Sorties into Hell: The Hidden War on Chichi Jima

This is absolutely NOT the type of book you want to read if you are squeamish about things. The book is about how some Japanese soldiers actually killed and ate American flyers on the island of Chichi Jima during World War II.

This isn't a tabloid-type of story. It's based on cold, hard, undisputed fact. This ranks right up there with some of the worst atrocities that Japanese soldiers committed during the war.

Chichi Jima is an island not far from Iwo Jima, and for a while was considered for invasion, but Iwo was settled upon since the island was flatter and airstrips could be built. Chichi was a lot more hilly. Both islands were heavily fortified, both done in the same manner.

The events in question took place mainly between June 1944 and March, 1945. Those who participated tried to cover up what happened, but a very sharp U.S. military man after the war, when the island was being surrendered, realized something wasn't ringing true and began an investigation.

Two of the main people involved were Major General Yoshio Tachibana and Rear Admiral Kunizo Mori.

First of all, various U.S. flyers were shot down over or near the island and were captured. Most of them were tortured, and they met their ends usually by being killed by a bayonet, and/or being beheaded. After that happened, there were instances of where the liver was cut out and sometimes flesh from the thigh area. These were then cooked and served to the Japanese island leaders.

When the island was surrendered, the Japanese tried to cover up what was done, but an American worked hard and found out the full story. Unfortunately, by this time some of the Japanese responsible had already been sent back to Japan where at least a couple of them ended up killing themselves.

When the trial was held, there were 21 men defendants, 8 of them charged specifically with cooking and/or eating human flesh. Six of the men ended up being hung. The others got sentences ranging from 5 to 20 years in prison.

It's a very upsetting book, to say the least.

Main Index
Japan main page
Japanese-American Internment Camps index page
Japan and World War II index page