The following is an accurate transcription, including spelling errors, of the US Army's
translation of a Japanese diary found on a dead Japanese doctor after the Battle of Attu, Alaska.
This copy of the diary was preserved by my mother-in-law, Esther Merriman Buechler Garver. I do not
know how she got it, but her husband, Jack Buechler, was in the Army and they both lived in Juneau,
Alaska, during World War II.
The lowercase line in the entry for May 14 is missing in this copy and is supplied by Ardon Smith's copy
of the diary. The lowercase line in the entry for May 16 is supplied by Otis Hays' copy.
The lowercase lines in the entries for May 24 and 26 are from Lynn Keay's grandfather's copy.
See the note below the map of the battlefield at the end.
The right margin of this webpage contains additional notes that I discovered as I researched the Battle of Attu.
Rod Smith
COPY OF JAPANESE DIARY
TAKEN AT ATTU ALS
MAY 1943
PERSONAL HISTORY
TRANSLATION OF CAPTURED ENEMY DIARY FROM HEADQUARTERS
LANDING FORCE OFFICE OF ACX2 G-2 MASSACRE VALLEY, ATTU ISLAND,
Alternate dates from
JUNE 1, 1943. Ardon Smith's copy.
ON MARCH 6, 1929, GRADUATED FROM KERYE MIDDLE SCHOOL, PREFECTION March 16, 1919
OF ORIASHIMA.
MARCH 1929 GRADUATED FROM FRAIZER ENGLISH ACADIOUS. March 1, 1923
SEPTEMBER 1926-MAY 22, 1932 PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE, MEDICAL DEPT. Sept. 15, 1926-May 11, 1932
AGWIN, CALIFORNIA.
SEPTEMBER 15, 1933-JAN. 1937 COLLEGE OF MEDICAL EVANGILIST. September, 1933-June, 1937
September 8, 1938 - Received California Medical license From Ardon Smith's copy.
JAN. 13 1941 TRFD TO FIRST IMPERIAL GUARD INF. REG. These two lines are
JAN.10 1941 INDUCTED INTO FIRST REPLACEMENT UNIT IMPERIAL GUARD in reverse order.
INFANTRY RGT.
MAY 1, 1941 ORDERED AS OFFICERGUARD AND PROMOTED TO PFC MEDICAL DEP
JULY PROMOTED TO SUPERIOR PRIVATE MEDICAL DEPT. July 1, 1941
AUG PROMOTED TO CORPORAL. August 1, 1941
SEPT ENTERED MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATED OCT 22. Sept, 1941-Oct. 24, 1941
OCT.31 PROMOTED TO SGT MAJOR ORDER PROB OFFICER. 1941
DEC 1 ACTING OFFICER.. 1941
EXTRACTION OF DIARY
NORTHERN 5216 DETACHMENT
NORTH SEA DEFENSE FIELD HOSPITAL
NEBSI TATSUQUCHI
MAY 12, 1943 - 0155 The dates in the diary
CARRIER BASED PLANES FLEW OVER... FIRED AT IT. THERE IS A LOW are one day ahead of
FOG AND THE SUMMIT IS CLEAR. AIR RAIDS CARRIED OUT FREQUENTLY the dates recorded by
UNTIL 1000. HEAR LOUD NOISES. IT IS NAVAL GUN FIRING. PREPARED the U.S. Army because
"A" BATTLE EQUIPMENT. the doctor ignored the
International Date Line
INFANTRY , AMERICAN TRANSPORTS, ABOUT 41, BEGIN LANDING AT and used the current
HOKKAI MISAKI. 20 BOATS LANDED AT MASSACRE BAY. IT SEEMS THAT THEY date in Japan.
ARE GOING TO UNLOAD HEAVY EQUIPMENT. These two paragraphs
are missing in Otis
DAYS ACTIVITIES: AIR RAID, NAVAL GUN FIRING, LANDING OF US Hays' copy.
TROOPS.
MAY 13, 1943- BATTLE..
THE US FORCES LANDED AT SHIBA DAI AND MASSACRE BAY. THE ENEMY
HAD ADVANCED TO THE BOTTOM OF MISUNA YAMA FROM SHIBA DAI. HAVE EN- U.S. troops found two
GAGED THEM. ON THE OTHER HAND MASSACRE BAY IS DEFENDED BY ONLY ONE 20-millimeter cannons
PLATOON, UPON THE UNEXPECTED ATTACK THE AA MACHINE CANNON WAS DES- and plenty of ammunition
TROYED AND WE HAVE WITHDRAWN. IN NIGHT ATTACK WE HAVE CAPTURED abandoned, not destroyed.
TWENTY ENEMY RIFLES. THERE IS A TREMENDOURS MOUNTAIN ARTY GUN The cannons could have done
FIRING. APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN PATIENTS CAME INTO THE FIELD HOSPITAL. serious damage to the land-
THE FIELD HOSPITAL IS ATTACHED TO ARAI ENGR UNIT. ing crafts and troops. [1]
MAY 14, 1943- BATTLE..
OUR TWO SUBS FROM KISKA ASSISTING US HAVE GREATLY DAMAGED TWO
ENEMY SHIPS. 1ST LT. SIEYUKI DIED BY SHOT FRM RIFLE. CONTINOUS
FLOW OF WOUNDED IN THE FIELD HOSPITAL. IN THE EVENING THE US FORCES
USED GAS, BUT NO DAMAE WAS DONE BECAUSE OF THE STRONG WINDS. TOOK The U.S. military flatly
refuge in the trench in the daytime and took care of patients during denies that it used gas.
THE BOMBARDMENT. ENEMY STRENGTH MUST BE A DIVISION. OUR DESPARATE It was white phosphorus
DEFENSE IS HOLDING UP WELL. smoke shells.
MAY 15, 1943- BATTLE..
CONTINUOUS FLOW OF CASUALTIES TO OUR FIELD HOSPITAL CAUSED BY
THE FIERCE BOMBARDMENT OF ENEMY LAND AND NAVAL FORCES. THE ENEMY
HAS A GREAT NUMBER OF NEGROES AND INDIANS. THE WEST ARM UNITS HAVE
WITHDRAWN TO NEAR SHITAGATA DAI, IN A RAID I WAS ORDERED TO WEST
ARM BUT IT WAS CALLED OFF. JUST LAYED DOWN FROM FATIGUE IN THE
BARRACKS. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF SOLDIERS BACK FROM WEST ARM IS TENSE.
THEY ALL WENT BACK TO FIRING LINE SOON...
PAGE TWO:
MAY 16,- BATTLE..
IF SHITAGATA DAI IS OCCUPIED BY THE ENEMY THE FATE OF EAST
ARM IS DECIDED SO BURN DOCUMENTS AND PREPARE TO DESTROY THE PATIENT
by giving them shots in the arm and die painless. This line is from
AT THAT TIME THERE WAS AN ORDER FROM THE HEADQUARTERS OF SCTOR UNIT Otis Hays' copy.
PROCEEDED TO CHICAGOF HARBOR BY WAY OF UMANOSE. 0100 IN THE MORNING, The correct spelling is
PATIENTS FROM IND INF WAS LOST SO ACCOMPAINED THE PATIENTS. THERE Chichagof.
WAS AN AIR RAID ATTACK SO TOOK REFUGE IN THE FORMER FILED HOSPITAL
CAVE. THE GUNS OF A LOCKHEED SPITTED FIRE AND FLEW PAST OUR CAVE.
MAY 17, 1943- BATTLE..
AT NIGHT, ABOUT 1800 UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS, LEFT THE CAVE.
THE STRETCHER BEARER WENT OVER MUDDY ROADS AND STEEP HILLS OF NO
MANS LAND. NO MATTER HOW FAR OR HOW MUCH WE WANT, WE DID NOT GET Another copy of the diary
TO THE PASS. WAS RATHER IRRITATED IN THE FOG BY THE THOUGHT OF has went, not want.
GETTING LOST. SAT DOWN AFTER EVERY 20 OR 30 STEPS AND WOULD SLEEP,
DREAM, WAKE UP AGAIN. SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN. THE PATIENT ON
THE STRETCHER WHO DOES NOT MOVE IS FROSTBITTEN. AFTER ALL THE
EFFORT, MET SECOTO COMMANDER COL YAMSAKI. THE PASS IS A STRAIGHT
LINE WITHOUT ANY WIDTH AND ALL STEEP LINE TOWARDS CHICAGOF HARBOR.
SITTING ON THE BUTT AND LIFTING THE FEET I SLID VERY SMOOTHLY AND
CHANGED DIRECTIONS WITH THE SWORD. SLID DOWN IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
AFTER ARRIVED AT CHICAGOF HARBOR WARD AFTER STRAGGLING. TIME EXPEND Another copy of the diary
ED WAS NINE HOURS FOR ALL OF THIS, WITHOUT LEAVING ANY PATIENTS; has struggling.
OPENED A NEW FIELD HOSPITAL. WALKING IS NOW EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
FROM LEFT KNEE RHEUMATISM WHICH REOCCURRED ON PASS. This line is missing in
Otis Hays' copy.
THE RESULTS OF OUR NAVY, THE SUBMARINE AND SPECIAL UNDER-
WATER CRAFTS IN THE VICINITY OF CHICAGOF HARBOR SINCE THE 14TH . According to the US Navy,
BATTLESHIP, CRUISER 3/ DESTROYER, AIR BORN TROOPS, TRANSPORTS 6, no ships were attacked
BY THE FAVORABLE TURN SINCE THE BATTLE OF THE EAST ARM, RESERVES or damaged.
COME BACK. OFF SHORE OF SHIBA DAI, 6 DESTROYERS AREGUARDING ONE
TRANSPORT.
MAY 18, 1943- BATTLE..
THE YENEGEWA DET. ABANDONED EAST AND WEST ARMS AND WITHDREW
TO UMANOSE. ABOUT SIXTY WOUNDED CAME TO THE FIELD HOSPITAL, I HAD
TO CARE FOR ALL OF THEM ALL BY MYSELF ALLTHROUGH THE NIGHT. HEARD This sentence is missing
THAT THE ENEMY CARRIED OUT A LANDING IN CHICAGOF HARBOR. EVERY- in Otis Hays' copy.
BODY DID COMBAT PREPARATION AND WAITED. HAD TWO GRENADES READY.
2ND LT. OMURA LEFT FOR COMBAT LINE ON HA KUCHIN-TAMA. SAID FAREWELL
AT NIGHT A PATIENT CAME IN WHO ENGAGED A FRIENDLY UNIT BY MISTAKE
AND WHO HAD RECEIVED A WOUND ON THE WRIST. THE COUNTER SIGN IS
ISSHI-HOKE..
PAGE THREE:
MAY 19, 1943-BATTLE..
AT NIGHT THERE WAS A PHONE CALL FROM SECTOR UNIT HEADQUARTERS.
IN SOME SPOTS ON THE BEACH THERE ARE SOME FRIENDLY FLOAT TYPE
PLANES WAITING. WENT INTO ATTU VILLAGE CHURCH, FELT LIKE SOME ONES
HOME. SOME BLANKETS WERE SCATTERED AROUND. WAS TOLD TO TRANSLATE
A FIELD ORDER PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DROPPED BY AN ENEMY OFFICER IN
MASSACRE BAY. WAS ORDERED TO INALUATE A DETAIL MAP SKETCH OF MASSAC Otis Hays' copy of the
RE AND HOLTZ BAY WHICH WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF CAPT ROBERT AND diary has evaluate.
EDWARDS, ADJ OF COL. H SMITH. GOT TIRED AND WENT TO SLEEP. FIRST
LT UJIE IS ALSO IN CHARGE OF TRANSLATION.
MAY 20, 1943- BATTLE..
THE HARD FIGHTING OF OUR 303 BN. IN MASSACRE BAY IS FIERCE, AND
IT IS TO OUR ADVANTAGE. HAVE CAPTURED ENEMY WEAPON AND HAVE USED IT
TO FIGHT. MOWED TEN ENEMY CLOSING IN UNDER THE FOG. FIVE OF OUR
MEN AND ONE MED CAL NCO DIED. HEARD ENEMY PILOTS FACES CAN BE SEEN This sentence is missing
AROUND UMANOSE. THE ENEMY NAVAL GUN FIRING NEAR OUR HOSPITAL WARD in Ardon Smith's copy.
IS FIERC2. DROPS AROUND TWENTY METERS AWAY.
MAY 21, 1943 - BATTLE..
WAS STRAFFED WHEN AMPUTATING A PATIENT ARM. IS THE FIRST TIME
SINCE MOVING OVER TO CHICAGOF HARBOR THAT I WENT INTO OUR AIRRAID
SHELTER. ENEMY PLANE WAS A MARTIN. NERVOUSNESS OF OUR CO IS SEVERE.
AND HE HAS SAID HIS LAST WORDS TO HIS OFFICERS AND NOC'S THAT HE
WILL DIE TOMORROW AND GAVE ALL OF HIS ARTICLES AWAY. HASTY CHAP THI
S FELLOW. THE OFFICERS ON THE FRONT ARE DOING A FINE JOB. EVERYONE
WHO HEARD THIS BECAME DESPERATE AND THNGS BECAME DISORDERLY.
MAY 22 1943.-BATTLE..
O6OO AIR RAID AGAIN. STRAFFING KILLED ONE MEDICAL MAN. OKAYAKI
WOUNDED IN RIGHT THI H AND FRACTURED ARM. DURING THE NIGHT A MORTAR
SHELL CAME AWFUL CLOSE.
MAY 23, 1943- BATTLE..
17 FRIENDLY MEDIUM NAVAL BOMBERS DESTROYED A CRUISER OFF SHORE The planes strafed and
BY NAVAL GUN FIRING A HIT WAS SCORED ON THE PILOR POLE OFTENTS FOR launched torpedoes at a
PATIENTS AND THE TENTS GAVE IN AND TWO DIED INSTANTLY. FROM 0300 IN gunboat and a destroyer
THE MORNING TO 1600 STAYED IN FOX HOLE. DAYS RATION 1 GO, 5 SHAKER but the only damage was
(1.5LBS) NOTHING ELSE. OFFICERS AND MEN ALIKE IN THE FROST. EVERY by 25 bullets. [2]
BODY LOOKED AROUND FOR FOOD AND STOLE EVERYTHING THEY COULD FIND. The next day, 16 Betty
bombers were intercepted by
6 P-38s. 5 Bettys were shot
PAGE FOUR: down and the rest retreated.
2 P-38s and 1 American pilot
MAY 24, 1943 - BATTLE.. were lost. [3]
IT SLEETED AND WAS EXTREMELY COLD.. STAYED AT MISUMI BARRACKS
ALONE. A GREAT AMOUNT OF SHELLS WERE DROPPED BY NAVAL GUN FIRE AND
ROCKS AND MUD FLEW ALL AROUND AND THE ROOF FALLS DOWN IN FOX HOLE
ABOUT FIVE YARDS AWAY FROM HAYASKA A MEDICAL MAN DIED INSTANTLY BY
A PENETRATION OF SHRAPNEL THROUGH HIS HEART.
They certainly have our range and won't let up. This line is from Lynn
Keay's grandfather's copy.
MAY 25, 1943 - BATTLE..
NAVAL GUN FIRING, AERIAL BOMBARDMENT, TRENTY WARFARE--THE WORST
IS YET TO COME. THE ENEMY IS CONSTRUCTING THEIR POSITIONS. BN
COMMANDER DIED. AT UMANOSE THEY CANNOT FULLY ACCOMMODATE ALL THE
PATIENTS. IT HAS BEEN SAID AT MASSACRE BAY DISTRICT THE ROAD COMING
TO SECTOR UNIT HEADQUARTERS IS ISOLATED. AND SUFFERING FROM DIARRHE This sentence is missing
AND AM DIZZY. in Ardon Smith's copy
and Otis Hays' copy.
MAY 26, 1943 - BATTLE.
BY NAVAL GUN FIRING IT FELT LIKE THE MISUMI BARRACKS HAD BLOWN
UP AND EVERYTHING WAS SHOOK UP TREMENDOUSLY. CONSCIOUSNESS BECAME
VAGUE. ONE TENT BURNED DOWN BY HIT FROM INCENDIARY BOMB. STRAFING
PLANES HIT THE NEXT ROOM. TWO HITS FROM FIFTY CAL SHELL. ONE STOPPE
ON CEILING AND OTHER PENETRATED. MY ROOM LOOKS AN AWFUL MESS FROM
SAND and pebbles that came off the roof. Kirose, 1st Lt. of This line is from Lynn
MEDICAL CORPS IS ALSO WOUNDED. THERE WAS A CERMONY OF GRANT OF Keay's grandfather's copy.
EMPIRIAL EDICT. THE LAST LINE OF UMANOSE WAS BROKEN THROUGH.
NO HOPE FOR REINFORCEMENTS, WILL DIE FOR THE CAUSE OF EMPERIAL
EDICT.
MAY 27, 1943- BATTLE..
DIARRHEA CONTINEUS. PAIN IS SEVERE. TOOK EVERYTHING FROM PILLS
OPIUM, MOROPHINE THEN SLEPT PRETTY WELL. STRAFING BY PLANES. ROOF Otis Hays' copy has
BROKE THROUGH. THERE IS LESS THAN 1000 LEFT FROM MORE THAN 2000 750 left from more
TROOPS. WOUNDED FROM COAST DEFENSE UNIT- FIELD HOSPITAL HQS, FIELD than 3500 troops.
POST OFFICE. THE REST ARE ON THE FRONT LINE.
PAGE FIVE:
MAY 28, 1943 - BATTLE.
THE REMAINING RATIONS IS FOR ONLY TWO DAYS. OUR ARTILLERY HAS
BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THERE IS A SOUND OF TRENCH MORTAR. ALSO
OF AA GUNS. THE COMPANYS ON THE BOTTOM OF ATTU-FUJI HAD BEEN COMPLE
LY ANNIHALATED EXCEPT ONE. I WONDER OF COMMANDER YENEGAWA AND These two sentences are missing
SME OF THE MEN ARE STILL LIVING. OTHER COMPANIES HAVE BEEN in Ardon Smith's copy and Otis
COMPLETELY ANNIHILATED EXCEPT ONE OR TWO. Hays' copy.
According to the Bushido code, suicide
303 BN HAS BEEN DEFEATED, YENEGAWA BN. IS STILL HOLDIN UMANOSE was an honorable way to die, while
CONTINOUS CASES OF SUCIDE. HALF OF SECTOR UNIT HQS WAS BLOWN AWAY. surrender was extremely dishonorable.
THEAR THAT THEY HAVE FOUR HUNDRED SHOTS OF MORPHINE TO SEVERELY Ardon Smith's copy of the
WOUNDED AND KILLED THEM. HALF FRIED THISTLE. IS THE FIRST TIME I diary has Heard they gave
HAVE EATEN SOMETHNG FRESH IN SIX MONTHS. IT IS A DELICACY. ORDER
FROM THE UNIT COMMANDER TO MOVE THEFIELD HOSPITAL TO THE ISLAND
BUT WAS CALLED OFF.
MAY 29. 1943- BATTLE..
TODAY AT 2000 WE ASSEMBLED IN FRONT OF HQS. THE FIELD HOSPI
TAL TOOK PART TOO. THE LAST ASSAULT IS TO BE CARRIED OUT ALL THE
PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL WERE TO COMMIT SUICIDE. ONLY 33 YEARS OF Enkist probably means Jesus Christ
LIVING AND I AM TO DIE HERE. I HAVE NO REGRETS. BANZI TO THE EM- since Dr. Tatsuguchi returned to
PEROR. I AM GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE KEPT THE PEACE IN MY SOUL WHICH Japan as a Christian missionary.
ENKIST. BESTOWED UPON ME. AT 1800 TOOK CARE OF ALL THE PATIENTS
WITH GRENADES. GOOD-BY TAEKI MY BELOVED WIFE, WHO LOVED ME TO THE Japanese troops charged about 2.5
LAST, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, GREET YOU GOD SPEED, I FEEL SORRY FOR miles before being stopped at
YOU TAKIKO, BORN FEB OF THIS YEAR AND GONE WITHOUT SEEING YOUR Engineer Hill, where the remaining
FATHER, HISAKA, WHO JUST BECAME FOUR YEARS OLD WILL GROW UP troops committed suicide. Only 28
UNHINDERED. WELL BE GOOD. MATSUO (BROTHER) KOCHAN, SAKEGHAN, MASS- Japanese troops on Attu survived.
ACHAN, MITTICHAN, GOOD BY. One American sailor recorded in
THE NUMBER PARTICIPATING IN THE ATTACK IS A LITTLE OVER 1000, TO in his diary that two women were
TAKE ENEMY ARTILLERY POSITIONS. IT SEEMS THE ENEMY IS EXPECTING brought onto his ship early in
AN ALL OUT ATTACK TOMORROW. . .END. . . the battle.
[1] Cloe, John Haile, Attu, The Forgotten Battle, Washington, D.C., National Park Service,
Department of the Interior, 2017, page 71
[2] The Aleutians Campaign June 1942 - August 1943, Washington, D.C.,
Naval Heritage and History Command, United States Navy, 2018, page 91-92
[3] Cloe, John Haile, Attu, The Forgotten Battle, Washington, D.C., National Park Service,
Department of the Interior, 2017, page 101
Another version of this diary supplied by Ardon Smith with slightly different wording and spelling can be found at THE DIARY OF NEBU TATSGURI, M.G.
Wikipedia identifies the doctor as Paul Nobuo Tatsuguchi The article includes the doctor's biography and the reaction to the diary by the military and the public.
Personal accounts of the final battle at Engineer Hill can be found at The 50th Engineers.
A detailed account of the Aleutian Campaign from both sides by Colonel John Cloe can be found at Attu The Forgotten Battle.
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