During the Pacific War (1944–1945), Japan unleashed over 3,800 kamikaze suicide pilots, deliberately crashing explosive-laden planes into U.S. Navy ships to counter overwhelming American air and naval power. The tactic began officially on the 25th of October 1944 at Leyte Gulf and peaked during the Battle of Okinawa, where 1,465 kamikaze strikes sank 47 Allied vessels and damaged nearly 400 more, killing almost 5,000 U.S. sailors. Ships like USS Bunker Hill and HMS Formidable absorbed direct hit