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MV Behar
A Japanese operation to attack Alied shipping in the Indian Ocean led to the sinking of the British Steamer Behar, the survivors were picked up by the IJN heavy cruiser Tone The Tones crew maltreated the Behars crew by stripping them of any valuables and the tieing them up.After complaints from Behars Chief officer who stated that the Japanes were violating the Geneva Convention, female male survivors had their ropes removed. The chief officer revived a brutal beating along with the other crew when they were taken below decks.
Admiral Sakonju sent a meesage to Captain Haruo Mayuzumi, the commanding officer of Tone, reprimanding him for not capturing the Behar and for also taking non essential prisoners (the Japanese normaly would have take Master, Captains or Senior Officers prisoners for interrogation). Sakonju ordered the survivors to be killed, Mayuzum was reluctant to carry out this order because of his Christian beliefs and radioed back to request that the prisoners be put ashore, Sakonju rejected the request. Mayuzum visited Sakonju on board the Cruiser Aoba to put his case, but it was rejected and he was told to “obey my orders”
Fearing detection the Japanese force returned to the Dutch East Indies on the 16th March, arriving at Tandjong Priok. 35 crew oif Behar were taken ashore, the remaining 69 (some sources list 72 or 89 crew and Passengers) Crew and passengers were taken out to sea, beaten and then executed.
After the War, the Japanese officer were tried for the murder of the crew and passengers of Behar, Admiral Sakonju was found guilty and sentenced to death and executed on the 21st of January 1948. Captain Haruo Mayuzumi was also convicted for his role in the killings and was sentence to seven years imprisonment.
Mayuzumi received a lighter sentence due to his efforts to spare the prisoners
Links :-
BEHAR (1943)
Indian Ocean raid (1944) - Wikipedia
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