Mystery of "Group 731"

in #life7 years ago

Present negative attitude to Japan from China, DPRK and South Korea is explained mainly by the fact that Japan hasn't punished the most part of the war criminals. Many of them after World War II continued to live and work in the Land of the rising sun, and also to hold important posts. Even those who conducted experiments in biology in public in notorious special "group 731". It a little in what differs from experiences of doctor Josef Mengel. Cruelty and cynicism of such experiences doesn't keep within in modern human consciousness, but they were quite organic for Japanese of that time. On a game then there was "the emperor's victory", and he has been sure that only the science could give this victory.
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Once has earned the terrible plant on hills of Manzhouli. Thousands of living people became his "raw materials", and "production" could destroy all mankind for several months … The Chinese peasants were afraid even to approach the strange city. What is created inside, behind a fence, nobody authentically knew. But in a whisper told horror: like, Japanese kidnap or entice deception there people over whom then make experiments, terrible and painful for the victims.

"The science was always the best friend of murderers"

All has begun in far 1926 when the throne of Japan was occupied by the emperor Hirohito. It he has chosen the motto of "Sowing" ("An era of the educated world") for the period of the board. Hirohito trusted in science force: "The science was always the best friend of murderers. The science can kill thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people for very short period". The emperor knew what he spoke about: by training he was a biologist. Also I considered that biological weapon will help Japan to win the world, and to him, the descendant of the goddess Amaterasu — to execute the divine mission and to rule this world.
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Buildings of "group 731"

The ideas of the emperor about "scientific weapon" have found support in the circle of aggressive-minded Japanese military. They understood that on one samurai spirit and conventional arms you won't win dragged-out war against the western powers. Therefore at the request of the Japanese military department in the early thirties the Japanese colonel and Cyro Isiya's biologist has made a voyage on bacteriological laboratories of Italy, Germany, the USSR and France.

He convinced all attendees of the final report submitted for consideration to the highest military ranks of Japan that biological weapon will bring huge benefit to the Land of the rising sun.

"Unlike artillery shells, bacteriological weapon isn't capable to kill instantly manpower, but it without noise affects a human body, bringing slow, but painful death. It isn't obligatory to make shells, it is possible to infect quite peace things — clothes, cosmetics, foodstuff and drinks, it is possible to spray bacteria from air. Let the first attack won't be massive — all the same bacteria will breed and hit the targets" — said to Isiya.
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Samurais

It is no wonder that his "incendiary" report has impressed the management of the Japanese military department, and it has allocated funds for creation of a special complex on development of biological weapon. Throughout all the existence this complex had several names, the most known of them — "group 731".

They were called by "logs"

The group has been placed in 1936 about the village of Pingfang (at that time the territory of the state of Manchukuo). It consisted of nearly 150 buildings. To group there were graduates of the most prestigious Japanese universities, color of the Japanese science.

The group was placed in China, but not in Japan, for several reasons. First, at its dislocation in the territory of the mother country it was very difficult to observe the privacy mode. Secondly, in case of leak of materials, the Chinese population, but not Japanese would suffer. At last, in China there were always near at hand "logs" - so scientists of these special forces called those on whom killing strains were tested.
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"We considered that "logs" — not people that they are even lower than the cattle. However, among the scientists and researchers working in group there was nobody who sympathized with "logs" any. All considered that destruction of "logs" — business absolutely natural" — one of employees of "group 731" said.

Tests of efficiency of various strains of diseases were profile experiments which were put over experimental. Plague was Isiya's "favourite". Closer to the end of World War II he has removed the strain of a plague bacterium by 60 times surpassing in virulence (ability to infect an organism) usual.

Experiments took place, generally as follows. In group there were special cages (where locked people) - they were so small that captives couldn't move in them. People were infected with an infection, and then in the days observed over changes of a condition of their organism. Further they were prepared alive, pulling out bodies and observing as the disease extends inside.
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To people kept life and didn't sew up them for days on end that doctors could watch process, without troubling themselves new opening. At the same time no anesthesia usually was used — doctors were afraid that it can break the natural course of an experiment.

It "was lucky" those from the victims of "experimenters" more on whom tested not bacteria, and gases: these died quicker. "All experimental, died from cyanic hydrogen, had persons of purple-red color — one of employees of "group 731" told. — At those who died of yperite all body has been burned so that it was impossible to look at a corpse. Our experiences have shown that endurance of the person is approximately equal to endurance of a pigeon. In conditions in which the pigeon perished also the experimental person perished".
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When the Japanese military were convinced of overall performance of special group of Isiya, they began to develop plans of use of bacteriological weapon against the USA and the USSR. With ammunition problems weren't: according to stories of employees, by the end of war in store rooms of "group 731" so many bacteria have collected that if they under ideal conditions have been disseminated through the globe, it would appear enough to destroy all mankind.
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In July, 1944 only the position of the prime minister Todze has saved the United States from accident. Japanese planned to transport by means of balloons on the American territory strains of various viruses — from deadly to the person to those which will ruin the cattle and a harvest. But Todze understood that Japan already obviously loses war, and at the attack by biological weapon America can answer the same therefore the terrible plan wasn't realized.

122 degrees Fahrenheit

But "group 731" was engaged not only biological weapon. The Japanese scientists wanted to know also limits of endurance of a human body for what made terrible medical experiments.

For example, doctors from special group have found out that in the best way to treat the frostbite was not grinding of affected extremities, but their immersion in water with a temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Found out by practical consideration. "At a temperature below minus 20 experimental people removed at night to the yard, forced to lower the bared hands or legs in a barrel with cold water, and then put under artificial wind until they didn't get a frostbite — the former employee of special group told. — Then a small stick knocked on hands while they didn't make a sound, as at blow about a piece of wood". Then frost-bitten extremities were put in water of a certain temperature and, changing her, watched dying off of muscular tissue on hands. Among such experimental there was also a three-day child: that he didn't squeeze a hand in a cam and hasn't broken "purity" of an experiment, to him have thrust a needle in an average finger.
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Chinese in "Group 731"

Someone from the victims of special group was comprehended by other awful fate: they were turned alive into mummies. For this purpose people placed in hot the heated room with low humidity. The person plentifully sweated, but to him didn't allow to drink while he completely didn't dry. Then the body was weighed, at the same time it turned out that it weighs about 22% of initial weight. Quite so in "group 731" one more "discovery" has been made: the human body for 78% consists of water.

For the imperial Air Force experiments in pressures chamber were made. "Have placed experimental in a vacuum pressure chamber and began to pump out gradually air — one of trainees of group of Isiya remembered. — As the difference between the external pressure and pressure in internals increased, at him at first eyes have got out, then the person has swelled to the sizes of a big ball, blood vessels were blown up as snakes, and intestines as live, I began to creep out outside. At last, the person just has alive exploded". So the Japanese doctors defined an admissible high-rise ceiling for the pilots.
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There were also experiments just for "curiosity". At experimental cut out separate bodies from a live body; cut off hands and legs and sewed back, interchanging the position of the right and left extremities; poured in blood of horses or monkeys in a human body; put under the most powerful x-ray radiation; scalded various parts of a body boiled water; tested for sensitivity to a current. Curious scientists filled lungs of the person with a large amount of smoke or gas, entered the decaying pieces of fabric into a stomach of the living person.

On memoirs of staff of special group, all during his existence in laboratories about three thousand people have died. However some researchers claim what the real victims of bloody experimenters was much more.

"Information of extreme importance"

An end to existence of "group 731" was put by the Soviet Union. On August 9, 1945 the Soviet troops have begun approach against the Japanese army, and it was ordered to "group" "to work at own discretion". Works on evacuation have begun in the night of August 11.

Some materials burned in specially dug holes. It has been decided to destroy also the survived experimental people. Part of them have poisoned with gas, and it was nobly allowed to some to commit suicide. To the river have thrown out also exhibits of "the exhibition room" — the huge hall where the cut-off human bodies, the extremities split with a different way of the head were stored in flasks. This "the exhibition room" could become the most clear proof of brutal essence of "group 731".

"Inadmissibly, that one of these medicines has fallen into hands of the coming Soviet troops at least" — has declared the management of special group of the subordinate.
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But a part of the most important materials has been kept. They were taken out Cyro Isiya and by some other heads of group, having given all this to Americans — as some kind of repayment for the freedom.

And, as have declared then in the Pentagon, "in connection with extreme importance of information on bacteriological weapon of the Japanese army, the U.S. Government decides not to accuse of war crimes of any employee of group on preparation of biological warfare of the Japanese army".

Therefore in response to request of the Soviet party for delivery and to punishment of members of "group 731" the conclusion that "a residence of the management of "group 731", including, Isiya, it is unknown and to accuse group of war crimes has been transferred to Moscow there are no bases".
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Some staff of "Group 731" on process in the USSR

Thus, all scientists of "group of death" (and it is nearly three thousand people), except those who have fallen into hands of the USSR have avoided responsibility for the crimes. Many of those who prepared living people became in post-war Japan deans of universities, medical schools, academicians, businessmen.

Prince Takeda (the cousin of the emperor Hirohito) who inspected special group wasn't punished too and has even headed the Japanese Olympic committee in the run-up to the Games of 1964. And itself Cyro Isiya, the evil genius of "group 731", comfortably lived in Japan and has died only in 1959.