The pilots who could prove that their return was caused by conditions outside of their control were neither punished nor looked down upon. … Even so, this had a limit as seen with one pilot who returned 9 times from his Kamikaze mission. He would be executed on his 9th return for cowardice.
Did kamikaze pilots have a choice?
While there certainly were those who were willing to volunteer to die for emperor and country, and many more willing to die in this way simply because they felt, somewhat correctly, that they were the last line of defense to protect their families and friends at home, in truth many seem to have simply been pressured …
What percentage of kamikaze pilots died?
Approximately 2,800 kamikaze pilots died during the war, according to US estimates. They managed to hit targets around 14% of the time, sinking 34 Navy ships and damaging 368 others. They killed around 4,900 sailors and injured 4,800. These facts about kamikaze pilots are only part of the story, however.