In September 1945, Tomoyuki Yamashita, in his capacity as commanding general of the Japanese Fourteenth Army Group in the Philippines, became a prisoner of war of the United States Army Forces and was charged with violations of the law of war. The official charge from the Judge Advocate General’s Department of the Army states that between October 9, 1944 and September 2, 1945, General Yamashita “unlawfully disregarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control the operations of the members of his command, permitting them to commit brutal atrocities and other high crimes against people of the United States and of its allies and dependencies, particularly the Philippines.” On December 7, 1945, a military commission found General Yamashita guilty as charged, and sentenced him to death. Yamashita filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus to the United States Supreme Court, challenging the commission’s lawful authority and jurisdiction to try him. On February 4, 1946 the Court denied the general’s petition, and he was executed shortly thereafter.
Just a quick sample.........Brutally mistreating 600 and killing without cause or trial 373 men, women, and children, all unarmed non-combatant civilians, wounding and attempting to kill 27 others, wrong-f'ully burning and destroying, with its contents, St. Paul's College, a building dedicated to religion, and stealing property of civilians, at St. Paul's College, Edanila, on 9 February 1945
"Mistceating about 400 women and children, repeatedly raping
and attempting to rape about 76 women and girls from
9 February to 17 February 1945 at the Bay View Hotel, Alhambra
Apartment Hotel, Miramar Apartment Hotel, and bIanila
Hotel, Manila.
"Killing without cause or trial nine members of the Canillas family and one other person, all unarmed non-combatant civilians, and wrongfully burnihg tne Canillas ,home at hialate, Bdanila, on 8 and 9 February 19456
