Watch rare footage of a Kamikaze attack caught on film

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By Tim Kirkpatrick

Kamikaze pilots struck fear in the hearts of allied troops as they conducted their nose-dives right into U.S. ships during World War II’s Pacific fight.

Reportedly, the first kamikaze operation of the war occurred during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines.

After a mission had been planned, the pilots of the “Special Attack Corps” received a slip of paper with three options: to volunteer out of a strong desire, to simply volunteer, or to decline.

Related: This video shows rare footage from an actual Vietcong ambush

On Apr. 6, 1944, Marines and sailors aboard Naval vessels located in the Pacific were going about their regular workday knowing the enemy was planning something soon — something big.

On the nearby island, the Japanese gathered every operational plane remaining in their arsenal. Many of the Kamikaze pilots were inexperienced but highly devoted to the Empire.