Chapter 19 17. In vivo poison gas experiment—eight human lives

It was already mid-August, but in front of the red brick house at the foot of Mount Tai, there were 50-60 Japanese soldiers wearing winter coats and Type 95 gas masks for drills. Under the strong sunlight, they stood there panting heavily, their bodies covered in sweat.Around the combat cap, a layer of white alkali formed. On the front embankment, the instructor, Second Lieutenant Toyama, stood with a saber, watching the sergeants drill.Seeing this, he said: "The poison gas is gone! Take off the mask!" Before he could finish speaking, the soldiers took off the guns from their bodies, tore off the masks from their heads, and let out a long breath.

This is the drug gas training class for recruits of the 45th Battalion of the 10th Independent Mixed Brigade.The instructor, Second Lieutenant Toyama, is the oldest second lieutenant in the battalion.Battalion Commander Nakamura ordered him to "conduct a thorough training for this year's poison gas soldiers!" He has become an important helper of the battalion commander. Today happens to be Saturday.The internal affairs squad has just received the weapons and quilts issued by the superiors.Everyone lay on the bed or leaned on the table and read the "Poison Gas Protection Teaching Manual" carefully.The deputy squad leader, Captain Yamauchi, and Senior Corporal Muraki were standing by the window while smoking and talking.

At this time, Diyuan Juncao, the head of the internal affairs squad, issued an order: "Everyone gathers urgently! Take all your clothes and set off in 20 minutes. We will tell you where we are going when we leave. Get ready!" He also said: "Soldier Yamauchi immediately Go to the headquarters and get 10 red gas bombs." After hearing the order, the entire internal affairs team was busy preparing for departure like a beehive in disorder. Three or four hours later, 11 kilometers west of Tai'an, the Fushan platoon leader led more than 50 people to surround Yanliudian Village.

"How strange! It is true that we have received information that 50 Eighth Route Army troops have come here!" Next to a big tree in the farmland outside the village, Second Lieutenant Toyama's platoon leader stared at the face of Senior Soldier Muraki of the Liaison Unit and said. Said: "Okay! The Eighth Route Army can't escape! Thoroughly sweep the village! Pass it on to all squads!" "Yes!" The orderly, Private First Class Ozaki, who was standing next to him, immediately ran towards the village. Second Lieutenant Toyama watched Muraki and Ozaki run away, and stood flushed and angrily on the square in the center of the village. "Where is the mayor?" he cried.After a while, Japanese soldiers walked over with 7-8 farmers around 40 years old.Fushan pointed at the chest of the frontmost peasant with his saber scabbard and asked, "Hey! Where did the Eighth Route Army go? When did it come?" "I don't know." "What? I don't know? You bastard, tell me!" He suddenly stabbed hard with his saber sheath, and the peasant was knocked down because he was unprepared.

"Ouch!" After the peasant fell down, he immediately stood up and said, "We are all ordinary people, I don't know!" The rest of the peasants also said the same thing. "Okay! I don't know! I'll let you know! Come on! Take all these people to the high hill outside the village!" There is a depression on the high hill northeast of Yanliudian.The eight farmers were all brought to this depression.Right in front of the depression, the entire platoon of Japanese officers and soldiers was concentrated. "Is there anyone suspicious here?" Toyama said after taking a look at Shihara.

"No!" "Really? Well, let's treat them as experimental subjects for red tube poisonous gas!" "Yes!" There was a wry smile on Diyuan's pale face. Fu Shan ordered loudly again: "Each squad sends two sentries to watch, and the rest will deal with these peasants!" Surrounded by 50 armed men in a hollow, the peasants watched in horror and unease. "Wear a mask!" The platoon leader issued an order, and the Japanese soldiers put on their gas masks together.He shouted to the peasants again: "Your ones, don't move a step. If you move, you will die!" Then he asked Tiyuan again: "Is everything ready?"

Di Yuan replied: "Yes! Preparations are complete!" "Ready to ignite!" After the platoon leader sent out, Fujiwara Juncao held two 93-type medium-sized red tube poisonous gas bombs, and stood about 5 meters upwind of the farmers, ready to ignite. "Light it up!" As soon as the platoon leader issued the order, there were only two clicks, and the thick smoke from the tails of the two red gas bombs spread 1 meter, 2 meters, and 3 meters towards the peasants, and quickly , the farmers in the depression were all shrouded in smoke. "Ouch! The poisonous gas..." The shoulder-to-shoulder Chinese lay down on the ground, covered their faces with their hands, and tried their best to avoid the poisonous gas.

"Bastard! Don't move! Mikami! Don't be soft on them! Anyone who moves, shoot!" The platoon leader yelled loudly. After hearing this, I went to the farmer's side, grabbed a man by the collar and pulled him up, "Beast! Lift your head up!" "No! I'm an ordinary citizen!" He covered his face with his hands and lay down on the ground desperately.I kicked him hard with my muddy foot and knocked him down.Then, he grabbed his collar and lifted it up. 1 minute, 1.5 minutes, 2 minutes... Captain Yamauchi looked at the timer on the tail of the red gas bomb.Seeing the pain of the peasants, he laughed and said, "Hahaha... who told you not to provide information! This time I will let you taste the taste of red gas bombs! Hahaha!"

At this time, a few more soldiers ran into the depression, each of them grabbed the collar of a commoner and lifted them up, cursing: "Bastard! Lift your head up!" "Ouch! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The peasants sneezed continuously, shed tears, had chest pains, and felt weak all over their bodies. They were in extreme pain.And the Japanese soldiers shouted "Bastard! Bastard! Sit up! Don't move!" while kicking, hitting with guns, piercing with bayonets, and pulling them up for two and a half minutes, three minutes... The farmers became red-faced, They kept making the sound of "ah... sneezing", and burst into tears. After a while, they lost the ability to breathe.They lay on the ground, hunched over, the hair and skin on their heads fell off, and bright red blood flowed out... and the soldiers stabbed bayonets at them. 4 points, 4 and a half points... The farmers didn't even have the strength to raise their hands.One by one they fell to the ground motionless.At this time, the nozzle at the rear of the red tube had stopped emitting smoke, and the smoke that permeated the farmers gradually dissipated.

"Burning time 5 minutes!" Yamauchi reported to the platoon leader. "Hmm! Good! These idiots! Hahaha" he kicked the dead peasant and smiled beamingly.As the soldiers began to take off their masks, someone let out a sound of "Ah!" because the poison gas had not completely disappeared.At this moment, the platoon leader spoke with Diwara and Fujiwara, and then ordered "all gather." "Hey! Attention everyone, remember: Type 93 red-tube poisonous gas bomb has a burning time of 5 minutes. This shows the power of the Imperial Japanese Army's poisonous gas to the world! No matter what guerrilla tactics the Eighth Route Army uses, we use This trick can wipe them out! Don't forget the power of this poisonous gas."

"Yes!" Toyama took out the "Poison Gas Protection Teaching Manual" from his pocket and waved it to the soldiers a few times, and then issued an order: "Now, all the troops are dispatched! The target is Tai'an!" Author bio: Born in a fisherman's family in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, he did not work in elementary school for six years.After joining the army, he served as a sergeant in the 45th Battalion of the Independent Infantry of the 54th Brigade of the Old 59th Division of the Japanese Army. On August 23, 1945, he was captured at Heungsang-ri Elementary School, South Korea's Sunggyong Province, at the age of 37.