The Bataan Death March巴丹死亡行军

珍妮弗·罗森堡 聂雅真 周知非

Prelude

The Bataan Death March was Japan’s brutal forced march of American and Filipino prisoners of war during World War II. The 63-mile march began on April 9， 1942， with at least 72，000 POWs from the southern end of the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. Some sources say 75，000 soldiers were taken prisoner after the surrender at Bataan， which broke down to 12，000 Americans and 63，000 Filipinos. The horrible conditions and harsh treatment of the prisoners during the Bataan Death March resulted in an estimated 7，000 to 10，000 deaths.

Surrender in Bataan

Only hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7， 1941， the Japanese struck airbases in the American-held Philippines. In a surprise air attack around noon on December 8， most of the military aircraft on the archipelago were destroyed.

Unlike in Hawaii， the Japanese followed their airstrike in the Philippines with a ground invasion. As Japanese ground troops headed toward the cap-ital of Manila， U.S. and Filipino troops retreated on December 22 to the Bataan Peninsula on the western side of the large Philippine island of Luzon.

Cut off from food and other supplies by a Japanese blockade， the U.S. and Filipino soldiers slowly used up their supplies， going from half rations to third rations and then quarter rations. By April， they had been holding out in the Bataan jungles for three months. They were starving and suffering from diseases.

There was no option other than to surrender. On April 9， 1942， U.S. Gen. Edward P. King signed the surrender document， ending the Battle of Bataan. The remaining American and Filipino soldiers were taken by the Japanese as POWs. Almost immediately， the Bataan Death March began.

March Begins

The purpose of the march was to get 72，000 POWs from Mariveles in the southern end of the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O’Donnell in the north. The prisoners were to march 55 miles to San Fernando， then travel by train to Capas before marching the last eight miles to Camp O’Donnell.

The prisoners were separated into groups of approximately 100， assigned Japanese guards， and sent marching. It would take each group about five days to make the journey. The march would have been arduous for anyone， but the starving prisoners endured cruel treatment throughout their long journey， making the march deadly.

Japanese Sense of Bushido

Japanese soldiers believed strongly in bushido， a code or set of moral principles established by the samurai. According to the code， honor is brought to a person who fights to the death; anyone who surrenders is considered contemptible. To Japanese soldiers， the captured American and Filipino POWs were unworthy of respect. To show their disgust， the Japanese guards tortured their prisoners throughout the march.

The captured soldiers were given no water and little food. Although artesian wells with clean water were scattered along the way， Japanese guards shot prisoners who broke rank and tried to drink from them. A few prisoners scooped up stagnant water as they walked， which made many sick.

The prisoners were given a couple of rice balls during their long march. Filipino civilians tried to throw food to the marching prisoners， but Japanese soldiers killed those who tried to help.

Heat and Random Brutality

The intense heat during the march was miserable. The Japanese exacerbated the pain by making prisoners sit in the sun for several hours without shade， a form of torture called “the sun treatment.”

Without food and water， the prisoners were extremely weak as they marched in the hot sun. Many were seriously ill from malnutrition; others had been wounded or were suffering from diseases they had picked up in the jungle. The Japanese didn’t care： If anyone slowed or fell behind during the march， they were shot or bayoneted. A Japanese “buzzard squad” followed each group of marching prisoners to kill those who couldn’t keep up.

Random brutality was common. Japanese soldiers frequently hit prisoners with the butt of their rifles. Bayoneting was common. Beheadings were prevalent.

Simple dignities also were denied the prisoners. The Japanese offered neither latrines nor bathroom breaks along the long march. Prisoners who had to defecate did so while walking.

Camp O’Donnell

When the prisoners reached San Fernando， they were herded into boxcars. The Japanese forced so many prisoners into each boxcar that there was standing room only. Heat and other conditions inside caused more deaths.

Upon arrival in Capas， the remaining prisoners marched another eight miles. When they reached Camp O’Donnell， it was discovered that only 54，000 prisoners made it there. An estimated 7，000 to 10，000 had died， while other missing soldiers presumably escaped into the jungle and joined guerrilla groups.

Conditions at Camp O’Donnell also were brutal， leading to thousands more POW deaths in the first few weeks there.

The Man Responsible

After the war， a U.S. military tribunal charged Lt. Gen. Homma Masaharu for the atrocities during the Bataan Death March. Homma was in charge of the Philippines invasion and ordered the evacuation of the POWs from Bataan.

Homma accepted responsibility for his troops’ actions but claimed he never ordered such cruelty. The tribunal found him guilty. On April 3， 1946， Homma was executed by firing squad in the town of Los Banos in the Philippines.

前言

巴丹死亡行军是二战中日本强迫美国和菲律宾战俘进行的一次残忍行军。 这次63英里的行军开始于1942年4月9日，至少7.2万名来自菲律宾巴丹半岛南端的战俘被迫参加。也有消息说，在巴丹投降被俘的有7.5万人，其中美军1.2万人、菲军队6.3万人。行军条件恶劣，战俘受尽折磨，估计导致7000至1万人死亡。

巴丹投降

1941年12月7日，日本偷袭了珍珠港;仅几个小时后，又袭击了美控菲律宾的空军基地。12月8日中午前后，日本出其不意发动空袭，菲律宾的美军机大多被毁。

和在夏威夷不同，日本在对菲律宾空袭后立即发动了地面进攻。日本陆军进军首都马尼拉时，美军和菲军于12月22日撤退到菲律宾大岛吕宋岛西侧的巴丹半岛。

由于日军实施封锁，切断了食物等物资的供应，美国和菲律宾部队的儲备逐渐耗尽，口粮配给从一半减少到三分之一再到四分之一。到4月，他们已在巴丹丛林中坚持了3个月。他们忍饥挨饿，又遭疾病折磨。

除了投降，无路可走。1942年4月9日，美国爱德华·P.金将军签署了投降书，结束了巴丹半岛之战。剩下的美国和菲律宾士兵成了日军战俘。巴丹死亡行军几乎立即就开始了。

行军开始

这一行军是为了把7.2万名战俘从巴丹半岛南端的马里韦莱斯押送到北部的奥唐奈战俘营。战俘们要行军55英里至圣费尔南多，然后乘火车到卡帕斯，再从卡帕斯行军最后8英里至奥唐奈战俘营。

战俘们被分成若干队，每队约100人，指派日军卫兵监管，之后便出发了。每队都需要约5天完成行军。行军对任何人来说都是艰苦的，但忍饥挨饿的战俘在漫长的行程中还要遭受残酷折磨，这次行军对他们来说就是一次死亡之旅。

日本武士道

日军士兵极其崇尚武士道精神，武士道是日本武士阶层确立的一套道德准则。根据武士道，死战者光荣，投降者皆可耻。对日军卫兵来说，被俘的美菲战俘都不值得尊重。为表鄙视，日军在整个行军途中对战俘百般折磨。

他们不给战俘喝水，也不给什么吃的。虽然沿途有自流井可以喝到清水，但离队去井边喝水的战俘全被日军枪杀了。有些战俘沿途舀污水喝，许多人因此病倒了。

长途行军中，战俘分到了几个饭团。菲律宾的老百姓试图给行军中的战俘扔点儿食物，但日本兵把那些想施以援手的人都杀了。

炎热和暴行肆虐

行军途中的酷热令战俘们苦不堪言。日本人强迫战俘在没有遮阴的大太阳地坐几个小时，用这种所谓“阳光治疗”的折磨加剧战俘的痛苦。

战俘们走在烈日下，没吃没喝，羸弱至极。许多人由于营养不良而病入膏肓;其他人受了伤，或在丛林中染了病。日本人根本不在意：行军途中如果有人走得慢或掉了队，就会被枪毙或刺死。日军的“秃鹰队”跟在每队战俘后面，负责杀死掉队的人。

想着法子折磨人屡见不鲜。日本兵常常用他们步枪的枪托殴打战俘。刺刀杀人如家常便饭。砍头更是普遍现象。

战俘们最起码的尊严也完全被剥夺。日本人在行军途中根本不提供上厕所和洗澡时间。战俘们大小便时只能边走边排。

奥唐奈战俘营

战俘们到达圣费尔南多后就被赶上了货车车厢。日本人在每节车厢里都塞了过多战俘， 以致所有人都只能站着。车厢内很闷热，加上其他情况，导致更多人死亡。

抵达卡帕斯后，幸存的战俘又徒步8英里。最终抵达奥唐奈战俘营的战俘只剩下了5.4万名。根据统计，有7000至1万名战俘死亡，其他失踪了的战俘估计逃入丛林参加了菲律宾游击队。

奥唐奈战俘营的情况同样残酷，导致抵达这里的最初几周就有数千名战俘死亡。

罪魁祸首

战后，美国军事法庭因日本在巴丹死亡行军中犯下的罪行指控本间雅晴中将。本间指挥入侵菲律宾，并下令战俘从巴丹半岛撤离。

本间承认对部下的行为负有责任，但辩称他从未下令残杀战俘。军事法庭判他罪名成立。1946年4月3日，行刑队在菲律宾洛斯巴诺斯镇对本间执行了死刑。