Analyzing the âPhotographic Evidenceâ of the Nanking Massacre

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As for Photo 19, which is another RBS photo, is an image of a seven-year-old boywhom a Japanese soldier slashed to death in Nanking, according to its caption. Actually,this is a still from Magee’s motion picture with its background erased and blackened.Regarding these photographs, again, one should wonder who took them. If aChinese national had truly obtained these photographs in the way usually explained bysome Chinese sources, and if he had been sympathetic to the GMD so that they wouldprovide these photos to the editors of RBS and WMRB, he would have certainly gossipedabout these atrocities and even reported them to the ICNSZ so that the “Daily Reports”would include them. However, the fact is that no contemporary records, including the“Daily Records” as reprinted on WMRB, contain any of these cases of atrocities.(b) Corpses on river shorePhoto 20 is a RBS photo of unknown origin. This image has been featured inthe following Nanking-related publications:ZKHJapanese edition of Timperly’s bookKetteiban: Nankin daigyakusatsu [The Authoritative Version of the GreatNanking Massacre]QINHUASNDRON-YYRON-IGrass that appears to be greenShort-sleevesPhoto 20: RBS94
According to the RBS’s caption, “[The] Japanese troops shot to death thoseChinese military men who had ceased their fight in the suburb of Nanking after tyingtheir hands in the back. The Japanese dumped over 300 bodies into this pond.” ManyJapanese veterans of the Nanking campaign noted in their records (for example, see 1937Nankin kōryakusen no shinjitsu) that they had frequently seen dead bodies in creeks orponds on their way to Nanking. But the question here is whether or not this photogenuinely shows the bodies of “over 300” victims whom the Japanese troops hadunlawfully killed and dumped into a pond.Judging from the condition of these bodies, if the caption had actually told thetruth, someone supposedly took this photo shortly after the killing had taken place “in thesuburb of Nanking” in December—during the winter. One can see, however,half-nakedmen and those wearing short- sleeves among these dead bodies. In addition, the grasson the shore of the pond is not withering. Thus, this cannot be a scene which one couldphotograph in the suburb of Nanking in December.Furthermore, contrary to the caption’s phrase of “over 300 bodies,” there areonly a few bodies shown on the image. Such a large number of human bodies would filla school gym. If there had indeed been this large number of atrocity victims, thephotographer would have captured such a scene.One must thus conclude that the value of this photo as evidence is far fromcompelling.(c) Alleged massacre of innocent civiliansThe captions of Photos 21 through 24—all in RBS—identifies these dead bodiesas civilians murdered by the Japanese military. Photos 21 and 24 are supposedly imagesof farmers who were murdered in the suburb of Nanking while Photo 22 is captioned asan old woman who was stabbed to death by the Japanese in Taierjiang and was foundwith a reed inserted into her sexual organ. It is, however, not clear on what grounds thatthese images are in fact the scenes of the aftermath of Japanese violence. Names of the“witnesses”, who must have notified the photographer of the carnage are nowhere to befound.Photos 21-25: These photographs first appeared in RBS, except for Photo 25, the first appearanceof which was in WMRB (The original Chinese caption of this image was printed upside down).As Photos 21-25 were reprinted later in other publications, the content of the captions changed insuch a way as to emphasize the sensational nature of the perpetrator’s cruelty.Photo 21 Photo 2295
Page 1 and 2:
Analyzing the “Photographic Evide
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List of AbbreviationsCCPGMDICNSZIMT
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heard about the Rape of Nanking. I
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Discovery of a “top secret” GMD
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only in the Chinese edition of Timp
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Photos C and D, which appeared in t
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Nanking massacre was published with
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Chapter 1: Realities of the Battle
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August 12, the Chinese army’s for
Page 19 and 20:
Crisscrossed runningcanals.” Mans
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“Death-defying aerial photograph
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Sunday, November 28: Wang Gupan, ch
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Zhonghua Gate. Viewphotographed fro
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Escape of garrison commander TangTh
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Soldiers shouting “banzai” on t
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soldiers from civilians. Again, thi
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For example, combatants who are cap
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Graph: Nihon no senreki [Mainichi G
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An important fact is that the Japan
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the city.Given the non-occurrence o
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Victory ceremony in front of the GM
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Nanking Citizens Relinquishes Anti-
Page 45 and 46: I heard a hymn accompanied by an or
Page 47 and 48: Children riding mules in front ofNa
Page 49 and 50: with Chinese staff members of the s
Page 51 and 52: One week after the fall of Nanking.
Page 53 and 54: Peddlers wishing to trade withJapan
Page 55 and 56: My mission was to visit the office
Page 57 and 58: Chapter: The First “Photographic
Page 59 and 60: Analyses of Group A photographs1. S
Page 61 and 62: Contemporary Japanese publications,
Page 63 and 64: Of course, the image of a lone infa
Page 65 and 66: Photos D and E are in a booklet ent
Page 67 and 68: (c) Bombing of the USS PanayRBS lis
Page 69 and 70: Photos C and D: The Panay sinking i
Page 71 and 72: about-to-take-place beheading was a
Page 73 and 74: (a) Four military personnel at the
Page 75 and 76: of a living person posing for the c
Page 77 and 78: Apart from this speculation, anothe
Page 79 and 80: 8. Apparently, no one in uniform ha
Page 81 and 82: the quote above makes it clear that
Page 83 and 84: Photo A: A clip of Photo 13 as prin
Page 85 and 86: Photo 15: “Shatou.” The first a
Page 87 and 88: Formation of thegroundPhoto C: “P
Page 89 and 90: Four identical individuals are show
Page 91 and 92: As for Chiang Kai-shek and his GMD,
Page 93 and 94: 3. Still Images of Dead BodiesIf th
Page 95: Timperly may well have selected thi
Page 99 and 100: Photos 26-28:RBS was the first sour
Page 101 and 102: One can easily point out difference
Page 103 and 104: Shanghai. Several photos I saw when
Page 105 and 106: In 1998, however, Hata Ikuhiko unea
Page 107 and 108: Photo E: Asahi Graph, 10 November 1
Page 109 and 110: Photo I: The original of Photo 36 w
Page 111 and 112: Photo J: This is the original of Ph
Page 113 and 114: however, stated that the girl in th
Page 115 and 116: Group B photographs: Photographs th
Page 117 and 118: WMRB introduces Photo 45-51 as scen
Page 119 and 120: Photo 48Photo 49117
Page 121 and 122: According to the caption of Photo 5
Page 123 and 124: Agnes Smedley describes how the Com
Page 125 and 126: Photo 58Photo 59Photo 60123
Page 127 and 128: The RBS caption of Photo 62 says,
Page 129 and 130: Conclusion: Composite, Play-up, Rep
Page 131 and 132: The following sources made referenc
Page 133 and 134: Horizontal and vertical ratio of th
Page 135 and 136: Photo 133
Page 137 and 138: have not been seen by anyone else u
Page 139 and 140: 137
Page 141 and 142: The same background as the “origi
Page 143 and 144: Photo G Photo F Photo CPhoto C: RON
Page 145 and 146: “Courtesy of Marion Fitch”RON-Y
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some 50 photographs which he had ta
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Fitch Photos -(21)Photo 93 Photo 91
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Photo B Photo A Photo 84Photos 84 a
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Photo 88Photo 88: An identical phot
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and 90, one may assume that the pho
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Forty-five years later, however, Na
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Japanese side. But [the unearthed m
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(2) Alleged murder of childrenAmong
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It is Carl Mydans, an American in C
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inspired anti-Japanese sentiment am
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Another notable fact is that a sold
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military have appeared in several N
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Photo 102Photo 102: One of the phot
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Photo PPhoto OPhoto O: Watashi no j
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In one case a [Communist] Party mem
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In view of such a Chinese tradition
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army’s conduct after its entry in
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Photo 108Photo 108: “[C]hildren b
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Photo UPhoto U: Type-94 light armor
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Army rose near Zhonghua Gate.” Ju
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(11) Images of Shanghai re-captione
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Chapter 4: Misleading use of the Ph
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* Magee photo (1)Magee’s film (MF
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* Magee photo (3)MF: Group of women
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This photograph has been cited as e
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(d) Ulterior motive behind the incl
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discrepancy between the realities i
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Photo 126Photo 126: RON-YY, which f
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Images Photographed by the Westerne
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As for Photo 130, RON-YY said, “O
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Photo A Photo 131Photo 131: Second
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and she found the following passage
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Images Photographed by the Japanese
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Photo 134Photo 134: Zusetsu Shōwa
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Photo FPhoto DPhoto EPhotos D and E
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much larger number POWs obeyed a sm
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Photo IPhoto 136Photo I: Fukyoka sh
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As for Nihon no shinryaku: Chūgoku
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Shanxi Province, and Nomonhan durin
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half open. Since Murase most likely
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Map 2Map 2: “Assault on Nanking.
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Photo N: A photograph among the rec
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emoved them away from the shore to
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find an old man lying on the ground
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spring or summer time—as illustra
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correspondents who assisted in the
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e-captioned pieces. This publicatio
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Analyzing the âPhotographic Evidenceâ of the Nanking Massacre