In the winter of 1945, the leaders of the Big Three met at the next conference in Yalta. The result of the meeting was the decision to enter the USSR into the war with Japan. For opposing Hitler's eastern ally, the Soviet Union was supposed to get back the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, which became Japanese under the Portsmouth Peace of 1905. The exact date for the start of the war has not been established. It was planned that active fighting in the Far East would begin a few months after the defeat of the Third Reich and the complete end of the war in Europe.

The USSR began implementing the agreements reached at the end of the summer of 1945. On August 8, war on Japan was officially declared. So it began final stage Second World War.

Neutrality Pact

The Meiji Revolution of the second half of the 19th century made Japan a powerful and aggressive militaristic power. In the first half of the twentieth century, the Japanese repeatedly tried to establish their dominance on the mainland, primarily in China. However, the Japanese army had to confront Soviet troops here. After clashes on Lake Khasan and the Khalkhin Gol River, both sides signed a neutrality pact in the spring of 1941. According to this document, over the next five years, the USSR and Japan pledged not to enter into war against each other if third countries started one. After this, Tokyo abandoned its claims in the Far East, and the main direction of Japanese foreign policy was to gain dominance in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Breakdown of the 1941 agreements

In 1941-1942, the neutrality agreement completely suited both the USSR and Japan. Thanks to him, each side could fully concentrate on fighting the more significant opponents at the moment. But, obviously, both powers considered the pact temporary and were preparing for a future war:

• On the one hand, Japanese diplomats (including Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka, who signed the 1941 treaty) more than once convinced the German side that they would provide any possible assistance to Germany in the war with the USSR. In the same year, Japanese military experts developed a plan for an attack on the USSR, and the number of soldiers in the Kwantung Army was also sharply increased.
• On the other hand, the Soviet Union was also preparing for conflict. After the end of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, construction began on an additional railway line in the Far East.

In addition, spies regularly crossed the Soviet-Japanese border on both sides.

Historians from different countries are still arguing whether the break in previous agreements on the part of the Soviet Union was legitimate, who should be considered the aggressor in this situation, and what were the real plans of each of the powers. One way or another, in April 1945, the neutrality treaty expired. People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov confronted the Japanese Ambassador Naotake Sato with a fact: the Soviet Union would under no circumstances conclude a new pact. The People's Commissar justified his decision by the fact that Japan had provided significant support to Nazi Germany all this time.

There was a split in the Japanese government: one part of the ministers was in favor of continuing the war, and the other was strongly against it. Another important argument of the anti-war party was the fall of the Third Reich. Emperor Hirohito understood that sooner or later he would have to sit down at the negotiating table. However, he hoped that Japan would engage in dialogue with Western countries, not as a weak defeated state, but as a powerful adversary. Therefore, before the start of peace negotiations, Hirohito wanted to win at least a few major victories.

In July 1945, England, the USA and China demanded that Japan lay down their arms, but received a decisive refusal. From that moment on, all sides began to prepare for war.

Balance of power

Technically, the Soviet Union was far superior to Japan, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Soviet officers and the soldiers who fought such a formidable enemy as the Third Reich were much more experienced than the Japanese military, who on land had to deal only with a weak Chinese army and with individual small American detachments.

From April to August, about half a million Soviet soldiers were transferred to the Far East from the European Front. In May, the Far Eastern High Command appeared, headed by Marshal A. M. Vasilevsky. By mid-summer the group Soviet troops, responsible for waging the war with Japan, was put on full combat readiness. The structure of the armed forces in the Far East was as follows:

• Transbaikal Front;
• 1st Far Eastern Front;
• 2nd Far Eastern Front;
• Pacific Fleet;
• Amur flotilla.

The total number of Soviet soldiers was almost 1.7 million people.

The number of fighters in the Japanese army and the Manchukuo army reached 1 million people. The main force opposing the Soviet Union was to be the Kwantung Army. A separate group of troops was supposed to prevent landings on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. On the border with the USSR, the Japanese erected several thousand defensive fortifications. The advantage of the Japanese side was the natural and climatic features of the region. On the Soviet-Manchurian border, the path of the Soviet army had to be slowed down by impassable mountains and numerous rivers with marshy banks. And to get to the Kwantung Army from Mongolia, the enemy would have to cross the Gobi Desert. In addition, the beginning of the war coincided with the peak activity of the Far Eastern monsoon, which brought with it constant downpours. In such conditions it was extremely difficult to conduct an offensive.

At some point, the start of the war was almost postponed due to hesitation by the USSR's Western allies. If before the victory over Germany, England and the United States were interested in the speedy defeat of Japan at any cost, then after the fall of the Third Reich and the successful testing of the American nuclear bomb, this issue lost its urgency. Moreover, many Western military men feared that the USSR's participation in the war would raise Stalin's already high international authority and strengthen Soviet influence in the Far East. However, American President Truman decided to remain faithful to the Yalta agreements.

It was originally planned that the Red Army would cross the border on August 10. But since the Japanese were thoroughly prepared for defense, at the last moment it was decided to start the war two days earlier in order to confuse the enemy. Some historians believe that the American bombing of Hiroshima could have accelerated the outbreak of hostilities. Stalin chose to immediately withdraw troops, without waiting for Japan's surrender. Contrary to popular belief, Japan did not stop resisting immediately after the fall nuclear bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For a full month after the bombing, the Japanese army continued to resist the Soviet advance.

Progress of hostilities

On the night of August 8-9, Soviet troops acted as a united front. The start of the war was a big surprise for the Japanese, therefore, despite the heavy rain and washed out roads, the Red Army soldiers managed to cover a considerable distance in the very first hours of the war.

According to the strategic plan, the Kwantung Army should have been surrounded. The 6th Guards Tank Army, which was part of the Trans-Baikal Front, was tasked with going behind the Japanese rear. In a matter of days, Soviet tank crews overcame a huge section of the Gobi Desert and several difficult mountain passes and occupied the most important Manchurian strongholds. At this time, troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front fought their way to Harbin. In order to achieve the final goal, Soviet soldiers had to establish control over the well-defended Mudanjiang, which was done on the evening of August 16.

Soviet sailors also achieved great success. By mid-August, all major Korean ports were under Soviet control. After the Soviet Amur Flotilla blocked Japanese warships on the Amur, the forces of the 2nd Far Eastern Front began to rapidly advance towards Harbin. The same front, together with the Pacific Fleet, was to occupy Sakhalin.

During the war, not only Soviet soldiers, but also diplomats distinguished themselves. A week after the start of the war, an agreement on friendship and cooperation was signed with China. The agreement envisaged joint ownership of some Far Eastern railways and the creation of a Soviet-Chinese naval base in Port Arthur, closed to military vessels of third countries. The Chinese side expressed its readiness to fully obey the Soviet commander-in-chief in matters of military operations and began to provide all possible assistance to the Red Army soldiers.

On August 17, the Kwantung Army received an order to surrender from Tokyo. However, not all areas received the order on time, and in some parts they decided to simply ignore it, so the war continued. The Japanese fighters demonstrated amazing masculinity. They more than compensated for the technical backwardness of their army with fearlessness, cruelty and perseverance. Lacking anti-tank weapons, the soldiers, hung with grenades, threw themselves under Soviet tanks; There were frequent attacks by small sabotage groups. On certain sections of the front, the Japanese even managed to launch serious counterattacks.

The heaviest and longest battles during the war were the battles for the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. It was difficult to land troops on the steep rocky banks. Each of the islands was turned by Japanese engineers into a defensible, impregnable fortress. The battles for the Kuril Islands continued until August 30, and in some places the Japanese fighters held out until the beginning of September.

On August 22, Soviet paratroopers managed to occupy the port of Dalniy. During the successful operation, 10 thousand Japanese troops were captured. And already in the last days of summer, almost the entire territory of Korea, China and Manchuria was liberated from the Japanese occupiers.

By the beginning of September, all the tasks facing the Soviet command were completed. On September 2, 1945, Japan announced its surrender. In honor of the victory over the enemy, a solemn parade of Soviet troops was held in Harbin on September 8.

The question of the peace treaty

Although the USSR (and now the Russian Federation) and Japan did not have armed conflicts after 1945, and during the era of “perestroika” they even moved to cooperation, a peace treaty ending the war still does not exist. In fact, the Soviet-Japanese war ended in September 1945. Formally, it ended with the Moscow Declaration, signed only in 1956. Thanks to this document, the countries were able to re-establish diplomatic contacts and restore trade ties. As for the peace treaty, disputes about it continue to this day.

The cornerstone in Russian-Japanese relations was the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951, concluded between the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and Japan. This document assumed the delimitation of spheres of influence in the Far East, in which the United States had the greatest weight in the region. Moreover, the agreement contradicted the agreements reached in Yalta, since it did not provide for the transfer of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union. The Chinese authorities also suffered certain damage, as they also did not receive part of their occupied territories.

It should be noted that the first clashes related to the establishment of their influence between the USSR and the USA occurred in the summer of 1945, when the Americans tried to occupy Dalny, where Soviet soldiers and sailors had already arrived. In response, the USSR did not allow the American military to establish its bases on the islands of the Kuril archipelago.

To date, Moscow and Tokyo have not come to a common decision regarding control over Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The Japanese authorities believe that Russia owns the islands illegally, and the Russian Foreign Ministry refers to the decisions of the Yalta Conference and similar precedents (for example, the inclusion of the German Königsberg into the USSR).

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 revolution of 1917 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 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.

Blitz campaigns, unconditional victory and controversial results of the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945...

Vladivostok, PrimaMedia. These days, 73 years ago, the whole country celebrated victory in the Great Patriotic War, and tension grew in the Far East. Part of the military resources that were freed up in the western part was transferred to the Far Eastern Front in anticipation of the next battles, but this time with Japan. The war between the USSR and Japan in 1945, which became the last major campaign of World War II, lasted less than a month - from August 9 to September 2, 1945. But this month became a key month in the history of the Far East and the entire Asia-Pacific region, completing and, conversely, initiating many historical processes lasting decades. On the 72nd anniversary of the start of the Soviet-Japanese War, RIA PrimaMedia recalls where the battles took place, what they fought for and what unresolved conflicts the war left behind.

Prerequisites for the war

It can be considered that the preconditions for the Soviet-Japanese War arose exactly on the day when the Russo-Japanese War ended - on the day the Portsmouth Peace was signed on September 5, 1905. Russia lost the Liaodong Peninsula (the ports of Dalian and Port Arthur) leased from China and the southern part of Sakhalin Island. The loss of influence in the world in general and in the Far East, in particular, was significant, 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: revolutionary uprisings took place throughout the country, including in Vladivostok.

This situation intensified during the 1917 revolution and the subsequent Civil War. On February 18, 1918, the Supreme Council of the Entente decided to occupy Vladivostok and Harbin, as well as the CER zone, by Japanese troops. There were about 15 thousand Japanese soldiers in Vladivostok during the foreign intervention. 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.

These events will be recalled by Lieutenant Gerasimenko, a member of the CPSU (b) (12 MZHDAB) in 1945. His words are given in the political report of the head of the political department of the Pacific Fleet, which contains other quotes from the personnel of ships and fleet units who received the news of the start of the war with Japan with great enthusiasm.

The words of Lieutenant Gerasimenko in the political report of the head of the political department of the Pacific Fleet

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 - quite quickly led to the development of relations between Tokyo and Moscow that could easily be described as a “Cold War”. By the end of the 1930s, tensions reached a peak, and this period was marked by two major clashes between the USSR and Japan - the conflict on Lake Khasan (Primorsky Territory) in 1938 and on the Khalkhin Gol River (Mongolian-Manchurian border) in 1939.

The words of pilot Neduev in the political report of the head of the political department of the Pacific Fleet
Photo: From the funds of the Pacific Fleet Military History Museum

Fragile neutrality

Having suffered quite serious losses and being convinced of the power of the Red Army, Japan chose to conclude a neutrality pact with the USSR on April 13, 1941. Our country also benefited from the pact, since Moscow understood that the main source of military tension lay not in the Far East, but in Europe. For Germany itself, Japan's partner in the Anti-Comintern Pact (Germany, Italy, Japan), which saw the Land of the Rising Sun 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. 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.

However, relations between the USSR and Japan during this period could hardly be called good. It was obvious that the signed pact was not valuable for either side, and war was only a matter of time.

The Japanese command developed not only plans to seize a significant part of Soviet territory, but also a system of military command “in the zone of occupation of the territory of the USSR.” Tokyo still considered the following territories to be its vital interests during the division of the “defeated” Soviet Union. In the document entitled “Territory Management Plan in the Sphere of Co-Prosperity of the Great East Asia", which was created by the Japanese War Ministry jointly with the Colonial Ministry in 1942, noted:

Primorye should be annexed to Japan, areas adjacent to the Manchu Empire should be included in the sphere of influence of this country, and the Trans-Siberian Road should be placed under the complete control of Japan and Germany, with Omsk being the point of demarcation between them.

The presence of a powerful group of Japanese armed forces on the Far Eastern borders forced the Soviet Union throughout the Great Patriotic War with Germany and its allies to keep from 15 to 30% of the combat forces and assets of the Soviet armed forces in the East - in total more than 1 million soldiers and officers.

Washington and London knew the exact date of the Soviet Union's entry into the war in the Far East. To the special representative of the American President, G. Hopkins, I.V., who arrived in Moscow in May 1945. Stalin stated:

Germany's surrender took place on May 8. Consequently, Soviet troops will be in full readiness by August 8

Stalin was true to his word, and on August 8, 1945, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov made the following statement to the Japanese ambassador in Moscow for transmission to the Japanese government:

Considering Japan's refusal to capitulate, the allies turned to the Soviet government with a proposal to join the war against Japanese aggression and thereby shorten the time frame for ending the war, reduce the number of casualties and contribute to the speedy restoration of world peace.

The Soviet government declares that with tomorrow, that is, from August 9. The Soviet Union will consider itself at war with Japan.

The next day, August 10, the Mongolian Empire declared war on Japan. People's Republic.

Ready for war

From the west of the country, a significant number of troops from the fronts and western military districts began to be transferred to the East. Military trains with people, military equipment and military equipment walked along the Trans-Siberian Railway day and night in a continuous stream. In total, by the beginning of August, a powerful group of Soviet troops numbering 1.6 million people, with over 26 thousand guns and mortars, 5.5 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns and over 3.9 thousand combat aircraft, was concentrated in the Far East and Mongolia.

On the roads of Manchuria. August, 1945
Photo: From GAPC funds

Three fronts are created - Transbaikal, led by Marshal of the Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky, 1st Far Eastern (former Primorsky Group of Forces) led by Marshal of the Soviet Union K.A. Meretskov and the 2nd Far Eastern Front (formerly the Far Eastern Front) under the command of Army General M.A. Purkaeva. The Pacific Fleet is commanded by Admiral I.S. Yumashev.

The Pacific Fleet was also ready. By August 1945, it included: two cruisers built in the Far East, one leader, 12 destroyers, 10 Frigate-class patrol ships, six Metel-class patrol ships, one Albatross-class patrol ship, two patrol ships ships of the Dzerzhinsky type, two monitors, 10 minelayers, 52 minesweepers, 204 torpedo boats, 22 large hunters, 27 small hunters, 19 landing ships. The submarine force consisted of 78 submarines. The main base of the naval forces of the fleet was Vladivostok.

The Pacific Fleet aviation consisted of 1.5 thousand aircraft of various types. The coastal defense consisted of 167 coastal batteries with guns ranging in caliber from 45 to 356 mm.

The Soviet troops were opposed by a strong group of Japanese troops and Manchukuo troops totaling up to 1 million people. The Japanese army numbered approximately 600 thousand people, of which 450 thousand were in Manchuria, and the remaining 150 thousand in Korea, mainly in its northern part. However, in terms of armament, Japanese troops were noticeably inferior to Soviet ones.

Along the Soviet and Mongolian borders, the Japanese built 17 fortified areas in advance, eight of them with a total length of about 800 km - against Primorye. Each fortified area in Manchuria relied on natural obstacles in the form of water and mountain barriers.

According to the plan of the military operation, the leadership of the USSR allocated only 20–23 days for its group of troops to completely defeat the Japanese Kwantung Army. Offensive operations on three fronts reached a depth of 600–800 km, which required high rates of advance of Soviet troops.

Lightning War or "August Storm"

The Far Eastern campaign of the Soviet troops included three operations - the Manchurian Strategic Offensive, the South Sakhalin Offensive and the Kuril Landing.

The offensive of the Soviet troops began, as planned, exactly at midnight from August 8 to 9, 1945 on the ground, in the air and at sea simultaneously - on a huge section of the front with a length of 5 km.

The war was fast paced. 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.

Soviet landing on the coast of Manchuria
Photo: From the funds of the museum named after. VC. Arsenyev

At midnight, 76 Soviet Il-4 bombers from the 19th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Corps crossed the state border. An hour and a half later, they bombed large Japanese garrisons in the cities of Changchun and Harbin.

The offensive was carried out rapidly. At the forefront of the Transbaikal Front was the 6th Guards Tank Army, which advanced 450 km in five days of the offensive and immediately overcame the Greater Khingan ridge. Soviet tank crews reached the Central Manchurian Plain a day earlier than planned and found themselves deep in the rear of the Kwantung Army. Japanese troops counterattacked, but were unsuccessful everywhere.

The advancing 1st Far Eastern Front had to face, already in the first days of fighting, not only strong resistance from Japanese troops on the borders of the Pogranichnensky, Dunninsky, Khotou fortified areas, but also the massive use of suicide bombers by opponents - kamikazes. Such kamikazes would sneak up on groups of soldiers and blow themselves up among them. On the approaches to the city of Mudanjiang, an incident was noted when 200 suicide bombers, sprawled in thick grass, tried to block the path of Soviet tanks on the battlefield.

The Pacific Fleet deployed submarines in the Sea of ​​Japan, naval detachments were in a state of immediate readiness to go to sea, reconnaissance aircraft made sortie after sortie. Defensive minefields were set up near Vladivostok.

Loading a torpedo with the inscription "Death to the Samurai!" for the Soviet Pacific Fleet submarine of the "Pike" type (V-bis series). Instead of a stern gun, the submarine is equipped with a DShK machine gun. A Pike-class submarine (X series) is visible in the background.
Photo: From the funds of the museum named after. VC. Arsenyev

Landing operations on the Korean coast were successful. On August 11, the port of Yuki was occupied by amphibious assault forces, on August 13 - the port of Racine, on August 16 - the port of Seishin, which made it possible to reach the ports of South Korea, and after their capture it was possible to attack strong blows at distant enemy bases.

During these landing operations, the Pacific Fleet unexpectedly faced a serious danger in the form of American minelaying. Immediately before the Soviet Union entered the war in the Pacific, American aircraft carried out a massive laying of magnetic and acoustic mines on the approaches to the ports of Seisin and Racine. This led to the fact that Soviet ships and transports began to be blown up by allied mines during landing operations and during the further use of North Korean ports to supply their troops.

Soldiers of the 355th Separate Marine Battalion of the Pacific Fleet before landing in Seishin
Photo: From GAPC funds

The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front began their offensive with the successful crossing of the Amur and Ussuri rivers. After this, they continued their offensive along the banks of the Songhua River towards the city of Harbin, assisting neighboring fronts. Together with the front, the Red Banner Amur Flotilla advanced deep into Manchuria.

During the Sakhalin offensive operation, the Pacific Fleet landed large troops in the ports of Toro, Esutoru, Maoka, Honto and Otomari. The landing of almost 3.5 thousand paratroopers in the port of Maoka took place under strong opposition from the Japanese.

On August 15, Emperor Hirohito announced that Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration. He paid tribute to those killed in the war and warned his subjects that they must now "strictly refrain from expressing emotion." At the conclusion of his speech to the Japanese people, the Mikado called:

"...Let all the people live as one family from generation to generation, always firm in their faith in the eternity of their sacred land, remembering the heavy burden of responsibility and the long road that lies before us. Unite all forces to build the future. Strengthen honesty , develop nobility of spirit and work hard to increase the great glory of the empire and go hand in hand with the progress of the whole world."

On this day, many fanatics from among the military people committed suicide.

Admiral Onishi, the founder of the kamikaze corps in the imperial armed forces, also committed hara-kiri on the evening of August 15. In his suicide note, Onishi looked to the future of the Land of the Rising Sun:

“I express my deep admiration for the souls of the courageous kamikazes. They fought valiantly and died with faith in the final victory. With death, I want to atone for my part in the failure to achieve this victory, and I apologize to the souls of the fallen pilots and their destitute families...”

And in Manchuria the fighting continued - no one gave the order to the Kwantung Army to stop armed resistance to the Soviet Red Army advancing on all fronts. In the following days, agreement was held at various levels on the surrender of the Japanese Kwantung Army, scattered across the vast territory of Manchuria and North Korea.

While such negotiations were ongoing, special detachments were created as part of the Transbaikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern fronts. Their task was to capture the cities of Changchun, Mukden, Jilin and Harbin.

Soviet troops in Harbin. August, 1945
Photo: From GAPC funds

On August 18, the commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East gave the commanders of the fronts and the Pacific Fleet an order in which he demanded:

“In all sectors of the front where hostilities on the part of the Japanese-Manchus will cease, hostilities on the part of the Soviet troops will also immediately cease.”

On August 19, Japanese troops resisting the advancing 1st Far Eastern Front ceased hostilities. Mass surrender began, and on the first day alone, 55 thousand Japanese troops laid down their arms. Airborne assault forces were landed in the cities of Port Arthur and Dairen (Dalniy) on August 23.

Marines of the Pacific Fleet on their way to Port Arthur. In the foreground, participant in the defense of Sevastopol, Pacific Fleet paratrooper Anna Yurchenko
Photo: From GAPC funds

By the evening of the same day, a tank brigade of the 6th Guards Tank Army entered Port Arthur. The garrisons of these cities capitulated, and attempts by Japanese ships stationed in the harbors to escape to the open sea were decisively suppressed.

The city of Dairen (Far) was one of the centers of white emigration. The NKVD authorities arrested the White Guards here. All of them were put on trial for their actions during the Russian Civil War.

On August 25–26, 1945, Soviet troops on three fronts completed the occupation of the territory of Manchuria and the Liaodong Peninsula. By the end of August, the entire territory of North Korea up to the 38th parallel was liberated from Japanese troops, who mostly retreated to the south of the Korean Peninsula.

By September 5, all the Kuril Islands were occupied by Soviet troops. The total number of captured Japanese garrisons on the islands of the Kuril chain reached 50 thousand people. Of these, about 20 thousand people were captured in the Southern Kuril Islands. Japanese prisoners of war were evacuated to Sakhalin. The 2nd Far Eastern Front and the Pacific Fleet took part in the capture operation. Photo: From GAPC funds

After the most powerful of the Japanese armies, the Kwantung Army, ceased to exist, and Manchuria, North Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were occupied by Soviet troops, even the most ardent supporters of continuing the war in Japan realized that the Empire in the Japanese Islands was fighting a war in the Pacific lost in the ocean.

Meeting of Soviet soldiers in China. August, 1945
Photo: From GAPC funds

On September 2, 1945, the act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed in Tokyo Bay on board the American battleship Missouri. On the Japanese side, it was signed by Foreign Minister M. Shigemitsu and Chief of the Army General Staff, General Umezu. By authority of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Armed Forces, on behalf of the Soviet Union, the act was signed by Lieutenant General K.N. Derevianko. On behalf of the allied nations - American General D. MacArthur.

This is how two wars ended on the same day - World War II and the Soviet-Japanese war of 1945.

Results and consequences of the Soviet-Japanese

As a result of the 1945 war, the Red Army and its allies completely destroyed the million-strong Kwantung Army. 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. Of the 1.2 thousand people who made up the total losses of the Pacific Fleet, 903 people were killed or mortally wounded.

The Soviet troops received rich battle trophies: 4 thousand guns and mortars (grenade launchers), 686 tanks, 681 aircraft and other military equipment.

The military valor of Soviet soldiers in the war with Japan was highly appreciated - 308 thousand people who distinguished themselves in battle were awarded government awards. 87 people were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union, six of them became twice Heroes.

As a result of the crushing defeat, Japan lost its leading position in the Asia-Pacific region for many years. The Japanese army was disarmed, and Japan itself lost the right to have a regular army. Long-awaited calm was established on the Far Eastern borders of the Soviet Union.

With the surrender of Japan, the country's long-term intervention in China ended. In August 1945, the puppet state of Manchukuo ceased to exist. The Chinese people were given the opportunity to decide their own destiny and soon chose the socialist path of development. It also ended Japan's 40-year period of brutal colonial oppression in Korea. New independent states have emerged on the political map of the world: the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and others.

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.

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, but it was this month that became key in the history of the Far East and the entire Asia-Pacific region...

Note website: "...Marshal Vasilevsky...crushed Japan without any atomic bomb...At the same time, the proportion of losses of the Soviet Army, the best and most effective army in the world in the Kwantung operation: 12 thousand dead of our soldiers and officers and 650 thousand dead and captured Japanese. And this despite the fact that we were advancing... We were advancing, and they were sitting in concrete pillboxes, which they had been building for 5 years... This is a brilliant offensive operation, the best in the history of the 20th century...”

The Soviet-Japanese War of 1945 is one of the historical events that arouse enduring interest. At first glance, nothing special happened: less than three weeks of fighting at the final stage of the virtually completed Second World War. Neither in terms of brutality nor in the scale of losses can it be compared not only with other wars of the twentieth century, but even with such operations of the Second World War as Moscow, Stalingrad, Battle of Kursk, Normandy operation, etc.
However, this war left an extremely deep mark on history, remains virtually the only untied knot Second World War. Its consequences continue to have a strong influence on modern Russian-Japanese relations.

The grouping of Soviet troops in the Far East, deployed by August 1945 on the borders with Manchukuo and in the coastal regions of the USSR, included the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts, the Pacific Fleet and the Red Banner Amur Flotilla.

By the beginning of hostilities, Soviet troops had complete superiority over the enemy in manpower, weapons and military equipment. The quantitative superiority of the Soviet troops was supported by qualitative characteristics: Soviet units and formations had great experience conducting combat operations against a strong and well-armed enemy, and the tactical and technical data of the domestic and foreign weapons in service military equipment significantly superior to the Japanese.

By August 8, the group of Soviet troops in the Far East numbered 1,669,500 people, and 16,000 people were in the formations of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army. Soviet troops outnumbered the enemy force by different directions: for tanks 5−8 times, artillery 4−5 times, mortars 10 times or more, combat aircraft 3 times or more.

The opposing group of Japanese and puppet troops of Manchukuo numbered up to 1 million people. It was based on the Japanese Kwantung Army, which included the 1st, 3rd and 17th fronts, the 4th and 34th separate armies, the 2nd air army and the Sungari military flotilla. Troops of the 5th Front were stationed on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Along the borders of the USSR and the Mongolian People's Republic, the Japanese built 17 fortified areas, numbering more than 4.5 thousand long-term structures. There were powerful defensive structures on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The defense of the Japanese troops was built taking into account all the benefits of the natural and climatic conditions of the Far Eastern theater of military operations. The presence of large mountain systems and rivers with swampy floodplains along the Soviet-Manchurian border created a unique natural insurmountable defensive line. On the Mongolia side, the area was a vast arid semi-desert, uninhabited and almost devoid of roads. The specificity of the Far Eastern theater of operations was also that a large part of it consisted of sea basins. Southern Sakhalin was distinguished by its complex mountainous and swampy terrain, and most of the Kuril Islands were natural fortresses.

On August 3, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky reported to J.V. Stalin on the situation in the Far East and the condition of the troops. Referring to data from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, the commander-in-chief noted that the Japanese were actively building up the ground and air force grouping of their troops in Manchuria. According to the commander-in-chief, the most acceptable date for crossing the state border was August 9-10, 1945.

The headquarters determined the deadline - 18.00 August 10, 1945, Moscow time. However, in the afternoon of August 7, new instructions were received from the Supreme High Command Headquarters - to begin hostilities exactly two days earlier - at 18.00 on August 8, 1945, Moscow time, that is, at midnight from August 8 to 9, Transbaikal time.

How can one explain the postponement of the start of the war with Japan? First of all, this shows the desire to achieve maximum surprise. The Soviet command proceeded from the fact that even if the enemy knew the established date for the start of hostilities, its postponement two days earlier would have a paralyzing effect on the Japanese troops. For the Soviet troops, ready to conduct hostilities as early as August 5, changing the start date was not of fundamental importance. The fact that August 8 marked exactly three months from the date of signing the act of unconditional surrender of the troops of Nazi Germany could also have played a role. Thus, Stalin, with unprecedented punctuality, kept his promise to the allies to start a war with Japan.

But another interpretation of this decision by Headquarters is possible, since it was made immediately after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the Americans. It is likely that Stalin had information about the impending bombing of Japanese cities, and the first information about the scale of losses and destruction in Hiroshima forced him to accelerate the USSR’s entry into the war due to fears that Japan might “prematurely” capitulate.

Initial plans also provided for a landing operation on the island. Hokkaido, but for some military-political reasons and motives it was cancelled. An important role here was played by the fact that US President G. Truman “denied us this,” that is, the creation of a Soviet zone of occupation on the island of Hokkaido.

Military operations began, as planned, at exactly midnight Transbaikal time from August 8 to 9, 1945 on land, in the air and at sea simultaneously on a front with a total length of 5130 km. The offensive unfolded in extremely unfavorable meteorological conditions: on August 8, heavy rains began, which hampered aviation operations. Overflowing rivers, swamps and washed out roads made it extremely difficult for vehicles to operate, moving parts and front connections. In order to ensure secrecy, air and artillery preparation for the offensive was not carried out. August 9 at 4:30 a.m. local time, the main forces of the fronts were brought into battle. The blow to the enemy was so powerful and unexpected that the Soviet troops encountered almost no organized resistance anywhere. After just a few hours of fighting, Soviet troops advanced in different directions from 2 to 35 km.

The actions of the Transbaikal Front and formations of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army developed most successfully. During the first five days of the war, the 6th Guards Tank Army advanced 450 km, immediately overcame the Greater Khingan ridge and reached the Central Manchurian Plain a day earlier than planned. The entry of Soviet troops into the deep rear of the Kwantung Army in the Khingan-Mukden direction created opportunities for developing an offensive in the direction of the most important military, administrative and industrial centers of Manchuria. All enemy attempts to stop Soviet troops with counterattacks were thwarted.

The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front at the first stage of the Manchurian operation met stubborn resistance from Japanese troops on the borders of fortified areas. The most fierce fighting took place in the area of ​​the city of Mudanjiang, an important transport center of Manchuria. Only towards the end of August 16, the troops of the 1st Red Banner and 5th armies finally captured this well-fortified communications center. The successful actions of the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front created favorable conditions for an offensive in the Harbin-Girin direction.

The Pacific Fleet operated in close cooperation with the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front. In a change from the original plan, the capture of the most important ports on the Korean coast was entrusted to naval forces. On August 11, the port of Yuki was occupied by amphibious assault forces, on August 13 - Racine, and on August 16 - Seishin.

At the first stage of the Manchurian strategic offensive operation, the 2nd Far Eastern Front had the task of assisting the troops of the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts in the defeat of the Kwantung Army and the capture of Harbin. In cooperation with the ships and vessels of the Red Banner Amur Flotilla and the troops of the Khabarovsk Red Banner Border District, units and formations of the front captured the main large islands and several important bridgeheads on the right bank of the river. Amur. The enemy's Sungari military flotilla was locked, and the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front were able to successfully develop an offensive along the river. Songhua to Harbin.

Simultaneously with participation in the Manchurian strategic offensive operation, troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front launched an offensive operation in southern Sakhalin from August 11, actively cooperating with the northern Pacific military flotilla. The offensive on Sakhalin was carried out in extremely difficult conditions mountainous, forested and swampy terrain against a strong enemy, relying on a powerful and extensive system of defensive structures. The fighting on Sakhalin became fierce from the very beginning and continued until August 25.

On August 19, airborne assault forces were landed in the cities of Girin, Mukden and Changchun. At the airfield in Mukden, Soviet paratroopers captured a plane with the Emperor of Manchukuo Pu Yi and his entourage heading to Japan. Soviet airborne assault forces were also landed on August 23 in the cities of Port Arthur and Dairen (Dalniy).

The rapid advance of mobile formations of ground forces, combined with the airborne landings in Hamhung and Pyongyang on August 24 and the actions of the Pacific Fleet, led to the fact that by the end of August the entire territory of North Korea up to the 38th parallel was liberated.

On August 18, troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the fleet, launched the Kuril landing operation. The islands of the Kuril ridge were turned into a chain of impregnable natural fortresses, the central link of which was Shumshu Island. Bloody battles continued on this island for several days, and only on August 23 did the Japanese garrison capitulate. By August 30, all the islands of the northern and central parts of the Kuril ridge were occupied by Soviet troops.

On August 28, units of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and the Northern Pacific Flotilla began to capture the islands of the southern part of the Kuril Islands - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai. The Japanese border zones did not offer resistance, and by September 5, all the Kuril Islands were occupied by Soviet troops.

The power and surprise of Soviet attacks, the unpreparedness of the Kwantung Army for war and its doom predetermined the transience of the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945. Military actions were focal in nature and, as a rule, were insignificant in scale and intensity. The Japanese army did not fully demonstrate all its strengths. However, at the tactical level, in battles with Soviet troops, who had absolute superiority over the enemy, Japanese units were distinguished by fanatical adherence to orders and their military duty, a spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice, discipline and organization. Documents testify to numerous facts of fierce resistance by Japanese soldiers and small units even in hopeless situations. An example of this is tragic fate Japanese garrison of a strong point on the town of Ostray, Khutou fortified area. The Soviet command's ultimatum to surrender was categorically rejected, the Japanese fought to the end, with the courage of the doomed. After the fighting, the corpses of 500 Japanese soldiers and officers were discovered in the underground casemates, and next to them were the corpses of 160 women and children, family members of Japanese military personnel. Some of the women were armed with daggers, grenades and rifles. Fully devoted to the emperor and their military duty, they deliberately chose death, refusing surrender and captivity.

Contempt for death was demonstrated by 40 Japanese soldiers who, on one of the sections of the Trans-Baikal Front, launched a desperate counterattack against Soviet tanks, without having any anti-tank weapons.

At the same time, Japanese sabotage groups, suicide squads, lone fanatics, whose victims were Soviet military personnel, and above all commanders and political workers, were actively operating in the rear of the Soviet troops. Conducted by them Act of terrorism They were distinguished by extreme cruelty and sadism, accompanied by inhuman torture and abuse, and desecration of the bodies of the dead.

The role of the Soviet Union in liberation from Japanese enslavement was highly appreciated by the population of Manchuria and Korea, who sent messages to the Soviet military leaders Thanksgiving letters and congratulations.

By September 1, 1945, virtually all the tasks assigned by the Supreme Command Headquarters to the fronts and Pacific Fleet were completed.

On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender, which marked the end of the Soviet-Japanese War and the end of World War II. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, September 3 was declared “a day of national celebration - a holiday of victory over Japan.”

The defeat of the Kwantung Army by Soviet troops and the liberation of Northeast China decisively changed the balance in favor of the CPC forces, which on August 11 went on an offensive that lasted until October 10, 1945. During this time, before the approach of the Kuomintang troops, they straddled the main lines of communication, occupied a number of cities and vast rural areas in Northern China. By the end of the year, almost a quarter of China's territory with a population of about 150 million people came under the control of the CCP. Immediately after the surrender of Japan, a sharp political struggle broke out in China over the ways of further development of the country.

With the end of the war in the Far East, the problem arose of summing up its results, identifying and accounting for losses, trophies, and material damage.

According to the Sovinformburo report dated September 12, 1945, during the period from August 9 to September 9, Japanese casualties amounted to over 80 thousand soldiers and officers. In accordance with established national historiography In our opinion, during the Far Eastern campaign of the Soviet troops, the Japanese army lost 83.7 thousand people killed. However, this figure, like all the others, is very conditional. It is almost impossible to provide exact data on Japan's losses in the war against the USSR in August-September 1945 for a number of objective reasons. In Soviet combat and reporting documents of that time, Japanese losses were estimated; At present, it is impossible to categorize the losses of the Japanese army - killed in battle, killed accidentally (non-combat losses), died for various reasons, died from the influence of Soviet aviation and navy, missing, etc.; It is difficult to identify the exact percentage of Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, and Mongols among the dead. In addition, a strict accounting of combat losses was not established in the Japanese army itself; the bulk of Japanese combat documents were either destroyed during the surrender, or for one reason or another have not survived to this day.

It is also not possible to establish the exact number of Japanese prisoners of war taken by Soviet troops in the Far East. Documents available in the archives of the Main Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR for Prisoners of War and Internees show that (according to various sources) from 608,360 to 643,501 people were registered. Of these, 64,888 people were released directly from the fronts in accordance with the order of the General Staff of the Space Forces on the release of all prisoners of war of non-Japanese nationality, as well as sick, wounded and long-term disabled Japanese. 15,986 people died in front-line prisoner of war concentration points. 12,318 Japanese prisoners of war were handed over to the authorities of the Mongolian People's Republic, some were sent to work for the rear needs of the fronts, and were registered erroneously (teenagers, disabled people, colonists, etc.); a number were transferred to Smersh, escaped or were killed while escaping. The total number of Japanese prisoners who left the register before being transported to the USSR ranges (according to various sources) from 83,561 to 105,675 people.

The victory of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Far East in September 1945 came at the cost of the lives of many thousands of Soviet military personnel. The total losses of Soviet troops, including medical ones, amounted to 36,456 people. The formations of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army lost 197 people, of which 72 people were irrevocably lost.
Victor Gavrilov, military historian, candidate of psychological sciences

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 state border Mongolian People's Republic and Manchukuo at a distance of up to 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, which brings 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 free 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 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.

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 the instructions of 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 party acted according to the combat mission: they occupied a shipyard, a dry dock (a structure where ships are repaired), warehouses. 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 take advantageous positions. strategic point line of sight Soviet soldiers opened machine-gun fire in the air, and the Americans stopped the landing.

As expected, by the time American ships We 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 the city of 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.

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.

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, it should be prepared to move on its own. 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.

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, on the Shandong Peninsula, 200 kilometers from Dalny, an American military base. 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, to 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 Spiridonov S.L., chief of staff Colonel Antonov, as well as fighter aviation, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft searchlight, radio engineering and logistics units formed from the troops of the Moscow Military District.

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 battalions Maintenance(ATO) one was relocated 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 violation wired communication. 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 to protect industrial centers this area from American bomber raids. The Soviet Union accepted necessary measures to build up its armed forces in the Far East, 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). Total There were 4,293 specialists (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 for a year and nine months in North Korea, says: “I was a Chinese volunteer and wore a Chinese army uniform. 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 struggle 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 expand the conduct of terrorist actions against the 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 involving 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 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 the Jianwan and Dachan airfields), and airborne mission posts (at the points of 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 loss

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 were buried in cemeteries on the Liaodong Peninsula from 1950 to 1953 (the cities of Lushun, Dalian and Jinzhou), 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.