Statements and Information Concerning Yoshinao Sato

SATO. Yoahlnao

420 - 7 Feb 1947

On being shown a photograph of Dale E. Plambeck, Sato stated that the photo looked familiar and he recalls that Plaabeck was among the 16 processed at Hqs.

He further recalls Aihara mentioned that none, Aihara handling the records. On being shown the photograph of William R. Fredericks Sato believes he saw him at an Interrogation at Hqs.

Aihara states that Sato ordered 7 or 8 airmen sent to KIU.

420 - 7 Feb 1947

Domicile: Yamagata Prefecture

1922 - 2nd Lt. (graduate of Military Academy)

1941 -  Lt. Col.

1 Mar 1945 -  Col. Air Corps background

29 Jan. 1945 - Staff Officer 16th Area Army and Seibu Army Area

1 June 1945 - Concurrently Staff Officer 6th Air Army

30 Nov. 1945 - Reserve

Yukino. et al (420 - no date).

Statement of Yukino

Yukino was ordered by Sato and Fukushima to report to Western Army Hqs. In early December 1945 and was questioned as to the prisoners at Hqs. A few days after the 15th or 16th of August Yukino and Murata emptied the ashes Into the sea. Murata says this was at Sato's request. Sato had told Yukino to state to the Americans that he went alone on the ashes burying expedition on Mt. Hirao. However, Sato previously told him to bury the ashes at Mt. Hirao without telling anybody about them (ashes of 9).

Statement of Sato (420 - 10 Sept. 1947.)

Inada knew everything of the atrocities. Everyone knew of Major General Ito's report (Chief of Legal Section Western Army) to Lt. General Yokoyama, CO, Western Army, that all eight prisoners were killed. In the last of June or July, a report was sent from the Western Army to the War Ministry that 16 prisoners were killed In an air raid at Fukuoka. This report was false and these prisoners were killed within the Hqs at KIU. This report contained details of each prisoner. This report was not burned, but went to POW Intelligence Dept, Sato copies this report In November 1945 and the report Is now In Fukuoka. Lt. Colonel Yamamoto would know where It is. It was the Intention of Yokoyama that no POWs should survive the Kyushu Invasion. Major Haba knew of this order. Sato and Alhara were under the command of Yakamaru who handled flier prisoners.

In 1943 the Minister of Education Issued an order that the Imperial University Hospital should conduct vivisection experiments on survivors of American planes and submarines (it not known whether Sato was referring to Kyushu Imperial University Hospital or all the Imperial University Hospitals).

Fukushima agreed to keep the Incident secret. Meetings concerning secrecy were held at Tsukushi Hotel, Futsuka, Ichi-machl, Fukuoka on 17 August 1945 and 17 and 18 November 1945. This hospital was the staff officers billet. In August all the staff officers and department heads were present. At the November meeting Inada, Fukushima, Ikada, Sato and Yakamaru were present. Sato went to KIU four times to tell the doctors what happened at the meeting, at which time he talked to Ishiyama. In April he went to see Hirako who told him that his story would be he rented the autopsy room to Komori and Ishiyama.

At the end of the interview Sato stated he would submit infor­mation written by him one week later.

Statement of Nakao, Sukiro

Sato told Nakao that the prisoners were killed but that the official story would be they were sent to Tokyo. Sato admitted some prisoners were killed at the hospital. Sato questioned captured filers.

Statement of Yamanaka

Sato would have to get the approval of the Commanding General, C/S or Assistant C/S to release prisoners for KIU. Sato ordered Yamanaka to compile a list of prisoners on 30 November 1945 (he could not remember). Yamanaka overheard Sakura and Nakao relate the prisoners were beaten by Sato.

Statement of Sato (420 - 25 Feb. 1947)

The principal duty of Sato was to organize and control the Western Army Air Defense System. The Kempetai would interrogate the crash survivors received by the nearest Army Hqs, and they requestioned them and they were then sent to Western Army Hqs where Sato or Yakamaru, who was in charge of the guards, would be notified. They would then notify Hiroshima Hqs., then Yokoyama, Inada and Fukushima (Fukushima senior staff officer). About 1 March Colonel Akita took Fukushima's place. The Adjutant Section housed the prisoners. Chief of the Adjutant Section was Lt. Colonel Jin, who replaced Colonel Koga on 30 April 1945. On 25 June 1945 Major Kusumoto replaced Jin. Captain Aihara received the prisoners and reports concerning them, then turned reports over to the Adjutant Section. The reports were turned over to the Chief of the Intelligence Section (Lt. Colonel Suginoo from April to surrender)

Suginoo or Yamanaka Interrogated the prisoners as well as Sato. Sato recalls that he questioned with Yamanaka about ten prisoners.

Once Sato punished a prisoner by punching him In the chest, knocking him from his chair, a/When he, Sato, was told the prisoner was giving him false information.

In April 1945, an order emanated from the Tokyo C/S that all prisoners would be sent Immediately to Tokyo. Major Yoshikawa, Intelligence Staff, GHQ, Tokyo, came to Western Army Hqs In early May and Instructed Yamanaka that hence forth only B-29 plane commanders should be sent to Tokyo, as well as all survivors of planes other than B-29s.

Sato was responsible for the receipt and disposition of prisoners under the Commanding General and C/S. Sato In turn issued orders to Aihara.

The only three persons who could Issue orders concerning the disposition of prisoners were Sato, Yokoyama, the CG from Dec. 1944 until the end of the war, and Inada, the C/S from March 1945 until surrender.

Sato took orders from the Chief of Staff and Commanding General only concerning prisoners. On 25 June Yokoyama separated the 16th Army, the combat troops from the Western Army, with new Hqs. at Yamaie. Yokoyama and Inada went to Yamaie, about four miles away, but they still retained their old position. However, Lt. General Isa, Acting Commanding Officer, and Major General Fukushima, Acting C/S, Western Army Hqs, Issued minor orders in Yokoyama's name.

There was no order from Tokyo concerning the execution of Prisoners.

Colonel Takada was in charge of the Fukuoka Kempetai. In October 1945, he gave Sato a compilation of prisoners taken in Western Army jurisdiction, according to instructions of Fukushima. No names were given, but 39 prisoners were listed. Sato says this report may be "off" but there were no more than 41.

A new report under Fukushima's direction was made up with Its purpose to make the beginning part very accurate to throw off the "occupation" and then Inserted was the statement that seven POWs were sent to Hiroshima on 3 or 4 August (before the atomic bomb), and 31 prisoners sent to Tokyo by air on 16 or 17 August.

Eight (8) prisoners were taken to KIU and killed In experimental operations; the other prisoners were also killed. All said prisoners were American survivors of planes. Sato recalls Plambeck and states that he was either killed at KIU or the execution of 20 June. He recalls Alhara referred to the name Plambeck quite often. He recalls possibly Wm. R. Fredericks and recalls seeing the name of Williams. He recalls specifically the names of Robert 1. Williams, Byron Blower, Chas. S. Appley.

[Marginal Note: calcium injection ... for calcium deficiency, have disease, etc. - calcium .. remedy in Japan. ]

In early May 1945 Sato went to the Western Army Hqs dispensary for a calcium Injection. Komori was the Assistant Medical Officer in charge of the Western Army dispensary. Sato mentioned to Komori that the fliers would not be tried by military commission, but would be executed.

Wako, the Assistant In charge of Western Army Legal Section, had told Sato In early May 1945, In the presence of Akita, who supervised staff officers, that lt was too much trouble to try the fliers and asked Sato to get the approval of Yokoyama and Inada to execute then without trial. Sato asked Akita to get permission. Akita said he went directly to Yokoyama since the C/S was not In,and Yokoyama said "all right".

Two or three days before or after the above incident, Wako asked Sato to attend a Legal Section meeting. Ito, Chief of the Legal Section, Wako and Enatsu were there. Wako related that he had been a judge at the Doolittle trial In Shanghai and it was most difficult to sentence fliers to death as they were acting under duty, even if guilty of indiscriminate bombing.

Wako said that he was In favor of execution without trial to which Sato agreed. Ito stated that the prisoners must be sentenced as a formality and that there should be a preceding perfunctory Investigation. It was agreed then that the Kempetai would Investigate In such a way that the prisoners would be sentenced to death. Ito requested Enatsu to have the Kempetai make such an investigation.

Komori said that he would like to take the prisoners If they were to be executed. Sato felt Komori wanted the prisoners alive for experimental purposes. Komori said it would not be inhumane. Sato told Komori to get an opinion from Major General Horiuchi, Chief of the Western Army Medical Section, and from Yokoyama and Inada.

About 20 May, before the Kempetai investigation, Komori came to the office of Sato to give Sato an injection and remarked at that time how weak the prisoners were and how low their morale. On the way to the detention barracks of the prisoners Komori stated he wanted to give the prisoners some sea water so that they would regain their health. He further related sea water was still In the experimental stage at KIU and he wanted to use the prisoners for experimental purposes. Komori said "they" would get an opinion from higher officers (medical (?)). Komori also said some prisoners were Injured and had not had proper medical treatment. Sato at that time requested Komori to give the proper treatment to which he agreed. Two or three days after Komori and Sato visited the detention barracks (whether before or after the Kempetal investigation report Is not known). Sato met Komori in the Hqs. hallway, and Komori said he had received Yokoyama's permission to take the prisoners to KIU. NI believe It was then he definitely told me the American prisoners would be used for experimental operations".

[Marginal Note: In U.S., an autopsy room usually part of pathological lab, in U.S., might trap patient. ]

Komori asked that the prisoners be released to him. At the time of this conversation there were two unidentified Japanese near by. After this conversation Sato asked Yokoyama If he understood that the prisoners were to be taken to KIU and he said "yes, I know about It". Yokoyama stated that Sato should give Komori ample warning to keep the affair quiet, which Sato did, Yokoyama telling him to contact Komori. Either that day or the next Sato told Aihara about the operations and told him to discuss secretly with Komori the number of prisoners to be sent to the hospital. On the morning of 22, 23 or 24 May, Komori, in a low voice, told Sato they would take the prisoners that afternoon.

Between 1330 and 1400 Komori and Sato went to the detention barracks, where there were two American prisoners blindfolded in the rear of a truck with three guards. Aihara was on the ground with five or six guards. After all parties were assembled Sato warned them to secrecy. The guards got In the rear of the truck, Sato and Komori in front. Aihara did not go.

Komori said the prisoners would be operated on and that sea water would be injected to determine its effectiveness. The operations would be on the chest.

The truck stopped at the autopsy room and Sato and Komori went to the autopsy room. This ride took ten minutes and Sato then waited some twenty or thirty minutes when seven or eight persons In white gowns came into the room. Two of them were w̶a̶l̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ a large bottle of fluid. An hour after Sato entered one prisoner was brought In on a stretcher blindfolded and strapped down. Sato believes the prisoner was unconscious. Then Ishiyama and Hirako came in. Hirako was dressed in civilian clothes and unlike the others did not wash his hands. The prisoner's chest was exposed. Ishiyama made a curved incision from the left side of the chest to the start of the ribs. Ishiyama and his assistants tied the blood vessels, retracted the incision. The ribs were then cut and retracted. Sato became dizzy at the sight of blood and sat down. At that time he had been watching twenty minutes. Two containers of red substance were brought from the operating table and placed on a near by table, then the incision was sewed up. From the start until the end of the operation two men injected a water like solution Into the prisoner's left arm. Another injection was of a dark liquid and was given to the prisoners In the same arm. A third man checked the amount of the Injection of the water and the pulse. A fourth man administered either. [Marginal Note: could be blood of course]

[Marginal Note: ... & saline are "water-like" ]   [Additional Marginal Note: .... usually takes care of injection ]   [Addition Illegible Marginal Note]

All this took about two hours. Komori told Sato they had removed a lung, the left lung. Ishiyama said the operation was very satisfactory and It would serve as a good guide. Komori said it would be useless to hospitalize the prisoners

[Marginal Note: To tie blood vessels, .... with ......., tie with gut, ..., liver, ...., at disection of .... ]   [Additional Marginal Note: usually this all done by one anaesthetist in U.S.

[Marginal Note: In U.S., bring patient in on wheeled ... shift off onto operating table. Ordinarily, would not let ....... patient on table. When operation completed, patient shifted back to wheeled .... ]

Ishiyama jokingly said the prisoner went to heaven - it was the best way out and there would have been more suffering if he had been beheaded. At that time Sato noticed three persons standing around the operating tableland the Incision was reopened. Someone put his hand Into the prisoner*s chest and the prisoner stopped breathing. The straps were removed and the stretcher lowered to the floor. At that time Sato left by streetcar. He doesn't know whether he witnessed two operations that day or whether he witnessed two operations the. next time. This was confused in his mind.

Komori said that other prisoners were under ether and sleeping in an adjoining room,and Sato heard from him that they did something to that prisoner also. That night, or the next day, Sato told Akita of the experimental operation on the prisoners. Akita made no comment. Sato also talked about the operation to Yakamaru. The Kempetai report was received and stated that one flier confessed that his orders were to kill all non-combatant Japs that he could. This report bore Ito's hand. It was given to Akita. Sato heard later that only five or six prisoners would be sentenced to death from this report. Sato saw Akita read this report. Sato took this report to Yokoyama and they discussed Its use as a formality and Sato believes that Yokoyama put his hand upon It.

About a week later three more filers were taken to KIU. Aihara informed Sato of the fact in the nornlng or on the previous day. Aihara gave the guards a warning as to secrecy and Sato went to the detention barracks. Yakamaru and Sato went in a staff car to the autopsy operating room. Ishiyama told them he would perform a liver or spleen operation and that it was difficult because of the many blood vessels Involved. A prisoner was brought In unconscious and blindfolded and was strapped down. Ishiyama made an incision of about seven Inches 1 into the right of the filers stomach. The Incision was retracted and the blood vessels were tied. Ishiyama was in charge, assisted by Komori and three or four others. A 1st Lieutenant Medical Officer was an observer. Sato does not recall whether or not Hirako was there. The surgeons removed part of -a red-brown organ and put it on a table. [Marginal Note: could be spleen or liver ]

[Marginal Note: Can be talking about  liver, spleen, or stomach in these two instances]

[Additional Marginal Note: ....... spleen operation can be very simple or difficult, depending on how ..... If long ........ ]

A second flier was put on the other table, strapped down,and most of the doctors went over to that table.

Two doctors remained, however, and made a second incision on the first prisoner In the center of his stomach at about the time he appeared dead. It appeared as if they were removing the stomach« These two operating tables were moved close together.

[Marginal Note: man can't live without liver substance (can't take out part); can live without spleen.]   [Additional Marginal Note: may mean abdomen, as .... ]   [Additional Illegible Marginal Note]

An incision was made into the chest of the second prisoner with Ishiyama In charge, but Komori doing most of the work. One-half his lung was removed and placed on the table with the stomach of the first prisoner. The second flier was then sewed up and Sato does not know whether he was alive or dead at the time. [Marginal Note: Usually put specimen (organ or ...) in basin, then sent to lab.]

During the operation Komori said that removing an organ in the stomach area was very difficult because of loss of blood and removing one-half of lung was more difficult than removing. the entire lung.* [Marginal Note: *could be] He said sea water was very successful. Sato left at 1700 after being In the operating room two or three hours.

Sato then made a correction In his statement and relates that he interrogated 15 fliers and witnessed the mistreatment of 6 or 7 at a time when he was senior officer and could have prevented "it."

The third operation took place about 5, 6 or 7 June. The date prior Komori contacted Sato,and Sato told Alhara to release another prisoner. On the morning of the operation Komori came to the office with Sato and checked another name In his book (Komori's book evidently). Komori and Sato then went to the detention barracks. The prisoner was in the rear of the staff car blindfolded and Komori sat on one side of him and Sato on the other with a guard In the front seat. Aihara joined them at KIU before the operation. Komori told him It was to be a brain operation. The prisoner, evidently unconscious, was brought In one-half to one hour later.

The prisoner was placed face down. There were seven or eight Japanese including Ishiyama and Hirako present. Ether, sea water and other Injections were administered. Ishiyama made a half-moon incision on the back of the head and opened the skull There was heavy bleeding. One hour after the start, Ishiyama could not stop the bleeding and seemed to give up hope. The  other doctors just stood around. It appeared to Sato that the prisoner then died from loss of blood. [Marginal Note: Ether administered by .... not injection ]

[Additional Marginal Note: Use half moon incision cerebellum Heavy blocking of ... usual. Usually brain operation lasts several hours or longer. After one .......... more bleeding, but a good brain surgeon has no difficulty ..... that ]

Hirako was there from the beginning to the end of the operation, except when he left the room for a few minutes and returned with the preserved brain, which he appeared to use during the operation. Hirako was In civilian clothes and talked to Ishiyama during the experiment.

Sato attended no other operations but Komori subsequently came to inject Sato and Sato told him at that time to quit the operations. Komori said that two more operations had been performed and that they were now through with the experiments.

Sato believes that two prisoners were used between the 10th and 20th of June 1945. The prisoners used in these operations were not in ill health or injured and Komori told Sato that they were experi­mental operations.

Other persons attending the operations were; Torisu, Hirao, Mori, Senba, Morimoto and a nurse that Sato can identify although he doesn't know the name. Sato saw most of these people during the three operations.

On 17 August Yokoyama called a meeting of the staff officers and division heads at Futsukaichi. Inada replied to Yakamaru's question as to what to do about executed prisoners by stating that they must be very careful to hide the truth. Fukushima alleged that he would assume responsibility for concealing the atrocities. Isa and Akita were also there. Inada warned Fukushima that the Americans regarded their prisoners as heroes rather than with shame and that they would have to have a fool proof plan.

On 18 August Fukushima called a meeting with Tomomori, Yakamaru, Sato, and possibly Ito and Aihara present.

Everyone agreed on the Hiroshima alibi. Yakamaru suggested that all the divisions be ordered to destroy all records of the prisoners and to disclaim all knowledge of such acts having occurred. Aihara then contacted the divisions by telephone and Sato assisted him. They also contrived the alibi that 16 prisoners were burned to death at Headquarters. Sato was to stop at Hiroshima to get Hiroshima Hqs. .to accept 30 or 40 prisoners as killed by the atomic bomb.

On 20 August Sato talked to Lt. Colonel Oya, Military Intelligence, 6th Section, GHQ at Tokyo, and told him the KIU situation and the plans for secrecy. Oya suggested the alibi that the prisoners were killed at Hiroshima and agreed to help since he was being transferred to the 2nd Central Army Headquarters. On 25 August the accused went to Hiroshima and talked to Oya and was taken to see an unidentified staff officer, a Colonel. Sato told the Colonel about the execution but doesn't recall whether he also mentioned the KIU incident, but he doesn't believe so. The Colonel would not accept the responsibility since he said it would get General Hata, the Commanding General of 2nd Central Army, Into trouble. The Colonel suggested that Sato see the Kempetal. However, Colonel Yakamatsu,of the Hiroshima Kempetai, told Sato that he could not help him. At this time Sato mentioned the executions, but not the KIU incident.

On 28 August Sato returned to Fukuoka and talked to Fukushima,who approved his returning to Tokyo for advice. Sato then talked to Major Yoshukawa and Oya. Oya said that he would ask Yoshukawa to arrange with Hiroshima Hqs to say that the Western Army prisoners were killed there, since Yoshukawa was being transferred there. Yoshukawa agreed.

On 10 September Sato met Yoshakawa in Hiroshima and said Hiroshima Hqs would accept 8 or 9 prisoners and that he would make arrangements to accept responsibility. He asked that Aihara be sent to Hiroshima to make the arrangements. On Sato's return to Fukuoka he requested Fukushima to send Aihara to Hiroshima, which he did. Fukushima, Kusumoto and Sato discussed a new plan and agreed on Fukushima's plan that 31 or 32 fliers had been sent to Tokyo.

The first week in October the C/S of 2nd Central Army Hqs, which was at that time located in Osaka, called the staff officers of the various armies. About 10 officers attended, with Sato representing the Western Army. The C/S wanted to know what plans had been made to hide the atrocities. Each officer stepped Into the office of the C/S individually and discussed privately his situation. Sato's plan concerning the atomic bomb and sending some of the prisoners to Tokyo was approved by the C/S, but the C/S warned him to be very careful.

On 16 or 17 November 1945 there was a meeting of all Commanding Generals of the War Department In Tokyo. Hishihara, Fukushima and Sato represented Western Army (Yokoyama had resigned at the request of the War Department and had appointed Hishihara In his place). A meeting was called by General Shimomura, Minister of War. The first part of the meeting was attended by Commanding Generals only. Hishihara stated that they discussed the atrocities committed by the Army.

The second meeting was more general and attended by Hishihara and Fukushima. That evening, about 1900 or 2000, Hishihara, Fukushima and Sato met with Lt. General Hara, the Vice Minister of War, and Lt. General Yoshiue, Chief of the Military Affairs Bureau at the War Department. Hara stated that if war crimes and atrocities were concealed it would be a reflection on the emperor. (Upon being discovered). Fukushima said the plans were complete to conceal the Western Army atrocities. Sato stated that all the Western Army atrocities had been done by the authority of higher officers and If revealed the Commanding General and C/S would be implicated. Yoshiue said the occupation authorities would discover the atrocities and was, therefore, In favor of revealing them.

A few days after the return to Fukuoka, Inada called a meeting of Fukushima, Akita, Yakamaru and Sato and said it was better to conceal the atrocities^and they unanimously agreed. They then decided the Tokyo alibi would not hold up and lt was better to tell of the executions and conceal the experimental operations, which they all knew about. Inada stated he did not think Yokoyama knew of the experimental operations.

About 22 or 23 November, Sato reported the Tokyo meeting to Yokoyama, with the decision that they could conceal the atrocities and that the victims of KIU would be reported as killed by the atomic bomb at Hiroshima.

Yokayama said he knew nothing of the details of the executions and that Sato should take the best possible course and that he, Yokoyama,would be willing to assume the full responsibility, but that it would be a reflection on the emperor If he did, since Commanding Generals are responsible to the emperor and that, therefore, Fukushima and Sato should assume complete responsibility. This conversation took place on Yokoyama's farm.

At this point in the statement, Sato admits a lie and now states that he did not like Inada and the story that he, Sato, told Inada about the KIU Incident Isn't true, but that Yokoyama told Sato to tell Inada which he did not do, although he states that Yokoyama might have told him about It.

On November, Fukushima, Sato and probably Yakamaru met at Kaigo Primary School and decided at that time to go to any length to conceal the atrocities. Later Inada asked Sato If KIU had asked for the prisoners and Sato replied In the affirmative. Inada then said that Sato should accept all responsibility , to which Sato agreed. There were four or five persons present at that time.

In December 1945, Inada, Akita and Sato met. At that time Inada said it would be impossible for the Western Army to have a trial since the Chief of Legal Section was implicated and, therefore, such a trial should be held by Tokyo. He further stated that Ito and Fukushima were trying to evade responsibility. (Evidently they are talking about a trial In which the Japanese would wash their own linen rather than having the occupation authorities conduct such trial).

In December Sato confessed to a CIC Detachment in Kurume Fukuoka-ken that 31 fliers were beheaded. Also in December Akita told Sato that the atrocities might be discovered and that Sato should call a meeting. The accused called Akamine, Maeda, Hashiyama. to Fukuoka and said that they were responsible for the execution.

In March 1946 Lt. General Suzuki of the War Department,Legal Section, came to Fukuoka and Sato told him all except the KIU experiments.