human bullet; suicide attacker; human-wave attack
Figurative term for a person used as a living projectile in a desperate assault. Often appears in compounds like 肉弾戦 (close-quarters combat using bodies) or 肉弾攻撃 (human-wave attack). Originates from the title of a novel by Tadayoshi Sakurai.
See also: 肉弾戦
They charged into the enemy camp as human bullets.
Many casualties resulted from the hand-to-hand combat.
hand-to-hand combat; close-quarters fighting
Compound of 肉 (flesh) and 弾 (bullet). The term was popularized by the title of a novel by Tadayoshi Sakurai, and it is used figuratively to describe human-wave or suicide attacks.