Page 248 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

not remember the number of that order, but it bore the letter Hei), in the event of war—war
with the Soviet Union was meant—the cattle, of which there were large quantities in the
North Khingan Province, were to be evacuated to the east of the Greater Khingan Mts. and, if
this should prove impossible, were to be destroyed.

On receiving this order, I went alone to Hailar, where I placed myself at Captain Asao's
disposal and worked as a member of the group until September 1944.

In September, a coded telegram was received, ordering Captain Asao to make his first
report on the work done by the group. I proceeded with Captain Asao to Detachment 100,
where he made the report to General Wakamatsu, Chief of the detachment. I was not present
when the report was made. At this time Captain Asao was notified of his transfer to Tokyo,
presumably to the veterinary school, and on his return to Hailar, he proceeded to Tokyo at
once. After he left, I was appointed chief of the special group, the survey group. The
following year, 1945, in the month of March, I proceeded to the city of Changchun to make a
second report. I made the report to Major General Wakamatsu, Chief of Detachment 100,
reviewing all the work done by the group. Lieutenant Colonel Osaka and researcher Ida were
present. I drew up the report in writing, and illustrated it with maps and charts. Detachment
Chief Major General Wakamatsu and Lieutenant Colonel Osaka took me along with them to
the KwantungArmy Headquarters, where they ordered me to make the report to Lieutenant
General Takahashi, Chief of the Veterinary Administration, which I did in his office. Shortly
after I had made the rep'ort I returned to Hailar, carrying with me instructions from
detachment chief Major General Wakamatsu to purchase cattle in Hailar. The cattle were to
be purchased through Manchukuo government agencies. I was to receive the cattle from the
Hailar Branch of the Agricultural Livestock Company. A member of the detachment named
Hayashi came from Changchun bringing with him 80,000 yen, and we bought 500 sheep, as
well as horses and cows to the number of 90 or 100 each. I knew from what detachment chief
Major General Wakamatsu had told me that these animals were intended for sabotage
purposes, that is, they were to be infected and used for spreading epizootic diseases.

Question: With what bacteria were these cattle to be infected?

Answer: I did not hear what bacteria they were to be infected with, but I presume it was
anthrax, glanders and cattle plague.

The purchased cattle were despatched to a place 80 kilometres northwest of Hailar, and
were kept there until Japan's surrender. When making my report to detachment chief Major
General Wakamatsu in March 1945, I had told him that there were about one and a half
million head of cattle in the North Khingan Province. He told me then that in the event of
war, the cattle were to be infected with disease with the help of aircraft, and that the special
sabotage squad which was to carry out this operation would be formed either by Detachment
100, or by the Kwantung Army Headquarters independently.

Question: And so, accused Hirazakura, have I understood you rightly, that beginning from
March 1944, you were a member of a reconnaissance group which made a bacteriological
reconnaissance of areas bordering on the Soviet Union, with a view to the waging of active
bacteriological operations in the event of war with the Soviet Union. Is that correct?

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