CINCPOA Press Release No. 87
For Immediate Release
April 25, 1945
In the Okinawa campaign the enemy has attempted the use of rocket-propelled suicide bombs against our forces. These weapons, which are similar to a small single‑seat airplane, carry a pilot and are generally launched from the underside of the fuselage of a bomber. They have a wingspan of about sixteen feet, a length of more than 19 feet, and a tail plane of about eight feet. Constructed of light metals and wood, these bombs carry a heavy warhead of explosives. They are capable of high speed which reduces their qualities of maneuverability to a low point. The enemy has used them in limited numbers in the Okinawa operation up to this date, offering little opportunity for observation of their powers or effects. U.S. forces have designated these missiles by the term “baka bomb.” “Baka” Is Japanese meaning “stupid,” “foolish,” or “silly.”