A newly discovered 177-page document has unveiled the inner workings of Japan's infamous Unit 731, a germ warfare unit active during World War II. The document was revealed on Saturday in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, aligning with the upcoming 86th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. 🇨🇳✨
Established on December 2, 1940, the Japanese Kwantung Army set up four detachments for Unit 731 in Northeast China, with the largest based in Linkou County, Heilongjiang Province. This document provides detailed insights into this detachment's organizational structure and personnel configuration, closely mirroring Unit 731's operations. The detachment was a bacterial unit equipped with independent combat capabilities. 🦠💣
After World War II ended, unlike the Unit 731 headquarters, this detachment didn't withdraw to Japan as a group. Instead, members returned individually, completing personal information registration forms, which are now part of the recently made public roster. 📝👥
The original roster was once kept in Japan's National Archives. Through extensive negotiations, Chinese authorities brought the document back in 2022. After thorough organization and research, it is now officially accessible to the public, offering unprecedented insights. 🔍📜
Researchers have discovered evidence within the document showing collaboration between this detachment and Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments. \"The rat-catching operation recorded in the document can be corroborated by previous oral testimonies and historical materials,\" said Jin Shicheng, a researcher at the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. \"This further proves that the detachment collaborated with Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments and producing plague germ weapons.\" 🐀🔬
This document is a crucial asset for understanding the detachment's personnel and post-war movements, significantly contributing to the comprehensive exposure of the Japanese Kwantung Army’s bacteriological warfare crimes. It confirms that the human experiments by Unit 731 were part of large-scale, organized state-sanctioned activities, highlighting the severe impact of wartime atrocities. ⚖️📚
