Banzai charge or Banzai attack (Japanese: バンザイ突撃 or 万歳突撃, romanized: banzai totsugeki) is the term that was used by the Allied forces of World War II to refer to Japanese human wave attacks and swarming staged by infantry units.[1][2] This term came from the Japanese battle cry tennōheika banzai (天皇陛下万歳, transl. "long live His Majesty the Emperor"), and was shortened to banzai, specifically referring to the tactic used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War. This tactic was used when the Japanese commanders of infantry battalions foresaw that a battle was about to be lost, as a last ditch effort in thwarting Allied forces.[3][4]
- ^ Godbey, Holly (5 September 2017). "Banzai Cliff, The Site of Hundreds of Suicides at the End of the Battle of Saipan". War History Online. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ Ryall, Julian (19 April 2016). "Japan plans final push to bring home its war dead". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ "Banzai Attack: Saipan". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ "8: Legendary Battle Cries". www.history.com. Retrieved 2021-12-15.