澳媒報導的日軍戰犯審判——流放在熱帶叢林中的抗日將士(附15)

澳媒報導的日軍戰犯審判——流放在熱帶叢林中的抗日將士(附15) 

Akira Hirota(廣田明)少將是日軍在亞包地區的最大兵站 (第26兵站) 司令，也是中國軍人戰俘在運抵亞包之後的管轄者。就是在他的兵站裏，來自中國的1500多戰俘，到日軍投降時，隻剩下了一半人。僅吳棪中校率領的那個800的大隊，就有300多人因生病及其它原因，被Akira Hirota(廣田明)少將所領導的兵站警衛隊槍殺、活埋或斬首。其虐俘罪行，罄竹難書。下麵的幾篇報導，就是審判Akira Hirota(廣田明)少將的記錄。從這些報導中，我們可以看到中國軍人的證詞以及罪犯本人的狡辯嘴臉。

Trial Commences Of Japanese Commander
RABAUL, Wednesday.

The trial commenced today of Major-General Akira Hirota, former supply commander of field depots of the Japanese Army in the Rabaul area.

He pleaded not guilty when charged with war crimes and atrocities.

The Chief Prosecutor (Mr. L. C. Badham, K.C.) said that the trial was of the utmost importance because of Hirota's high position in the Japanese army.

Mr. Badham produced statements by Chinese soldiers which revealed that sick Chinese were forced into large pits and shot.    

He alleged that at a dinner party one night, Hirota said he wanted to kill all the Chinese prisoners but the navy would not let him. The crimes were not isolated acts but part of a coldly calculated system which reflected discredit on all concerned.

The Canberra Times, Thursday 20 March 1947, p.1

JAP COMMANDER FACES ATROCITY TRIAL AGAINST CHINESE AT RABAUL
RABAUL, Thursday. 

Major General Hirota, who is on trial for his life on war crimes charges, pressed for the killing of all prisoners of war held by Japan in 1945, and General Imamura, who will be tried later, was quite agreeable.

This was stated in a statutory declaration by a Chinese War Tribunal Prosecutor (Mr L C. Badham, K.C.) when hearing of the charges was resumed today.    

The Chinese cook was Dju Shao Shen, who was captured with thousands of others when Rabaul fell. He said in his declaration that on March 23, 1944, he was sent as a cook into Hiroto's mess. Part of his duties were to take food into the men.  

Yesterday's proceedings were devoted entirely to the reading of evidence in earlier trials of Hirota's officers, many of whom have been executed for atrocities and the murders of Chinese prisoners.  

Prisoners killed by Hirota's subordinates were mostly sick. In one instance 12 Chinese were lined up before a large trench and shot. As the Japanese soldiers began filling in the grave one Chinese shouted "I am not killed," but his cries were unheeded and he was buried alive.

Many other Chinese were beheaded for no other reason than they were suffering from malaria, malnutrition and, therefore, were unable to work.

Hirota's face remained completely emotionless as the misdeeds of the men under his command were read out.

The Canberra Times, Friday 21 March 1947, p.2.

EVIDENCE AGAINST JAPS FOR CRUELTY TOWARDS CHINESE IN RABAUL
RABAUL, Friday.

A Formosan witness for the prosecution at the trial of General Hirota caused a stir today when he sent a message to the Chief Prosecutor (Mr. Badham, K.C.) that he wished to give further evidence against Hirota.  

Mr. Badham tendered a sensational sworn statement from Colonel Woo Yien, of the Chinese National Army at Rabaul, describing the brutal treatment of Chinese. prisoners by Hirota's men.      

Colonel Woo declared that Hirota had given instructions that if any prisoner was sick for three days' he would be shot. He added that 30 Chinese were shot or beheaded because they were sick. Out of 829 prisoners, directly under Hirota's control, 316 were killed or died.

After August, 1944, when things were going badly for the Japs and they feared an Allied landing, they dug a series of tunnels with only one entrance and a large cylinder of poison gas was placed at the entrance so that, the Chinese could be killed.

The deaths of Chinese totalled 756 out of 1,504 men captured and in Colonel Woo's opinion, 90 percent would not have occurred if they had been treated as prisoners of war and not subjected to cruelties and atrocities.    

The Canberra Times, Saturday 22 March 1947

Prosecution Ended of Jap Commander
RABAUL, Monday.  

The case for the prosecution in the war crimes trial of Major-General Hirota, former commander of field depots in Rabaul, who is charged with the responsibility for the killing of Allied war prisoners by his subordinates, ended today.

The massacre of Chinese prisoners was alleged by a statement made in July last by Yuzo Shinura, a Formosan, under sentence of death.

Shinura described a conversation between Sergt Aizawa, who, is also under sentence of death, and Hirota. Aizawa asked Hirota did he not order the killing of Chinese and why did he not come to comfort those under sentence of death. Hirota declared that Lieut Tanaka was responsible for the killing but Aizawa turned round and said that he and five superior privates did the killing under orders. Hirota declared that the killing of the Chinese was the result of an order being misunderstood. He said he had given an order that Chinese, who rested more than three days, should be fully reposed, but that order seems to have been misunderstood and was taken as a direction that they should be killed. Hirota declared that he had stressed to his subordinates that they should treat subordinates with a "warm heart" and there should be no discrimination between the Japanese and foreign labour. He admitted that he had exercised close supervision over units under his command.

The Canberra Times, Tuesday 25 March 1947, p.1.

HIROTA DECLARES LIES TOLD BY SUBORDINATES
RABAUL, Monday.  

Major-General Hirota, who is on trial for the responsibilities, for atrocities committed by his troops, claimed that some of his subordinates had told lies to involve him in the charge, because they disliked him.    

This was contained in an emotional statement submitted by counsel for Hirota, ''My subordinates think ill of me because I have kept a respectful attitude as a Japanese military officer and obeyed the laws and regulations," declared Hirota.

Cross-examined by Mr. Badham, K.C., Hirota said he did not know that the 1000 Chinese had been captured in China for he did not regard them as prisoners of war. They were labourers, who had been transferred to his area from that controlled by General Imamura, of the Eighth Japanese Army. He though they had come of their own free will and were paid regularly.  

He admitted it was his duty to know all that happened in his area. The killing of a non-combatant was a most serious matter.

Asked if the Chinese had been fed insufficiently, Hirota declared no. All the Chinese received the same food except those who did heavy work, for which they were allowed a sixth extra rations. Those suffering from ulcers or malaria were sent to the unit hospital.

The Judge Advocate (Lieut-Col. Brock) intervened in the cross examination and the court adjourned. Resuming 15 minutes later, he announced that the court was not satisfied with the translations of what the witness meant.

The court decided to have fresh translations made from the original documents.

The Canberra Times, Wednesday 26 March 1947  

DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT IN TRIAL OF JAPANESE GENERAL AT RABAUL
RABAUL, Friday.

There was a dramatic development in the war crimes trial of Major-General Akira Hirota today when General Hitoshi Imamura, G.O.C. of the 8th Japanese Army group in New Guinea, accepted full responsibility for charges on which Hirota is appearing.

Imamura gave evidence in Hirota's defence and declared that he, not, General Hirota, should be held responsible for these incidents if they occurred.    

General Imamurara, who told the court that most of Hirota's subordinates held him in reverence, said he had instructed Hirota, as officer commanding, the 26th supply depot, that the Chinese, brought to Rabaul, should be treated as labourers and not as prisoners of war.

He admitted that after the arrival of the Chinese, it was discovered that some were former prisoners of war but he declared all came to Rabaul voluntarily.

The Chinese, he said, were recruited in China by the Wang Government and handed over to Japanese headquarters in China, which sent them to Rabaul.    

Under cross-examination Imarnura said that Chinese army officers had voluntarily, become labourers at Rabaul under junior Japanese officers to avoid starvation in China.

He said he had never heard that Chinese labourers in Rabaul included several children, and he knew, nothing of the killing of Chinese labourers until after the war ended.  

In his statement Imamura said that for 1,000 days, Rabaul was attacked every day and night by powerful enemy air forces. He claimed that by their devotion to protect the 8th army's food supplies, stored in 26 depots, all members of the depot became exhausted physically and mentally.    

In addition to the war situation he added that Hirota was driven into extreme difficulty in performing his duties by a shortage of officers and men and because Hirota and his subordinates did not fully understand his command.

The Canberra Times, Saturday 29 March 1947

COUNSEL CLAIMED HIROTA DID HIS BEST AS A MAN
RABAUL, Monday.

“All men on this earth are equal,” declared Jiro Nishimura, counsel for Major-General Hirota, at the resumption of Hirota's trial on war crime charges.

"Hirota is not a god. He is just a human being. He did his best as a man, to carry out his important duties," added counsel.

Nishimura claimed there was no evidence that Hirota gave instructions of killing or ill-treatment of Chinese, or that he instigated or assisted the commission of these crimes.

Nishimura said that Hirota's command was hampered by faulty organisation of the supply unit and poor quality of personnel Hirota took all possible steps to rectify these faults and eventually achieved well disciplined unit. The crimes were committed before he had a disciplinary command.

Mr Badham, K.C, declared that Hirota was responsible for the acts of his subordinates, His defence failed under the principles of international law and by the general principle that a person, accessory to an act, was just as guilty as the one who committed the act.  

He claimed that the killing of Chinese took place in circumstances that must have been known to Hirota.

The court adjourned to a time to be fixed.

The Canberra Times, Tuesday 1 April 1947, p.1.  

LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR JAP COMMANDER
RABAUL, Wednesday.

Found guilty by the War Crimes Tribunal of responsibility for atrocities committed by his troops in. New Guinea, Lieut.-General Hatazo Adachi, G.O.C. of the 18th Japanese Army, was today sentenced to life imprisonment.

Adachi, after he had left the court, said "the thought of life imprisonment is unbearable. I would rather they had sentenced me to death."

Adachi will serve his sentence in the war criminals compound at Rabaul. Precautions will be taken to prevent him committing suicide.

Adachi was alleged to have been responsible for a long series of coldly deliberated, brutal crimes against Australian and Indian soldiers, New Guinea natives and Chinese civilians. Crimes committed by his subordinates included mass murder, torture, mutilation and cannibalism.

Adachi admitted he had authorised his unit commanders to execute without trial. He claimed that he knew nothing of crimes against Australians until the end of the war.

He also asserted that he was forced to issue the order, authorising summary execution, to maintain discipline under difficult circumstances when the Japanese 18th Army was in a perilous position.

The Court announced its finding after two hours deliberation and when the verdict was translated, Adachi, who is 57 years of age, blinked, bowed slightly and sat down.

The Canberra Times, Thursday 24 April 1947, p.2.