Analyzing the “Photographic Evidence” of the Nanking Massacre

Photo MPhoto M: Photographs in the possession of Akaboshi Takashi. The handwritten captionreads, “Dead bodies in the aftermath of an intense military engagement at Shanghezhen.”The intensity of the enemy’s attack finally began to slacken with the lapse oftime. The Chinese troops that had been marching toward us until shortlybefore started moving toward the Yangzi shore. Then, I saw themstripping themselves and jumping into the river. Some others built rafts outof lumbers which they had found nearby to escape on the river. It was atthat moment that a mountain artillery piece was positioned on the road. Itopened fire on these Chinese soldiers. I could clearly see a raft andsoldiers blown up with each blast. All the eighteen shells we possessed atthe time made successful hits on the targets. With the termination of theartillery fire, the battle was over. . . . There was a rumor that mycompany—the 11th—had been annihilated.Tani Hisao, who commanded the 6th Division, Ushijima Mitsuru, a brigadecommander under Tani, and Takeshita Yoshiharu leading the regiment of the 11th company,inspected this battlefield on the following day. As for Akaboshi, he accompanied ObaraShigetaka, the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the same regiment, to clean the aftermathof the battle. Akaboshi said, “We counted 2,377 dead bodies of the opponent in andaround the road. By adding those who were killed in the Yangzi, we estimated the loss wehad inflicted on the opponent at about 10,000.”Map 3Photo N225