Japan's aborted biological attack: Secrets of unit 731 revealed
Japanese doctors from the secret military Unit 731 avoided responsibility for their inhumane experiments. They escaped consequences by handing over research documentation to the Americans, which was intended to assist in carrying out a planned biological attack on the United States at the end of World War II.
At the close of World War II, Japan planned a biological attack on the USA, but the operation was halted at the last minute. This information was included in a secret report that surfaced in 1947, thanks to the head of US Navy intelligence.
The dark history of Unit 731
Unit 731, operating in Manchuria, was responsible for conducting brutal experiments on Chinese civilians and prisoners of war. Between 1932 and 1945, at least 270,000 people died at their hands. These experiments included tests using anthrax, cholera, and plague, along with other cruel practices.
Japan had advanced technologies at the time, which allowed for a large-scale attack. According to the plans, I-400 ships were to transport planes dispersing microbes along the Western Coast of the USA, resulting in the illness and death of thousands of people.
The displacement of I-400 ships ranged from 3,892 to 7,231 tons. They could reach speeds of up to 21 mph and traverse distances of up to 35,657 miles.
Everything was ready, but the operation was halted
Despite advanced preparations, the operation was stopped by Gen. Yoshijirō Umezu. He feared that biological warfare could escalate into a global threat. After the war, the documentation from Unit 731 reached the Americans, allowing Japanese medics to avoid punishment.
The report revealed by the head of US Navy intelligence contained a significant observation. It suggested that there is no certainty whether humanitarian concerns will ever prevent someone from intentionally causing an epidemic.
American General Douglas MacArthur said to those gathered on the battleship USS Missouri, where Japan signed the act of surrender after World War II, that a new era was coming. Even the lesson of victory carried with it profound concern for the future security and the survival of civilization. The destructiveness of war potential, through gradual scientific discoveries, had indeed reached a point revising traditional concepts of war.
