Yes, in 1944 – 1945 years almost all of its compounds loss to fight with the Americans. They were replaced by newly-formed – ill-equipped and poorly put together ersatz. By August 1945, the four divisions of the Kwantung army fighting capacity was 60 – 80 % of normal, another 4 – 35 %, and 14 divisions and 8 teams – only a 15 – 20 %1.
But the Soviet command knew how he was brought up by Japanese soldiers.
“Death is lighter than fluff, duty heavier than a mountain.” “In all circumstances kill the enemy”!
And knew that singing in the Kwantung army:
Brave, get up, rise up,
spring came, be more cheerful,
Own Port Arthur and Harbin
And at the top of the Urals
Put the flag of the Rising Sun2.
Even in captivity, “a small, neatly dressed, they stood with dignity, looking at the evil of our soldiers. When one of our soldier through an interpreter asked him a question to the Japanese, one of them without hesitation said that they would not answer the soldier, who the cap askew and the belt somewhere on the side, and say evil, expressing their anger with facial expressions and gestures” (a former fighter-the artilleryman George Pasternak)3.
These disciplined soldiers were to fight to the last.
the Main idea of the plan Manchurian operation suggested geography: on three sides of Manchuria were surrounded by Soviet territory and a Union of Mongolia. If Transbaikal front hit from Mongolia to the East, and the 1st far Eastern Primorsky region to the West, the main force of the Kwantung army will be surrounded in Northern Manchuria. To facilitate the defeat of their needs to be more cut – beats the 36th army of the Transbaikal and the 2nd far Eastern front from the Amur region.
to the aid of the armies stationed in the far East, – narodivsya at the third rate promosnashhenie keeping helmets times Hassan and Halkin-Gol and tanks 30 years – arrived troops, who defeated Germany: “weary, scorched by winds and gunpowder battles with the Nazis, angry, in faded tunics fighters” (former assistant chief of the political Department of the brigade Dmitry Galkin)4.
“When we drove across the Volga, we realized that we were going to war with Japan. And the people at the stations we were told – little children, you are going to Japan to fight. And we gave them our trophies. Remember, hungry children kept asking: “Uncles, and our folders is not among you? He also fought with the Germans”” (former commander of the rifle battalion Mr Spindler)5.
Pogranichniki and Halon Arshansky fortified areas the Japanese have their sights transferred from East Prussia “experts in fortifications” – respectively the 5th and 39th army (General-Colonel Nikolay Krylov and Ivan Ludnikov).
In Mongolia – step through the steppe and the mountains – arrived from the Czech Republic 6-�� guards tank and 53rd army (Colonel-General of tank troops Andrei Kravchenko and Colonel-General Ivan Managarov). Passed through the Southern Carpathians, Western Romanian mountains, the Hungarian steppe, Pashto, mountains Bakony and the Vienna Woods.
Command of the Transbaikal front has arrived, “Colonel General Morozov”, and the 1st far Eastern – “General-Colonel Maximov”.
I mean the Marshals of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky and Kirill Meretskov. The Japanese had been wary, knowing that in Mongolia came the commander with experience of occurrence in the steppes and the mountains (in the Northern black sea, the Pushta and the Carpathians), and in the far East with experience of fighting in forests and swamps (in Privolnoye and Karelia Republic).
…In the night of 9 August 1945 the Red army crossed the Manchurian border.
the Scouts of the 36th army, sailed on lend-lease amphibians “Dzhi-Em-si” border Argun, grenades and destroyed Japanese outposts. Forward to Hailar!
the 6th guards tank, the 39th and the 53rd armies, before entering into contact with the enemy, it was necessary to overcome from 50 to 250 kilometers of desert – crossing in the West to the Gobi desert and the Great Hinggan mountain range.
“the Sun at close range, heavy heat. Armor by noon – naturally heated frying pan, and dust. Enough to say that “dust” – it is flowed through the armor like water, streams, and was not of escape. Not helped by goggles. […] On the third day in the company of three tanks in the towers creeping crack from the top of the hatch to the turret…” (a former commander of a tank company Viktor Elizarov)6.
a Thin layer of soil can withstand no more than two running one after the other T-34-85 or lend-lease M4A2 (Sherman). The third has already dived in the shallow quicksand and get stuck. Was, therefore, not column, and in the expanded ranks – as if in attack.
“Open the filler caps of the radiators – fountains of boiling water” (former tank battalion commander Dmitry Loza)7.
“There is nothing I want all day, and thirsty every second. In the nose, mouth, larynx and throat all dry and stings. The sand not only in the boots, the tunic, but the hair, ears, the whole body, it squeaks on the teeth, hurts the eyes” (former commander of an artillery division Petr Mikhin)8.
But the daily amount of water in the division Mikhina (52nd infantry) – 0.7 liters. A team Elizarova (21st guards tank) – 0,59.
Moistened with water caps – pressing them at the same time in the same precious canister.
the Head of the artillery horses were covered with white towels.
And Khingan – another attack: torrential rains! “At times it seemed that the battalion was in the stone hell: overhead heavy clouds, rained on us every minute to hundreds of litres of water; the air saturated by exhaust gases, it was hard to breathe” (Dmitry Loza)10. “Once I was washed out of the tent” (former fighter-infantryman Yuri Evstigneev)11.
And – narrow trails instead of roads. Tanks are crawling with roll. How to hold a 76-mm gun ZIS-3? The trail abruptly bent, but only at the cannon length is six meters, and the front and three fly ash (pair) horses – a train!
“…had somewhere to wiregate horses, on hand to roll the gun, skidding over the precipice trunks and a bed, keep their shoulders by ropes, fastened to driven into the rock hooks. Pulled up and car. And the road had to expand and steep ledge chopping. […] Torments and fears have suffered enough!” (Petr Mikhin)12.
have Suffered and descent techniques with passes. On ropes attached to a “dead anchors” from the two coupled tanks, insuring the soldier’s hands.
In the band of the 1st far Eastern front rain storm rushed in the night of 9 August and really helped the attackers.
After all, the way to Manchuria from Vladivostok was blocked by not only the wooded Eastern-Manchurian mountains. Fortified areas of the enemy was located here more than in the band TRANS-Baikal front, and closer to the border.
But the rain blinded the garrisons of pillboxes. And enabled the 5th army to pass between the nodes of resistance Ogranichennogo fortified.
And it was “the rock, bristling with guns and casemates. The road wound between hills, the only thing on the sides sticking up a terrible hill – Officer and a Camel, and take them was impossible, could only cover fire, and another “thirty” you were driving your belly into the breach and covered the army, which slipped along the serpentine” (former the translator of the Department of counterespionage “SMERSH” of the 1st far Eastern front, writer, poet and bard Mikhail Ancharov)13.
similarly, under the noise of the shower instead of the artillery barrage broke into Guninski fortified 25th army (Colonel-General Ivan Chistyakov). “Our attack was absolutely unexpected for the Japanese, we took them by surprise, they never even had to call in reinforcements,” (former commander of the platoon firing Vladimir Apanasevich)14.
Remaining in the rear bunkers then blocked and blew up the bomb squad or suppressed the self-propelled gun ISU-152, Il-2 and bombers Il-4. “The surrounding mountains were in clouds of black smoke. […] Our aircraft literally hung over these mountains and bombed fortified” (former radio operator Viktor Kosolapov)15.
And the main forces of the 1st red banner army (Colonel-General Afanasy Beloborodov) passed between the fortified.
Through the mountains and virgin forest, on the road.
Ahead, on seven routes, was an engineering investigation.
“…pitch Dark, pouring rain, steep slippery slopes interspersed with wetlands, around littered with fallen trees and twisted vines of the forest, landmarks, natural, no, except for magnetized compass needle. […] And engineers in complete darkness, GDe and ahead you will see only in a flash of lightning, are in a swamp, get stuck in it, get out there, and so it is repeated many times, until you find a suitable Ford or workaround and Sadasiva large trees, will mark a half or two miles of the future column-path” (former commander of the army Afanasiy Beloborodov)16.
followed battalion and the tanks T-34-85 and T-26 felled trees; soldiers of all arms and services took away the guns in hand, was laid in swampy areas Gati log – out, “patrol road”.
an hour passed well if 500 – 700 metres.
Bypassed fortified and the main force of 35th army (Lieutenant-General Nikanor Savateev). Through rains flooded the lowlands, sometimes waist-deep, breast-deep in the water.
the Troops of the 2nd far Eastern front (army General Maksim Purkayev) invaded Manchuria North of the Amur.
Across the Amur river, most of them ferried the red banner Amur military flotilla (rear Admiral Neon Antonov). Her ships entered the Songhua river and moved to the forefront of the 15th army (the General-the Lieutenant Stepan Mamonov) advancing along the river in Harbin.
for all those August rains brought by the monsoon from the Pacific ocean – Songhua river “overflowed its banks and flooded for many miles, so much so that the main fairway to recognize it was impossible. […] All along the Songhua river floated thousands of logs, which at any moment could damage not only the propellers, but the hull of ships” (former commander of the armored Victor Doroshenko)17.
“the Main enemy emplacements spotted in their direction deployed turret. […] “Ship on the combat course. The samurai fire!” the (former commander of the monitor Victor corner)18.
Hit from 120-mm, 130-mm and 152-mm guns of the famous the Amur monitors – “Lenin”, “sun-Yat-sen”, “Sverdlov”, “Red East” and “far East Komsomolets”. In October 1929, during the conflict on the Chinese Eastern railway defeated on the same Sungari flotilla Manchurian dictator Zhang Susana.
And, with the help of Amurzet fell Fuginski fortified. Forward, in Harbin.
Purkaeva Troops began to advance and on southern Sakhalin.
the Suddenness and swiftness of the Soviet attacks did not allow the commander of the Kwantung army, General of the army of Otozo Yamada – whose forces were scattered over a huge area to block the path by striking the Transbaikal front. Halon Arshansky fortified and troops retreating from him, distracted only part of the forces of the 39th army and the 6th guards tank resistance never met.
But the 36-th army (the General-Lieutenant Alexander Luchinsky) from 10-18 August was heavy fighting for Hailar fortified. “Five o’clock in the evening a battalion of samurai suicide bombers- with swords�� bald, unbuttoned tunics with the sleeves rolled up – with cries of “Banzai!” rushed to the psychic attack. […] Wounded samurai did harakiri, but the prisoner did not give up” (former artillery intelligence officer Dasha of Irincheev)19.
And the shock group of the 1st far Eastern front (1st red banner and 5th armies) the enemy was able to hold under the city of Mudanjiang.
“Beats the Japanese artillery, has our attacking from the air nine stormtroopers – “sludge,” are burning on the hillsides crops. […] Hot in the literal sense and figurative. Rumble such that the ears. I don’t even hear the whistle, flying to the ground, Japanese mines” (Afanasy Beloborodov)20.
the Outskirts of Mudanjiang was full of bombers. Stoically wait – in the trenches-the cell in the ditch beside the road, over the hill – for a moment, to pull on the rope under the tracks of the tank is a box of mine or slip mine on bamboo pole. And “under the station Madoshi we counted up to two hundred bombers, which, with cords bags with tol and hand grenades, crawling across the field in a thicket of dense sorghum and threw themselves under our tanks” (former front commander Kirill Meretskov)21.
August 13, was rushed to Mudanjiang parts Beloborodova even had to leave the city! He fell only 16-th.
But Panzer army Kravchenko already the 11th came down from the Great Khingan, on the Central Manchurian plain – out in the rear of the main force of the Kwantung army.
it Became clear that to take them to South Manchuria and to create a solid front of defense will not succeed. Moreover, 25 army part of the forces came to Korea – cutting Yamada from his rear.
And on August 14, Emperor Hirohito agreed to Japan’s surrender. However, the order to surrender the Kwantung army had not received.
And the 6th guards tank moved South to Mukden and Port Arthur.
she had run out of fuel it was – but he was taken by air. “Douglas” (Li-2 and C-47) landed and took off directly from the fields.
the city of Tongliao rains flooded the entire area – but the tanks moved along the railway embankment: T-34-85 – the sleepers, and M4A2(76)W HVSS with their wider tracks – one tracks on the ties and the other on gravel, careening. Much shaken, he started to take the suspension – but it was more than 200 kilometers, until the Mukden.
the Column was attacked by the pilots of the kamikaze. But they had no bombs and was running out of petrol and crashing into a 32-ton T-34-85 or 33.6-ton M4A2 without an explosion, a single-engine plane he had not even stopped.
on 17 August Yamada gave the order to surrender.
And the 18 – 19th on the ground in Harbin, Changchun, Kirin and Mukden landed Soviet “Douglas”. Landed their troops occupied the most important cities in Manchuria and accepted the surrender of the garrisons.
“Short and unusually frequent, as in an accelerated movie, not steps, and stepmi”, “building, they came and threw their arms, thus forming whole mountains” (former aircraft mechanic Viktor Shumikhin and borteknik Vladimir Dudykin)22.
on August 22, the C-47 landed troops in Port Arthur, and the 24th in this city, memorable for the Russo-Japanese war 1904 – 1905 years, have entered the tanks Kravchenko.
“Our women doctors have made a huge wreath of flowers; it was placed on the tank and then laid on the graves […] Russian soldiers in the cemetery of the town” (Viktor Elizarov)23.
Ahead stretched the Yellow sea. “On the shore we left the tank as a monument” (former miner Stepan Fedotov)24.
* * *
the Fighting, however, went on, and after August 18. The garrison of the island of Shumshu (the northernmost of the Kuril Islands) ceased resistance only on 22 August, on the southern Sakhalin, the Japanese surrendered only the 25th, in the district of Wanyama in front of the 39th army – 30th. Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Shkolnik finished refused to surrender to the Japanese more and on 31 August, “on the hill of Manchuria, West of the city of Mukden”25, and Lieutenant Vladimir Apanasevich and met the Victory Day in Gunninson fortified area, in the battle for the bunker, which has not been surrendered since August 9.
A Victory Day over Japan the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR appointed on 3 September. It was then announced that September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, was signed the capitulation of Japan.
1 577 725 soldiers and officers;
26 137 of guns and mortars;
5556 tanks and self – propelled artillery;
3446 aircraft.
16 000 soldiers and officers.
(the troops of Japan and its dependent States of Manchukuo in Manchuria and Menssana in Inner Mongolia)
About 881 000 soldiers and officers;
5360 of guns and mortars;
1155 tanks
to 1800 aircraft.
12 031 dead and missing
24 425 wounded and the sick.
Troops of the Mongolian people’s Republic
72 dead and missing
125 wounded and the sick.
83 737 killed
640 100 prisoners (including 609 400 Japanese).
1. See: Sokolov B. V. Marshal Malinovsky. M., 2016. P. 581-583.
2. Rsma. F. 62. Op. 3. D. 31. L. 21, 26.
3. Pasternak G. N. “On the Manchurian hills” (from the soldier’s memories) // “We were going against the wind and destiny…” Memories, poems and letters of historians, Moscow state University – participants of the great Patriotic war. M., 2009. P. 212.
4. Galkin D. D. From Baltic to the Amur // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. Vol. 6. M., 2005. P. 47.
5. Soviet-Japanese war of 1937 – 1945. M., 2009. P. 378.
6. Yelizarov V. P. the Front-line routine // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. Vol. 2. M., 2003. P. 110.
7. Vine, D. F. the Tale of the tanks “Sherman”. ��IB., 2001. P. 40.
8. Mikhin P. A. “Gunners, Stalin gave the order!” M., 2006. S. 445.
9. Ibid. S. 442; Yelizarov V. P. The Decree. CIT. p. 109.
10. Vine, D. F. The Decree. CIT. p. 42.
11. Evstigneev, Yu. a. the Capture of the Emperor of Manchuria // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. Vol. 13. M., 2010. P. 131.
12. Mikhin P. A. Decree. CIT. P. 458.
13. Ancharov, M. L. This blue APR… // Moscow. 1967. N 5. P. 52.
14. Apanasevich V. I. At the end of the Second world… // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. T. 9. M., 2008. P. 21.
15. Soviet-Japanese war of 1937 – 1945. P. 349.
16. A. Beloborodov Breakthrough in Harbin. M., 1982. Pp. 93-94.
17. CIT. in: Soviet-Japanese war of 1937 – 1945. S. 371.
18. Ibid. P. 373.
19. Ibid. S. 359-360.
20. Beloborodov A. P. Decree. CIT. p. 141.
21. K. A. Meretskov, On the service of the people. M., 1983. P. 408.
22. Shumikhin V. S. check in staff personal documents and get the back // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. T. 14. M., 2011. S. 486-487; Dadykin V. M. Fly by night // ibid. Vol. 6. M., 2005. C. 111.
23. Yelizarov V. P. The Decree. CIT. p. 112.
24. Fedotov S. F. In may of ‘ 45 // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. Vol. 6. M., 2005. P. 361.
25. Student V. A. Fighter battalion Komsomol volunteers Proletarian district // From soldier to General. The memories of the war. Vol. 12. M., 2008. S. 599.
1
Winners.
2
Schema the Manchurian operation.
3
the Marshals of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov, Malinovsky, Vasilevsky (left to right) at the airport in Dairen (distant).
4
the Red army crossed the Manchurian border.
5, 6
the red army during the crossing the greater Khingan. August 1945.
7
Destroyers of the Pacific fleet go on a combat mission. August 1945.
8
the Medal “For victory over Japan”, established on 30 September 1945.
9
the sailors of the Pacific fleet Marines hoisting the flag over Port Arthur.
10
the Meeting at the headquarters of the 36th army on the occasion of the victory over Japan. On 3 September 1945.
11
Arrested a Japanese spy.
12
Port Arthur!
13
the Winners on the embankment of the Songhua river in Harbin.
14
the command of the Kwantung army discusses with representatives of the red army terms of surrender.
15
on 2 September 1945. The signing of the instrument of surrender of Japan aboard the battleship “Missouri”. From the Soviet Union the signature of Lieutenant General K. N. Derevyanko.
