The defunct Imperial Japanese Army's germ warfare unit planned to stage germ attacks against U.S. troops in Japan just after Japan's surrender in World War II in August 1945, researchers said Friday, citing a memorandum left by the unit's commander, Lt. Gen. Shiro Ishii.
But the germ warfare team, known as Unit 731, gave up the plan after being told by then top commanders of the Imperial Japanese Army, ''Don't die in vain,'' the researchers said.
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Other fragments of the memorandum include ''American troops arrive (at Sagami Bay near Tokyo) on 25th (of August),'' ''Will scatter (the weapons) across the country,'' and ''personnel and equipment can be transported with sailboats.''
The expressions mean Ishii apparently planned germ attacks against U.S. troops and studied transporting germ warfare personnel and their equipment to Japan, they said.
But entries on Aug. 26, two days before the arrival of an advance team of the U.S. forces, carry instructions from top army generals that say ''Don't die in vain,'' and ''Wait for next opportunity calmly.''
The instructions were issued by Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu and Gen. Torashiro Kawabe, then chief of staff and deputy chief of the Imperial Japanese Army, respectively.