the Japanese mentality of committing suicide attacks. In fact, when Betty was attacked and it was determined that the attack was impossible, there were many times when the unmanned Ohka was jettisoned and left. And these suicide attacks were also highly ceremonial, with a simple ceremony usually taking place before sortie and the pilots being treated respectfully. The Shinto idea is that those who sacrifice their lives for their country become gods who protect it.

[@kpd3308]

Excellent explanation of the design and operation of the craft. Thank you.

[@pedrotome9119]

A very well made documentary, in all ways. I amazed with such quality in all aspects.

[@BluePawPrint]

This is our first video on this channel. Please let us know of any errors and anything you would like to see. We'd like to grow this channel with the help of the community. Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy it ! Please consider our Patreon www.patreon.com/BluePawPrint

[@LancelotChan]

With so much attention to details and cares, to send someone to their final flight.... this leaves a complex feeling.

[@Enzo_Gaming00]

Great video but it seems some segments were out of order if you want me to I can time stamp them but they were the propulsion system

[@BluePawPrint]

Thanks I think I know the ones you mean. We'll fix that on the next one.

[@rre9121]

Pitot is pronounced "Pee-tow" at least in American English. I think a detailed investigation of the kamikaze torpedoes would also be very interesting.

[@ClimateScepticSceptic-ub2rg]

5 stars.

[@woolheart1]

I knew about this missile for a while but it was very interesting to get a detailed look into exactly how it worked. Great video

[@user-pr7rj4fj1z]

awesome detailed breakdown of how everything works, you definitely did a good job. Suggestions for new topics for analysis: If you touch on the topic of militaristic Japan, then you cannot ignore at least 2 things: 1. underwater guided kamikaze submarine "kaiten" 2. Japanese intercontinental balloons with an incendiary load (they had a very interesting electro-mechanical brain) 3. Japanese developments in the field of creating the first homing heads (homing heads) Good luck with your creativity!

[@0siiris]

Ready for mission now. Thanks guys!

[@ranulranepura7210]

I love watching these videos and thoroughly enjoyed the additional animation you included of the actual flight / how the pilot moved and operated. Looking forward for more

[@greggwilliamson]

Fantastic video!! Very comprehensive. You keep making them, I'll keep watching them!!

[@user-tm2zl6qy4u]

THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE SEEN IN THE WORLD OF DOCUMENTARIES

[@rogercovington5406]

Great detail. Impressed with the data and illustrations/animation.

[@RX552VBK]

An extremely well done and detail examination of the Ohka.

[@user-xc6wd3hb4s]

Very interesting video. Most people are familiar with this missile, but seeing what is inside, and how it worked was fascinating!

[@ronaldbyrne3320]

Best look at the Ohka I have ever seen. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@wolfandrespablo]

Notable trabajo audiovisual , muchas gracias.

[@landtuna3469]

The major failure of the Ohka was in the initial delivery prior to launch. The Betty's were slow and cumbersome carrying the bomb and very easy for the American fighter pilots to knock down. A second problem was the Ohka's warhead which could be expected to fly right through the skin of an American destroyer (as happened with my cousin's ship USS Stanly DD478) without exploding.

[@scriptsmith4081]

The whole idea was insane. By the time they were deployed, overwhelming air superiority and numbers of American carrier-based combat patrols meant the bombers were never going to have a prayer of reaching any but the most peripheral, inconsequential U.S. naval vessels- forget about getting close to a carrier. Talk about defective business models (unless you are into wiping out the cream of your gene pool.)

[@andrewbabcock6989]

Very eloquent video, appreciate the detail that you went into. I was just recently at the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio and they had one of these on display at the end of the World War II collection (MXY7-K1 trainer).

[@matthewwilson5548]

wow, you can tell alot of detailed research went into making this video, thank you Blue Paw. That was very fascinating, to see how the mindset of the Japanese military at the time went into designing a vehicle that was a one way ticket for the pilot.

[@KnoxHarrington]

Fantastic productions. Can't wait to see more. Well done!

[@ReyLaFleur]

There was a panel with screws in the initial test models to be able to cut the prop fuse, later on they welded it shut and eventually removed the bypass completely once they were in service. Mitsubishi has some amazing history/designs

[@uranium_beaver]

Strong research and high production quality. Thank you.

[@impromptu24]

Amazing video!! Great animations, the narrator explained everything and was easy to listen to and such a great topic as well. Great job!

[@58singleman]

Today we would call this a Cruise Missile. A Cruise Missile today is not so very different, except it is flown by a computer system. The German V-1 Buzz Bomb was also a cruise missile. The German V-1 was unmanned and was considered a HIT if it fell into the city limits of London or Amsterdam. The Ohka was a much more precise weapon.

[@sixoffive]

I like the music, it gave the video an ethereal feel which made it more intense.

[@elebeu]

Subscribed and looking forward to many more of these quality, detailed videos.

[@JoeKing-_i_am_not_joking]

Awesome video! Fantastic Animations, nice speaking and very detailed in every aspect. Thank you!

[@WilliamsWings]

This channel is going to blow up. Keep up the good work!

[@user-lu4dt8zr4r]

What a fantastic documentary, it's like sitting in it myself

[@khalee95]

This would be a cool weapon with some ingenuity. A detachable front rocket with its own boost system.

[@leemonky]

It would become an aircraft similar to the Ba349. However, it will not be feasible for the following reasons: ・The 桜花(Ohka) targets naval vessels for attacks. Even if the crew were to survive the attack, there is no range for the rocket-powered aircraft to return to land. In the Allied-controlled waters, there is no means to rescue drifting crew members. Even if there were a miraculous rocket that could return to land, the survival rate would be 0% due to pursuit by carrier-based aircraft. ・The very idea of the Kamikaze was conceived because of the sheer madness of the anti-aircraft fire density in the U.S. fleet's ring formation. Can one calmly calculate the trajectory after being exposed to the intense anti-aircraft fire of the U.S. military, and then hit a target with a single rocket? In a situation where we have lost air superiority to the extent that the capital is under aerial assault, do you think such training would be possible? If such a thing were possible, we Japanese would not have resorted to Kamikaze tactics.

[@Meme_Dealer_Legit]

Well made! This channel is definitely gonna blow up.

[@pocomaxa6692]

Not bad! A lot of details I wouldn't find myself. Thank you!

[@0dayswithoutincident934]

Man, they really took kamikaze to a whole new level.

[@polygonalfortress]

fantastic animation and narration quality! can't wait to see more!

[@Maxley..]

Superb stuff. I'd have loved to see/hear at the end, a brief note on how many were built, how many used and how successful they were. But I understand if you're only concentrating on the 'how it works' aspect. Thank you. I look forward to the next one!

[@BluePawPrint]

Great suggestion. thanks.

[@jackroutledge352]

Fyi, the answer to that question is "not very well". The vast majority of launch attempts were failures, with the Betty bombers being shot down or releasing their Okhas (often with the pilot trapped inside) before they were within range of their targets. The majority of those successfully launched were shot down, with very few reaching their targets. It was a huge waste of resources and brave pilots.

[@Maxley..]

@@jackroutledge352 Thank you. Seeing these craft in such detail makes the whole thing utterly chillng.

[@iain-duncan]

I'd recognize that voice anywhere, Yarnhub! You guys always make items of great quality, looking forward to the future of this channel :)

[@vahoug22]

This was a very interesting and complete explanation. Very well prepared. Graet work ...

[@marklatimer7333]

I love the Health & Safety aspects of the pilot handing the straps retaining the flight levels to someone in the Betty to prevent them causing him injury during the flight, I didn't think the IJ government would be that concerned about compensation litigation?

[@shadowkiller_9303]

Wow, the way you explain is so calming and relaxing, even though your talking about a litteral human missile. This is a great video and I truly can not wait to see more. You earned a sub. Can't wait to see what the future brings for you but if you keep pumping out these videos you will reach 100k by no time.

[@guerillagorilla4423]

I got to see one of these at the RAF museum in London. They even had an Me-163.

[@andymckane7271]

Good video. I've known of the Ohka since less than the age of ten. I also knew that American sailors nicknamed it the Baka Bomb. All the rest of your information is new to me. Thank you for putting this video together! (I recall reading many years ago--somewhere, I don't know where--that there is no known account of an Ohka hitting a U.S. Navy ship. This may have been disinformation, as I probably read it in the late 1950's or early 1960's) Thank you for making this video! Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Hawaii.

[@FrankAndrews_DFA3]

This was a fascinating video and very well done. Thank you.

[@TOPDadAlpha]

Not knowing date of production, I am surprised the entire device was not made of wood. If mid to late date of the war Japan suffered great shortages of raw materials to make metal especially aluminum which is not easy. Great video!!!!

[@weedmanwestvancouverbc9266]

The Axis and the Japanese had an idea at one point to Cripple the aluminum smelters of North America by going in with submarines, going to shore with saboteurs and destroying the power lines leading to the plants. The aluminum in the casks would harden without power flowing to them pretty quickly and would ruin them and make it necessary to completely rebuild them.

[@obsidianjane4413]

This was supposed to be their "wunderwaffe" so they invested as much into them as they could.

[@rafvanraevels]

Please do more of these. Great aviation history!

[@ramonsaezmartinez4765]

Great job! Thanks!

[@Supercruze]

Fascinating depiction of these flying weapons of the Japanese arsenal in WWII. My father served as a young US Navy machinist mate on the USS Gayety, AM239, a Navy minesweeper deployed in and around Okinawa in 1944/45. He told me on several occasions growing up how the Japanese launched one of these Baka bombs against their ship and how the deck gunners on the ship shot the Japanese pilot down despite the speed of the aircraft. Later, reading accounts on-line of the AM239 tells of how the gunfire tore the canopy off the flying bomb and how it tumbled and hit the sea yards from the ship exploding and catching the fantail of the ship on fire. I sometimes think how lucky I am to be here today knowing what could have happened if that bomb had struck the ship my father was serving on in WWII.

[@serronserron1320]

USS Gayety hahahaha navy jokes.

[@Aztesticals]

Hell of a thing to think about. In one second 1 potential future family tree ends while 20- howevermany people that ship had opened up

[@Supercruze]

@@serronserron1320 Jokes aside. Do a Google search on USS Gayety AM239 and read the account of what that ship went through in May 1945 and the sailors that lost their lives defending it. No laughing matter.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

​@@serronserron1320back then Gayety still meant happiness.

[@Mr-Trox]

Your Dad's ship is still afloat! She's the BRP Magat Salamat now, but the Phillipines still use her to this day.

[@Horsefingerandthetaintwrights]

I've seen two of these in person. One at Chino planes of fame, and the other at Kirtland AFB museum. What a crazy way to go. The Betty carrying one of these would have made a hell of a combustible target for an F=6F

[@Mr-Trox]

Very few of the bombers that deployed their Ohkas actually made it home. American air superiority did not screw around.

[@darkshadowgamingii]

The details and animation is very well done!

[@BastiOWL]

Great video! Thank you! Please make more Videos like this! :)

[@Chromatic_Death]

neat, got suggested to me on my home page

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

So damn well made video =)

[@Joopiter-ch8il]

This channel is so good!

[@argsgsgsgnngndg9894]

Interesting how the pilot seat of the Ohka was either the worst or the best place to be in WWII, depending on your point of view.

[@stuartkeen5234]

This is fantastic well presented with brilliant graphics very clear and precise explanation . Very interesting . Well done !!

[@BluePawPrint]

Thank you!

[@vault_cat]

"The first thing the pilot would do is buckle up"😂

[@mondoseguendo6113]

Safety first. Always.

[@pastikamaster1759]

very well made and informative. great job👍

[@ricardosmidt9600]

Thanks for this video.

[@panda2309]

Okha required an excellent pilot, not a beginner. How many good pilots lost their lives in that way ? Very good vidéo, I didn't know that the rockets could be switched on separately.

[@Mr-Trox]

Plenty of the pilots *were* beginners, or at the very least, untested by combat. By 1944, when these were starting to be put into production, a lot of Japan's best pilots had been shot down or sunk with their carriers. They didn't have the incredibly simple thought that the US did, of just rotating your vets back home to train your newbies. The Battle of The Phillipine Sea, or "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" happened precisely because of this.

[@broc0li3s96]

This was a very nice video for your first one really, my only complaint is about not showing the data in metric system too. A good portion of the viewers, like me, don't know how to use that shit, and we lose a big part of the experience. Other than that, this was nice, keep it up!

[@citizenx2369]

Wow. That was intense.

[@greyjamiesod4989]

Amazing. Thank you.

[@Enzo_Gaming00]

Great love it but it seems some of the segments were out of order

[@rawpax6723]

Me: "hmmm what should I watch today" KZbin: "Here's the detailed breakdown of the inner workings of a death machine"

[@nigelconnor6960]

Great graphics, thanks! 💥!

[@zacharyscott1264]

Good video as people are saying. Well done, thorough explanation, wonderful animations. 1. Please include the combat history as to the vehicle’s effectiveness and combat track record 2. Consider doing one of these videos on a tank from WW2. You could break down each crew members responsibilities and a tiger tank video would generate a lot of views. Thanks for the video !!

[@whathell7]

Thought it was stolen, sounds like yarnhb voice. It is.

[@thetruecrimeshow6882]

I agree especially with #1. I wonder how many times this was done, how many US lives were lost to these.

[@Mr-Trox]

​​@@thetruecrimeshow6882 Not many. The Ohka only actually sunk one ship, the Allen M. Sumner class destroyer, Mannert L. Abele, the attack which this video actually simulates. The Ohka did cause the Allen M Sumner class Hugh W. Hadley to be declared beyond repair, but she still managed to make it back to base with 28 deaths and 67 wounded from the entire day's action, which included a bomb hit, 2 Kamikaze strikes, and the Ohka. The only other credible Ohka attack that caused casualties was against the Robert H. Smith class destroyer mine layer, USS Shea, where the Ohka pilot hit the bridge, going clean through before exploding harmlessly in the water. It caused the deaths of 35 men and 91 wounded. The rest of the Ohka's service record is spotty at best, but the only four other ships it hit were the Gleaves Class destroyer, USS Jeffers, which withdrew from battle from the damage, and the transports USS Alpine, Achernar and Tyrell. All 4 of which survived World War 2 and weren't scrapped until the 60s or 70s, with Achernar being transferred to Spain in 1965 before being scrapped in 1982.

[@anactualalpaca7016]

I sat inside one of these at a museum when I was about 13. Had all the gauges and stuff inside it still even. one of the coolest day of my youth, easily

[@AGabaldoni]

Great video! Great information! Many thanks!

[@alainrac56]

Very interesting video, and awsome virtual images...very good job!

[@ijnzuikaku5269]

My Grandfather grew up in Kumano and Kure, Hiroshima Ken before and during the war. While he himself had nothing to do with Ohkas, he wasn't even an aviator himself, he did meet a Gunner, I dont know the exact position, of a G4M2e which carried MXY-7s after the war. One thing often overlooked by the many Stories told by the victors of the war is the marginal successes our crews sometimes had aswell. The G4M2e was equipped with three A-Band and one B-Band radar antennas for forward, left and right sides. This, according to what I was told by my Grandfather, removed the need for Scoutplanes or Submarines to find the hostile Fleet. The G4M2e was also up-engined, featured armor plating at the wing roots, engine cowlings and parts of the fuselage, aswell as foam-inducing Fuel tanks and up-gunned defensive armament. The friend of my Grandfather is not alive anymore today, but on one of their sorties, while not being successful with the Ohka drop, their Aircraft was one of only 4 Aircraft to return after a 12 Plane strike attempt. They returned while claiming a "Wildcat", most likely an FM-2 variant, and two "Grummans" which was how we called the Hellcats. I study Japanology with focus on the Pacific War at the University of Hiroshima ind Japan and its partner University of Hamburg, Germany. I enjoy your content! Please do think about covering some, perhaps forgotten, Japanese Victories. Such as the successful defense of Kure in March and April 1945, where the 343rd scored a positive kill ratio against US Air Wings attacking Motoyama, Matsuyama and Kure Naval Arsenal! :)

[@flyingtigerline]

731

[@HW.0029]

Did you learn about Nanking ? Or is it just an “incident”

[@joeh5538]

​@@user-uu6pk8cu7x731

[@Yuubarium]

​@@flyingtigerline流石に知ってるよ、そのコメントはどんな意図だい？

[@vvv2569]

Реванша хочешь, маленький любитель японских побед?

[@konekillerking]

Some of the better expiation of this system I've seen. Some of the words in the narrative were pronounce in non-stand forms, but that can be addressed and updated. You might have an American and British viewer take a listen with you. Look forward for future videos.

[@oduffy1939]

They're using a text-to-speech program which is why the occasional odd pronunciation.

[@michaelcarpenter4065]

Beautifully done with great narration!

[@akashmohan999]

Takes great bravery to do this

[@nesvarog14]

Muy interesante, gracias por el video.