Page 247 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

All the necessary apparatus and material were sent to Changchun, the transportation being
directed by Sub-Lieutenant Kaneda.

The experiments under field conditions were conducted in the North Khingan Province, in
the Tryokhrechye area, on the banks of the river Derbul, which flows near the Soviet border.
The purpose of these experiments was to test the possibility of employing bacteria in the
event Question: Which bacteria exactly?

Answer: The river and lakes were infected with glanders, and the ground with anthrax.

Question: Which river?

Answer: River Derbul, near the Soviet border. Tracts about a kilometre long were
contaminated. The contamination was effected at definite intervals, approximately 100 metres
apart. The contamination was done by researchers Mitsuda and Ida Kiyoshi, who used rubber
boats for the purpose. How they scattered the bacteria, I do not know.

Question: Incidentally, accused Hirazakura, this is the river Derbul that falls into the
Argun, which is contiguous with Soviet territory, is it not?

Answer: Yes, that is so. River Derbul falls into a river which flows along the Soviet-
Manchurian border.

Question: And it was this river Derbul which was contaminated with glanders germs, is
that so?

Answer: Yes, that is so.

Question: Will you now tell us about the next expedition in which you took part? I am
referring to the 1944 expedition.

Answer: In April 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Osaka, Chief of the 2nd Division, summoned
me and took me to the office of General Wakamatsu, the detachment chief, where I was
informed of an order assigning me to take part in an expedition. The expedition was to
consist of seven men, and was to be commanded by Captain Asao, but one of the group took
sick, and I was appointed in his place. I was warned that the expedition was secret, and that it
was going to the North Khingan Province. I was given two documents to read and was told
that I would receive detailed instructions and explanations from Captain Asao on the spot.

One of the documents was an order which said that the group's mission was to investigate
areas of the North Khingan Province and determine the total number of cattle in these areas.
The cattle in these areas roamed freely in pastures, and our task was to make a survey'of the
cattle, pastures, water sources, roads and cattle diseases.

This order was a top-secret one, or as it was marked, a "military secret." It said that, in
pursuance of an operations order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army (I do

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