" BEFORE THE MILITARY COMMISSION convened by the CCMMJ.NDING GENERAL, United Stotes Army Forces W~stern Pacific * • • • * * ~ * * * * * * * * UNITED S'l'ATES OF /.MERICi. VS .. PUBLIC TRI.AL TOKIZO JIJ,KITA * HISiJ< I !Tl1l • • * * * * * * * * * * * * * • • VOLUME VI PJ.GES 283 To 358 Dh TE : 11 July 1946 COPY NO a \\ - THIS CERTIFIES that this volume is a part 'Jf the proceedings of the Military Commission appointed by Paragraph _2_, Special Orders l~O, Head­ quarters Unfted States Army I .'.>rces Western Pacific, dated _z._ July 1946; and Paragraph ~, S~ecial Orders 152, Head­ quarters United States hrmy Forces, Western Pacific, dated _f_ July 1946 in the trial of the case of the United States of America against TCKIZO lll1KITA and HIS/.KI !TAI, Dated.) ~ ~ 1946 '41~ i._ :?~ ~HIBi i. LD L. P.hRl !FLEE Colonel, 61'C President of Commission Before the MlLITARY COi r ISSION convened by the cm J AND! NG GENERAL United ~tates Army Forces Western Pacific •11•11 "* * Ul'JITED STATE.!)""**"* OF All""" WICA vs Pl BLIC TRilL TOKIZO J. AKI 'l.A HISAI<. I !TAI * * * * ~ * • 11 "" 11 ~ * • 11 • Court No. 1 High Co~mi ssioner's tesidence l. ani la, P • I • 11 July 1946 f et, nursuant to adjournment, at 0830 hours. j, El BE TIS OF ~ ILIT.1-~RY cm t I~!)! ON I COLONEL AHCr:IBALD L. PJ\llkILEE, CAC, Pres. & Law ~ · ember COLONE.L RICHl RD C. STICI\ NLY, Inf' LIIUTENANT COLONT L JOHN E. f1TOfllE. , Q~ i C FOR 'J:HE PROC)ECUTION1 FIRST LIEUTEN .: N'I WI LLIAl E. l· UTIPhY , Inf. I•'OR THE DE.FENSL : SfCOND LIEUTENi:. NT ROBE.ET J. POL~h.I, or.o . Oi·FICI HL I NTI'RPR ETI.RS FOR TbE. COi ~.i ll"'~I O N: Sf COt·'D LIEUT£.Ni.NT FnJ.NK y,J• .. LOTO T/SGT YOSEI AKI OGI T~ Ol• ' F ICII~ L REP Q} Tl RS FOR Th l. CQt. 1-1 !,..SI Ofl~ : MARJORIJ. TI TTLL WI LLIJJC E . f\I CE WITNESSES EXMI. BY QIRECT CROSS REPIRECT RECROSS copu. M:-.s ".fuji Hr.mQmoto 284 284 285 Toshimi Kumr-.1 288 292 300 301 302 H~. jime Fujii 306 311 Jiro Uotoki 31? 322 328 331 Mr.s:-.fUji H~ c.moto - Rc c c. lkd 338 339 340 Tokizo I:Ir.kit c 344 GENERAL P~ gc No. Stil ulo.tion ~ s concerns s:)ecificc.tion No. 3 303 It 4 315 It 5 341 .. The Commission reconvel'¥ld, pursuant to adjournment, at 0830 hours, 11 July 1946, in Court No. 1, High Commissioner's Residence, Manila, P.I. COLONEL PARMELEE: The Conunission is in session. LIEUTENANT MURPHY: Sir, may the r ecord show thl'.t Colonel Parmel ee , Colonel Stickney, Lieutolll\nt Colonel Stone , all members of the Commission ar c pr esent; the accused together with their personal interpret er, and mombers of tho def anse and prosecution staffs are present. Ma.sntuji Hnmnmoto, a witness for tho defense, will take the stand ngain today -- COLONEL I believe r edirect is in order now ? LIEUTENANT MURPHY: Yos, Sir. COLONEL PARMELEE: The witness should be r eminded thnt he is still under oath. (Interpret er Ogita converses with the witnoss .) 283 I ' . MASAFUJI HAMAMOTO a witness for the defeiso, having been previously duly sworn, t ostifiod ns follows through Intorpret or Yoshinki Ogitn: REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY LIEUTENANT POLSKI: Q Did you know any soldier by the name or Oseko? A Yes. Q Is he living today? A He died in nation. Q Do you remember \\her o Oseko died in nation? A Os cko died in action in combat in tho vicinity of Miagao. Q Did he dio in action on Lioutonant .Y.1mrunoto•s expedition in tho vicinity of Mnt-y, Mingno Barrio, Iloilo, in March 1944? A Yes. LIEUTENANT POLSKI: No further questions, Sir. COLONEL PARMELEE: Rocross- exrunination? LIEUTENANT UURPHY: Yes, Sir. RECROSS EXAMINATION BY LIEUTENANT MURPHY: Q How do you lmo\1 that Osoko died while n member of t he Y~mamo to platoon? A I lmow because I saw the documont. Q Was Mnkita a member of tho Yamamoto platoon -- LIEUT ENANT POLSKI: May we have that clarified as to whon you mean on that expedition? He has already t estified that he was a memb er of the Yamamoto pl at oon. BY LIEUTENANT MURPHYt Q Wns Makita a member or t he Yamamoto pl at oon during the month of Ma rch 1944? 284 A Yes. LIEUTENANT MURPHY s I mve no further questions, Sir• COLONEL PARMELEE: Quostions by tho Commission? COLONEL STICKNEYs I havo some. EXAUINATION BY THE COlAMISSION BY COLONEL STICKNEis Q Did Captain Watanabe give his order for tho 11 March expedition to Lieutenant Yamamoto ovor the telephone? A Lieutenant Ynmnmot.o was at the place where Captain Watanabe wns at the time so ho ropeated tho order directly nnd not over the telophono. Q What was that placo? A Guimbal. Q Did you hear the order givon? A I vms in Iloilo so I did not. hoar tho order given. Q Aro you familiar with tho expedition made on that date? A Is that the March -- Q Yes. A Yes. Q Did the expedition movo from Guimbnl to Mingao by truck? A I do not koow. Q In moving from Guimbal to Miagao by truck would one pass through Mat-y on the way? A Do you mean the truck going from Ouimbal to the Mingao garrison? Q Yes . A In going on a truck from Guimbal to the Miagao garrison it is not necessary to go through Mat-y because there is a national road ther e . 285 Q There is what? A There is a national road. Q There is a national road. Do I understand thnt the national rond does not pass through Mat-y? A It does not pass through Mat-y. Q Was the expedition on March 11 sent to Bambnnan? A I do not remembor clearly but it seems that the expedition wns in the area, in the vicinity or Bambannn. Q In going from Mingao to Bambnnan would one pass through Mat-y? A Yes. Q How fnr is Mat-y from Bambnnan? A It is about 7 or 8 kilometers from Miagao to Bambanan, and approximately 1 to lt kilometers _, o . Mat-y. Q Then how far is it from Mat-y to Brunbanan? A Approximately ; or 6 kilometers. Q On the expedition or 11 March, did Lieutannnt Yrunnmoto carry machine guns? A No, he did not carry machine guns. COLONEL STICKNEY: I have no fUrthcr questions. COLONEL PARMELEE: Has the defense any further redirect, or the prosecution recross? LIEUTENANT POLSKI: No, Sir. LIEUTENANT MURPHY: No, Sir. COLONEL PARMELEE: Tho w1 tnoss is excused. (Witness excused.) LIEUTENANT POLSKI: Sir, at this time the def ense r egr ets thnt it has to break tho continuity of its presentation and must skip over to Specification 3 duo to tho fact that 286 , oi1e wi t nfJS s ' nvnilability is a bit precc:tri ous, Our m~xt vii t ne:s s will bo Tosh:tmi Kumni. • ' .,., " .. , . .: :. .. .. 287 I TOSHHfI KUMAI a witness called by the defense, was sworn and t estified as follows through lhte~~:i ro t er T/Sgt . Yoshiaki Ogi ta. DIRECT EXMfINATI ON B ~ LIEU ~ENANT POLSKI : LIEll'l'ENANT POLSKI: Sir, Kum1i vii 11 testify in behalf of Itai on Specification 3. Q Wha t is your name? J Toshimi Kumai , Q What is your age? P 30 years old. Q Wh&t is your na t ionality? A Japanese. Q Wh~re is your home? A Fukuoka, Yahata, Nishi su1 do machi No . 3. Q Arr you married? A No . Q Ar o your parents living? A Onl~1 my father is living . Q Hovi o ."i. •~ is your father? A 57 years old. Q Were you a member of t he Japanese 1\rmy on Panay IsJ and in Aoril , May , and June of 1944? A Yes . Q What unit were you in? A I was in the Tozuka battalion. Q And what unit was Tozuka's battalion in? • A It v:as an independent unit of t he Kono unit. ~88 I Q Was that General Kono? A Y€3 . Q Was Cantain Watanabe 's company under the Tozuka battalion of which you were a membe1·? A Yes. Q What ~as your duty in the battalion headquarters in April, May , and June 1944? A I was an adjutant for the expedition a nu man in charge 0f or dnance . Q What were your duties as adjutant? A As an adjutant I was an aideto the battalion commander. Q As ad jutant djd you know the affairs of the battalion? A Yes . Q Wha t we:-e your duties as ordnance officer? A As an ordnance officer I was in charge of supnlylng arms , and the r enairing of ordnance mater iel. Q \Vas the accused Itai a m€ mber of Captain Watc:ma be 1 s company dur ing that neriod of April, May , and June 1944? 1\ Yes . Q trow would you please t ell the Commission whe r e Itai was dl1 ring the month of April? A For the purpose of an expedition I tai went to Iloilo around the middle of April . Q Do you know where Itai came from up to the time he came t o IloiJo for an expedition? A I bel ieve he came from the vicinity of ~ ' i g bauan or Guimbal. Q Wha t wo11ld be his duties at Ti gbauan or Guimbal? I i\ He was & .