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DUTIES OF UNIT 731

Duties of Unit 731

Entrance of Unit 731
Unit 731 claimed to the public that it was a "Water Supply and Epidemic Prevention" to the Imperial Japanese Army, but in reality, it was a site for the research and preparation of biological and chemical warfare. 


List of Experimentations​

bubonic plague

typhoid

tetanus
anthrax

cholera

glanders
dysentry

paratyphoid fever

gas gangrene


Mass Production of Pathogen

Photo outside mass production center of pathogens
Pingfang was equipped with 4 boilers of one ton capacity each to produce the necessary sterilization to produce biological warfare pathogens in sterile growing environment for biological weapons. 


Breeding of Rats and Fleas to Spread Plague

Breeding space of rats and fleas
Unit 731 raised rats and fleas in order to spread the pathogen that it produced. There were 96 cement pans to breed yellow rats and fleas. Pingfang had a target of keeping around 3 million rats annually. These rats were then infected with the plague and then the fleas were raised on the blood of the infected rats. 


Uji Bomb

Uji bomb diagram print
The Imperial Japanese Army encased around 30,000 active and infected fleas into Uji bomb, ceramic bomb, and dropped them onto their targeted areas using planes. They used ceramic bomb because ceramic was easily shattered, which meant less of an explosion was required to have it opened. The plague-infected fleas were better protected with the less heat and pressure they were exposed to. They also tested on human subjects captured at Unit 731 to test how power these bombs and other biochemical weapons would be. 


Other "Water Supply and Epidemic Prevention" Units of the Japanese Army

   Southern Army: Unit 9420 in Singapore
   Southern Branch Army: Unit 8604 in Guangdong
   Central Branch Army: Unit 1644 in Nanjing
   Northern Branch Army: Unit 1855 in Beijing
   Kwantung Army: Unit 731 in Harbin, Unit 100 in Changchun

Related Book
Book cover of Unit 731
buy the ebook

Unit 731- The Forgotten Asian Auschwitz

The Japanese invasion of China during the Second Sino-Japanese war has left a strong legacy of hate and disgust among many Chinese today. Much of the atrocities committed by the Japanese are now known to most historians. By far, the most despicable and forgotten act against humanity committed by the Imperial Japanese government was its covert biochemical weapons program. Euphemistically labelled as the "Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department" of the Imperial Japanese Army, the Japanese conducted a wide range of cruel and inhumane experiments on prisoners who were often innocent. 


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  • Home
    • About >
      • FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
    • 5-Year Visionary Plan >
      • Research
      • Inspire
      • Publication
      • Engage
    • Support Us >
      • Buy Us a Coffee
      • Projects you can support! >
        • Distributing Books
        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
    • Contact
  • Stories
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
  • Internship
    • 2021 Summer 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
    • 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
  • Giving Tuesday
Contribute