Page 60 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

While going through a six-month medical training course at Branch 162, I, with the other
trainees,under the direction of Chief of the lst Section, Major Hosoya, paid special attention
to the study of bacteriology.

On completing the course, I, in a group of servicemen under the command of Sergeant
Hyodo Yoshitake, was sent to Detachment 731 to take part in the testing of bacteria bombs.
These tests were called "manoeuvres."

While in Detachment 731, before leaving for the district where the tests were to be made, I
learned from the members of the detachment that the germs of severe infectious diseases
cultivated here on a mass scale were forcibly tested on living people of Russian and Chinese
nationality, who were imprisoned by the detachment.

Here, too, I learned that I was to take part in tests to ascertain the possibility of
disseminating fleas and infecting localities with them with the aid of aircraft.

From October 6 to 30, 1944, I took part in these manoeuvres near the village of Wutung,
guarding the premises in which the testing staff was housed.

Furthermore, I took part in counting the fleas that were caught in boxes placed about in an
area of 2 sq. km. after the porcelain bombs containing these fleas and dropped from an
aeroplane had exploded.

On November 2, 1944, I arrived back in Branch 162 and was appointed to work in the
bacteriological laboratory of the lst Section, where I performed the duties of a probationer
laboratory assistant.

Here, under the direction of Senior Sergeant Kan Yutaka and of Chief of the lst Section,
Major of the Medical Service Hosoya, I planted the germs of tuberculosis, typhoid and
paratyphoid in media, prepared laboratory test tubes, regulated the temperature in the
incubators for cultivating bacteria, and so forth.

Furthermore, on two occasions (for a period of seven days on each occasion) I went out
into the fields to catch rodents. I caught a total of 300 such rodents, which were later sent to
Detachment 731 to be used for the purpose of making bacteriological weapons.

I plead guilty to having, in all my practical activities in Detachment 731 and in its Branch
162, participated in the manufacture of bacteriological weapons for the wholesale
extermination of human beings; I ask you to take into consideration, however, that in taking
part in the performance of this crime, I was obeying the orders of the Japanese Military
Command.

This record of my statement is correct and was read to me in Japanese.

Kurushima

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