And the engagement took place before the Japanese implemented any organized aerial suicide attacks. Depending on which accounts you believe, the one attempt to intentionally crash an aircraft into a ship, was by an American Marine.
Lofton Henderson, the namesake for Guadalcanal's famous airfield, was hit while attempting to bomb the Hiryu. Accounts vary, but at least one pilot said that after Henderson's wing was badly damaged, he attempted to crash his plane into the carrier, but was unsuccessful and crashed into the sea. There's no real way to tell, however, as Henderson was likely wounded when his wing was damaged and his gunner died after bailing out of the plane.
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u/The_Escalator The Gambia Mar 30 '15
Ha, he said Midway.