• General_Effort@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 months ago

    There were a small number of kamikaze attacks against Oder bridges in conventional planes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_Squadron#Oder_bridge_attack_missions,_April_1945

    There also was a squadron of conventional fighters dedicated to fly ramming attacks against bombers, which was used. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonderkommando_Elbe

    Eventually, these tactics are not that crazy. In war, lives and machines are expended to reach a goal. If some tactics seem crazy, then only because that fundamental fact is harder to ignore.

    • napoleonsdumbcousin
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 months ago

      I think it is important to add, that, in contrast to japanese tactics, the german pilots were not necessarily expected to die. It was “just” extremely risky and a bunch of them did actually survive.

      The pilots were expected to parachute out either just before or after they had collided with their target.

      • General_Effort@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        The fighter pilots ramming bombers were expected to bail out. There were survivors.

        The pilots of the Leonidas squadron were expected to “self-sacrifice” in their attacks on bridges. They faced rather less social pressure than Japanese pilots, though.