50,000 frustrated, tired and angry Japanese troops marched from Shanghai to Nanking with murder on their minds. The troops had received orders to “kill all captives” and they were baying for blood.
On arrival in Nanking their first priority was to dispatch the 90,000 Chinese soldiers who had already surrendered. Surrender was a dirty, shameful word to the Japanese. Surrender was abhorrent in their culture, so the Chinese soldiers who had submitted were seen by the Imperial army as barely human. They transported the 90,000 to the outskirts of Nanking and got down to their bleak business.
Older Japanese military men encouraged the younger troops to inflict the maximum possible suffering on the Chinese troops; this was an attempt to harden them for future battles. Photographers and film makers present at this display of horror saw Japanese soldiers using their enemies for live bayonet practice and holding decapitated heads as trophies. Some Chinese military were machine-gunned to death en masse, some were doused in fuel and lit to burn alive. The Japanese carried out these hideous acts with smiles on their faces. The level of depravity was immense. They enjoyed their work.
Next it was the turn of the women folk, and there was no pity to be seen from the Japanese…
☛ Next Up: A Sickening Glimpse Into The Sadistic World Of Chinese Prisons
