Kamikaze attack in World War II. Japanese kamikaze aircraft (upper right) burning in the sky after it was hit by gunfire while attempting to crash into the USS Vicksburg (CL-86) off Okinawa on 14 May 1945. The USS Vicksburg was a light cruiser of the US Navy. This view is from the ship's forward superstructure, with the foremast yardarm in the foreground. At right is part of the antenna for an SK-1 air search radar. Kamikaze attacks were suicide attacks carried out by Japanese pilots flying specially adapted aircraft carrying a combination of explosives, bombs, torpedoes and full fuel tanks. They were designed to destroy warships more effectively than was possible with conventional attacks.