Page 88 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

| Answer: Lieutenant General Kajitsuka, Chief of the Medical Administration, and
Lieutenant General Takahashi Takaatsu, Chief of the Veterinary Administration, reported on
the main phases of their work directly to Commanderin-Chief Yamada.

Question: How often dM Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army Yamada visit the
Ishii Detachment?

Answer: I remember well that soon after his arrival in Manchuria, which was in July 1944,
Commander-in-Chief Yamada visited the Ishii Detachment in Harbin, where he held an
inspection of the detachment, but upon his return to Changchun Yamada did not share the
details of his inspection with anyone, and I know nothing about it.

Question: What do you know about the destruction of the laboratories of detachments 731
and 100?

Answer: On August 9 or 10, 1945, in connection with the beginning of military operations,
Commander-in-Chief Yamada took a decision to destroy all the laboratories and valuable
equipment for cultivating bacteria, to prevent these scientific laboratories from falling into the
hands of the Soviet Army; Colonel Kusaji, my subordinate, drafted an order concerning the
destruction of the above-mentioned detachments and about the evacuation of the personnel of
these detachments to the city of Seoul (South Korea). On that same day the order was signed
by Commander-in-Chief Yamada and was sent to the chiefs of detachments 731 and 100 for
fulfilment.

The order of the Commander-in-Chief was the basis on which Lieutenant General Ishii and
Major General Wakamatsu received the assistance of local sapper detachments to blow up
and destroy the above-mentioned detachments.

Question: Was laboratory equipment of these bacteriological detachments also shipped to
Korea?

Answer: I find it difficult to answer this question since the statements said nothing about
this, all the more since no report about the results of the evacuation of these detachments to
Korea was received at the Kwantung Army Headquarters. In all likelihood the most valuable
bacteriological equipment of detachments 731 and 100 was shipped to South Korea.

Taken down correctly from my words, the record has been read to me in Japanese, in
confirmation of which I affix my signature.

Matsumura

INTERROGATOR

Member of the staff

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