Page 64 - Unit 731

APPENDIX
Events Timeline

17 June 1925
Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare signed in Geneva, Switzerland
June 1927
Shirō Ishii receives Doctor of Medicine degree from Kyoto Imperial University, Japan
April 1928–April 1930
Shirō Ishii conducts field research in Europe and America on biochemical warfare
1932
Shirō Ishii promoted to army surgeon lieutenant-commander
5 July 1932
Japan Ministry of War permits the Army Medical School to set up Bacteria Research Center with Shirō Ishii as key member of the team researching biochemical weapons
8 December 1932
The Ministry of War of Japan approves an investment of ￥ 208,989 on the expansion of Disease Prevention Research Center in the Army Medical School
April 1933
Bacteria Research Center set up in the temporary shelter for sick horses of the Kanto Army, marking 100th Division of the Kanto Army preparations for biochemical warfare
August 1933
The Disease Prevention Center of the Ministry of War of Japan secretly moves to Xuanhua Street in Harbin. Bacteria Experiment Center established in Beiyinhe of Wuchang city. Often known as the Kamo
Unit and the Ishii Unit, the pre-cursor of Unit 731
23 September 1934
Large-scale escape from Beiyinhe Bacteria Experiment Center organised by Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army reveals the existence of human experimentation
1 August 1935
Shirō Ishii promoted to army surgeon lieutenant-colonel
1936
The Kamo Unit begins surveying Pingfang area for construction of large-scale headquarters for biochemical warfare
25 June 1936
The Epidemic Prevention department of the Kanto Army formed on the official establishment date for Unit 731
1937
Kamo Unit begins invention of bacteria bombs
30 June 1938
Kanto Army headquarters announce order no. 1539 ‘Regarding creation of Special Military Zone around Pingfang’ of 120 square kilometres including Pingfang, Japanese Air Force Unit 8372, Unit 731, and
other areas. Residents are forced to move out or restricted
1939
Basic facilities and laboratories of Pingfang Special Military Zone completed. Kamo Unit moves into the Special Military Zone, its former site now used by the Third Division
18 April 1939
Nanjing Rong Unit 1644 established
Guangzhou Bo Unit 8604 established
7 July 1939
Headquarters of Kanto Army announce command no. 78 Mobilising Unit 731 for the battles of Khalkhin Gol in Hailar district. Initial use of biochemical warfare by Unit 731 including deploying cholera,
typhoid fever, and shigella to pollute river water
23 March 1940
The ‘Northern China Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department’ formed, also known as the Beijing ‘A’ Unit no. 1855
29 April 1940
Kamo Unit Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department and the Fourteenth Division of Army Surgeons publish ‘Guidelines for All Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Departments’
rules of general operation, arrangement, duties, and mission
June–November 1940
Unit 731 conducts experiments on plague prevention and field experiments in Changchun and Nongan County
25 July 1940
Kanto Army headquarters issue command no. 659, and its Expeditionary Army Group begins transport of materials for biochemical warfare to Unit 731
26 July 1940
Kanto Expeditionary Army Group announces command no. 178: Harbin, Shenyang, and Jinzhou start transporting materials to Unit 731
1 August 1940
Kanto Epidemic Prevention renamed Kanto Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department
4 October 1940
Japanese Army starts biochemical warfare in Quzhou, Zhejiang by air drops of bacteria-infected siphonaptera, wheat, yellow beans, cloth, cotton, and other materials. Plague spreads widely in Quzhou,
Zhejang
22 October 1940
Japanese Army launches biochemical warfare in Ningbo, Zhejiang by dropping bacteria-infected siphonaptera, wheat, flour, and other materials by air. Plague spreads in Ningbo, Zhejiang
27–28 October 1940
Japanese Army starts biochemical warfare in Jinhua, Zhejiang, plague spreads in Jinhua and Yiwu, Zhejiang
2 December 1940
Kanto Army Commander Yoshijirō Umezu gives approval for the Kanto Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department to set up sub-branches at Hailar, Sunwu, Linkou, and Mudanjijang
1941