Tani was born to a farming family in Okayama Prefecture. He graduated from the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1903, placing 16th in his class. One of his classmates, Yasusuke Nogi, was the younger son of General Nogi Maresuke, and later died in combat during the Russo-Japanese War. Tani also saw combat during that war as a second lieutenant in the Guard's First Infantry Battalion, although his training at the academy had been in artillery. After the war, he graduated in third place from the 24th class of the Army War College in 1912. Tani later wrote an account of his experiences in the war, together with first-hand accounts of survivors, which was published under the tile Secret History of the Russo-Japanese War (機密日露戦史, Kimitsu Nichiro Senso-shi). The book became a required textbook for the Army Staff College, although it was criticized by Field MarshalUehara Yusaku for inaccuracies.[1]
Tani was posted to Great Britain as a military attaché from 1915, and from August 1917 he was embedded in the front lines as an official military observer for the Japanese government on the combat situation on the Western Front in World War I. After his return to Japan, in April 1919 he served as an instructor at the Army Staff College, and was reappointed to that position in February 1924. In February 1927 he was promoted to colonel and made commander of the IJA 61st Infantry Regiment. In August 1928, he became chief-of-staff of the Nagoya-based IJA 3rd Division.[2]
In May 1930, Tani was named to the League of Nations Standing Committee on Military Aviation. He was promoted to major general in August 1930. He returned to Japan in 1932 to become Chairman of Military Investigation, and from August 1933 was commander of the Guards 2nd Brigade. he was promoted to lieutenant general in August 1934. He served as commander of Tokyo Bay Fortress from August 1934 to December 1935. He was then sent to Kumamoto to oversee the reconstruction of the IJA 6th Division.
Tani brought to his execution site outside the south gate of Nanking.
Tani executed outside the south gate of Nanking.
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 Nanking Safety Zone, he was unwilling and unable to divide responsibility. According to the ruling of the court, all 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 and was executed by firing squad at Mount Yuhuatai on 26 April 1947.[5][6][7]
Family
Tani's son, Hayao Tani, was also an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. A graduate of the 49th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and the 58th class of the Army Staff College, he was a colonel on the staff of the IJA 34th Army and was killed in combat in November 1944.
Decorations
1939 – Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure [8]
1939 – Order of the Golden Kite, 5th class
1940 – Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
References
Dorn, Frank (1974). The Sino-Japanese War, 1937–41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor. MacMillan. ISBN0-02-532200-1.
Hsu Long-hsuen & Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), 2nd edition (1971); translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing (address #33 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan)
Higashinakano, Shūdō. The Nanking Massacre: Fact Versus Fiction (2005), Sekai Shuppan, Inc.; ISBN4-916079-12-4/ISBN4-916079-13-2 (original Japanese edition: Nankin gyakusatsu no tettei kensho (1998), Tendensha, ISBN4-88656-153-5; C0021)
Yoshida Hiroshi Tennou no guntai to Nankin jiken, 1998, Aoki shoten; ISBN4-250-98019-7.
Fukagawa, Hideki (1981). (陸海軍将官人事総覧 (陸軍篇)) Army and Navy General Personnel Directory (Army). Tokyo: Fuyo Shobo. ISBN4829500026.
Dupuy, Trevor N. (1992). Encyclopedia of Military Biography. I B Tauris & Co Ltd. ISBN1-85043-569-3.
Hata, Ikuhiko (2005). (日本陸海軍総合事典) Japanese Army and Navy General Encyclopedia. Tokyo: St. Martin's Press. ISBN4130301357.
hisao, tani, 寿夫, tani, hisao, december, 1882, april, 1947, lieutenant, general, imperial, japanese, army, second, sino, japanese, convicted, crimes, forces, under, command, committed, 1937, nanjing, massacre, tani, tried, nanjing, crimes, tribunal, executed, t. 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 Tani HisaoBorn22 December 1882Okayama Empire of JapanDied26 April 1947 1947 04 26 aged 64 Mount Yuhuatai Nanjing Republic of ChinaCause of deathExecution by shootingCriminal statusExecutedConviction s War crimesCrimes against humanityTrialNanjing War Crimes TribunalCriminal penaltyDeathMilitary careerAllegiance Empire of JapanService wbr branch Imperial Japanese ArmyYears of service1903 1945RankLieutenant GeneralCommands heldImperial Japanese ArmyBattles warsRusso Japanese War Second Sino Japanese War Pacific War Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early military career 1 2 World War II 1 3 Trial and execution 2 Family 3 Decorations 4 References 5 Footnotes 6 External linksBiography EditEarly military career Edit Tani was born to a farming family in Okayama Prefecture He graduated from the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1903 placing 16th in his class One of his classmates Yasusuke Nogi was the younger son of General Nogi Maresuke and later died in combat during the Russo Japanese War Tani also saw combat during that war as a second lieutenant in the Guard s First Infantry Battalion although his training at the academy had been in artillery After the war he graduated in third place from the 24th class of the Army War College in 1912 Tani later wrote an account of his experiences in the war together with first hand accounts of survivors which was published under the tile Secret History of the Russo Japanese War 機密日露戦史 Kimitsu Nichiro Senso shi The book became a required textbook for the Army Staff College although it was criticized by Field Marshal Uehara Yusaku for inaccuracies 1 Tani was posted to Great Britain as a military attache from 1915 and from August 1917 he was embedded in the front lines as an official military observer for the Japanese government on the combat situation on the Western Front in World War I After his return to Japan in April 1919 he served as an instructor at the Army Staff College and was reappointed to that position in February 1924 In February 1927 he was promoted to colonel and made commander of the IJA 61st Infantry Regiment In August 1928 he became chief of staff of the Nagoya based IJA 3rd Division 2 In May 1930 Tani was named to the League of Nations Standing Committee on Military Aviation He was promoted to major general in August 1930 He returned to Japan in 1932 to become Chairman of Military Investigation and from August 1933 was commander of the Guards 2nd Brigade he was promoted to lieutenant general in August 1934 He served as commander of Tokyo Bay Fortress from August 1934 to December 1935 He was then sent to Kumamoto to oversee the reconstruction of the IJA 6th Division World War II Edit 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 3 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 Honshu 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 Trial and execution Edit Tani on trial at the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal Tani brought to his execution site outside the south gate of Nanking Tani executed outside the south gate of Nanking 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 Nanking Safety Zone he was unwilling and unable to divide responsibility According to the ruling of the court all 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 and was executed by firing squad at Mount Yuhuatai on 26 April 1947 5 6 7 Family EditTani s son Hayao Tani was also an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army A graduate of the 49th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and the 58th class of the Army Staff College he was a colonel on the staff of the IJA 34th Army and was killed in combat in November 1944 Decorations Edit1939 Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 8 1939 Order of the Golden Kite 5th class 1940 Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising SunReferences EditDorn Frank 1974 The Sino Japanese War 1937 41 From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor MacMillan ISBN 0 02 532200 1 Hsu Long hsuen amp Chang Ming kai History of The Sino Japanese War 1937 1945 2nd edition 1971 translated by Wen Ha hsiung Chung Wu Publishing address 33 140th Lane Tung hwa Street Taipei Taiwan Higashinakano Shudō The Nanking Massacre Fact Versus Fiction 2005 Sekai Shuppan Inc ISBN 4 916079 12 4 ISBN 4 916079 13 2 original Japanese edition Nankin gyakusatsu no tettei kensho 1998 Tendensha ISBN 4 88656 153 5 C0021 Yoshida Hiroshi Tennou no guntai to Nankin jiken 1998 Aoki shoten ISBN 4 250 98019 7 Fukagawa Hideki 1981 陸海軍将官人事総覧 陸軍篇 Army and Navy General Personnel Directory Army Tokyo Fuyo Shobo ISBN 4829500026 Dupuy Trevor N 1992 Encyclopedia of Military Biography I B Tauris amp Co Ltd ISBN 1 85043 569 3 Hata Ikuhiko 2005 日本陸海軍総合事典 Japanese Army and Navy General Encyclopedia Tokyo St Martin s Press ISBN 4130301357 Footnotes Edit Tani Hisao 機密日露戦史 Hara Shobo ASIN B000JABSCA Ammenthorp Steen Tani Hisao The Generals of World War II Japanese Forces Operating along the Northern Sector of Peiping Hankow Railway Mid August 1937 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 16 February 2011 Retrieved 14 June 2016 Hisao Tani WW2DB Retrieved 2019 02 08 Hisao Tani WW2DB Retrieved 2019 02 08 The veteran who drove Hisao Tani to the execution ground chinadaily com cn 3 August 2015 accessed 8 March 2016 Hisao Tani WW2DB Retrieved 2022 04 18 官報 叙任及辞令 March 27 1939External links Edit Media related to Hisao Tani at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hisao Tani amp oldid 1120078906, wikipedia, 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