Page 51 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

RECORD OF INTERROGATION
OF ACCUSED SATO SHUNJI

December 6, 1949 City of Khabarovik

The interrogation is conducted through interpreter K o r n i 1 o v, who was warned of his
liability to prosecution under Art. 95 of the Criminal Code of the R.S.F.S.R.

Signed: Kornilov

Question: By the order of December 5, 1949, you are charged under Art. 1 of the Decree of
the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. of April 19, 1943. Do you understand
the points of the charge, and do you plead guilty to the charge?

Answer: The points of the charge brought against me are clear. I fully plead guilty to the
charges brought against me under Art. 1 of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the U.S.S.R. of April 19, 1943. My guilt lies in that I did, indeed, from December
1941 to February 1943, direct the activities of the Canton Detachment Nami 8604 and from
February 1943 to March 1944, I also directed the activities of the Nanking Detachment Ei
1644. Both these detachments engaged in devising and producing on a mass scale lethal
bacteria to be used as weapons against the Chinese forces and civilian population. . . . The
Nanking Detachment Ei 1644, jointly with Bacteriological Detachment 731 of the Japanese
Kwantung Army, took a direct part in employing bacteriological weapons against the Chinese
forces and local inhabitants during the military operations of the Japanese troops. . . .

As Chief of Detachment Ei 1644, I directed the detachment's work in devising
bacteriological weapons and producing them on a mass scale. For this purpose, the Nanking
Detachment Ei 1644 was supplied with high-capacity equipment and with bacteriological
experts and it produced lethal bacteria on a mass scale. It is true that under my direction, the
Training Division of the Nanking Detachment Ei 1644 every year trained about 300
bacteriologists with the object of employing them in bacteriological warfare. From March
1944 onwards, as Chief of the Medical Service of the 5th Army of the Japanese Kwantung
Army, I rendered Branch 643 of Detachment 731 active assistance and support in increasing
the output of bacteriological material.

With this object, in May 1945 I issued a special order to the units of the 5th Army to catch
rodents, which were needed for the production of bacteriological weapons, and to send them
to Branch 643 of Detachment 731.

Question: Precise your testimony as regards the output capacity of the Nanking
Detachment Ei 1644 and its technical equipment.

Answer: The output capacity of the Nanking Detachment Ei 1644 for the production of
lethal bacteria was up to 10 kilograms per production cycle. To produce this quantity of
bacteria, Detachment Ei 1644 had the following equipment: Ishii cultivators, about 200;

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