In the memoirs of former Japanese officer Masao Shikada, a past story of the brutal killing of Chinese soldiers is written:
In early December 1943, Masao Shikada joined the 232nd Wing of the Japanese 39th Division to fight the Chinese army in Yichang, Hubei Province. The headquarters of the 232nd Wing was stationed in Laoba, and Masao Shikada was the director of the Intelligence Section of the Wing.
Private photo of Masao Shikada in Yichang
One day in August 1944, the Japanese 232nd Wing engaged fiercely with the 6th Division of the 75th Army of the Chinese Army. There were casualties on both sides of the battle, and while cleaning the battlefield, Masao Shikada captured a Chinese officer in a ditch near the position.
The man, who was nearly thirty years old, had sun-tanned black and red skin, and from his mouth he knew that he was a company commander in the Chinese army. His right leg seems to have been seriously wounded, and because he could not move quickly, he was captured by the Japanese.
Masao Shikada looked closely and found that the captured officer's right leg was not bloodstained, and it was clear that his leg had not been shot or injured. Since my right leg is not injured, why can't I move? Lutian, who was full of doubts, opened the trouser tube of the Chinese company commander and looked at it, and suddenly felt his scalp numb and gasped for air.
The Japanese attacked at Yichang
On the right calf of this Chinese company commander, the skin and flesh are black and rotten, and the red and white fresh flesh and bones are visible. Lu Tian could see at a glance that the leg of the Chinese company commander had been hit by a poison gas bomb from the Japanese army, and the anthrax bacteria had attacked and seriously damaged his leg.
With such a serious leg injury, he is still fighting the Japanese army, which shows that this person is very tenacious. As the head of the intelligence section, Shikada was short of an agent who knew the Chinese army, and this wounded Chinese company commander was the best choice. Out of this need, Shikada said to the detachment leader, Second Lieutenant Uruno, "Leave this person at my disposal." Ensign Pelino granted his request.
Chinese servicemen captured in Yichang
Shikada brought the company commander back to his headquarters and put him in prison. Lutian interrogated the Chinese company commander, asking him about his name, troops, and hometown, and the Chinese company commander replied with only one sentence each time: "I am a Chinese soldier!" ”
Shikada wanted to train him to be a secret agent, so he adopted various gentle policies to lure him and pretend to treat his injured foot. But this Chinese company commander has a backbone and wisdom, he seems to see Lutian's mind, no matter what method Lutian takes, he stubbornly refuses.
The following period of time was extremely busy, Lutian was busy making up and writing "detailed reports of the battle" to hand in, plus some messy trivial things, Lutian forgot all about this Chinese company commander.
Gas bombs of the Japanese army
After more than ten days, Kondo, a military doctor at the headquarters of the wing, approached Shikada and said to him: "Shikada-kun, what should I do with that prisoner?" His calf had already had gangrene, and it was impossible not to see it off. Anyway, he can't be a secret agent, so it's better to hand him over to me!" I needed to make a living teaching material for the new health soldiers. ”
When Doctor Kondo said this, Shikada remembered the Chinese company commander. He felt somewhat regretful that he had not successfully rebelled against the Chinese company commander, and he still did not know what his surname was or what his name was. But none of this matters, and handing him over to Kondo is a good use.
Shikada thought so, and happily agreed to Doctor Kondo, telling him that he could go and get someone at any time. From this moment on, the prisoner was at the disposal of the medics.
The next day, Shikada was invited by Dr. Kondo to participate in "surgical practice." Shikada followed Kondo all the way to the infirmary located at the headquarters of the wing. When Lu Tian walked into the infirmary, he saw that the Chinese company commander had been tied to the door panel. When the Chinese company commander saw Lutian come in, he glanced at him, and then slowly closed his eyes.
Since being captured, the Chinese company commander refused to be treated by Japanese military doctors, so his leg was not disposed of, so the infection became more and more serious, the entire leg had turned black and purple, and the swelling was so bad, the stench of decay permeated the surroundings.
The Chinese company commander looked very weak. Lu Tian looked at this Chinese company commander who was about to be "operated", and did not feel pity in his heart, but he just felt that this guy had reached this step, and it was useless, and it was good to be able to solve it in this way.
A saw used by the Japanese army
Under the organization of Dr. Kondo, nearly 15 trainee non-commissioned officers, health corporals, and health recruits gathered around the "living teaching materials". Kondo put on white gloves and explained the principle and harm of anthrax virus to the onlookers, then picked up a hacksaw on the operating table, sprayed alcohol and began the "operation".
Without anesthesia, Dr. Kondo began to "creak" to see the leg of the Chinese company commander, he started sawing from below the knee, because the entire calf was already infected with the virus, and he wanted this infected and rotten calf.
Dr. Kondo worked as a veterinarian in Japan and later studied human medicine. He now did not look like a veterinarian, nor a military doctor, but like a carpenter, skillfully handling a sharp hacksaw, the barbs on the saw blade cut the skin of the Chinese company commander, and the saw blade saw into the bone little by little with the hard pull.
Vivisection of the Japanese army
The Chinese company commander is a tenacious man, an extremely strong-willed person. But this kind of heart-wrenching "operation" cannot be tolerated by anyone. As soon as Kondo pulled a few times, blood trickled down the saw blade, and the Chinese company commander cried out in pain, and his entire face was terribly twisted because of the severe pain.
Lutian and the onlookers heard the harsh "creaking" sound, and felt that the bones on their bodies were also itching with pain, and this empathetic taste was simply torturous. A sanitary soldier couldn't stand it, so he said to Kondo: "Chief military doctor, I'm afraid it won't work to see it down like this!" ”
Kondo straightened up at this time, glanced around the crowd of onlookers, and saw everyone's doubts in everyone's eyes. So he flicked the blood on the hacksaw and said to the assistant nonchalantly: "There is really no way, then take a shot." ”
Microscope used by the Japanese army
The assistant picked up the syringe and did not inject anesthesia into the Chinese company commander, but injected air into his vein. The Chinese company commander "hummed", suddenly had difficulty breathing, and his whole body was paralyzed. Kondo did not stop his bleeding, and continued to pick up the hacksaw and buried his head in sawing.
After about 10 minutes of sawing, the leg was finally sawed off. Blood spurted out of the sawn severed leg, and Kondo put the infected severed limb into a pre-prepared iron bucket, let the assistant carry it for the trainee medics to observe, and then took the severed leg and sliced it under a microscope.
Under the magnification of the microscope, the anthrax bacteria on the short section of the leg are still wriggling, fresh like a group of tiny tadpoles. The medical officer Kondo was full of praise and praised the lethality of these germs developed by Unit 731.
The Chinese company commander, whose calf was sawn off alive, has already fallen into a coma due to severe pain, and he still has a weak breath. But the operation had just begun, and Kondo asked his assistant to slightly clean the blood stains on the operating table, and began to apply alcohol to the stomach and chest of the Chinese company commander, then took out a sharp scalpel and cut the skin from the neck until the entire intestine was cut.
This "operation" could not be performed by Kondo alone, and two or three military doctors with good skills assisted by him. After they cut through the chest cavity, they saw that the heart was still beating weakly, and the lungs were still contracting violently. Looking at the very healthy experimental material in front of them, the military doctors couldn't help but praise.
Kondo skillfully cut off the still beating organs, weighed them separately and placed them in prepared glass bottles. The glass bottle contains formalin, which prevents the organ from deteriorating. After removing the organs, Kondo held the bloody organs to explain to the military doctors on the spot, and let each of them experience the knife.
Japanese soldiers who surrendered
Lutian, who was standing on the side, looked at the Chinese company commander who had died and had been hollowed out to the point that only a shell remained, and watched the military doctors holding bloody organs as they explained, and from time to time there were bursts of laughter and applause.
He found this scene a little disgusting, so before the "operation" was over, he turned and left the infirmary.
Behind him, there were bursts of cheers and applause...
Masao Shikada in his later years
In August 1945, after the surrender of Japan, Kondo, Shikada and others were arrested and put into the reform of the Fushun Prisoner of War Management Center. In June 1956, they were granted amnesty and released home. The leniency of the Chinese government allowed Kondo, Shikada and others to escape sanctions, but they did not escape punishment for the crimes they committed.
After returning to Japan, Kondo was hit and broke his legs in a car accident and survived by amputation from the knee down, but a few years later his legs were re-infected, causing complications and death. Shikata's life was also sluggish, and he spent his later years in loneliness and misery. According to Shikada, this is retribution for the crimes they committed.
Japanese war criminals were pardoned and returned home
Decades have passed, and Masao Shikada's memories still seem to be in front of my eyes. The atrocities of the Japanese army were truly heinous, once again refreshing people's perception of cruelty.
The heroic and indomitable Chinese company commander did not leave a name, but his words were always respectable, and people could not help but burst into tears: "I am a Chinese soldier!" ”......