Progress of the Russian-Japanese War 1945. Soviet-Japanese War

The issue of the USSR entering the war with Japan was resolved at a conference in Yalta on February 11, 1945 by a special agreement. It provided that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan on the side of the Allied powers 2-3 months after the surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe. Japan rejected the July 26, 1945 demand from the United States, Great Britain, and China to lay down their arms and unconditionally surrender.

According to V. Davydov, on the evening of August 7, 1945 (two days before Moscow officially broke the neutrality pact with Japan), Soviet military aircraft suddenly began bombing the roads of Manchuria.

On August 8, 1945, the USSR declared war on Japan. By order of the Supreme High Command, back in August 1945, preparations began for a military operation to land an amphibious assault force in the port of Dalian (Dalny) and liberate Lushun (Port Arthur) together with units of the 6th Guards Tank Army from the Japanese occupiers on the Liaodong Peninsula of Northern China. The 117th Air Regiment of the Pacific Fleet Air Force, which was training in Sukhodol Bay near Vladivostok, was preparing for the operation.

On August 9, troops of the Transbaikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts, in cooperation with the Pacific Navy and the Amur River Flotilla, began military operations against Japanese troops on a front of more than 4 thousand kilometers.

The 39th Combined Arms Army was part of the Transbaikal Front, commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky. The commander of the 39th Army is Colonel General I. I. Lyudnikov, member of the Military Council, Major General Boyko V. R., Chief of Staff, Major General Siminovsky M. I.

The task of the 39th Army was a breakthrough, a strike from the Tamtsag-Bulag ledge, Halun-Arshan and, together with the 34th Army, the Hailar fortified areas. The 39th, 53rd General Arms and 6th Guards Tank Armies set out from the area of the city of Choibalsan on the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic and advanced to the state border of the Mongolian People's Republic and Manchukuo at a distance of 250-300 km.

In order to better organize the transfer of troops to concentration areas and further to deployment areas, the headquarters of the Trans-Baikal Front sent special groups of officers to Irkutsk and Karymskaya station in advance. On the night of August 9, the advanced battalions and reconnaissance detachments of three fronts, in extremely unfavorable weather conditions - the summer monsoon, bringing frequent and heavy rains - moved into enemy territory.

In accordance with the order, the main forces of the 39th Army crossed the border of Manchuria at 4:30 am on August 9th. Reconnaissance groups and detachments began to operate much earlier - at 00:05. The 39th Army had at its disposal 262 tanks and 133 self-propelled artillery units. It was supported by the 6th Bomber Air Corps of Major General I.P. Skok, based at the airfields of the Tamtsag-Bulag ledge. The army attacked the troops that were part of the 3rd Front of the Kwantung Army.

On August 9, the head patrol of the 262nd division reached the Khalun-Arshan-Solun railway. The Halun-Arshan fortified area, as reconnaissance of the 262nd division found out, was occupied by units of the 107th Japanese Infantry Division.

By the end of the first day of the offensive, Soviet tankers made a rush of 120-150 km. The advanced detachments of the 17th and 39th armies advanced 60-70 km.

On August 10, the Mongolian People's Republic joined the statement of the USSR government and declared war on Japan.

USSR-China Treaty

On August 14, 1945, a treaty of friendship and alliance was signed between the USSR and China, agreements on the Chinese Changchun Railway, on Port Arthur and Dalny. On August 24, 1945, the treaty of friendship and alliance and agreements were ratified by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China. The agreement was concluded for 30 years.

According to the agreement on the Chinese Changchun Railway, the former Chinese Eastern Railway and its part - the South Manchurian Railway, running from Manchuria station to Suifenhe station and from Harbin to Dalny and Port Arthur, became the common property of the USSR and China. The agreement was concluded for 30 years. After this period, the KChZD was subject to gratuitous transfer to the full ownership of China.

The Port Arthur Agreement provided for the port to be turned into a naval base open to warships and merchant ships only from China and the USSR. The duration of the agreement was determined to be 30 years. After this period, the Port Arthur naval base was to be transferred to Chinese ownership.

Dalny was declared a free port, open to trade and shipping from all countries. The Chinese government agreed to allocate piers and storage facilities in the port for lease to the USSR. In the event of a war with Japan, the regime of the Port Arthur naval base, determined by the agreement on Port Arthur, was to extend to Dalny. The term of the agreement was set at 30 years.

At the same time, on August 14, 1945, an agreement was signed on relations between the Soviet commander-in-chief and the Chinese administration after the entry of Soviet troops into the territory of the Northeastern provinces for joint military actions against Japan. After the arrival of Soviet troops on the territory of the Northeastern provinces of China, supreme power and responsibility in the zone of military operations in all military matters was vested in the commander-in-chief of the Soviet armed forces. The Chinese government appointed a representative who was supposed to establish and manage the administration in the territory cleared of the enemy, assist in establishing interaction between the Soviet and Chinese armed forces in the returned territories, and ensure active cooperation of the Chinese administration with the Soviet commander-in-chief.

Fighting

Soviet-Japanese War

On August 11, units of the 6th Guards Tank Army of General A.G. Kravchenko overcame the Greater Khingan.

The first of the rifle formations to reach the eastern slopes of the mountain range was the 17th Guards Rifle Division of General A.P. Kvashnin.

During August 12-14, the Japanese launched many counterattacks in the areas of Linxi, Solun, Vanemyao, and Buhedu. However, the troops of the Transbaikal Front dealt strong blows to the counterattacking enemy and continued to rapidly move to the southeast.
On August 13, formations and units of the 39th Army captured the cities of Ulan-Hoto and Thessaloniki. After which she launched an attack on Changchun.

On August 13, the 6th Guards Tank Army, which consisted of 1019 tanks, broke through the Japanese defenses and entered strategic space. The Kwantung Army had no choice but to retreat across the Yalu River to North Korea, where its resistance continued until August 20.

In the Hailar direction, where the 94th Rifle Corps was advancing, it was possible to encircle and eliminate a large group of enemy cavalry. About a thousand cavalrymen, including two generals, were captured. One of them, Lieutenant General Goulin, commander of the 10th Military District, was taken to the headquarters of the 39th Army.

On August 13, 1945, US President Harry Truman gave the order to occupy the port of Dalny before the Russians landed there. The Americans were going to do this on ships. The Soviet command decided to get ahead of the United States: while the Americans sailed to the Liaodong Peninsula, Soviet troops would land on seaplanes.

During the Khingan-Mukden frontal offensive operation, troops of the 39th Army struck from the Tamtsag-Bulag ledge against the troops of the 30th and 44th armies and the left flank of the 4th separate Japanese army. Having defeated the enemy troops covering the approaches to the passes of the Greater Khingan, the army captured the Khalun-Arshan fortified area. Developing the attack on Changchun, it advanced 350-400 km in battles and by August 14 reached the central part of Manchuria.

Marshal Malinovsky set a new task for the 39th Army: to occupy the territory of southern Manchuria in an extremely short time, operating with strong forward detachments in the direction of Mukden, Yingkou, Andong.

By August 17, the 6th Guards Tank Army had advanced several hundred kilometers - and about one hundred and fifty kilometers remained to the capital of Manchuria, the city of Changchun.

On August 17, the First Far Eastern Front broke the Japanese resistance in the east of Manchuria and occupied the largest city in that region - Mudanjian.

On August 17, the Kwantung Army received an order from its command to surrender. But it did not immediately reach everyone, and in some places the Japanese acted contrary to orders. In a number of sectors they carried out strong counterattacks and carried out regroupings, trying to occupy advantageous operational positions on the Jinzhou - Changchun - Girin - Tumen line. In practice, military operations continued until September 2, 1945. And the 84th Cavalry Division of General T.V. Dedeoglu, which was surrounded on August 15-18 northeast of the city of Nenani, fought until September 7-8.

By August 18, along the entire length of the Transbaikal Front, Soviet-Mongolian troops reached the Beiping-Changchun railway, and the striking force of the front's main group - the 6th Guards Tank Army - broke out on the approaches to Mukden and Changchun.

On August 18, the commander-in-chief of Soviet troops in the Far East, Marshal A. Vasilevsky, gave the order for the occupation of the Japanese island of Hokkaido by the forces of two rifle divisions. This landing was not carried out due to the delay in the advance of Soviet troops in South Sakhalin, and was then postponed until instructions from Headquarters.

On August 19, Soviet troops took Mukden (airborne landing of the 6th Guards Tatars, 113 sk) and Changchun (airborne landing of the 6th Guards Tatars) - the largest cities in Manchuria. The emperor of the state of Manchukuo, Pu Yi, was arrested at the airfield in Mukden.

By August 20, Soviet troops occupied Southern Sakhalin, Manchuria, the Kuril Islands and part of Korea.

Landings in Port Arthur and Dalniy

On August 22, 1945, 27 aircraft of the 117th Aviation Regiment took off and headed for the port of Dalniy. A total of 956 people took part in the landing. The landing force was commanded by General A. A. Yamanov. The route ran over the sea, then through the Korean Peninsula, along the coast of Northern China. The sea state during landing was about two. Seaplanes landed one after another in the bay of the Dalniy port. The paratroopers transferred to inflatable boats, on which they floated to the pier. After landing, the landing force acted according to the combat mission: it occupied a shipyard, a dry dock (a structure where ships are repaired), and storage facilities. The coast guard was immediately removed and replaced by their own sentries. At the same time, the Soviet command accepted the surrender of the Japanese garrison.

On the same day, August 22, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, planes with landing forces, covered by fighters, took off from Mukden. Soon some of the planes turned to the port of Dalniy. The landing in Port Arthur, consisting of 10 aircraft with 205 paratroopers, was commanded by the deputy commander of the Transbaikal Front, Colonel General V.D. Ivanov. The landing party included intelligence chief Boris Likhachev.

The planes landed on the airfield one after another. Ivanov gave the order to immediately occupy all exits and capture the heights. The paratroopers immediately disarmed several garrison units located nearby, capturing about 200 Japanese soldiers and marine officers. Having captured several trucks and cars, the paratroopers headed to the western part of the city, where another part of the Japanese garrison was grouped. By evening, the overwhelming majority of the garrison capitulated. The head of the naval garrison of the fortress, Vice Admiral Kobayashi, surrendered along with his headquarters.

The next day, disarmament continued. In total, 10 thousand soldiers and officers of the Japanese army and navy were captured.

Soviet soldiers freed about a hundred prisoners: Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

On August 23, an airborne landing of sailors led by General E. N. Preobrazhensky landed in Port Arthur.

On August 23, in the presence of Soviet soldiers and officers, the Japanese flag was lowered and the Soviet flag soared over the fortress under a triple salute.

On August 24, units of the 6th Guards Tank Army arrived in Port Arthur. On August 25, new reinforcements arrived - marine paratroopers on 6 flying boats of the Pacific Fleet. 12 boats splashed down at Dalny, landing an additional 265 marines. Soon, units of the 39th Army arrived here, consisting of two rifle and one mechanized corps with units attached to it, and liberated the entire Liaodong Peninsula with the cities of Dalian (Dalny) and Lushun (Port Arthur). General V.D. Ivanov was appointed commandant of the Port Arthur fortress and head of the garrison.

When units of the 39th Army of the Red Army reached Port Arthur, two detachments of American troops on high-speed landing craft tried to land on the shore and occupy a strategically advantageous position. Soviet soldiers opened machine-gun fire in the air, and the Americans stopped landing.

As expected, by the time the American ships approached the port, it was completely occupied by Soviet units. After standing in the outer roadstead of the port of Dalny for several days, the Americans were forced to leave this area.

On August 23, 1945, Soviet troops entered Port Arthur. The commander of the 39th Army, Colonel General I. I. Lyudnikov, became the first Soviet commandant of Port Arthur.

The Americans also did not fulfill their obligations to share with the Red Army the burden of occupying the island of Hokkaido, as agreed upon by the leaders of the three powers. But General Douglas MacArthur, who had great influence over President Harry Truman, strongly opposed this. And Soviet troops never set foot on Japanese territory. True, the USSR, in turn, did not allow the Pentagon to place its military bases in the Kuril Islands.

On August 22, 1945, the advanced units of the 6th Guards Tank Army liberated Jinzhou

On August 24, 1945, a detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Akilov from the 61st Tank Division of the 39th Army in the city of Dashitsao captured the headquarters of the 17th Front of the Kwantung Army. In Mukden and Dalny, Soviet troops liberated large groups of American soldiers and officers from Japanese captivity.

On September 8, 1945, a parade of Soviet troops took place in Harbin in honor of the victory over imperialist Japan. The parade was commanded by Lieutenant General K.P. Kazakov. The parade was hosted by the head of the Harbin garrison, Colonel General A.P. Beloborodov.

To establish peaceful life and interaction between the Chinese authorities and the Soviet military administration, 92 Soviet commandant's offices were created in Manchuria. Major General Kovtun-Stankevich A.I. became the commandant of Mukden, Colonel Voloshin became the commandant of Port Arthur.

In October 1945, ships of the US 7th Fleet with a Kuomintang landing approached the port of Dalniy. The squadron commander, Vice Admiral Settle, intended to bring the ships into the port. Commandant of Dalny, deputy. The commander of the 39th Army, Lieutenant General G.K. Kozlov demanded that the squadron be withdrawn 20 miles from the coast in accordance with the sanctions of the mixed Soviet-Chinese commission. Settle continued to persist, and Kozlov had no choice but to remind the American admiral about the Soviet coastal defense: “She knows her task and will cope with it perfectly.” Having received a convincing warning, the American squadron was forced to leave. Later, an American squadron, simulating an air raid on the city, also unsuccessfully tried to penetrate Port Arthur.

After the war, the commandant of Port Arthur and the commander of the group of Soviet troops in China on the Liaodong Peninsula (Kwantung) until 1947 was I. I. Lyudnikov.

On September 1, 1945, by order of the commander of the BTiMV of the Trans-Baikal Front No. 41/0368, the 61st Tank Division was withdrawn from the troops of the 39th Army to front-line subordination. By September 9, 1945, she should be prepared to move under her own power to winter quarters in Choibalsan. On the basis of the control of the 192nd Infantry Division, the 76th Orsha-Khingan Red Banner Division of NKVD convoy troops was formed to guard Japanese prisoners of war, which was then withdrawn to the city of Chita.

In November 1945, the Soviet command presented the Kuomintang authorities with a plan for the evacuation of troops by December 3 of that year. In accordance with this plan, Soviet units were withdrawn from Yingkou and Huludao and from the area south of Shenyang. In late autumn 1945, Soviet troops left the city of Harbin.

However, the withdrawal of Soviet troops that had begun was suspended at the request of the Kuomintang government until the organization of civil administration in Manchuria was completed and the Chinese army was transferred there. On February 22 and 23, 1946, anti-Soviet demonstrations were held in Chongqing, Nanjing and Shanghai.

In March 1946, the Soviet leadership decided to immediately withdraw the Soviet Army from Manchuria.

On April 14, 1946, Soviet troops of the Transbaikal Front, led by Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky, were evacuated from Changchun to Harbin. Preparations immediately began for the evacuation of troops from Harbin. On April 19, 1946, a city public meeting was held dedicated to seeing off the Red Army units leaving Manchuria. On April 28, Soviet troops left Harbin.

On May 3, 1946, the last Soviet soldier left the territory of Manchuria [source not specified 458 days].

In accordance with the 1945 treaty, the 39th Army remained on the Liaodong Peninsula, consisting of:

113 sk (262 sd, 338 sd, 358 sd);
5th Guards sk (17 Guards SD, 19 Guards SD, 91 Guards SD);
7 mechanized division, 6 guards adp, 14 zenad, 139 apabr, 150 ur; as well as the 7th New Ukrainian-Khingan Corps transferred from the 6th Guards Tank Army, which was soon reorganized into the division of the same name.

7th Bombardment Corps; in joint use Port Arthur Naval Base. Their location was Port Arthur and the port of Dalniy, that is, the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula and the Guangdong Peninsula, located on the southwestern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. Small Soviet garrisons remained along the CER line.

In the summer of 1946, the 91st Guards. SD was reorganized into the 25th Guards. machine gun and artillery division. 262, 338, 358 infantry divisions were disbanded at the end of 1946 and the personnel were transferred to the 25th Guards. pulad.

Troops of the 39th Army in the People's Republic of China

In April-May 1946, Kuomintang troops, during hostilities with the PLA, came close to the Guangdong Peninsula, almost to the Soviet naval base of Port Arthur. In this difficult situation, the command of the 39th Army was forced to take countermeasures. Colonel M.A. Voloshin and a group of officers went to the headquarters of the Kuomintang army, advancing in the direction of Guangdong. The Kuomintang commander was told that the territory beyond the border indicated on the map in the zone 8-10 km north of Guandang was under our artillery fire. If the Kuomintang troops advance further, dangerous consequences may arise. The commander reluctantly promised not to cross the boundary line. This managed to calm the local population and the Chinese administration.

In 1947-1953, the Soviet 39th Army on the Liaodong Peninsula was commanded by Colonel General Afanasy Pavlantievich Beloborodov, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (headquarters in Port Arthur). He was also the senior commander of the entire group of Soviet troops in China.

Chief of Staff - General Grigory Nikiforovich Perekrestov, who commanded the 65th Rifle Corps in the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation, member of the Military Council - General I. P. Konnov, Head of the Political Department - Colonel Nikita Stepanovich Demin, Artillery Commander - General Yuri Pavlovich Bazhanov and Deputy for civil administration - Colonel V. A. Grekov.

There was a naval base in Port Arthur, the commander of which was Vice Admiral Vasily Andreevich Tsipanovich.

In 1948, an American military base operated on the Shandong Peninsula, 200 kilometers from Dalny. Every day a reconnaissance plane appeared from there and, at low altitude, flew over the same route and photographed Soviet and Chinese objects and airfields. Soviet pilots stopped these flights. The Americans sent a note to the USSR Foreign Ministry with a statement about an attack by Soviet fighters on a “light passenger plane that had gone astray,” but they stopped reconnaissance flights over Liaodong.

In June 1948, large joint exercises of all types of troops were held in Port Arthur. The general management of the exercises was carried out by Malinovsky, S. A. Krasovsky, commander of the Air Force of the Far Eastern Military District, arrived from Khabarovsk. The exercises took place in two main stages. The first is the reflection of a naval landing of a mock enemy. On the second - an imitation of a massive bomb strike.

In January 1949, a Soviet government delegation headed by A.I. Mikoyan arrived in China. He inspected Soviet enterprises and military facilities in Port Arthur, and also met with Mao Zedong.

At the end of 1949, a large delegation headed by the Premier of the State Administrative Council of the People's Republic of China, Zhou Enlai, arrived in Port Arthur, who met with the commander of the 39th Army, Beloborodov. At the proposal of the Chinese side, a general meeting of Soviet and Chinese military personnel was held. At the meeting, where more than a thousand Soviet and Chinese military personnel were present, Zhou Enlai made a big speech. On behalf of the Chinese people, he presented the banner to the Soviet military. Words of gratitude to the Soviet people and their army were embroidered on it.

In December 1949 and February 1950, at Soviet-Chinese negotiations in Moscow, an agreement was reached to train “personnel of the Chinese navy” in Port Arthur with the subsequent transfer of part of the Soviet ships to China, prepare a plan for the landing operation on Taiwan at the Soviet General Staff and send it to PRC group of air defense troops and the required number of Soviet military advisers and specialists.

In 1949, the 7th BAC was reorganized into the 83rd Mixed Air Corps.

In January 1950, Hero of the Soviet Union General Yu. B. Rykachev was appointed commander of the corps.

The further fate of the corps was as follows: in 1950, the 179th battalion was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet aviation, but it was based in the same place. The 860th bap became the 1540th mtap. At the same time, shad were brought to the USSR. When the MiG-15 regiment was stationed in Sanshilipu, the mine and torpedo air regiment was transferred to Jinzhou airfield. Two regiments (fighter on the La-9 and mixed on the Tu-2 and Il-10) were relocated to Shanghai in 1950 and provided air cover for its facilities for several months.

On February 14, 1950, a Soviet-Chinese treaty of friendship, alliance and mutual assistance was concluded. At this time, Soviet bomber aviation was already based in Harbin.

On February 17, 1950, a task force of the Soviet military arrived in China, consisting of: Colonel General Batitsky P.F., Vysotsky B.A., Yakushin M.N., Spiridonov S.L., General Slyusarev (Trans-Baikal Military District). and a number of other specialists.

On February 20, Colonel General Batitsky P.F. and his deputies met with Mao Zedong, who had returned from Moscow the day before.

The Kuomintang regime, which has strengthened its foothold in Taiwan under US protection, is being intensively equipped with American military equipment and weapons. In Taiwan, under the leadership of American specialists, aviation units were created to strike major cities of the PRC. By 1950, an immediate threat arose to the largest industrial and commercial center - Shanghai.

Chinese air defense was extremely weak. At the same time, at the request of the PRC government, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution to create an air defense group and send it to the PRC to carry out the international combat mission of organizing the air defense of Shanghai and conducting combat operations; - appoint Lieutenant General P. F. Batitsky as commander of the air defense group, General S. A. Slyusarev as deputy, Colonel B. A. Vysotsky as chief of staff, Colonel P. A. Baksheev as deputy for political affairs, Colonel Yakushin as fighter aviation commander M.N., Chief of Logistics - Colonel Mironov M.V.

Air defense of Shanghai was carried out by the 52nd anti-aircraft artillery division under the command of Colonel S. L. Spiridonov, chief of staff Colonel Antonov, as well as fighter aviation, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft searchlight, radio engineering and rear units formed from the troops of the Moscow Military District.

The combat composition of the air defense group included: [source not specified 445 days]

three Chinese medium-caliber anti-aircraft artillery regiments, armed with Soviet 85 mm cannons, PUAZO-3 and rangefinders.
small-caliber anti-aircraft regiment armed with Soviet 37 mm cannons.
fighter aviation regiment MIG-15 (commander Lieutenant Colonel Pashkevich).
The fighter aviation regiment was relocated on LAG-9 aircraft by flight from the Dalniy airfield.
anti-aircraft searchlight regiment (ZPr) - commander Colonel Lysenko.
radio technical battalion (RTB).
airfield maintenance battalions (ATO) were relocated, one from the Moscow region, the second from the Far East.

During the deployment of troops, mainly wired communications were used, which minimized the enemy’s ability to listen to the operation of radio equipment and find direction to the group’s radio stations. To organize telephone communications for military formations, city cable telephone networks of Chinese communication centers were used. Radio communications were only partially deployed. The control receivers, which worked to listen to the enemy, were mounted together with anti-aircraft artillery radio units. Radio networks were preparing for action in the event of a disruption in wired communications. The signalmen provided access from the group's communications center to the Shanghai international station and to the nearest regional Chinese telephone exchange.

Until the end of March 1950, American-Taiwanese aircraft appeared in the airspace of Eastern China unhindered and with impunity. Since April, they began to act more cautiously, due to the presence of Soviet fighters who conducted training flights from Shanghai airfields.

During the period from April to October 1950, Shanghai's air defense was put on alert a total of about fifty times, when anti-aircraft artillery opened fire and fighters rose to intercept. In total, during this time, Shanghai's air defense systems destroyed three bombers and shot down four. Two planes voluntarily flew to the PRC side. In six air battles, Soviet pilots shot down six enemy aircraft without losing a single one of their own. In addition, four Chinese anti-aircraft artillery regiments shot down another Kuomintang B-24 aircraft.

In September 1950, General P.F. Batitsky was recalled to Moscow. Instead, his deputy, General S.V. Slyusarev, took over as commander of the air defense group. Under him, in early October, an order was received from Moscow to retrain the Chinese military and transfer military equipment and the entire air defense system to the Chinese Air Force and Air Defense Command. By mid-November 1953, the training program was completed.

With the outbreak of the Korean War, by agreement between the government of the USSR and the PRC, large Soviet aviation units were stationed in Northeast China, protecting the industrial centers of the area from attacks by American bombers. The Soviet Union took the necessary measures to build up its armed forces in the Far East and to further strengthen and develop the Port Arthur naval base. It was an important link in the defense system of the eastern borders of the USSR, and especially Northeast China. Later, in September 1952, confirming this role of Port Arthur, the Chinese government turned to the Soviet leadership with a request to delay the transfer of this base from joint management with the USSR to the full disposal of the PRC. The request was granted.

On October 4, 1950, 11 American aircraft shot down a Soviet A-20 reconnaissance aircraft of the Pacific Fleet, which was performing a scheduled flight in the Port Arthur area. Three crew members were killed. On October 8, two American planes attacked the Soviet airfield in Primorye, Sukhaya Rechka. 8 Soviet aircraft were damaged. These incidents aggravated the already tense situation on the border with Korea, where additional units of the USSR Air Force, Air Defense and Ground Forces were transferred.

The entire group of Soviet troops was subordinate to Marshal Malinovsky and not only served as a rear base for the warring North Korea, but also as a powerful potential “shock fist” against American troops in the Far East region. The personnel of the USSR ground forces with the families of officers on Liaodong amounted to more than 100,000 people. There were 4 armored trains operating in the Port Arthur area.

By the beginning of hostilities, the Soviet aviation group in China consisted of the 83rd mixed air corps (2 air corps, 2 bad, 1 shad); 1 IAP Navy, 1tap Navy; in March 1950, 106 air defense infantry arrived (2 IAP, 1 SBSHAP). From these and newly arrived units, the 64th Special Fighter Air Corps was formed in early November 1950.

In total, during the period of the Korean War and the subsequent Kaesong negotiations, the corps was replaced by twelve fighter divisions (28th, 151st, 303rd, 324th, 97th, 190th, 32nd, 216th , 133rd, 37th, 100th), two separate night fighter regiments (351st and 258th), two fighter regiments from the Navy Air Force (578th and 781st), four anti-aircraft artillery divisions (87th, 92nd, 28th and 35th), two aviation technical divisions (18th and 16th) and other support units.

At different times, the corps was commanded by Major Generals of Aviation I.V. Belov, G.A. Lobov and Lieutenant General of Aviation S.V. Slyusarev.

The 64th Fighter Aviation Corps took part in hostilities from November 1950 to July 1953. The total number of personnel in the corps was approximately 26 thousand people. and remained this way until the end of the war. As of November 1, 1952, the corps included 440 pilots and 320 aircraft. The 64th IAK was initially armed with MiG-15, Yak-11 and La-9 aircraft, later they were replaced by MiG-15bis, MiG-17 and La-11.

According to Soviet data, Soviet fighters from November 1950 to July 1953 shot down 1,106 enemy aircraft in 1,872 air battles. From June 1951 to July 27, 1953, the corps' anti-aircraft artillery fire destroyed 153 aircraft, and in total, the 64th Air Force shot down 1,259 enemy aircraft of various types. Aircraft losses in air battles carried out by pilots of the Soviet contingent amounted to 335 MiG-15s. Soviet air divisions that participated in repelling US air raids lost 120 pilots. Anti-aircraft artillery personnel losses amounted to 68 killed and 165 wounded. The total losses of the contingent of Soviet troops in Korea amounted to 299 people, of which 138 were officers, 161 sergeants and soldiers. As Aviation Major General A. Kalugin recalled, “even before the end of 1954 we were on combat duty, flying out to intercept when groups appeared American planes, which happened every day and several times a day.”

In 1950, the main military adviser and at the same time the military attache in China was Lieutenant General Pavel Mikhailovich Kotov-Legonkov, then Lieutenant General A. V. Petrushevsky and Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General of Aviation S. A. Krasovsky.

Senior advisers of various branches of the military, military districts and academies reported to the chief military adviser. Such advisers were: in artillery - Major General of Artillery M. A. Nikolsky, in armored forces - Major General of Tank Forces G. E. Cherkassky, in air defense - Major General of Artillery V. M. Dobryansky, in air force forces - Major General of Aviation S. D. Prutkov, and in the navy - Rear Admiral A. V. Kuzmin.

Soviet military assistance had a significant impact on the course of military operations in Korea. For example, the assistance provided by Soviet sailors to the Korean Navy (senior naval adviser in the DPRK - Admiral Kapanadze). With the help of Soviet specialists, more than 3 thousand Soviet-made mines were placed in coastal waters. The first US ship to hit a mine, on September 26, 1950, was the destroyer USS Brahm. The second to hit a contact mine was the destroyer Manchfield. The third is the minesweeper "Megpay". In addition to them, a patrol ship and 7 minesweepers were blown up by mines and sank.

The participation of Soviet ground forces in the Korean War is not advertised and is still classified. And yet, throughout the war, Soviet troops were stationed in North Korea, with a total of about 40 thousand military personnel. These included military advisers to the KPA, military specialists and military personnel of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps (IAC). The total number of specialists was 4,293 people (including 4,020 military personnel and 273 civilians), most of whom were in the country until the start of the Korean War. Advisors were located under the commanders of the military branches and service chiefs of the Korean People's Army, in infantry divisions and individual infantry brigades, infantry and artillery regiments, individual combat and training units, in officer and political schools, in rear formations and units.

Veniamin Nikolaevich Bersenev, who fought in North Korea for a year and nine months, says: “I was a Chinese volunteer and wore the uniform of the Chinese army. For this we were jokingly called “Chinese dummies.” Many Soviet soldiers and officers served in Korea. And their families didn’t even know about it.”

A researcher of the combat operations of Soviet aviation in Korea and China, I. A. Seidov notes: “On the territory of China and North Korea, Soviet units and air defense units also maintained camouflage, carrying out the task in the form of Chinese people’s volunteers.”

V. Smirnov testifies: “An old-timer in Dalyan, who asked to be called Uncle Zhora (in those years he was a civilian worker in a Soviet military unit, and the name Zhora was given to him by Soviet soldiers), said that Soviet pilots, tank crews, and artillerymen helped the Korean people in repelling American aggression, but they fought in the form of Chinese volunteers. The dead were buried in the cemetery in Port Arthur."

The work of Soviet military advisers was highly appreciated by the DPRK government. In October 1951, 76 people were awarded Korean national orders for their selfless work “to assist the KPA in its fight against the American-British interventionists” and “selfless dedication of their energy and abilities to the common cause of ensuring the peace and security of peoples.” Due to the reluctance of the Soviet leadership to make public the presence of Soviet military personnel on Korean territory, their presence in active units was “officially” prohibited from September 15, 1951. And, nevertheless, it is known that the 52nd Zenad from September to December 1951 conducted 1093 battery fires and shot down 50 enemy aircraft in North Korea.

On May 15, 1954, the American government published documents that established the extent of the participation of Soviet troops in the Korean War. According to the data provided, there were about 20,000 Soviet soldiers and officers in the North Korean army. Two months before the armistice, the Soviet contingent was reduced to 12,000 people.

American radars and the eavesdropping system, according to fighter pilot B. S. Abakumov, controlled the operation of Soviet air units. Every month, a large number of saboteurs were sent to North Korea and China with various tasks, including capturing one of the Russians to prove their presence in the country. American intelligence officers were equipped with first-class technology for transmitting information and could disguise radio equipment under the water of rice fields. Thanks to the high-quality and efficient work of the agents, the enemy side was often informed even about the departures of Soviet aircraft, right down to the designation of their tail numbers. Veteran of the 39th Army Samochelyaev F. E., commander of the headquarters communications platoon of the 17th Guards. SD, recalled: “As soon as our units began to move or the planes took off, the enemy radio station immediately began to work. It was extremely difficult to catch the gunner. They knew the terrain well and skillfully camouflaged themselves.”

American and Kuomintang intelligence services were constantly active in China. The American intelligence center called the “Research Bureau for Far Eastern Issues” was located in Hong Kong, and in Taipei there was a school for training saboteurs and terrorists. On April 12, 1950, Chiang Kai-shek gave a secret order to create special units in Southeast China to carry out terrorist attacks against Soviet specialists. It said in particular: “...to widely launch terrorist actions against Soviet military and technical specialists and important military and political communist workers in order to effectively suppress their activities...” Chiang Kai-shek agents sought to obtain documents of Soviet citizens in China. There were also provocations with staging attacks by Soviet military personnel on Chinese women. These scenes were photographed and presented in print as acts of violence against local residents. One of the sabotage groups was uncovered in a training aviation center for preparation for jet flights on the territory of the People's Republic of China.

According to the testimony of veterans of the 39th Army, “saboteurs from the nationalist gangs of Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang attacked Soviet soldiers while on guard duty at distant sites.” Constant direction-finding reconnaissance and search activities were carried out against spies and saboteurs. The situation required constant increased combat readiness of the Soviet troops. Combat, operational, staff, and special training were continuously conducted. Joint exercises were conducted with PLA units.

Since July 1951, new divisions began to be created in the North China District and old divisions were reorganized, including Korean ones, withdrawn to the territory of Manchuria. At the request of the Chinese government, two advisers were sent to these divisions during their formation: to the division commander and to the commander of the self-propelled tank regiment. With their active help, combat training of all units and subunits began, was carried out and ended. Advisors to the commanders of these infantry divisions in the North China Military District (in 1950-1953) were: Lieutenant Colonel I. F. Pomazkov; Colonel N.P. Katkov, V.T. Yaglenko. N. S. Loboda. Advisors to the commanders of the tank-self-propelled regiments were Lieutenant Colonel G. A. Nikiforov, Colonel I. D. Ivlev and others.

On January 27, 1952, US President Truman wrote in his personal diary: “It seems to me that the correct solution now would be a ten-day ultimatum informing Moscow that we intend to blockade the Chinese coast from the Korean border to Indochina and that we intend to destroy all military bases in Manchuria... We will destroy all ports or cities in order to achieve our peaceful goals... This means all-out war. This means that Moscow, St. Petersburg, Mukden, Vladivostok, Beijing, Shanghai, Port Arthur, Dairen, Odessa and Stalingrad and all industrial enterprises in China and the Soviet Union will be wiped off the face of the earth. This is the last chance for the Soviet government to decide whether it deserves to exist or not!

Anticipating such a development of events, Soviet military personnel were given iodine preparations in case of an atomic bombing. Water was allowed to be drunk only from flasks filled in parts.

The facts of the use of bacteriological and chemical weapons by the UN coalition forces received wide resonance in the world. As publications of those years reported, both the positions of the Korean-Chinese troops and areas remote from the front line. In total, according to Chinese scientists, the Americans carried out 804 bacteriological raids over two months. These facts are confirmed by Soviet military personnel - veterans of the Korean War. Bersenev recalls: “The B-29 was bombed at night, and when you come out in the morning, there are insects everywhere: such big flies, infected with various diseases. The whole earth was dotted with them. Because of the flies, we slept in gauze curtains. We were constantly given preventive injections, but many still got sick. And some of our people died during the bombings.”

On the afternoon of August 5, 1952, Kim Il Sung's command post was raided. As a result of this raid, 11 Soviet military advisers were killed. On June 23, 1952, the Americans carried out the largest raid on a complex of hydraulic structures on the Yalu River, in which over five hundred bombers took part. As a result, almost all of North Korea and part of North China were left without power supply. The British authorities disowned this act, committed under the UN flag, and protested.

On October 29, 1952, American aircraft carried out a destructive raid on the Soviet embassy. According to the recollections of embassy employee V.A. Tarasov, the first bombs were dropped at two in the morning, subsequent attacks continued approximately every half hour until dawn. In total, four hundred bombs of two hundred kilograms each were dropped.

On July 27, 1953, on the day the Ceasefire Treaty was signed (the generally accepted date for the end of the Korean War), a Soviet military aircraft Il-12, converted into a passenger version, took off from Port Arthur heading for Vladivostok. Flying over the spurs of the Greater Khingan, it was suddenly attacked by 4 American fighters, as a result of which the unarmed Il-12 with 21 people on board, including crew members, was shot down.

In October 1953, Lieutenant General V.I. Shevtsov was appointed commander of the 39th Army. He commanded the army until May 1955.

Soviet units that took part in hostilities in Korea and China

The following Soviet units are known to have participated in hostilities on the territory of Korea and China: 64th IAK, GVS inspection department, special communications department at the GVS; three aviation commandant's offices located in Pyongyang, Seisin and Kanko for maintenance of the Vladivostok - Port Arthur route; The Heijin reconnaissance point, the HF station of the Ministry of State Security in Pyongyang, the broadcast point in Ranan and the communications company that served communication lines with the USSR Embassy. From October 1951 to April 1953, a group of GRU radio operators under the command of Captain Yu. A. Zharov worked at the KND headquarters, providing communications with the General Staff of the Soviet Army. Until January 1951, there was also a separate communications company in North Korea. 06/13/1951 the 10th anti-aircraft searchlight regiment arrived in the combat area. He was in Korea (Andun) until the end of November 1952 and was replaced by the 20th Regiment. 52nd, 87th, 92nd, 28th and 35th anti-aircraft artillery divisions, 18th aviation technical division of the 64th IAK. The corps also included 727 obs and 81 ors. There were several radio battalions on Korean territory. Several military hospitals operated on the railway and the 3rd Railway Operational Regiment operated. The combat work was carried out by Soviet signalmen, radar station operators, VNOS, specialists involved in repair and restoration work, sappers, drivers, and Soviet medical institutions.

As well as units and formations of the Pacific Fleet: ships of the Seisin Naval Base, 781st IAP, 593rd Separate Transport Aviation Regiment, 1744th Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron, 36th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment, 1534th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment, cable ship "Plastun", 27th aviation medicine laboratory.

Dislocations

The following were stationed in Port Arthur: the headquarters of the 113th Infantry Division of Lieutenant General Tereshkov (338th Infantry Division - in the Port Arthur, Dalniy sector, 358th from Dalniy to the northern border of the zone, 262nd Infantry Division along the entire northern border of the peninsula, headquarters 5 of the 1st artillery corps, 150 UR, 139 apabr, communications regiment, artillery regiment, 48th guards infantry regiment, air defense regiment, IAP, ATO battalion. The editorial office of the newspaper of the 39th Army “Son of the Motherland” After the war, it became known as “Vo”. glory to the Motherland!”, editor - Lieutenant Colonel B. L. Krasovsky. USSR Navy Base Hospital 29 BCP.

The headquarters of the 5th Guards were stationed in the Jinzhou area. sk Lieutenant General L.N. Alekseev, 19th, 91st and 17th Guards. rifle division under the command of Major General Evgeniy Leonidovich Korkuts. Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Strashnenko. The division included the 21st separate communications battalion, on the basis of which Chinese volunteers were trained. 26th Guards Cannon Artillery Regiment, 46th Guards Mortar Regiment, units of the 6th Artillery Breakthrough Division, Pacific Fleet Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment.

In Dalny - the 33rd cannon division, the headquarters of the 7th BAC, aviation units, the 14th Zenad, the 119th Infantry Regiment guarded the port. Units of the USSR Navy. In the 50s, Soviet specialists built a modern hospital for the PLA in a convenient coastal area. This hospital still exists today.

There are air units in Sanshilipu.

In the area of the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing and Xuzhou - the 52nd anti-aircraft artillery division, aviation units (at Jianwan and Dachan airfields), airborne forces posts (at Qidong, Nanhui, Hai'an, Wuxian, Congjiaolu).

In the area of Andun - 19th Guards. rifle division, air units, 10th, 20th anti-aircraft searchlight regiments.

In the area of Yingchenzi - 7th fur. Division of Lieutenant General F. G. Katkov, part of the 6th Artillery Breakthrough Division.

There are air units in the Nanchang area.

There are air units in the Harbin area.

In the Beijing area there is the 300th Air Regiment.

Mukden, Anshan, Liaoyang - air force bases.

There are air units in the Qiqihar area.

There are air units in the Myagou area.

Losses and losses

Soviet-Japanese War of 1945. Dead - 12,031 people, medical - 24,425 people.

During the performance of international duty by Soviet military specialists in China from 1946 to 1950, 936 people died from wounds and illnesses. Of these, there are 155 officers, 216 sergeants, 521 soldiers and 44 people. - from among civilian specialists. The burial places of fallen Soviet internationalists are carefully preserved in the People's Republic of China.

Korean War (1950-1953). The total irretrievable losses of our units and formations amounted to 315 people, of which 168 were officers, 147 were sergeants and soldiers.

The figures for Soviet losses in China, including during the Korean War, differ significantly according to different sources. Thus, according to the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Shenyang, 89 Soviet citizens (the cities of Lushun, Dalian and Jinzhou) were buried in cemeteries on the Liaodong Peninsula from 1950 to 1953, and according to Chinese passport data from 1992 - 723 people. In total, during the period from 1945 to 1956 on the Liaodong Peninsula, according to the Consulate General of the Russian Federation, 722 Soviet citizens were buried (of which 104 were unknown), and according to Chinese passport data of 1992 - 2,572 people, including 15 unknown. As for Soviet losses, complete data on this is still missing. From many literary sources, including memoirs, it is known that during the Korean War, Soviet advisers, anti-aircraft gunners, signalmen, medical workers, diplomats, and other specialists who provided assistance to North Korea died.

There are 58 burial sites of Soviet and Russian soldiers in China. More than 18 thousand died during the liberation of China from Japanese invaders and after WWII.

The ashes of more than 14.5 thousand Soviet soldiers rest on the territory of the PRC; at least 50 monuments to Soviet soldiers were built in 45 cities of China.

There is no detailed information regarding the accounting of losses of Soviet civilians in China. At the same time, about 100 women and children are buried in only one of the plots in the Russian cemetery in Port Arthur. The children of military personnel who died during the cholera epidemic in 1948, mostly one or two years old, are buried here.

Ilya Kramnik, military observer for RIA Novosti.

The war between the USSR and Japan in 1945, which became the last major campaign of the Second World War, lasted less than a month - from August 9 to September 2, 1945, but this month became key in the history of the Far East and the entire Asia-Pacific region, ending and, conversely, initiating many historical processes lasting decades.

Background

The preconditions for the Soviet-Japanese War arose exactly on the day when the Russian-Japanese War ended - on the day the Portsmouth Peace was signed on September 5, 1905. Russia's territorial losses were insignificant - the Liaodong Peninsula leased from China and the southern part of Sakhalin Island. Much more significant was the loss of influence in the world as a whole and in the Far East, in particular caused by the unsuccessful war on land and the death of most of the fleet at sea. The feeling of national humiliation was also very strong.
Japan became the dominant Far Eastern power; it exploited marine resources practically uncontrollably, including in Russian territorial waters, where it carried out predatory fishing, crab fishing, sea animals, etc.

This situation intensified during the 1917 revolution and the subsequent Civil War, when Japan actually occupied the Russian Far East for several years, and left the region with great reluctance under pressure from the United States and Great Britain, who feared the excessive strengthening of yesterday's ally in the First World War.

At the same time, there was a process of strengthening Japan’s position in China, which was also weakened and fragmented. The reverse process that began in the 1920s - the strengthening of the USSR, which was recovering from military and revolutionary upheavals - quite quickly led to the development of relations between Tokyo and Moscow that could easily be described as a “Cold War”. The Far East has long become an arena of military confrontation and local conflicts. By the end of the 1930s, tensions reached a peak, and this period was marked by the two largest clashes of this period between the USSR and Japan - the conflict on Lake Khasan in 1938 and on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939.

Fragile neutrality

Having suffered quite serious losses and being convinced of the power of the Red Army, Japan chose on April 13, 1941 to conclude a neutrality pact with the USSR and give itself a free hand for the war in the Pacific Ocean.

The Soviet Union also needed this pact. At that time, it became obvious that the “naval lobby,” which was pushing the southern direction of the war, was playing an increasingly important role in Japanese policy. The army's position, on the other hand, was weakened by disappointing defeats. The likelihood of war with Japan was not assessed very highly, while the conflict with Germany was getting closer every day.

For Germany itself, Japan’s partner in the Anti-Comintern Pact, which saw Japan as its main ally and future partner in the New World Order, the agreement between Moscow and Tokyo was a serious slap in the face, and caused complications in relations between Berlin and Tokyo. Tokyo, however, pointed out to the Germans that there was a similar neutrality pact between Moscow and Berlin.

The two main aggressors of World War II could not agree, and each waged their own main war - Germany against the USSR in Europe, Japan against the USA and Great Britain in the Pacific Ocean. At the same time, Germany declared war on the United States on the day of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, but Japan did not declare war on the USSR, as the Germans hoped for.

However, relations between the USSR and Japan could hardly be called good - Japan constantly violated the signed pact, detaining Soviet ships at sea, periodically allowing attacks on Soviet military and civilian ships, violating the border on land, etc.

It was obvious that for neither side the signed document was valuable for any long period of time, and war was only a matter of time. However, since 1942, the situation gradually began to change: the turning point in the war forced Japan to abandon long-term plans for a war against the USSR, and at the same time, the Soviet Union began to more and more carefully consider plans for the return of territories lost during the Russo-Japanese War.

By 1945, when the situation became critical, Japan tried to start negotiations with the Western allies, using the USSR as a mediator, but this did not bring success.

During the Yalta Conference, the USSR announced a commitment to start a war against Japan within 2-3 months after the end of the war against Germany. The intervention of the USSR was seen by the allies as necessary: the defeat of Japan required the defeat of its ground forces, which for the most part had not yet been affected by the war, and the allies feared that a landing on the Japanese islands would cost them great casualties.

Japan, with the neutrality of the USSR, could count on the continuation of the war and the reinforcement of the forces of the metropolis at the expense of resources and troops stationed in Manchuria and Korea, communications with which continued, despite all attempts to interrupt it.

The declaration of war by the Soviet Union finally destroyed these hopes. On August 9, 1945, speaking at an emergency meeting of the Supreme Council for War Direction, Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki stated:

“The entry of the Soviet Union into the war this morning puts us completely in a hopeless situation and makes it impossible to continue the war further.”

It should be noted that nuclear bombing in this case was only an additional reason for an early exit from the war, but not the main reason. Suffice it to say that the massive bombing of Tokyo in the spring of 1945, which resulted in approximately the same number of casualties as Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, did not lead Japan to thoughts of surrender. And only the entry of the USSR into the war against the backdrop of nuclear bombings forced the leadership of the Empire to admit the pointlessness of continuing the war.

"August Storm"

The war itself, which in the West was nicknamed the “August Storm,” was swift. Having extensive experience in combat against the Germans, Soviet troops broke through the Japanese defenses with a series of quick and decisive strikes and began an offensive deep into Manchuria. Tank units successfully advanced in seemingly unsuitable conditions - through the sands of the Gobi and the Khingan ridges, but the military machine, fine-tuned over four years of war with the most formidable enemy, practically did not fail.

As a result, by August 17, the 6th Guards Tank Army had advanced several hundred kilometers - and about one hundred and fifty kilometers remained to the capital of Manchuria, the city of Xinjing. By this time, the First Far Eastern Front had broken the Japanese resistance in the east of Manchuria, occupying the largest city in that region - Mudanjiang. In a number of areas deep in the defense, Soviet troops had to overcome fierce enemy resistance. In the zone of the 5th Army, it was exerted with particular force in the Mudanjiang region. There were cases of stubborn enemy resistance in the zones of the Transbaikal and 2nd Far Eastern fronts. The Japanese army also launched repeated counterattacks. On August 17, 1945, in Mukden, Soviet troops captured the Emperor of Manchukuo, Pu Yi (formerly the last Emperor of China).

On August 14, the Japanese command made a proposal to conclude a truce. But virtually military operations on the Japanese side did not stop. Only three days later the Kwantung Army received an order from its command to surrender, which began on August 20. But it did not reach everyone right away, and in some places the Japanese acted contrary to orders.

On August 18, the Kuril landing operation was launched, during which Soviet troops occupied the Kuril Islands. On the same day, August 18, the commander-in-chief of Soviet troops in the Far East, Marshal Vasilevsky, gave the order to occupy the Japanese island of Hokkaido with the forces of two rifle divisions. This landing was not carried out due to the delay in the advance of Soviet troops in South Sakhalin, and was then postponed until instructions from Headquarters.

Soviet troops occupied the southern part of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Manchuria and part of Korea. The main fighting on the continent lasted 12 days, until August 20. However, individual battles continued until September 10, which became the day the complete surrender and capture of the Kwantung Army ended. The fighting on the islands completely ended on September 5.

The Japanese surrender was signed on September 2, 1945, aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

As a result, the million-strong Kwantung Army was completely destroyed. According to Soviet data, its losses in killed amounted to 84 thousand people, about 600 thousand were captured. The irretrievable losses of the Red Army amounted to 12 thousand people.

As a result of the war, the USSR actually returned to its territory the territories lost by Russia earlier (southern Sakhalin and, temporarily, Kwantung with Port Arthur and Dalny, later transferred to China), as well as the Kuril Islands, the ownership of the southern part of which is still disputed by Japan.

According to the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan renounced any claims to Sakhalin (Karafuto) and the Kuril Islands (Chishima Retto). But the agreement did not determine the ownership of the islands and the USSR did not sign it.
Negotiations on the southern part of the Kuril Islands are still ongoing, and there are no prospects for a quick resolution of the issue.

By the end of the first day of the offensive, Soviet tankers made a rush of 120-150 km. The advanced detachments of the 17th and 39th armies advanced 60-70 km.

On August 10, the Mongolian People's Republic joined the statement of the USSR government and declared war on Japan.

USSR-China Treaty

Fighting

Soviet-Japanese War

On August 11, units of the 6th Guards Tank Army of General A.G. Kravchenko overcame the Greater Khingan.

The first of the rifle formations to reach the eastern slopes of the mountain range was the 17th Guards Rifle Division of General A.P. Kvashnin.

On August 13, formations and units of the 39th Army captured the cities of Ulan-Hoto and Thessaloniki. After which she launched an attack on Changchun.

By August 17, the 6th Guards Tank Army had advanced several hundred kilometers - and about one hundred and fifty kilometers remained to the capital of Manchuria, the city of Changchun.

On August 17, the First Far Eastern Front broke the Japanese resistance in the east of Manchuria and occupied the largest city in that region - Mudanjian.

By August 18, along the entire length of the Trans-Baikal Front, Soviet-Mongolian troops reached the Beiping-Changchun railway, and the striking force of the main group of the front - the 6th Guards Tank Army - broke out on the approaches to Mukden and Changchun.

By August 20, Soviet troops occupied Southern Sakhalin, Manchuria, the Kuril Islands and part of Korea.

Landings in Port Arthur and Dalniy

The next day, disarmament continued. In total, 10 thousand soldiers and officers of the Japanese army and navy were captured.

Soviet soldiers freed about a hundred prisoners: Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

On August 23, an airborne landing of sailors led by General E. N. Preobrazhensky landed in Port Arthur.

On August 23, in the presence of Soviet soldiers and officers, the Japanese flag was lowered and the Soviet flag soared over the fortress under a triple salute.

On August 23, 1945, Soviet troops entered Port Arthur. The commander of the 39th Army, Colonel General I. I. Lyudnikov, became the first Soviet commandant of Port Arthur.

On August 22, 1945, the advanced units of the 6th Guards Tank Army liberated the city of Jinzhou.

Withdrawal of Soviet troops from China

After the war, the commandant of Port Arthur and the commander of the group of Soviet troops in China on the Liaodong Peninsula (Kwantung) until 1947 was I. I. Lyudnikov.

In March 1946, the Soviet leadership decided to immediately withdraw the Soviet Army from Manchuria.

In accordance with the 1945 treaty, the 39th Army remained on the Liaodong Peninsula, consisting of:

113 sk (262 sd, 338 sd, 358 sd);

5th Guards sk (17 Guards SD, 19 Guards SD, 91 Guards SD);

7 mechanized division, 6 guards adp, 14 zenad, 139 apabr, 150 ur; as well as the 7th New Ukrainian-Khingan Corps transferred from the 6th Guards Tank Army, which was soon reorganized into the division of the same name.

Troops of the 39th Army in the People's Republic of China

There was a naval base in Port Arthur, the commander of which was Vice Admiral Vasily Andreevich Tsipanovich.

In January 1949, a Soviet government delegation headed by A.I. Mikoyan arrived in China. He inspected Soviet enterprises and military facilities in Port Arthur, and also met with Mao Zedong.

In 1949, the 7th BAC was reorganized into the 83rd Mixed Air Corps.

In January 1950, Hero of the Soviet Union General Yu. B. Rykachev was appointed commander of the corps.

On February 14, 1950, a Soviet-Chinese treaty of friendship, alliance and mutual assistance was concluded. At this time, Soviet bomber aviation was already based in Harbin.

On February 20, Colonel General Batitsky P.F. and his deputies met with Mao Zedong, who had returned from Moscow the day before.

The combat composition of the air defense group included:

three Chinese medium-caliber anti-aircraft artillery regiments, armed with Soviet 85 mm cannons, PUAZO-3 and rangefinders.

small-caliber anti-aircraft regiment armed with Soviet 37 mm cannons.

fighter aviation regiment MIG-15 (commander Lieutenant Colonel Pashkevich).

The fighter aviation regiment was relocated on LAG-9 aircraft by flight from the Dalniy airfield.

anti-aircraft searchlight regiment (ZPr) - commander Colonel Lysenko.

radio technical battalion (RTB).

airfield maintenance battalions (ATO) were relocated, one from the Moscow region, the second from the Far East.

At different times, the corps was commanded by Major Generals of Aviation I.V. Belov, G.A. Lobov and Lieutenant General of Aviation S.V. Slyusarev.

Anticipating such a development of events, Soviet military personnel were given iodine preparations in case of an atomic bombing. Water was allowed to be drunk only from flasks filled in parts.

In October 1953, Lieutenant General V.I. Shevtsov was appointed commander of the 39th Army. He commanded the army until May 1955.

Soviet units that took part in hostilities in Korea and China

Dislocations

There are air units in Sanshilipu.

In the area of Andun - 19th Guards. rifle division, air units, 10th, 20th anti-aircraft searchlight regiments.

In the area of Yingchenzi - 7th fur. Division of Lieutenant General F. G. Katkov, part of the 6th Artillery Breakthrough Division.

There are air units in the Nanchang area.

There are air units in the Harbin area.

In the Beijing area there is the 300th Air Regiment.

Mukden, Anshan, Liaoyang - air force bases.

There are air units in the Qiqihar area.

There are air units in the Myagou area.

Losses and losses

Soviet-Japanese War of 1945. Dead - 12,031 people, medical - 24,425 people.

Korean War (1950-1953). The total irretrievable losses of our units and formations amounted to 315 people, of which 168 were officers, 147 were sergeants and soldiers.

There are 58 burial sites of Soviet and Russian soldiers in China. More than 18 thousand died during the liberation of China from Japanese invaders and after WWII.

The ashes of more than 14.5 thousand Soviet soldiers rest on the territory of the PRC; at least 50 monuments to Soviet soldiers were built in 45 cities of China.

On August 9, 1945, the Manchurian Operation (Battle of Manchuria) began. This was a strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops, which was carried out with the aim of defeating the Japanese Kwantung Army (its existence was a threat to the Soviet Far East and Siberia), liberating the Chinese northeastern and northern provinces (Manchuria and Inner Mongolia), the Liaodong and Korean Peninsulas, and liquidating Japan's largest military base and military-economic base in Asia. By carrying out this operation, Moscow fulfilled the agreements with its allies in the anti-Hitler coalition. The operation ended with the defeat of the Kwantung Army, the surrender of the Japanese Empire, and marked the end of World War II (Japan's act of surrender was signed on September 2, 1945).

Fourth War with Japan

Throughout 1941-1945. The Red Empire was forced to keep at least 40 divisions on its eastern borders. Even during the most brutal battles and critical situations of 1941-1942. In the Far East there was a powerful Soviet group, in full readiness to repel the blow of the Japanese military machine. The existence of this group of troops became the main factor that restrained the onset of Japanese aggression against the USSR. Tokyo chose the southern direction for its expansionist plans. However, as long as the second source of war and aggression – imperial Japan – continued to exist in the Asia-Pacific region, Moscow could not consider security on its eastern borders guaranteed. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the “revenge” factor. Stalin consistently pursued a global policy aimed at restoring Russia's position in the world, and defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. damaged our positions in the region. It was necessary to return the lost territories, the naval base in Port Arthur and restore their positions in the Pacific region.

The defeat of Nazi Germany and the unconditional surrender of its armed forces in May 1945, as well as the successes of Western coalition forces in the Pacific theater of operations, forced the Japanese government to begin preparations for defense.

On July 26, the Soviet Union, the United States and China demanded that Tokyo sign an unconditional surrender. This demand was rejected. On August 8, Moscow announced that from the next day it would consider itself in a state of war with the Japanese Empire. By that time, the Soviet high command deployed troops transferred from Europe to the border with Manchuria (where the puppet state of Manchukuo existed). The Soviet army was supposed to defeat Japan's main strike force in the region - the Kwantung Army - and liberate Manchuria and Korea from the occupiers. The destruction of the Kwantung Army and the loss of the northeastern provinces of China and the Korean Peninsula were supposed to have a decisive impact on accelerating the surrender of Japan and hasten the defeat of Japanese forces in South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

By the beginning of the offensive of the Soviet troops, the total number of Japanese forces located in Northern China, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands amounted to 1.2 million people, about 1.2 thousand tanks, 6.2 thousand guns and mortars and up to 1.9 thousand aircraft. In addition, Japanese troops and the forces of their allies - the Manchukuo Army and the Mengjiang Army - relied on 17 fortified areas. The Kwantung Army was commanded by General Otozo Yamada. To destroy the Japanese army in May-June 1941, the Soviet command additionally transferred 27 rifle divisions, 7 separate rifle and tank brigades, 1 tank and 2 mechanized corps to the 40 divisions that existed in the Far East. As a result of these measures, the combat strength of the Soviet army in the Far East almost doubled, amounting to more than 1.5 million bayonets, over 5.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 26 thousand guns and mortars, and about 3.8 thousand aircraft. In addition, more than 500 ships and vessels of the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Military Flotilla took part in the hostilities against the Japanese army.

By the decision of the GKO, the commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East, which included three front-line formations - Transbaikal (under the command of Marshal Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky), 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts (commanded by Marshal Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov and Army General Maxim Alekseevich Purkaev) , Marshal Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky was appointed. The fighting on the Eastern Front began on August 9, 1945 with a simultaneous attack by troops from all three Soviet fronts.

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the US Air Force dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although they had no military significance. These attacks killed 114 thousand people. The first nuclear bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. It suffered terrible destruction, and out of 306 thousand inhabitants, more than 90 thousand died. In addition, tens of thousands of Japanese died later due to wounds, burns, and radiation exposure. The West carried out this attack not only with the aim of demoralizing the Japanese military-political leadership, but also to demonstrate to the Soviet Union. The USA wanted to show the terrible effect of weapons with the help of which they wanted to blackmail the whole world.

The main forces of the Transbaikal Front under the command of Malinovsky struck from the direction of Transbaikalia from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic (Mongolia was our ally) in the general direction of Changchun and Mukden. The troops of the Transbaikal Front had to break through to the central regions of Northeast China, overcome the waterless steppe, and then pass the Khingan mountains. Troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front under the command of Meretskov advanced from Primorye in the direction of Girin. This front was supposed to connect with the main group of the Transbaikal Front in the shortest direction. The 2nd Far Eastern Front, led by Purkaev, launched an offensive from the Amur region. His troops had the task of pinning down the enemy forces opposing him with strikes in a number of directions, thereby assisting units of the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts (they were supposed to encircle the main forces of the Kwantung Army). Air force strikes and amphibious landings from ships of the Pacific Fleet were supposed to support the actions of strike groups of ground forces.

Thus, Japanese and allied troops were attacked on land, from sea and air along the entire huge 5,000-strong section of the border with Manchuria and to the coast of North Korea. By the end of August 14, 1945, the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern fronts had advanced 150-500 km deep into northeastern China and reached the main military-political and industrial centers of Manchuria. On the same day, in the face of imminent military defeat, the Japanese government signed a surrender. But the Japanese troops continued to offer fierce resistance, because, despite the decision of the Japanese emperor to surrender, the order to the command of the Kwantung Army to stop hostilities was never given. Particularly dangerous were suicide sabotage groups who tried to destroy Soviet officers at the cost of their lives, or blow themselves up in a group of soldiers or near armored vehicles and trucks. Only on August 19 did Japanese troops stop resisting and begin to lay down their arms.

At the same time, an operation was underway to liberate the Korean Peninsula, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands (they fought until September 1). By the end of August 1945, Soviet troops completed the disarmament of the Kwantung Army and the forces of the vassal state of Manchukuo, as well as the liberation of Northeast China, the Liaodong Peninsula and North Korea to the 38th parallel. On September 2, the Empire of Japan unconditionally surrendered. This event took place on board the American ship Missouri, in the waters of Tokyo Bay.

Following the results of the fourth Russo-Japanese War, Japan returned South Sakhalin to the USSR. The Kuril Islands also went to the Soviet Union. Japan itself was occupied by American troops, who continue to be based in this state to this day. From May 3, 1946 to November 12, 1948, the Tokyo Trial took place. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convicted the main Japanese war criminals (28 people in total). The international tribunal sentenced 7 people to death, 16 defendants to life imprisonment, the rest received 7 years in prison.

Lieutenant General K.N. Derevianko, on behalf of the USSR, signs the Instrument of Surrender of Japan on board the American battleship Missouri.

The defeat of Japan led to the disappearance of the puppet state of Manchukuo, the restoration of Chinese power in Manchuria, and the liberation of the Korean people. Helped the USSR and the Chinese communists. Units of the 8th Chinese People's Liberation Army entered Manchuria. The Soviet army handed over the weapons of the defeated Kwantung Army to the Chinese. In Manchuria, under the leadership of the communists, authorities were created and military units were formed. As a result, Northeast China became the base of the Chinese Communist Party, and it played a decisive role in the Communist victory over the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek's regime.

Additionally, news of Japan's defeat and surrender led to the August Revolution in Vietnam, which broke out at the call of the Communist Party and the Viet Minh League. The liberation uprising was led by the National Committee for the Liberation of Vietnam under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The Vietnam Liberation Army, whose numbers increased more than 10 times in a few days, disarmed Japanese units, dispersed the occupation administration and established new authorities. On August 24, 1945, Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai abdicated the throne. Supreme power in the country passed to the National Liberation Committee, which began to carry out the functions of the Provisional Government. On September 2, 1945, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the “Declaration of Independence of Vietnam.”

The defeat of the Japanese Empire sparked a powerful anti-colonial movement in the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, on August 17, 1945, the independence preparation committee headed by Sukarno declared the independence of Indonesia. Ahmed Sukarno became the first president of the new independent state. Huge India was also moving towards independence, where the leaders of the people were Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, released from prison.

Soviet marines in Port Arthur.

The article describes the causes of the Soviet-Japanese armed conflict, the preparation of the parties for war, and the course of hostilities. The characteristics of international relations before the outbreak of World War II in the east are given.

Introduction

Active hostilities in the Far East and in the Pacific Ocean were a consequence of the contradictions that arose in the pre-war years between the USSR, Great Britain, the USA and China, on the one hand, and Japan, on the other. The Japanese government sought to seize new territories rich in natural resources and establish political hegemony in the Far East.

Since the end of the 19th century, Japan has waged many wars, as a result of which it acquired new colonies. It included the Kuril Islands, southern Sakhalin, Korea, and Manchuria. In 1927, General Giichi Tanaka became the country's prime minister, whose government continued its aggressive policy. In the early 1930s, Japan increased the size of its army and created a powerful navy that was one of the strongest in the world.

In 1940, Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe developed a new foreign policy doctrine. The Japanese government planned to create a colossal empire stretching from Transbaikalia to Australia. Western countries pursued a dual policy towards Japan: on the one hand, they sought to limit the ambitions of the Japanese government, but on the other hand, they did not in any way interfere with the intervention of northern China. To implement its plans, the Japanese government entered into an alliance with Germany and Italy.

Relations between Japan and the Soviet Union in the pre-war period deteriorated noticeably. In 1935, the Kwantung Army entered the border areas of Mongolia. Mongolia hastily concluded an agreement with the USSR, and Red Army units were introduced into its territory. In 1938, Japanese troops crossed the state border of the USSR in the area of Lake Khasan, but the invasion attempt was successfully repulsed by Soviet troops. Japanese sabotage groups were also repeatedly dropped into Soviet territory. The confrontation escalated further in 1939, when Japan started a war against Mongolia. The USSR, observing the agreement with the Mongolian Republic, intervened in the conflict.

After these events, Japan's policy towards the USSR changed: the Japanese government was afraid of a clash with a strong western neighbor and decided to temporarily abandon the seizure of territories in the north. Nevertheless, for Japan, the USSR was actually the main enemy in the Far East.

Non-Aggression Treaty with Japan

In the spring of 1941, the USSR concluded a non-aggression pact with Japan. In the event of an armed conflict between one of the states and any third countries, the second power undertakes to maintain neutrality. But the Japanese Foreign Minister made it clear to the German ambassador in Moscow that the concluded neutrality pact would not prevent Japan from fulfilling the terms of the Tripartite Pact during the war with the USSR.

Before the outbreak of World War II in the east, Japan negotiated with American leaders, seeking recognition of the annexation of Chinese territories and the conclusion of new trade agreements. The ruling elite of Japan could not decide against whom to strike in a future war. Some politicians considered it necessary to support Germany, while others called for an attack on the Pacific colonies of Great Britain and the USA.

Already in 1941, it became obvious that Japan's actions would depend on the situation on the Soviet-German front. The Japanese government planned to attack the USSR from the east if Germany and Italy were successful, after the capture of Moscow by German troops. Also of great importance was the fact that the country needed raw materials for its industry. The Japanese were interested in capturing areas rich in oil, tin, zinc, nickel and rubber. Therefore, on July 2, 1941, at the imperial conference, a decision was made to start a war against the USA and Great Britain. But The Japanese government did not completely abandon plans to attack the USSR until the Battle of Kursk, when it became obvious that Germany would not win the Second World War. Along with this factor, the active military operations of the Allies in the Pacific Ocean forced Japan to repeatedly postpone and then completely abandon its aggressive intentions towards the USSR.

The situation in the Far East during the Second World War

Despite the fact that hostilities in the Far East never began, the USSR was forced to maintain a large military group in this region throughout the war, the size of which varied in different periods. Until 1945, the Kwantung Army was located on the border, which included up to 1 million military personnel. The local population also prepared for defense: men were mobilized into the army, women and teenagers studied air defense methods. Fortifications were built around strategically important objects.

The Japanese leadership believed that the Germans would be able to capture Moscow before the end of 1941. In this regard, it was planned to launch an attack on the Soviet Union in the winter. On December 3, the Japanese command gave the order to the troops located in China to prepare for transfer to the northern direction. The Japanese were planning to invade the USSR in the Ussuri region and then launch an offensive in the north. To implement the approved plan, it was necessary to strengthen the Kwantung Army. Troops freed after fighting in the Pacific Ocean were sent to the Northern Front.

However, the Japanese government's hopes for a quick German victory were not realized. The failure of the blitzkrieg tactics and the defeat of the Wehrmacht armies near Moscow indicated that the Soviet Union was a fairly strong adversary whose power should not be underestimated.

The threat of a Japanese invasion intensified in the fall of 1942. Nazi German troops were advancing into the Caucasus and Volga. The Soviet command hastily transferred 14 rifle divisions and more than 1.5 thousand guns from the Far East to the front. Just at this time, Japan was not actively fighting in the Pacific. However, the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters foresaw the possibility of a Japanese attack. The Far Eastern troops were replenished from local reserves. This fact became known to Japanese intelligence. The Japanese government again delayed entry into the war.

The Japanese attacked merchant ships in international waters, preventing the delivery of goods to Far Eastern ports, repeatedly violated state borders, committed sabotage on Soviet territory, and sent propaganda literature across the border. Japanese intelligence collected information about the movements of Soviet troops and transmitted them to Wehrmacht headquarters. Among the reasons for the USSR's entry into the Japanese War in 1945 were not only obligations to its allies, but also concern for the security of its borders.

Already in the second half of 1943, when the turning point in the Second World War ended, it became clear that after Italy, which had already emerged from the war, Germany and Japan would also be defeated. The Soviet command, foreseeing a future war in the Far East, from that time on almost never used Far Eastern troops on the Western Front. Gradually, these units of the Red Army were replenished with military equipment and manpower. In August 1943, the Primorsky Group of Forces was created as part of the Far Eastern Front, which indicated preparations for a future war.

At the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, the Soviet Union confirmed that the agreement between Moscow and the allies on participation in the war with Japan remained in force. The Red Army was supposed to begin military operations against Japan no later than 3 months after the end of the war in Europe. In return, J.V. Stalin demanded territorial concessions for the USSR: the transfer to Russia of the Kuril Islands and part of the island of Sakhalin assigned to Japan as a result of the 1905 war, the lease of the Chinese port of Port Arthur (on modern maps - Lushun) for the Soviet naval base ). The Dalniy commercial port was supposed to become an open port with the interests of the USSR primarily respected.

By this time, the Armed Forces of the United States and Great Britain had inflicted a number of defeats on Japan. However, her resistance was not broken. The demand of the United States, China and Great Britain for unconditional surrender, presented on July 26, was rejected by Japan. This decision was not unreasonable. The USA and Great Britain did not have sufficient forces to conduct an amphibious operation in the Far East. According to the plans of American and British leaders, the final defeat of Japan was envisaged no earlier than 1946. The Soviet Union, by entering the war with Japan, significantly brought the end of World War II closer.

Strengths and plans of the parties

The Soviet-Japanese War or the Manchurian Operation began on August 9, 1945. The Red Army was faced with the task of defeating Japanese troops in China and North Korea.

Back in May 1945, the USSR began transferring troops to the Far East. 3 fronts were formed: 1st and 2nd Far Eastern and Transbaikal. The Soviet Union used border troops, the Amur military flotilla and ships of the Pacific Fleet in the offensive.

The Kwantung Army included 11 infantry and 2 tank brigades, more than 30 infantry divisions, cavalry and mechanized units, a suicide brigade, and the Sungari River Flotilla. The most significant forces were stationed in the eastern regions of Manchuria, bordering the Soviet Primorye. In the western regions, the Japanese stationed 6 infantry divisions and 1 brigade. The number of enemy soldiers exceeded 1 million people, but more than half of the fighters were conscripts of younger ages and of limited fitness. Many Japanese units were understaffed. Also, the newly created units lacked weapons, ammunition, artillery and other military equipment. Japanese units and formations used outdated tanks and aircraft.

The troops of Manchukuo, the army of Inner Mongolia and the Suiyuan Army Group fought on the side of Japan. In the border areas, the enemy built 17 fortified areas. The command of the Kwantung Army was carried out by General Otsuzo Yamada.

The plan of the Soviet command provided for the delivery of two main strikes by the forces of the 1st Far Eastern and Transbaikal Fronts, as a result of which the main enemy forces in the center of Manchuria would be captured in a pincer movement, divided into parts and destroyed. The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, consisting of 11 rifle divisions, 4 rifle and 9 tank brigades, in cooperation with the Amur Military Flotilla, were supposed to strike in the direction of Harbin. Then the Red Army was supposed to occupy large populated areas - Shenyang, Harbin, Changchun. The fighting took place over an area of more than 2.5 thousand km. according to the area map.

Start of hostilities

Simultaneously with the beginning of the offensive of the Soviet troops, aviation bombed areas of large troop concentrations, strategically significant objects and communications centers. Pacific Fleet ships attacked Japanese naval bases in North Korea. The offensive was led by the commander-in-chief of Soviet troops in the Far East, A. M. Vasilevsky.

As a result of the military operations of the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front, which, having crossed the Gobi Desert and the Khingan Mountains on the first day of the offensive, advanced 50 km, significant groups of enemy troops were defeated. The offensive was hampered by the natural conditions of the area. There was not enough fuel for the tanks, but the Red Army units used the experience of the Germans - the supply of fuel by transport aircraft was organized. On August 17, the 6th Guards Tank Army reached the approaches to the capital of Manchuria. Soviet troops isolated the Kwantung Army from Japanese units in Northern China and occupied important administrative centers.

The Soviet group of troops, advancing from Primorye, broke through the strip of border fortifications. In the Mudanjiang area, the Japanese launched a series of counterattacks, which were repulsed. Soviet units occupied Girin and Harbin, and, with the assistance of the Pacific Fleet, liberated the coast, capturing strategically significant ports.

Then the Red Army liberated North Korea, and from mid-August the fighting took place on Chinese territory. On August 14, the Japanese command initiated negotiations on surrender. On August 19, enemy troops began to surrender en masse. However, hostilities in World War II continued until early September.

Simultaneously with the defeat of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria, Soviet troops carried out the South Sakhalin offensive operation and landed troops on the Kuril Islands. During the operation in the Kuril Islands on August 18-23, Soviet troops, with the support of ships of the Peter and Paul Naval Base, captured the island of Samusyu and occupied all the islands of the Kuril ridge by September 1.

Results

Due to the defeat of the Kwantung Army on the continent, Japan could no longer continue the war. The enemy lost important economic regions in Manchuria and Korea. The Americans carried out atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and captured the island of Okinawa. On September 2, the act of surrender was signed.

The USSR included territories lost to the Russian Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century: Southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. In 1956, the USSR restored relations with Japan and agreed to the transfer of Habomai Islands and Shikotan Islands to Japan, subject to the conclusion of a Peace Treaty between the countries. But Japan has not come to terms with its territorial losses and negotiations on the ownership of the disputed regions are still ongoing.

For military merits, more than 200 units received the titles of “Amur”, “Ussuri”, “Khingan”, “Harbin”, etc. 92 military personnel became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

As a result of the operation, the losses of the warring countries were:

from the USSR - about 36.5 thousand military personnel,
on the Japanese side - more than 1 million soldiers and officers.

Also, during the battles, all the ships of the Sungari flotilla were sunk - more than 50 ships.

Medal "For Victory over Japan"