Editing Human wave attack (section)

===Imperial Japanese Army===
[[File:GuadNakagumaMatanikauDeadJapanese.jpg|thumb|Dead Japanese soldiers lie on the beach after a failed [[banzai charge]] during the [[Guadalcanal campaign|Battle of Guadalcanal]], 1942]]
The [[Imperial Japanese Army]] was known for its use of human wave attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/banzai-cliff-site-hundreds-suicides-end-battle-saipan-mm.html|title=Banzai Cliff was the Site of Hundreds of Suicides at the Battle of Saipan|first=Holly|last=Godbey|date=5 September 2017|website=Warhistoryonline.com|access-date=22 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/japan-plans-final-push-to-bring-home-its-war-dead/a-19197835|title=Japan plans final push to bring home its war dead - Asia - DW - 19.04.2016|website=Dw.com|access-date=22 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ON65DQAAQBAJ&q=human+wave+attacks+banzai+charges&pg=PA643|title=Global Americans|first1=Maria|last1=Montoya|first2=Laura A.|last2=Belmonte|first3=Carl J.|last3=Guarneri|first4=Steven|last4=Hackel|first5=Ellen|last5=Hartigan-O'Connor|date=5 October 2016|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=9781337101127|access-date=22 November 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6rvlCAAAQBAJ&q=banzai+charges+units&pg=PA117|title=The Routledge History of Genocide|first1=Cathie|last1=Carmichael|first2=Richard C.|last2=Maguire|date=1 May 2015|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=9781317514848|access-date=22 November 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref> There were even specialized units who were trained in this type of assault.

The charge was used successfully in the [[Russo-Japanese War]] and the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]], where the highly disciplined Japanese soldiers were fighting against enemies with comparatively lower discipline and without many automatic weapons such as machine guns, oftentimes outnumbering them as well. In such instances, a determined charge could break into the enemy lines and win the day. The effectiveness of such strategies in China made them a standard tactic for the Imperial Japanese Army. These tactics became mostly known to Western audiences during the [[Pacific War]], where Japanese forces used this approach against Allied forces. However, Allied forces drastically outnumbered the Japanese, and they were equipped with a very high number of automatic weapons. They also consisted of well-trained forces who would quickly adapt to Japanese charges. If the Allied forces could establish a defensive perimeter, their superior firepower would often result in crippling Japanese casualties and a failure of the attack. The Japanese battle-cry "Banzai" led to this form of charge being called the "[[Banzai charge]]" by the Allied forces.

In addition to its strategic use by Japanese military forces, the frequency of its use has been explained, in part, as Japanese troops adhering to their traditional [[Bushido]] honor code that viewed surrender as shameful or unacceptable, whereas the bravery of a human wave charge, even if suicidal, was an honorable choice. These banzai charges by Japanese soldiers against Allied troops equipped with machine guns, light mortars, semi-automatic rifles and sub-machine guns were often ineffective in altering the outcome of a battle, but American troops later reported severe psychological pressure from defending against these out-gunned human waves.