War Department Memo: Biological Warfare

War Department Memo: Biological Warfare

This memo from the Secretary of War to the Commander in Chief and the Commanding Generals expresses concern about the enemy resorting to biological warfare out of desperation, and gives guidelines for how to recognize impending or recent use.

1944

Both the Japanese and Germans have shown interest in using biological warfare. Intelligence officers should be aware of the signs of an impending attack such as the appearance of specialized troops and equipment, unusual inoculations, transport of highly classified matter, and new issues of protective equipment among the enemy. They also must be aware of the signs that an attack has occurred, such as unusual flights of enemy aircraft, material dropped or sprayed from aircraft, unusual bombs/shells, unusual taste or appearance of the food and water supply, unexplained disease outbreaks, and abnormal rodent deaths.