The Japanese were best-known for the "special attack", but Germany also had a unit devoted to body-crashing, the Sonderkommando Elbe.

Their mission: ram their planes, usually the Messerschmitt Bf 109, into attacking British and American heavy bombers. They would then hope to bail out, thus surviving their attack. The unit had only been formed for a short time before the surrender, and only flew one mission, on April 7th, 1945. 15 US bombers were attacked, with eight successfully destroyed.

It was also not unheard of for pilots of all nations to crash stricken planes into targets all throughout the war. Either because they knew they would never get home due to injuries or damage or something less high-minded (they messed up an attack run), the pages of WWII are littered with such acts.

Indeed, Henderson Field, the central feature of Guadalcanal, and thus arguably the entire Pacific War, was named after Major Lofton Henderson, a Marine pilot who supposedly crashed his dive bomber into a Japanese carrier at the Battle of Midway.

The Kamikaze, however, were a different case indeed. In effect institutionalized suicide in defense of the nation, only at the very beginning could it have been considered a case of nigh-on religious fervor. The first batches of special attack pilots were volunteers... indeed, Vice-Admiral Takijiro Onishii, the father of the Kamikaze units, was only allowed to accept volunteers. However, even the leader of that first batch, Lt Yukio Seki, said in a newspaper interview "Japan's future is bleak if it is forced to kill one of its best pilots. I am not going on this mission for the Emperor or for the Empire... I am going because I was ordered to."

As more and more Kamikaze were used, more and more were "volunteered" with varying levels of enthusiasm. Their recruitment consisted of a note with the following question printed upon it: "Do you desire earnestly/wish/do not wish to be involved in kamikaze attacks?" They then had to sign their name. Those rare few who didn't answer "yes" still wound up volunteered for the honor.

In fact, many of the pilots did want to serve, but not necessarily "for the Emperor." Many did so believing they were protecting their families and loved ones from the horrors of defeat and depredation at American hands.

Most believed it was their duty. They were neither brainwashed nor oblivious to fear. They were human beings who believed their sacrifice would make a difference.

Other sources: Blossoms in the Wind, MG Sheftall

Kamikaze Diaries, Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney