Smithsonian Networks, a partnership between Showtime Networks Inc. and The Smithsonian Institution, reveals never-before-seen footage of Japanese kamikaze training. Conceived by the Japanese in a frantic effort to avoid defeat during the final months of World War II, suicide attackes resulted in more than 150 allied ships damaged and more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed. Although ultimately unsuccessful, the strategy was an effective demoralizing campiagn that left American troops uneasy. "Day of the Kamikaze" documents the origins of kamikaze battle and shares eyewitness acocounts of the biggest and bloodiest suiceide attack over two days in 1945, when the Japanese launched "Operation Heaven" against the allied fleet in the Pacific. Another CD, "Eyewitness Kamikaze," shares personal stories of young WWII crewmen under kamikaze attack. Each program is available separately and runs for approximately 2 hours. Launch date: November 11, 2008.
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