Execution of Hisao Tani, implicated in the Nanjing Massacre

Execution of Hisao Tani, implicated in the Nanjing Massacre

Hisao Tani (谷 寿夫, Tani Hisao, 22 December 1882 – 26 April 1947) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War who was convicted of war crimes. Forces under his command committed the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. Tani was tried in the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal and executed

In July 1937, the IJA 6th Division was assigned to the Japanese China Garrison Army, and immediately began combat operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War starting with the ongoing Battle of Beiping–Tianjin. Afterward, it participated in Beiping–Hankou Railway Operation. In October 1937, the division was re-subordinated to IJA 10th Army and attacked the Chinese troops concentration at Hangzhou Bay. By December 1937, it shifted west to join the IJA 18th division and IJA 114th division in the Battle of Nanking and ultimately in the Nanjing Massacre

Returned to Japan at the end of 1937, Tani became commander of the Central District Army until September 1939 when he went into the reserves

However, after the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Tani was recalled to active service to take command of the IJA 59th Army and concurrently the Chugoku Regional Army District. These organizations were part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in the San'yo region of western Honshū and consisted mostly of poorly trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. The IJA 59th Army was officially demobilized after the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945

In February 1946, Tani was arrested on orders of the American occupation authorities and charged with Class B and Class C war crimes. At the request of the Chinese government, he was extradited to China to stand trial at the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal in August 1946.[4] Tani denied all charges at the trial, stating that his troops kept discipline, and the area of Nanjing assigned to his division had been largely evacuated due to the ferocity of the battle. Furthermore, none of the witnesses against him could identify his unit numbers, and indeed the evidence presented to the court pertained to troops and areas of the city under General Kesago Nakajima and General Shigeharu Suematsu. However, the presiding judge refused Tani's request to call on his chief of staff and surviving junior officers as witnesses, and stated that since the various atrocities which occurred in Nanjing were testified to by hundreds of surviving witness as well as several foreigners from Nallanking Safety Zone, he was unwilling and unable to divide responsibility. According to the ruling of the court, of the Japanese commanders involved in the Battle of Nanjing had an equally shared responsibility for atrocities which occurred during the Rape of Nanjing, and this included Generals Iwane Matsui, Heisuke Yanagawa and Sadao Ushijima as well as Nakajima, Suematsu and Tani. He was consequently sentenced to death as a BC-class war criminal. On 26 April 1947 he was escorted to his execution spot at Mount Yuhuatai and publicly executed by shooting. The crowds of Chinese civilians who witnessed the execution were cursing at him for the atrocities he committed

Enjoy Christmas 2023 with these promotions offers and its benefits. Special offer for our readers and it's free. Hurray