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        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
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Types of Biological Weapons from Unit 731

3/25/2022

2 Comments

 
by Evan Thompson
Picture
As mentioned in the previous post, Shiro Ishii strongly believed that biological weapons were the future of warfare. Unsurprisingly, Ishii’s doctrine resulted in extensive weapons experimentation, with various ways to deliver dangerous cultures such as bubonic plague and other virulent bacteria. One such weapon came in the form of the “Mark 7” Bomb. More details about the bomb were in declassified American documents. For example, notebooks from professors captured on Kwajalein Atoll contained information regarding a “Special Bomb Mark 7.” Another notebook belonged to a Japanese flying trainee. Otokichi also contained information relating to a “Special Mark 7  Bacillus Bomb.”
A US Military Intelligence publication stated that the Japanese Army and Navy both had different types of bombs. The publication found that the Japanese Naval Air Force had listed a 10 kilogram (kg) Mark 7 Bacterial Bomb, describing it as “‘a glass germ bomb for dropping in water reservoirs and cities.’” A typed order from the Secretary of the Navy Shigetaro Shimada outlined the regular pay rates for personnel based on their tasks, which included handling chemical agents to conduct research. These chemical agents were confirmed to include chemical weapons and bacteriological weapon agents. 
A captured POW, who was Lt. Col. Pharmacist, also corroborated the information found in the captured notebooks and admitted that Maj Gen. Shiro Ishii was conducting bacteriological bomb experiments in Harbin. Another POW, named Shigeru Yamaguchi, also confirmed the existence of experimentation on a 1kg bacteria bomb, though he maintained that Japan was not actively producing these weapons. Another captured Japanese Navy Aviation Ordnanceman claimed that the Mark 7 Bacteria Bomb was a modification of a 1kg Navy practice bomb that may carry the bacteria in the form of mold. 
After reviewing these reports, a US committee concluded that the Japanese were in the process of experimenting with a bacterial disseminating bomb, generally referred to as the Mark 7 Bacterial Bomb. 
Picture
Declassified American Report of intelligence regarding the existence of the Mark 7 Bacterial Bomb. ATIS report no. 84 on Japanese Bacilius bombs by the Military Intelligence Service, 5/19/44 to 6/14/45
Conclusion
At the end of the war, the Americans and Soviets collectively held their trials for Japanese war crimes. MacArthur from the United States led the creation of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) for the Allies to hold the Tokyo trial. However, since the allies had disagreements and mistrust due to the Cold War, the Soviets held the Khabarovsk Trial. Ultimately, the mastermind of the Japanese biological warfare machine, Ishii gained immunity in exchange for handing over his experiment findings to the Americans. ​

The Soviet Union then held the Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial, bringing 12 workers out of the 3607 scientists in Unit 731 to trial. Though the Soviets were keen on prosecuting Ishii, the US disagreed, as Ishii’s findings were invaluable to them, especially when the US and the Soviet Union were entering the cold war era. In the US, laws were in place that prevented human experimentation by scientists and/or scientific organizations. Ishii’s research findings, which had included vast accounts of human experimentation, were seen as a treasure trove of valuable information by American scientists and were highly sought after to get ahead of the world. This has long raised the question of whether or not justice was truly served. 
Another controversial ruling made by the Americans was their reinstatement of Emperor Hirohito after the war. Though the extent of Emperor Hirohito’s knowledge and contribution to Ishii’s biological weapons research was unknown, it was still seen as surprising that the Americans would allow Hirohito to stay in power. Reasons for this decision are unknown, though American anti-communist sentiments likely had something to do with the decision, as dethroning Hirohito and creating a power vacuum would leave postwar Japan vulnerable to Soviet influence, something the Americans would be worried about. Though Hirohito may not have known about the true work of Ishii and his subordinates, the fact remains that Hirohito was complicit in Ishii’s atrocities in the sense that he provided Ishii with the necessary resources required for him to conduct his disturbing human experimentation and biological weapons research. The exoneration of both Ishii and the Emperor seems to point towards the lack of justice served to those who were victims of Ishii’s reign of terror and the Emperor’s willingness to support it. 
Learn more about Unit 731: 
Picture
Picture
2 Comments
John Perretti
6/24/2024 12:07:44 pm

Looking for images of terracota plague bombs of WWII Japan.

Reply
Marint LeBel
10/31/2024 07:55:20 am

Au musée sur un graphique des emplacements à l'unité 731. Il y a le numéro 17 identifiant le nom: Classe Yamagushi assemblage bombe bactériologique. Est ce vraiment le nom utilisé Yamagushi qui est reliéà 'unité 731

Reply



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  • Home
    • About >
      • FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
    • Support Us >
      • Projects you can support! >
        • Distributing Books
        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
    • Contact
  • Stories
    • Videos >
      • Black Hearts (2021)
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
  • Internship
    • Summer 2025 Internship
    • Spring 2025 Internship
    • Summer 2024 Internship
    • Summer 2023 Internship
    • Fall 2022 Internship
    • Summer 2022 Internship
    • Summer 2021 Internship
    • Fall 2020- Spring 2021 Internship
    • Summer 2020 Internship
    • Fall 2019 Internship
    • Summer 2019 Internship >
      • Public History Night
    • School Year 2018-2019 Internship
    • Summer 2018 Internship >
      • 2018 Summer Showcase + Fundraiser
    • Fall 2017 Internship
    • Summer 2017 Internship >
      • 2017 Summer Showcase & Fundraiser
  • Books
  • Archives
  • Resource Page
    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
      • Denial A Quick Look of History of Comfort Women and Present Days’ Complication - Guide >
        • The Comfort Women System and the Fight for Recognition
        • The Role of Activism and International Pressure
        • The Controversy over Japanese History Textbooks
        • The Sonyŏsang Statue and the Symbolism of Public Memorials
        • Activism and Support from Japanese Citizens
        • The Future of Comfort Women Memorials and Education
      • Echoes of Empire: The Power of Japanese Propaganda - Guide >
        • Brief Overview of Imperial Japan
        • Defining Propaganda
        • Propaganda Encouraging Action​
        • The Rise of Nationalism
        • The Formation of Japanese State Propaganda
        • Youth and Education
      • Shadows of the Rising Sun: The Black Dragon Society and the Dawn of Pan-Asianism - Guide >
        • Origins of the Black Dragon Society
        • The Influence of Pan-Asianism
        • Relationship with Sun Yat-sen
        • The Role in Southeast Asia
        • The Spread of Ideology and Espionage
        • Disbandment and Legacy
      • Chongqing Bombing: The Forgotten Blitz of Asia and Its Lasting Impact - Guide >
        • Introduction and Historical Background
        • The Class Divide During the Bombings
        • Resilience and Unity of Chongqing
        • Key Incidents - Great Tunnel Massacre
        • The Aftermath of the Bombings
        • Legacy and Commemoration
      • Shanghai's International Zone: A Nexus of War, Intelligence, and Survival - Guide >
        • Historical Background
        • The International Zone
        • Battles in Shanghai
        • Civilian Intelligence Efforts
        • Wartime Brutality
        • Aftermath & Legacy
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
  • History Remembered
Contribute