Why Did Japan Create the Baka Bomb? The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Explained | WWII Uncoded

Welcome to WWII Uncoded. In this deep-dive documentary, we uncode the complete story of the Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka, the only purpose-built rocket-powered kamikaze aircraft ever created, revealing the desperate innovation, forgotten personal stories, and the technological gamble that nearly changed the balance of power in the Pacific War.
Main Body (Keywords Woven Throughout):
It started with a single transport pilot's desperate idea. By 1944, Japan faced overwhelm from Allied naval firepower. Naval officer Ensign Mitsuo Ohta conceived an aircraft designed for one mission alone: to become a human-guided missile—a flying bomb packed with explosives and piloted by a man willing to sacrifice everything. In this documentary, we explore the complete history of the Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (Cherry Blossom)—called the "Baka Bomb" by American sailors, where Baka means "fool" or "idiot" in Japanese.
Discover how Japanese engineers at Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal transformed Ohta's initial sketches into 755 operational aircraft built in just six months. Learn about the complex rocket propulsion system designed to launch this aircraft at speeds exceeding 600 mph—faster than almost any fighter of its era. Witness the first combat deployment on March 21, 1945, when 16 Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers carried Ohkas toward the American fleet, only to be intercepted in one of the war's most dramatic air engagements.
Experience the Battle of Okinawa through primary accounts and declassified records as the Ohka scored its first successes on April 1, 1945, damaging the battleship USS West Virginia. On April 12, an Ohka pilot guided his aircraft into the destroyer USS Mannert L. Abele, breaking the vessel in half and becoming the first Allied ship sunk by this revolutionary weapon.
We examine the Ohka's fatal weakness: limited range that forced vulnerable mother aircraft within striking distance of American defenses. We analyze why advanced variants—the Model 22 with a jet engine and planned submarine-launched versions—never entered combat. And we explore what happened to surviving Ohkas, many preserved today in museums worldwide as testaments to Japan's final desperate gamble.
This is the untold story of an aircraft engineered to challenge an empire, piloted by men trained in sacrifice, and ultimately overshadowed by history's larger narrative. But the Ohka's technological legacy—the first human-guided anti-ship missile—echoes into the modern era of precision weaponry.

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Disclaimer:
This documentary is created for educational purposes, exploring historical events with respect and accuracy. WWII Uncoded adheres to all YouTube Community Guidelines and does not glorify war, violence, or suicide. We honor the sacrifice of all those who served and died in World War Two, regardless of nation or cause. This content respects the dignity of historical figures and victims while analyzing military history with scholarly integrity. All information presented is based on verified primary and secondary sources, declassified military records, and established historical scholarship.
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