Page 195 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

A long interval was allowed to pass after the bombs had been dropped in order that the
fleas might spread and infect the experimentees. These people were then disinfected and
taken back by plane to the inner prison at Pingfan Station, where observation was established
over them to ascertain whether they had been infected with plague.

About the result of these experiments I ought to say the following. I was told by Colonel
Oota, who was in charge of the tests, that the experiment did not yield good results. This was
due to the high temperature, the great heat, owing to which the fleas were very sluggish. That
is all I can say about this experiment.

Question: Who drew up the order for this experiment?

Answer: The order was drawn up by the Chief of the 2nd Division. I, as Chief of the
General Division, that is, the secretariat of the detachment, acquainted myself with the order
and submitted it for endorsement to the Chief of the detachment. The Chief of the detachment
endorsed the order.

Question: What germs were tested most frequently on the proving ground?

Answer: Plague germs.

Question: Do you confirm the testimony you gave at the preliminary investigation to the
effect that the bacteriological weapon was employed against China? ^4 Answer: I do.

Question: Will you tell us about the expeditions to China?

Answer: I shall first speak of the period when I myself was serving with Detachment 731.
In this period, there was one instance in 1941 and another in 1942 when Detachment 731
expeditions employed lethal germs as a weapon against Chinese troops in Central China.

Question: Continue your testimony.

Answer: The first instance, as I have said, was in the summer of 1941. One day, Colonel
Oota, Chief of the 2nd Division, told me that he was going to Central China and said good-
bye to me. Some time after his return he told me that plague fleas had been dropped from
aircraft on the Chinese in the area of the city of Changteh, near Lake Tung Ting Hu, in
Central China. This, in effect, was a bacteriological attack, which was the term he used.

After this, Colonel Oota made a report to Chief of Detachment 731 Ishii, at which I was
present, to theeffect that the Detachment 731 expedition had dropped plague fleas from an
aeroplane in the Changteh area, and that an outbreak of plague epidemic had resulted, a
number of persons being stricken with the disease, but how many, I do not know.

Question: How many members of Detachment 731 took part in this expedition?

Answer: About 40 or 50.

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