Operation in Manchuria 1945. Defeat of the Kwantung Army. The Soviet Army is preparing for a liberation campaign

MANCHURAN OPERATION

Fulfilling the allied obligations undertaken to the United States and Great Britain, as well as in order to ensure the security of its Far Eastern borders, the USSR entered the war against Japan on the night of August 9, 1945, which was a logical continuation of the Great Patriotic War.

Despite the defeats from the allied Anglo-American troops, Japan continued to be a fairly powerful military force, still capable of resisting its opponents. The imperial army had a total of up to 6 million people, 10 thousand aircraft and 500 warships. With the defeat of Germany and its allies in Europe, the Japanese did not consider themselves defeated and prepared for protracted battles on the near approaches to their mother country. Their stubbornness caused an increase in the pessimistic assessments of the American command regarding the timing of the end of the war in the Pacific. It was believed, in particular, that it would not end before the end of 1946, and the losses of the allied troops during the landing on the Japanese islands would amount to more than 1 million people.

The most important element of the Japanese defense was the fortified areas of the Kwantung Army stationed in the territory of occupied Manchuria (Northeast China). On the one hand, this army served as a guarantee of the unhindered supply of Japan with strategic raw materials from China and Korea, and on the other hand, it performed the task of pulling Soviet forces out of the European theater of war, thereby helping the German Wehrmacht. Entrance of the campaign on the Soviet-German front in 1941-1945. The USSR was forced to keep huge forces on its Far Eastern borders - at different times from 32 to 59 settlement divisions, large aviation and artillery units with a total strength of up to 1 million people. There is no doubt that such a mass of troops (if they were transferred to the west) could significantly hasten the defeat of Germany and reduce Soviet losses in the war.

Japan has been a longtime adversary of Russia. In the war of 1904–1905 The Russians were defeated by the Japanese army and navy. Peace conditions were extremely difficult: Russia lost the territory of South Sakhalin, ports on the coast Pacific Ocean- Port Arthur and Dairen. The situation was difficult for Far East and in the 30s. The Japanese imperial government sought to close all outlets to the open ocean for the Soviet Union. After seizing the northeastern Chinese provinces, it embarked on the path of direct military provocations on the Soviet-Chinese and Mongolian-Chinese borders. Despite the fact that all sorties of Japanese militarists in the area of Lake. Hasan (1938) and b. Khalkhin-Gol (1939) were repulsed with heavy losses for them, the command of the imperial army did not leave hopes of taking revenge in the future and tearing it away from the USSR under convenient occasion Far East and Transbaikalia.

In 1941, the main vector of Japanese aggression was turned to the south. Japan was in dire need of strategic raw materials and cheap labor force. In April 1941, the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact was concluded, which somewhat reduced the tension between Japan and the USSR, but did not guarantee the security of the Soviet borders for the next foreseeable period. It is also known that simultaneously with the preparation of a strike against the Anglo-American troops in the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese command was developing a plan of combat operations against the Red Army, code-named Kantokuen (Special Maneuvers of the Kwantung Army). During 1941-1943, this plan was constantly refined, taking into account the situation on the Soviet-German front.

Japan, remembering well the strength of the Soviet troops, did not dare to attack the USSR after the start of the Great Patriotic War. However, she repeatedly committed provocations at the borders, detained Soviet ships on the high seas, sank 8 of them. This made it difficult to supply the Soviet Union military equipment and equipment from the USA under Lend-Lease.

The USSR could not remain indifferent to the situation near its Far Eastern borders, especially since Japan was an ally of Nazi Germany in World War II. Until 1943, the Soviet government, for obvious reasons, did not give an official response to requests from the United States and Great Britain about the possibility of its future entry into the war against Japan. It was only at the Tehran Conference that Stalin agreed to start hostilities against Japanese troops after the end of the war in Europe. At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, he specified that this would take place two or three months after the surrender of Germany. The Soviet leadership also stated that the condition for the USSR to enter the war against Japan was the return of the territories of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, the preservation of the status quo of Outer Mongolia, and the lease of the former Russian military base in Port Arthur.

On April 5, the Soviet government denounced Soviet-Japanese treaty on neutrality of April 13, 1941. Two and a half months after the surrender of Germany, on July 26, 1945, the Potsdam Declaration was adopted - a de facto ultimatum to the Japanese government demanding its surrender. In the same place, in Potsdam, at the talks of allied military representatives, practical questions connected with the participation of the USSR in the war in the Far East were discussed in detail.

The Japanese command, for its part, believed that if the Red Army went on the offensive in Manchuria, the Kwantung Army would be able to hold out for at least a year. Japan possessed numerous occupying forces in the territory of Central and South China and, in the event of a protracted campaign, could transfer some of them to the north. The Chinese government troops under the command of Chiang Kai-shek, as well as the communist units of Mao Zedong, could not provide effective assistance to the Soviet offensive. The long-term war with Japan and the internal political struggle had a hard effect on the position of China. The forces of his resistance, despite the active support of the countries anti-Hitler coalition, were exhausted. In 1944, the Imperial Japanese Army carried out a number of successful offensive operations against the Kuomintang troops and gained control over important industrial facilities and transport routes in the southern provinces of China. Moreover, China was on the verge of a large-scale civil war. The Communists and the Kuomintang, despite statements of cooperation, increasingly came into conflict with each other and prepared for a decisive battle for political power in the country.

The forthcoming theater of military operations was very extensive and had difficult physical and geographical conditions. Forest in the north gave way to steppe and desert regions in the south. In the center of Manchuria, the Great Khingan ranges were located. The Japanese, in anticipation of hostilities, equipped this region in advance, created a powerful system defensive structures. By the beginning of the war, the enemy had 17 fortified areas here, 4.5 thousand pillboxes and bunkers, numerous airfields and landing sites. The Kwantung Army had a force of 1 million men, 1,200 tanks, 1,900 aircraft, and 6,600 guns.

To overcome such strong fortifications, not only courageous, but also experienced troops were needed. Therefore, by the beginning of the war in the Far East, the Soviet command had transferred here additional forces that had been released in the west after the victory over Nazi Germany. The bulk of the troops and equipment was redeployed in about three months (from May to July), including two front-line, 4 army and 15 corps directorates - up to 1 million soldiers and officers in total. A significant part of the tanks and artillery was transferred to their original positions immediately from the factories of the Urals and Siberia, which contributed to the fastest concentration of the strike group of troops. By the beginning of August, the total number of Red Army formations in the Far Eastern theater of operations reached 1.7 million people, 30 thousand guns and mortars, 5.2 thousand tanks, more than 5 thousand aircraft, 93 ships.

It should be noted that, perhaps, the main advantage of the Soviet troops over the Japanese in 1945 was not only their numerical superiority, but also the possession of rich and unique experience gained in battles with the German Wehrmacht in 1941–1945. Moral condition of the Red Army soldiers was high, and the Soviet commanders were determined to put their military experience into practice.

Back in July 1945, the High Command of the Soviet Forces in the Far East was formed, it was headed by Marshal Soviet Union A. Vasilevsky. To conduct an offensive against the Kwantung Army, three fronts were created: Transbaikal (commanded by Marshal R. Malinovsky), 1st Far Eastern (commanded by Marshal K. Meretskov) and 2nd Far Eastern (commanded by General of the Army M. Purkaev). The actions of the ground forces were supported by ships Pacific Fleet and the Amur military flotilla. In the zone of the Trans-Baikal Front, the troops of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army were introduced into the offensive. According to the plan of the General Staff and the High Command in the Far East, it was planned to deliver powerful strikes Soviet fronts in converging directions to the center of Manchuria, cutting the main enemy grouping, its subsequent encirclement and destruction. Then the offensive was to develop into southbound to the Liaodong Peninsula and North Korea. Separate operations were envisaged for the liberation of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. To speed up the surrender of the imperial army, it was also planned to carry out a landing on the island of Hokaido. However, this operation was subsequently decided to cancel.

Particular attention at the stage of preparation for the offensive was paid to the secrecy of the concentration of troops, to ensure the surprise of the first strike. The command of the Red Army confidently coped with this task. The Japanese, having information about the concentration of large Soviet forces on the border, could not get information about the time of their transition to the offensive. The initial blow came as a complete surprise to them.

Prepared for offensive operations against Japan and the command of the allied forces. However, his strategy had undergone significant changes by the beginning of August. Knowing that the Soviet troops were to begin their operation in Manchuria in the near future, US President G. Truman decided to drop two atomic bombs on the Japanese islands, which had unprecedented destructive power. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9) ushered in the nuclear age to the world. The fatal decision that claimed the lives of 300,000 Japanese was taken by the American leadership primarily in order to show the whole world (and, above all, the USSR) its power and military-technical superiority at the final stage of the war. As for Japan, despite the atomic bombings, she continued the war. All the attention of the imperial government in those days was focused on the actions of the Soviet Union.

On August 8 in Moscow, the Soviet government handed over to the Japanese ambassador a statement stating that in connection with Japan's refusal to stop hostilities against the USA, Great Britain and China, the Soviet Union considers itself in a state of war with Japan from August 9, 1945. On that day, the offensive of the Red Army in Manchuria began in all directions almost simultaneously. The roads, soaked from many days of heavy rains, could not prevent the Soviet attack; crossing the Amur was also successful. The first strikes were sudden and overwhelming for the Japanese, who were unable to offer effective resistance to the Soviet troops.

The advance of the Soviet troops was carried out at a high pace. The troops of the Trans-Baikal Front were advancing especially rapidly. Already on August 12, the connections of the 6th guards army overcame the Great Khingan and rushed to the key centers of Manchuria - Changchun and Mukden. The strike units of the 1st Far Eastern Front were advancing towards the Trans-Baikal Front. The average daily rate of advance of the Soviet forces ranged from 30 to 82 km.

During the offensive, the ground forces closely cooperated with the Pacific Fleet and aviation. With their help, a number of landing operations were successfully carried out in the ports of North Korea - Yuki, Rasin and Seishin and others. Particularly fierce and bloody battles unfolded for the port of Seishin, a naval base of the Japanese fleet fortified from the sea and equipped in terms of engineering. The first wave of Soviet paratroopers (about 200 people) was able to capture only a small foothold on the coast. The Japanese launched a powerful counterattack, which almost succeeded. Only the courage of the Soviet marines saved the situation. The fighting continued here for several more days. But in the end, Seishin was released. The Japanese command failed to evacuate any significant contingents of troops to the territory of the metropolis.

The American Expeditionary Force began landing in South Korea when the position of Japanese troops in the region became hopeless. On August 18, a decision was made to delimit the zone of responsibility of the armed forces of the USSR and the USA in Korea along the 38th parallel.

The high rate of advance of the Soviet and Mongolian troops in the central part of Manchuria put the Japanese command in a hopeless situation. The resistance of the Kwantung Army was disorganized. Many of its units were surrounded and lost their combat capability. In this critical situation, the Japanese government on August 14 decided to surrender on the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and notified the governments of the USA, the USSR and England about this. However, as shown further developments, the practical actions of the command of the Kwantung Army contradicted the statement of the Japanese political leadership. The imperial army, having ceased resistance against the Anglo-American troops, continued to fight against the formations of the Red Army. In this regard, the General Staff was forced to come up with a special explanation, which emphasized that the Soviet troops would continue the offensive until the Japanese forces opposing them laid down their arms.

The offensive of the Red Army developed rapidly, and by August 20 the defeat of the Kwantung Army was almost complete. A mass surrender of Japanese troops began. It is worth noting that great importance in the quickest capture of the most important strategic points in China, Soviet airborne assaults in such economic centers as Harbin, Changchun, Mukden, as well as in seaports on the Pacific coast - Dairen and Port Arthur.

In connection with the success in Manchuria, the 2nd Far Eastern Front part of its forces went over to the offensive on Sakhalin. South Sakhalin operation carried out formations of the 56th Corps of the 16th Army in cooperation with the Pacific Fleet. Particularly strong fighting unfolded during the breakthrough of the fortified line in the Konton area, where units of the Japanese 88th Infantry Division were defending. Soviet fighters had to storm numerous reinforced concrete structures of the enemy. The heavy battle lasted three days. After breaking through the Konton line, units of the 56th Corps moved further south. By noon on August 25, the Japanese armed forces in South Sakhalin had ceased organized resistance and capitulated.

The final stage of the war against Japan was the Kuril landing operation, carried out by part of the forces of the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts and the Pacific Fleet. It began on the night of August 16-17 with a Soviet amphibious landing on Shumshu Island, the northernmost island of the Kuril chain. Here the Japanese had a powerful coastal defense system. All areas of a possible landing were targeted by artillery fire. The battle for Shumshu lasted several days and was bloody. The first wave of Soviet paratroopers was under cross fire and could not move forward. Additional reinforcements and organized fire on Japanese positions were needed. In that battle, both infantrymen and military sailors showed courage and heroism. Many ships of the Pacific Fleet, despite the holes, continued to support Soviet paratroopers with fire from their guns. Many wounded sailors remained at their post. The Japanese could not withstand the onslaught and retreated. Soon the garrison of Shumshu Island capitulated. Thus, the key point of defense of the Kuril ridge was lost, followed by the surrender of the garrisons of the remaining islands. In the period from August 18 to September 4, they were all cleared of the enemy; up to 50 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers surrendered.

The Soviet Union won a victory in the Far East in the shortest possible time. The most powerful grouping of the Japanese imperial army - the Kwantung Army - ceased to exist in just two weeks. By the end of August, the resistance of the Japanese on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands was broken. In total, the enemy lost over 700 thousand soldiers and officers, of which 84 thousand were killed and more than 640 thousand were captured. Soviet losses amounted to 36.5 thousand people, of which 12 thousand were killed and missing.

September 2, 1945 in Tokyo Bay on board the American battleship Missouri, the Japanese rulers in the presence of plenipotentiaries of the USSR, USA, China, Great Britain, France and others allied states Japan signed the Unconditional Surrender Act. Thus ended the Second World War, which lasted six long years.

From the book Rockets and People author Chertok Boris Evseevich

From the book Who installed Gorbachev? author Ostrovsky Alexander Vladimirovich

Operation RYAN The election of Yu. V. Andropov to the post of General Secretary coincided with a sharp aggravation of the international situation. , on

author Hattori Takushiro

3. Operation "I" From March 1943, the danger posed by enemy aircraft became more and more serious; the transport of our troops and war materiel to eastern New Guinea and to the central and northern parts of the Solomon Islands has faced

From the book Japan in the war 1941-1945. [with illustrations] author Hattori Takushiro

From the book Russo-Japanese War. At the beginning of all troubles. author Utkin Anatoly Ivanovich

The Second Manchurian Army Russian confidence in the ultimate triumph of Russian weapons persisted all these long months, despite all the initial defeats. Liaoyang made even the most stubborn ones hesitate. The shock of General Kropotkin's defeat (no matter how

From the book Under the Hat of Monomakh author Platonov Sergey Fyodorovich

Chapter Seven Peter's Military Talent. - The operation of the conquest of Ingria. - Grodno operation of 1706. 1708 and Poltava The idea of creating a coalition against the Turkish-Tatar world suffered a complete collapse in Europe. Peter cooled down to her. He brought other plans from the West.

From the book History of the Far East. East and Southeast Asia author Crofts Alfred

South Manchurian Railway Russian rolling stock was withdrawn before Kuropatkin's retreat in 1905. The Japanese replaced the five-foot (1.5 m) gauge tracks with their own narrow gauge and rushed by rail from the Korean border to Mukden. In accordance with

author Hattori Takushiro

3. The first operation at Akyab and the operation to destroy the remnants of the enemy in Northern Burma

From the book Japan in the war 1941-1945. author Hattori Takushiro

2. Beijing-Hankou operation - operation "Ko" The position of the parties before the start of the operation. The bridge across the river. The Huang He at Bawancheng on the Beijing-Hankou railway, once destroyed by enemy artillery, was restored by March 25. In the direction of Central China

From the book Japan in the war 1941-1945. author Hattori Takushiro

3. Hunan-Guilin operation - operation "To" The offensive on Hengyang, the plan for the management of hostilities. While the Beijing-Hankow operation was successfully developing, the Japanese continued to prepare the Hunan-Guilin operation. On the day of the capture of Luoyang, that is, May 25, the commander

From the book China. Country history author Kruger Rein

Chapter 25. The Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) After capturing Beijing in 1644 and executing the last prince of the Ming Dynasty in 1661, until 1683, when the last pockets of resistance were crushed, the Manchu Qing Dynasty sought to ensure stability

author Glazyrin Maxim Yurievich

Manchu autonomy 1922. The Manchurian dictator of the three eastern provinces of Liaoning - Mukden, Girin and Heilongjiang Zhang-Zo-Lin (1875-1928) announces the autonomy of Manchuria. From the "Old Marshal" 10,000 Russian Cossacks receive vast expanses of land along

From the book Russian explorers - the glory and pride of Rus' author Glazyrin Maxim Yurievich

Manchurian offensive operation 1945, August 9. Manchurian offensive. The defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army, the liberation of China and Korea. The operation is led by Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky.

From the book Russian explorers - the glory and pride of Rus' author Glazyrin Maxim Yurievich

Manchurian offensive operation 1945, August 9. Manchurian offensive. The purpose of the operation is the defeat of the Kwantung Army, which threatens the Russian borders, the liberation of China and Korea. Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky is in charge of the operation. “And the samurai flew to the ground.




	Manchuria
	The defeat of the Kwantung Army of Japan, the capture of Manchuria by Soviet troops
Opponents
	Japanese empire
Mongolia	Manchukuo

Commanders
Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky	Otozo Yamada
Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky	Dae Wang Demchigdonrow
Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov
Maxim Alekseevich Purkaev
Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev
Neon Vasilyevich Antonov
Khorlogiin Choibalsan
Side forces
St. 1.5 million people, St. 27,000 guns and mortars, St. 700 rocket launchers, 5,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, St. 3,700 aircraft, 416 ships	St. 1,400,000 people, 6,260 guns and mortars, 1,155 tanks, 1,900 aircraft, 25 ships

About 9,800 killed, 24,500 wounded and missing	About 84,000 killed, 800,000 wounded, missing and captured

Manchurian operation - a strategic offensive operation of the Soviet Armed Forces and the troops of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, carried out on August 9 - September 2, during the Soviet-Japanese War of World War II, with the aim of defeating the Japanese Kwantung Army, occupying Manchuria and North Korea and eliminating the military-economic base Japan on the Asian continent. Also known as battle for Manchuria, and in the West - as an operation "August Storm".

balance of power

Japan

By the beginning of the Manchurian operation, a large strategic grouping of Japanese, Manchurian and Mengjiang troops was concentrated on the territory of Manchukuo and North Korea. Its basis was the Kwantung Army (General Yamada), which included the 1st, 3rd and 17th (from August 10) fronts, the 4th separate army (a total of 31 infantry divisions, 11 infantry and 2 tank brigades, suicide brigade, separate units), 2nd and 5th (since August 10) air army, Sungari military river flotilla. The following troops were subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army: the Manchukuo Army (2 infantry and 2 cavalry divisions, 12 infantry brigades, 4 separate cavalry regiments), the Mengjiang army under the command of Prince Dewang (4 infantry divisions) and the Suiyuan Army Group (5 cavalry divisions and 2 cavalry brigades). In total, the enemy troops numbered over 1 million people, 6260 guns and mortars, 1155 tanks, 1900 aircraft, 25 ships. 1/3 of the troops of the enemy group was located in the border zone, the main forces - in the central regions of Manchukuo. There were 17 fortified regions near the borders with the Soviet Union and the MPR.

USSR

During May - early August, the Soviet command transferred to the Far East part of the troops and equipment released in the west (over 400 thousand people, 7137 guns and mortars, 2119 tanks and self-propelled guns, etc.). Together with the troops deployed in the Far East, the regrouped formations and units made up three fronts:

Transbaikal: 17th, 39th, 36th and 53rd armies, 6th Guards Tank Army, cavalry-mechanized group of Soviet-Mongolian troops, 12th air army, Transbaikal air defense army of the country; Marshal of the Soviet UnionR. Y. Malinovsky;
1st Far East: 35th, 1st Red Banner, 5th and 25th Armies, Chuguev Operational Group, 10th Mechanized Corps, 9th Air Army, Primorsky Air Defense Army of the country; Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov;
2nd Far East: 2nd Red Banner, 15th and 16th armies, 5th separate rifle corps, 10th air army, Amur air defense army of the country; Army General Maxim Alekseevich Purkaev.

In total: 131 divisions and 117 brigades, over 1.5 million people, over 27 thousand guns and mortars, over 700 rocket launchers, 5250 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 3.7 thousand aircraft.

The land border of the USSR was covered by 21 fortified areas. The forces of the Pacific Fleet were involved in the Manchurian operation (about 165 thousand people, 416 ships, including 2 cruisers, 1 leader, 12 destroyers, 78 submarines, 1382 combat aircraft, 2550 guns and mortars; Admiral I. S. Yumashev) , the Amur military flotilla (12.5 thousand people, 126 ships, 68 combat aircraft, 199 guns and mortars; Rear Admiral Neon Vasilievich Antonov), as well as the Border Troops of the Primorsky, Khabarovsk and Trans-Baikal border districts. The commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East was Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky, the commander-in-chief of the Mongolian troops was Marshal of the MPR Khorlogiyin Choibalsan. The actions of the Navy and Air Force forces were coordinated by Admiral of the Fleet Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov and Air Chief Marshal Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov.

Operation plan

The plan of the Soviet command provided for the infliction of two main (from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic and Primorye) and several auxiliary attacks on areas converging in the center of Manchuria, deep coverage of the main forces of the Kwantung Army, dissecting them and defeating them in parts, capturing the most important military-political centers - Fengtian, Xinjing, Harbin, Girin. The Manchurian operation was carried out on a front of 2700 km (active sector), to a depth of 200-800 km, in a complex theater of military operations with desert-steppe, mountainous, wooded-swampy, taiga terrain and large rivers. It included the Khingan-Mukden, Harbino-Girinsky and Sungari operations.

fighting

August 9 advanced and reconnaissance detachments of three Soviet fronts launched an offensive. At the same time, aviation launched massive attacks on military facilities in Harbin, Xinjing and Jilin, on troop concentration areas, communication centers and communications of the enemy in the border zone. The Pacific Fleet cut communications linking Korea and Manchuria with Japan and attacked Japanese naval bases in North Korea - Yuki, Rashin and Seishin. The troops of the Trans-Baikal Front, advancing from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic and Dauria, overcame the waterless steppes, the Gobi Desert and the mountain ranges of the Greater Khingan, defeated the Kalgan, Solun and Hailar enemy groups, reached the approaches to the most important industrial and administrative centers of Manchuria, cut off the Kwantung Army from the Japanese troops in North China and, having occupied Xinjing and Fengtian, advanced to Dairen and Ryojun. The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, advancing towards the Trans-Baikal Front from Primorye, broke through the enemy's border fortifications, repulsed strong Japanese counterattacks in the Mudanjiang area, occupied Jilin and Harbin (together with the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front), in cooperation with the landing forces of the Pacific Fleet seized the ports of Yuki, Rasin, Seishin and Genzan, and then occupied the northern part of Korea (to the north of the 38th parallel), cutting off Japanese troops from the mother country (see the Harbino-Girin operation of 1945). The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla, crossed the river. Amur and Ussuri broke through the enemy's long-term defenses in the Heihe and Fujin regions, overcame the Lesser Khingan mountain range, and, together with the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, captured Harbin (see the Sungaria operation of 1945). TO August 20 Soviet troops advanced into the depths of Northeast China from the west by 400-800 km, from the east and north by 200-300 km, reached the Manchurian Plain, dismembered the Japanese troops into a number of isolated groupings and completed their encirclement. WITH August 19 Japanese troops, to which by this time the decree of the Emperor of Japan on surrender, issued yet August 14, almost everywhere began to surrender. In order to speed up this process and prevent the enemy from taking out or destroying material assets, 18 to 27 August airborne assault forces were landed in Harbin, Fengtian, Xinjing, Jilin, Ryojun, Dairen, Heijo and other cities, and mobile forward detachments were also used.

Operation results

The successful conduct of the Manchurian operation made it possible to occupy South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in a relatively short time. The defeat of the Kwantung Army and the loss of the military-economic base in Northeast China and North Korea became one of the factors that deprived Japan of real strength and ability to continue the war, forced her to sign an act of surrender on September 2, 1945, which led to the end of World War II. war. For military distinctions, 220 formations and units received the honorary titles Khingan, Amur, Ussuri, Harbin, Mukden, Port Arthur, etc. 301 formations and units were awarded orders, 92 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union.

The Manchurian operation is an offensive operation of the Soviet Army and parts of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, carried out on August 9 - September 2, during the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945 with the aim of defeating the Japanese Kwantung Army, occupying Manchuria and North Korea, as well as eliminating the military-economic Japanese bases on the Asian continent.

The agreement on the entry of the Soviet Union into the war with Japan was adopted at the Crimean (Yalta) conference of the leaders of the three great powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain. In accordance with it, the Red Army was to begin military operations in the Far East two to three months after the surrender of Germany.

By the beginning of August 1945, Japanese troops in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Korea numbered more than 1 million people, 1215 tanks, 6640 guns and mortars, 1907 combat aircraft and 25 warships of the main classes. The strongest grouping - the Kwantung Army (General O. Yamada) - was located in Manchuria and North Korea. It united the 1st, 3rd and 17th fronts, the 4th separate army, the 2nd and 5th air armies, the Sungari military flotilla - a total of 31 infantry divisions (from 11-12 to 18-21 thousand people) , 9 infantry brigades (from 4.5 to 8 thousand people), one special forces brigade (suicide bombers), two tank brigades.

On the territory of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia near the borders with the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic(MPR) 17 fortified regions (UR) were built. The total number of permanent structures in them reached over 4500. Each SD, occupying a strip 50-100 km wide and up to 50 km deep, included from three to seven nodes of resistance. The idea of the commander of the Kwantung Army was to repulse the blows of Soviet troops and prevent their breakthrough into the central regions of Manchuria and Korea in the course of conducting defense in fortified border areas and at advantageous natural lines. In the event of an unfavorable development of events, a retreat was envisaged to the line of Changchun, Mukden, Jinzhou, and if it was impossible to gain a foothold on it, to Korea. According to the calculations of the Japanese General Staff, it would take the Red Army about six months to capture Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. After that, the Japanese armed forces, having carried out the necessary regroupings, were to go on the counteroffensive, transfer military operations to the territory of the USSR and achieve honorable peace conditions.

The presence of a powerful ground force of the Japanese Armed Forces on the Far Eastern borders of the Soviet Union forced the Stavka Supreme High Command to use significant forces and means here during the Great Patriotic War. During its various periods, they numbered more than 1 million soldiers and officers, from 8 to 16 thousand guns and mortars, over 2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, from 3 to 4 thousand combat aircraft and more than 100 warships of the main classes.

At the same time, given that the forces of the Primorsky Group of Forces, the Trans-Baikal and Far Eastern Fronts located in the Far East will not be enough to defeat the Kwantung Army, during May - early August 1945, control of two fronts, four armies were transferred to the areas of upcoming hostilities , fifteen rifle, artillery, tank and mechanized corps; 36 rifle, artillery and anti-aircraft artillery divisions; 53 brigades and 2 fortified areas; more than 403 thousand people, 7137 guns and mortars, 2119 tanks and self-propelled guns.

Due to the remoteness of the theater of operations from Moscow, the directive of the State Defense Committee of June 30 created the High Command of the Soviet troops in the Far East, which was headed by the Marshal of the Soviet Union. To coordinate the actions of the forces of the Navy and the Air Force, Admiral of the Fleet N.G. Kuznetsov and Air Chief Marshal. On August 5, according to the directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters, the 1st Far Eastern Front was deployed on the basis of the Primorsky Group of Forces, and the 2nd Far Eastern Front was deployed on the basis of the field administration of the Far Eastern Front. In total, the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts, together with the Mongolian formations, numbered more than 1.7 million people, about 30 thousand guns and mortars, over 5200 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 5 thousand combat aircraft (including aviation Pacific Fleet and Amur Military Flotilla). The Soviet Navy had 93 warships of the main classes in the Far East, including two cruisers and one leader.

The idea of the offensive operation was to use the forces of the Trans-Baikal (Marshal of the Soviet Union) and the 1st Far Eastern (Marshal of the Soviet Union) fronts to deliver the main blow on the directions converging on Changchun, to surround the Kwantung Army, in cooperation with the 2nd Far Eastern Front (General of the Army ) cut it into pieces and consistently destroy it in Northern and Central Manchuria.

On the Trans-Baikal Front (17th, 39th, 36th, 53rd, 6th Guards Tank, 12th Air Army, cavalry-mechanized group of Soviet-Mongolian troops), most of the 9 thousand guns and mortars were allocated for units and formations, who were to fight for the Khalun-Arshan, Chzhalainor-Manchurian and Hailar fortified areas. 70% of rifle divisions and up to 90% of tanks and artillery were concentrated in the direction of the main attack of the front. This made it possible to create superiority over the enemy: in infantry - by 1.7 times; guns - 4.5; mortars - 9.6; tanks and self-propelled guns -5.1; aircraft - 2.6 times.

The presence in the zone of the 1st Far Eastern Front (35th, 1st Red Banner, 5th, 25th, 9th Air Armies, 10th Mechanized Corps) of powerful defensive structures required the creation of a strong artillery group of more than 10, 6 thousand guns and mortars. On the 29-kilometer section of the front breakthrough, the ratio of forces and means was as follows: in people - 1.5: 1; guns - 4:1; tanks and self-propelled guns - 8:1. It was approximately the same in the breakthrough areas in the zone of the 2nd Far Eastern Front (2nd Red Banner, 15th, 16th, 10th air armies, 5th separate rifle corps, Kamchatka defensive region).

In preparation for the operation engineering troops built 1390 km and repaired about 5 thousand km of roads. On the Trans-Baikal Front, in order to supply troops with water, 1194 were equipped and 322 mine wells were repaired, 61 water supply points were deployed. To ensure stable and uninterrupted control, the command posts from the division to the army were as close as possible to the front line. The fronts had from 3 to 5 ammunition for all types of weapons, from 10 to 30 refueling of aviation gasoline, gasoline and diesel fuel, food supplies for six months.

Soviet troops enter the liberated Harbin. August 21, 1945

On August 9, at 0010 hours, advanced battalions and reconnaissance detachments of the 1st, 2nd Far Eastern and Trans-Baikal Fronts under unfavorable weather conditions(frequent and heavy rains) crossed the state border. The bombers attacked the enemy's military facilities in Harbin, Changchun and Girin, areas of concentration of his troops, communication centers and communications. At the same time, aircraft and torpedo boats of the Pacific Fleet (Admiral I.S. Yumashev) attacked Japanese naval bases in North Korea. At dawn, the strike groups of the fronts launched an offensive from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic and Transbaikalia in the Khingan-Mukden direction, from the Amur region in the Sungari direction, and from Primorye in the Harbino-Girinsky direction.

Attack of torpedo boats during the Manchurian operation. Artist G.A. Sotskov.

In the zone of the Trans-Baikal Front, the advanced detachments of the 6th Guards tank army(colonel general), advancing at an average pace of 120-150 km per day, on August 11 they captured the cities of Lubei and Tuquan. By the end of the next day, the main forces of the army reached the Central Manchurian Plain, having covered more than 450 km by that time. The offensive of the 39th (colonel general), 17th (lieutenant general) armies and the cavalry mechanized group of the colonel general also developed successfully. Their formations defeated the Japanese troops in the Khalun-Arshan fortified region, reached the approaches to the cities of Zhangbei and Kalgan, occupied Dolonnor and Dabanshan. The most stubborn battles unfolded in the band of the 36th Army, Lieutenant General A.A. Luchinsky for Chzhalaynor-Manchurian and Hailar UR. Widely using assault groups, by the end of August 10, its units broke the enemy’s resistance in the areas of the cities of Zhalainor and Manchuria, capturing more than 1,500 of his soldiers and officers. On the same day, units of a specially created mobile group of the army broke into the city of Hailar. fighting in the Hailar UR continued until August 17 and ended with the complete destruction of the enemy garrison. Over 3800 people surrendered.

Manchurian offensive. August 9 - September 2, 1945 Scheme.

In general, as a result of the rapid offensive of the Trans-Baikal Front, the enemy grouping, which occupied the border zone of fortifications, was completely defeated. The entry of its main forces into the Central Manchurian Plain, deep in the rear of the Japanese troops stationed in Northern Manchuria, frustrated all the plans of the command of the Kwantung Army and put it at risk of encirclement.

On the 1st Far Eastern Front, up to 30 advanced battalions of the 35th (Lieutenant General A.D. Zakhvataev), 1st Red Banner (Colonel General A.P. Beloborodov), 5th (Colonel General) and 25th th (colonel general) of the armies by 8 o'clock in the morning on August 9 deepened into the territory of Manchuria by 3-10 km and created the conditions for the main forces to go on the offensive. By the end of August 14, they had broken through the enemy's border fortified areas in all the most important directions, and on the move crossed the river. Mulinghe, started fighting on the outer contour of the city of Mudanjiang, inflicted heavy damage on the Japanese 5th Army and advanced 120-150 km. As a result, favorable conditions were created for the development of an offensive against Harbin and Jilin, Changchun. The troops of the left wing of the front reached the approaches to the cities of Wanqing and Tumen, captured the ports of Yuki and Rasin together with the landing force of the Pacific Fleet, depriving the Kwantung Army of communication with the mother country and cutting off its escape routes to Korea.

In the zone of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, the 15th Army of Lieutenant General S.K. Mamonova, by the end of August 10, completely cleared the right bank of the river from the enemy. Amur in the interfluve of the Sungari and Ussuri, later captured the Fujin fortified area and the city of Fujin. The 2nd Red Banner Army, Lieutenant General M.F., operating in the Sakhaly direction. Terekhin during August 12-14 destroyed the Japanese troops in most of the centers of resistance of the Sunyu UR. As a result, favorable conditions were created for the development of an offensive against Qiqihar and Harbin.

In the current situation, on August 14, the Japanese government made a statement accepting the terms of unconditional surrender, but there was no order for the troops to stop resistance. In this regard, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command sent Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky directive, in which he ordered to end hostilities only in those areas where the enemy laid down his arms and surrendered.

By August 15, the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front in all directions overcame the Greater Khingan ridge with the main forces and advanced towards Mukden, Changchun and Qiqikar. Fierce battles for the city of Mudanjiang continued in the zone of the 1st Far Eastern Front. On August 16, formations of the 1st Red Banner Army and the 65th Rifle Corps of the 5th Army, with a blow from the northeast and east, broke through the enemy's defenses and captured this important communications hub. At the same time, the 10th mechanized corps of the lieutenant general, in cooperation with units of the 25th army, liberated the city of Wangsin, and the 393rd rifle division, together with the landing force of the Pacific Fleet, captured the Seishin naval base. Significant success was achieved by the unification of the 2nd Far Eastern Front. The 2nd Red Banner Army defeated and forced to surrender the 20,000th enemy grouping in the Sunyu area, and the 15th Army and the Amur military flotilla (Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov) captured the port city of Jiamusi.

Thus, by August 17, it became obvious that the Kwantung Army had suffered a complete defeat. For nine days of hostilities, its group of up to 300 thousand people, located in the border zone, was defeated. Only the killed Japanese troops lost about 70 thousand people, some of the forces were surrounded in border fortifications, and the rest retreated deep into Manchuria and Korea. Beginning on August 18, individual units and subunits of the enemy, following the order of the commander of the Kwantung Army, began to surrender, but in many directions they continued to offer fierce resistance.

Soviet marines in Port Arthur. August 22, 1945

In the current situation, the Commander-in-Chief of the Far East demanded "to proceed to the actions of specially formed, fast-moving and well-equipped detachments, without fear of a sharp separation from their main forces." For capture major cities Manchuria and North Korea were ordered to use airborne assaults. In the period from August 18 to 24, they were landed in Changchun, Mukden, Harbin, Girin, Pyongyang, Far, Port Arthur. After the forward detachments detached from the armies, corps and divisions approached these cities, the disarmament of the Japanese troops began in them.

On August 19, the Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army, Lieutenant General Khata, was brought from Harbin with a group of senior and senior officers. Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky gave him an ultimatum containing detailed terms of surrender. They were transferred to Japanese formations and units. Despite this, individual groups of the enemy and the garrisons of his fortified areas did not stop hostilities for a long time. Only on August 22 was the liquidation of the Gaijia and Khutou centers of resistance completed. On August 27, the remnants of the Shimynjia resistance center surrendered, and only on August 30 did an 8,000-strong grouping in the Khodatun region lay down their arms.

The surrender of the Japanese army. Hood. P. F. Sudakov.

By the end of August, the Soviet troops had completely completed the disarmament and acceptance of the capitulated formations and units of the Kwantung Army, the Manchukuo Army, Prince De Wang's Inner Mongolia formations, the Suiyuan Army Group, and liberated the entire Northeast China (Manchuria), the Liaodong Peninsula, and also North Korea to the 38th parallel. August 29 Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky ordered the abolition of martial law on the Soviet territory of the Far East from September 1, and on September 3 he reported to I.V. Stalin about the end of the campaign. According to updated data, the enemy lost over 700 thousand people, including more than 640 thousand prisoners. 4300 guns and mortars (grenade launchers), 686 tanks were captured as trophies. The losses of the Soviet troops amounted to: irretrievable - 12,031, sanitary - 24,425 people.

The Manchurian offensive operation in its scope and results became one of the largest operations of the Second World War. It was carried out in a strip more than 4 thousand km wide and up to 800 km deep. It is characterized by: secrecy in the concentration and deployment of strike groups; a sudden transition to the offensive at night and a breakthrough of fortified areas without artillery and aviation preparation; allocation of maximum forces and means to the first echelon; skilful choice of the directions of the main attacks of the fronts for the simultaneous encirclement and dissection of the enemy's established forces; extensive use of advanced detachments and airborne assault forces to develop success in operational depth.

For courage, heroism and high military skill shown during the Manchurian operation, 93 people, including Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 301 formations and units were awarded orders, 220 formations and units received the honorary titles of Amur, Mukden, Port Arthur, Ussuri, Harbin and others.

Vladimir Daines,
Senior Research Fellow, Research
Institute of Military History of the Military Academy
General Staff of the RF Armed Forces,
Candidate of Historical Sciences

On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany capitulated. Fulfilling allied obligations, according to the agreement adopted at the Crimean (Yalta) conference by the leaders of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, the Red Army was to begin military operations in the Far East against Japan two to three months after the surrender of Germany. April 5, 1945 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov, on behalf of the Soviet government, made a statement to the Japanese ambassador in Moscow, N. Sato, about the denunciation of the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact.

The most important strategic tasks facing were the defeat of the Kwantung Army and the liberation of Manchuria and North Korea from the Japanese invaders, as well as the elimination of Japan's military-economic base on the Asian continent.

The area of the Far Eastern theater of operations, which covered Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and North Korea, exceeded 1.5 million square meters. km. The length of the state border of the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic with Manchukuo and Korea, which was the frontier for the deployment of Soviet troops, was more than 5 thousand km, which far exceeded the length of all European fronts (Soviet-German, Western and Italian) at the beginning of 1945. In general, the Far Eastern theater of military operations was extremely diverse and difficult for the advancing troops, who, as a rule, had to operate in isolated directions, in unusual natural and climatic conditions.

By the summer of 1945, 17 fortified regions (UR) were built on the territory of Manchuria and Inner Mongolia near the borders with the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR). The total length of long-term structures, the number of which reached over 4500, was about 800 km. The fortified area occupied 50-100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth. It consisted of three to seven nodes of resistance, including three to six strongholds. Knots of resistance and strong points were equipped, as a rule, at dominant heights and had cross-fire communication. Their flanks usually rested on hard-to-reach mountain-wooded or wooded-marshy terrain.

By the beginning of August 1945, Japanese troops in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Korea numbered more than 1 million people, 1215 tanks, 6640 guns and mortars, 1907 combat aircraft and 25 warships of the main classes. The strongest grouping - the Kwantung Army (commander - General of the Army O. Yamada) - was located in Manchuria and North Korea near the borders of the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic. It united the 1st (General S. Kita), 3rd (General D. Usiroku) and 17th (General I. Kozuki) fronts, 4th (General U. Mikio) and 34th separate armies (General K. Saniti), the 2nd and 5th air armies, the Sungari military flotilla - a total of 31 infantry divisions (from 11-12 to 18-21 thousand people), 9 infantry brigades (from 4.5 to 8 thousand people ), one special forces brigade (suicide bombers), two tank brigades.

The Sungari military river flotilla consisted of detachments of ships, three regiments marines with landing craft (approximately 50 landing motorboats and 60 landing motor boats)

The aviation grouping of Japanese troops in Manchuria and Korea included the 2nd and 5th air armies, which numbered up to 2 thousand aircraft (600 bombers, 1200 fighters, more than 100 reconnaissance aircraft and up to 100 auxiliary aircraft).

The troops of the puppet state of Manchukuo and the Japanese protege in Inner Mongolia, Prince De Wang, were subordinate to the command of the Kwantung Army. During the hostilities, it was supposed to use gendarmerie, police, railway and other formations, as well as armed detachments of reservists-migrants.

The idea of the commander of the Kwantung Army was to repulse the blows of Soviet troops and prevent their breakthrough into the central regions of Manchuria and Korea in the course of conducting defense in fortified border areas and at advantageous natural lines. In the event of an unfavorable development of events, a retreat was envisaged to the line of Changchun, Mukden, Jinzhou, and if it was impossible to gain a foothold on it, to Korea. According to the calculations of the Japanese General Staff, it would take the Red Army about six months to capture Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. After that, the Japanese armed forces, having carried out the necessary regroupings, were to go on the counteroffensive, transfer military operations to the territory of the USSR and achieve honorable peace conditions.

The decisive military-political and military-strategic goals of the Manchurian strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops determined its general plan, which was to use the troops of the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts to carry out a swift invasion of Manchuria along the converging in the center of its areas, while delivering the main blows from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) to the east and from the Soviet Primorye to the west, cut the main grouping of the Kwantung Army, surround and sequentially destroy it in parts, seize the most important administrative and military-industrial centers of Shenyang (Mukden ), Changchun, Harbin, Jilin (Jimin).

For these purposes, by August 9, 1945, 11 combined arms, tank and 3 air armies, 3 air defense armies of the country's territory, a fleet and a flotilla were deployed in the Far East against the Japanese armed forces. They included directorates of 33 corps, 131 divisions and 117 brigades of the main branches of service. The land border of the USSR was covered by 21 fortified areas. The total strength of the Soviet Far Eastern grouping and its weapons are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 - The number of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the Soviet group of forces in the Far East at the beginning of the war against Japan

Forces and means	Ground troops			air force	Air Defense Forces of the country	Navy	Total
Forces and means	Zab. front	1st DVF	2nd Far Eastern Fleet	air force	Air Defense Forces of the country	Navy	Total
Personnel	582 516	531 005	264 232	113 612	78 705	177 395	1 747 465
Rifles and carbines	283 608	294 826	158 451	53 225	50 560	144 130	984 800
Submachine guns	117 447	120 291	54197	2 953	3 045	18 513	316 476
Machine guns and light machine guns	19 603	25 789	12 564	985	191	8 812	67 944
Guns and mortars	8 980	10 619	4 781	71	2 635	2 749	29 835
Tanks and self-propelled guns	2 359	1 974	917				5 250
combat aircraft				3 501	220	1 450	5 171
Warships of the main classes						93	93

The leading role in the implementation of the plan of the operation was assigned to the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts, which were to strike to Harbin and thereby contribute to the dissection of the enemy grouping and its destruction in parts.

In accordance with the concept of the operation, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, by directives of June 28, 1945, set the following tasks for the fronts and fleet (Scheme 1).

Trans-Baikal Front to deliver the main blow with the forces of three combined arms and one tank armies bypassing the Khalun-Arshan fortified region (UR) from the south in the general direction to Changchun, having

the immediate task is "to defeat the opposing enemy, cross the Greater Khingan and, by the 15th day of the operation, reach the front of Dabanshan (Balinyuqi), Lubei, Solun with the main forces." The 6th Guards Tank Army was ordered to overcome the Bolshoi Khingan Range by the 10th day of the operation, to secure the passes "until the main infantry forces approached"; in the future, withdraw the main forces of the front to the Chifeng, Mukden, Changchun, Zhalantun (Butehatsi) line.

The actions of the troops in the main direction were to be ensured by two auxiliary strikes: on the right wing of the front by the forces of the KMG, and on the left - by the 36th Army.

The 1st Far Eastern Front was tasked with the forces of two combined arms armies, a mechanized corps and a cavalry division, to break through the defenses north of Grodekovo and "... advance in the general direction on Mulin, Mudanjiang", having the immediate task of reaching the line of Bol, Mudanjiang by the 15-18th day of the operation , Wanqing. In the future, act in the direction of Harbin, Changchun, Ranan (Nanam). In the direction of the main attack, attract the bulk of the RGK artillery, tanks and aircraft.

In order to ensure the right wing of the front, it was ordered to deliver an auxiliary strike by the forces of the 35th Army from the Lesozavodsk region in the general direction to Mishan, and the left wing - part of the forces of the 25th Army from the Kraskino and Slavyanka regions in the direction of Hunchun, Antu, having the task "in the future seize the ports of North Korea - Ranan, Seishin, Rasin.

The withdrawal of the troops of the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts to the Changchun, Jilin (Jimin) region encircled the main forces of the Kwantung Army in the central regions of Manchuria. In the future, the troops of these fronts had to drastically change the direction of operations, and develop a swift offensive on the Liaodong Peninsula and within North Korea in order to complete the defeat of the enemy troops.

The Headquarters assigned the 2nd Far Eastern Front the task of advancing in the general direction towards Harbin to assist the troops of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts in defeating the Kwantung Army. To do this, the forces of the 15th Army, in cooperation with the Red Banner Amur Flotilla, operationally subordinate to the commander of the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, strike, having the immediate task of forcing the river. Amur, take control of the Tongjiang UR and by the 23rd day of the operation, reach the Jiamusi area. In the future, advance along the river. Sungari to Harbin. With the development of success in Primorye, it was also ordered to launch offensive operations with the forces of the 5th separate rifle corps in the Zhaohei direction in order to assist the 15th army in the direction of Fugding (Fujin), Jiamusi or the right wing of the 1st Far Eastern Front in the direction of Baoqing.

With the start of the operation, the Pacific Fleet was supposed to disrupt the enemy’s communications in the Sea of Japan by the actions of submarines and aircraft, destroy his ships in the ports of North Korea, secure their sea communications, support the coastal flanks of the ground forces, and prevent enemy landings on the Soviet coast. Later, already in the course of hostilities, when the necessary conditions were created, additional tasks were assigned to the fleet: to capture the port cities of North Korea, as well as to land troops on South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

On Air Force the following tasks were assigned: to gain air superiority and reliably cover the main groupings of front troops; disrupt the maneuver with enemy reserves by striking at railway facilities, trains and convoys; to support the troops in breaking through the fortified areas of the enemy and developing the offensive; disrupt the command and control of enemy troops by strikes against him command posts, headquarters and communication centers; conduct continuous aerial reconnaissance.

The Manchurian strategic offensive operation was carried out on a huge front and to great depths in the difficult conditions of the Far Eastern theater of operations with its desert-steppe, mountain, wooded-swampy, taiga terrain, replete with large rivers. It included three front-line offensive operations: Khingan-Mukden of the Trans-Baikal, Harbino-Girinsky of the 1st Far Eastern and Sungaria of the 2nd Far Eastern fronts.

On the night of August 8-9, 1945, reinforced advanced and reconnaissance detachments of three fronts rushed into enemy territory. By morning, overcoming the scattered resistance of individual groups of Japanese troops, they captured the enemy's border strongholds, which created favorable conditions for the actions of the main forces, which, in accordance with the order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command 9, went on the offensive at dawn. In order to achieve surprise, artillery and air preparations for the attack were not carried out.

An important role in the successful start of the offensive of the fronts was played by the border units and formations of the Trans-Baikal, Khabarovsk and Primorsky border districts, commanded by Generals M.I. Shishkarev, A.A. Nikiforov and P.I. Zyryanov. They were operationally subordinate to the commanders of the fronts and acted together with the main troops.

Specially formed and trained attack detachments of the border troops were the first to cross such large rivers as the Amur, Ussuri and Argun, went to the enemy strongholds and garrisons, and then liquidated them with sudden blows, ensuring the offensive of the field troops. Success was decided by secrecy, surprise and swiftness of action.

From the morning of August 9, bomber aviation of the fronts launched massive attacks on military facilities in Harbin, Changchun and Girin, on troop concentration areas, communication centers and the enemy's most important communications. The Pacific Fleet began laying minefields, and its

aviation and formations of torpedo boats attacked ships, ships and other objects in the ports of North Korea.

Having broken through the border fortified areas, the troops of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts defeated the Japanese covering troops and entered the territory of Manchuria simultaneously from the east and west. At the same time, the main forces, and from August 11, the rest of the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla, crossed the Amur and Ussuri rivers and attacked the enemy’s coastal fortifications.

Thus, during the first day of hostilities, the troops of the Kwantung Army were attacked by land, air and sea along the entire length of the border with Manchukuo and on the coast of North Korea.

The greatest success in the Khingan-Mukden direction was achieved by the end of the day on August 9, the 6th Guards Tank Army under the command of Colonel General tank troops A.G. Kravchenko. With strong forward detachments in front, decisively destroying individual subunits of the enemy's covering forces, it advanced to a depth of 150 km. Unlike actions on the Soviet-German front, the tank army advanced as part of the first echelon in an independent direction in the conditions of a significant gap between the flanks of the 17th and 39th combined arms armies advancing in parallel. Difficult geographical conditions did not allow tank and mechanized formations to advance on a wide front. They operated in two directions, passing 70-80 km from one another. This complicated the interaction and forced to significantly strengthen each connection in order to give greater independence in solving problems in the operational depth.

On August 10, by the end of the day, having overcome the resistance of the enemy, the 6th Guards Tank Army came close to the passes of the Great Khingan Range, and on the 12th overcame it. Crossing the Greater Khingan was associated with great difficulties. The paths through the passes are steep ascents and descents, swampy pads. In a number of mountainous areas, in order to increase the patency of roads, the troops were forced to use explosives. In the course of overcoming the ridge, most of the sapper units were part of the forward detachments and movement support detachments, which played a large role in the non-stop advance of the troops.

During the first five days of the operation, the 6th Guards Tank Army covered more than 450 km and completed the task for the day ahead of time, established by order of the commander of the Trans-Baikal Front.

Having overcome the Greater Khingan ridge, the army descended to the Central Manchurian Plain and entered the deep rear of the Kwantung Army.

The success of the formations of the Trans-Baikal Front created favorable conditions for the deployment of troops led by the Communist Party of China. Commander-in-Chief Zhu De signed the order of the 8th Army on the transition from August 11 to the counteroffensive.

By the end of August 12, the 6th Guards Tank Army captured the city of Lubei and rushed south to the vital cities of Manchuria - Changchun and Shenyang. The second echelon of the front, the 53rd Army, followed the tank army. The troops of the cavalry-mechanized group and the 17th Army by the end of the day were on their way to the southwestern spurs of the Greater Khingan.

Such a rapid advance of the tank army was facilitated by the timely supply of fuel, water and ammunition to it by two divisions of military transport aviation. This method of supplying a large tank grouping in conditions of a large separation from their rear turned out to be the most effective.

17th Army under the command of Lieutenant General A.I. Danilova and the mechanized cavalry group, advancing respectively on Chifyn, Dolonnor (Dolun) and Zhangjiakou (Kalgan), having traveled more than 300 km through the desert, defeated several detachments of enemy cavalry and on August 14 occupied Dabanshan, Dolonnor, started stubborn battles for a fortified area on the outskirts to Kalgan. KMG, reaching the communications connecting Manchuria with Northern China, cut off the Kwantung Army from the Japanese strategic reserves. 39th Army of Colonel General I.I. Lyudnikova, having inflicted significant damage on the Japanese troops covering the passes through the Greater Khingan, advanced up to 400 km by the end of August 14, and part of the forces captured the Khalun-Arshan UR, the 36th Army (commander - Colonel General A.A. Luchinsky), meeting stubborn resistance in the Chzhalaynor-Manchurian and Hailar fortified areas, fought heavy battles during August 11 and 12, which ended with the capture of these positions. Thus, during the six days of the offensive, the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front, having defeated the opposing enemy and seized the passes through the Greater Khingan, created favorable conditions for the encirclement and defeat of the Kwantung Army.

The operation of the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front began, as on other fronts, with the actions of forward detachments. In pitch darkness under heavy rain, they resolutely attacked the enemy's fortifications, skillfully used the gaps between them, and by dawn advanced 3-10 km deep into the defense. Before the start of the offensive by the main forces of the front, 33 enemy targets, which were part of a system of well-equipped fortified areas in engineering terms, were liquidated directly on the border of a part of the Primorsky border district. The actions of the forward detachments developed into an offensive by the main forces, which began at 0830 hours. August 9th. Formations of the 35th Army, Lieutenant General N.D. Zakhvataev captured Khutou on August 10 and, advancing on Boli, provided the actions of the right flank of the shock group of the front from the north. 1st Red Banner Army of Colonel General A.P. Beloborodova, having defeated the enemy detachments covering the border, overcame a 12–18 km taiga region crossed by swamps, rivers and streams, and by August 14 started fighting on the outer defensive bypass of the city of Mudanjiang. Troops of the 5th Army under the command of Colonel-General N.I. Krylova successfully broke through the enemy’s defenses on a 60-kilometer front and by the morning of August 10 they had captured a large road junction, the fortified point of Suifynhe (Border) and, developing the offensive, on August 14 they also started fighting for Mudanjiang. 25th Army under the command of Colonel General I.M. Chistyakova, having captured the fortress of Dunning and the road junction, created the conditions for an offensive along the shortest path to Kirin and Changchun, where she was supposed to connect with the 6th Guards Tank Army of the Transbaikal Front. Therefore, it was reinforced by two rifle corps (the 17th from the 5th Army and the 88th from the front reserve and other formations). On August 12, the 10th mechanized corps was brought into battle in its lane to develop success. Thus, the main efforts of the 1st Far Eastern Front were transferred from the center to the left wing. By the end of August 14, his troops had broken through the heavily fortified defense zone, captured a number of fortified areas and, having penetrated 120–150 km into Manchuria, reached the line of Linkou, Mudanjiang prepared by the enemy.

Since the beginning of the operation, aviation and ships of the Pacific Fleet have been active. During August 9 and 10, Soviet pilots carried out bombing and assault attacks on enemy targets in North Korean ports.

Ungi (Yuki), Najin (Racine), Chongjin (Seishin). As a result, 2 Japanese destroyers and 14 transports were sunk. On August 11, ships of the Pacific Fleet landed troops in the port of Unga. Having captured it, the Soviet sailors organized defense from the sea.

Formations of the 25th Army, advancing along the east coast of North Korea, were able to non-stop pursue the enemy who had begun to withdraw, and the Pacific Fleet was able to relocate part of its forces here. Another amphibious assault was landed on August 12 in the port of Najin (Racin). The capture of these ports created favorable conditions for the Seishin operation on August 13–16. With the support of naval artillery, and from noon on August 15 and aviation, the paratroopers cleared the port and the city of Chongjin (Seishin) from the enemy (before the arrival of the 3rd landing echelon), which allowed the troops of the 25th Army of the 1st Far Eastern Front (approached the city by the end of August 16) to maintain a high pace of advance, deprived the Kwantung Army of communication by sea with Japan, and cut off its retreat to the Korean Peninsula. The landing at the port of Seishin and its capture were the first major amphibious operation of the Pacific Fleet in the campaign in the Far East.

The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, having gone on the offensive at one in the morning on August 9, in close cooperation with units and subunits of the Khabarovsk border district and with the assistance of the Amur military flotilla (commander Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov), crossed the Amur River (15th and , starting from the second day of the operation, the 2nd Red Banner Army; commanders, respectively, Lieutenant General S.K. Mamonov and Lieutenant General of the Tank Forces M.F. Terekhin) and Ussuri (5th separate rifle corps, commander Major General A V. Vorozhishchev), broke through the enemy fortifications in the areas of Fugdin (Fujin), Sakhalyan (Heihe) and Zhaohe and, developing an offensive in the direction of Qiqihar and Harbin, advanced to a depth of 120 km by August 14, starting battles for exits to Central Manchuria.

As a result of the six-day operation, the Soviet and Mongolian troops inflicted a serious defeat on the Kwantung Army. They defeated its opposing units and formations in 16 fortified areas and advanced deep into Manchuria from 50 to 400 km, completing the tasks set by the Supreme Command Headquarters ahead of schedule.

The Japanese command, having already lost control of subordinate troops in the first days, was unable to organize any kind of staunch resistance in any of the directions. However, in a number of fortified areas and centers of resistance, the enemy garrisons defended stubbornly, and then the armed struggle took on a fierce character. This was the case in the regions of Hailar, Thessalonica, Fujin, Jiamusi, Suifenhe, Dongning and Mudanjiang. The withdrawal of formations of the Trans-Baikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts to the rear of the Japanese troops and the successful offensive of the 2nd Far Eastern Front forced the enemy to begin a widespread withdrawal in the direction of Harbin, Changchun.

On August 14, the Japanese government, not without hesitation, realizing the futility of further continuation of the war, made a statement about surrender, but did not give the order to stop hostilities to the command of the Kwantung Army. On the evening of August 14, the command of the Kwantung Army received a telegraph order general staff demanding the destruction of banners, portraits of the emperor, imperial decrees and important secret documents. There was no order to stop resistance. In this situation, the General Staff of the Red Army, in accordance with the decision of the Headquarters, instructed to continue the offensive.

In this regard, the General Staff of the Red Army issued a special explanation, which emphasized: “1. The Japanese Emperor's announcement of the surrender of Japan on August 14 is only a general declaration of unconditional surrender. The order to the armed forces to cease hostilities has not yet been issued, and the Japanese armed forces are still continuing to resist. 2. In view of the foregoing, the armed forces of the Soviet Union in the Far East will continue their offensive operations against Japan.

The second stage of the Manchurian offensive operation began (August 15–20), the content of which was the defeat of the main forces of the Kwantung Army on the Manchurian Plain, the liberation of the most important political and economic centers of Manchuria, and the beginning of the mass surrender of Japanese troops.

Fulfilling the order, the Soviet-Mongolian troops began a rapid advance in central regions Manchuria. Their successful actions, the huge losses of the Kwantung Army, put the Japanese command before

the fact of a military defeat and forced on August 17 to give an order to the troops to cease hostilities, and on the 18th, at the categorical demand of the commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky, - about their complete surrender (the act of surrender was signed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, General O. Yamada, at 14:10 on August 19 in Changchun).

Since August 19, enemy troops began to surrender almost everywhere. In order to prevent possible destruction of industrial enterprises, railway stations and other important facilities, as well as the export of material assets, airborne troops landed in large cities, ports and naval bases from August 18 to 24. To connect with him in accordance with the requirement of the commander-in-chief of the troops in the Far East A.M. Vasilevsky, strong mobile detachments were sent. Their core, as a rule, was made up of tank (mechanized) formations of the unit. They were given the task of quickly reaching the designated targets located in the depths of the territory of Manchuria and North Korea in order to speed up the disarmament of enemy troops that had surrendered. However, if the Japanese units and formations unconditionally capitulated in the zone of operations of the Trans-Baikal Front, then the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front had to fight fierce battles with individual garrisons of fortified areas, groups and detachments hiding in the mountains after August 20. Only on August 22, after a powerful artillery and aviation preparation, did the Soviet troops succeed in capturing the Khutous resistance center by storm. Even more stubborn resistance was offered by the Japanese garrison of the Dunning fortified region, the remnants of which surrendered only on August 26. The complete disarmament and capture of the Kwantung Army was completed by the end of August. At the same time, the liquidation of some Japanese detachments that refused to lay down their arms was carried out after the signing by Japan on September 2, 1945 of the act of surrender.

Within 25 days, the Armed Forces of the USSR, in cooperation with the Mongolian People's Army, carried out the Manchurian strategic offensive operation and defeated the Kwantung grouping of troops, which led to the loss of Japanese control over Manchuria and North Korea, a radical change in the military-political situation in Asia, made it impossible to continue the war and forced Japan to surrender.

The enemy lost about a million soldiers and officers of the Japanese and puppet armies, of which only as part of the regular Japanese troops 83,737 were killed and 640,276 were captured, the vast majority of whom - 609,448 people were ethnic Japanese.

The liquidation of the Japanese bridgehead in Manchuria created the conditions for the Chinese people and their Communist Party for the subsequent free development of the country. It was in Manchuria that the main striking force of the Chinese revolution was created - the "United Democratic Army, based on the alliance of the working class and the working peasantry with the active leading role of the party organizations of the CPC."

The victory was not easy: the Armed Forces of the USSR lost 36,456 people killed, wounded and missing in the war with Japan, including 12,031 people - irretrievably. Among the total losses are 1,298 Pacific Fleet servicemen (of which 903 people were killed or mortally wounded) and 123 sailors of the Amur military flotilla (including 32 people killed and mortally wounded). At the same time, the human losses of the Soviet troops and naval forces were 18.6 times less than the similar losses of the Japanese, and amounted to less than 0.1% of the total personnel who took part in the campaign, which indicates high level the combat skill of the soldiers of the army and navy and the superior military skill of Soviet commanders and staffs.

The exploits of the Soviet soldiers

Despite the fact that for many commanders and fighters of the Red Army and sailors of the fleet the victoriously ended war with Germany was behind them, they selflessly fought against the Kwantung Army.

By the end of August 12, the 39th Army of the Trans-Baikal Front, having blocked the Khalun-Arshan fortified area with part of its forces, overcame the Greater Khingan with its main forces and rushed to Thessalonica. Hiding behind the reinforced concrete and wood-and-earth structures of the fortified area, which stretched for almost 40 km, the Japanese troops tried to delay the offensive of the Soviet troops with fire and counterattacks.

Subdivisions of the advance detachment of the army, together with units of the 124th Rifle Division and the 206th Tank Brigade, came close to the city. A tank battalion with a landing of submachine gunners attacked Thessalonica on the move. But as soon as the column of tanks approached the city, enemy pillboxes began to speak.

Artillerymen fired their guns to silence a pillbox on an unnamed hill, and sappers blew up another pillbox under the cover of tanks. Enemy fire has weakened. But as soon as the units reached the height, the pillbox came to life again. Soldiers fell one after another, struck down by machine-gun bursts. The attack stopped. Then, with the permission of the commander, the Komsomol member A. Shelonosov, taking with him several grenades, crawled to the pillbox. So he threw one grenade, another, a third ... The fourth hit right in the embrasure. The machine gun is silent. Riflemen and submachine gunners again rushed after the tanks. But the enemy emplacement spoke again. Shelonosov had no more grenades. He crawled to the pillbox and rushed to the embrasure.

During the offensive of the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, Soviet soldiers, showing the greatest courage and courage, resolutely crushed the enemy. During the attack of the Dunning fortified area, a group of fighters of the 98th separate machine-gun and artillery battalion of the 106th fortified area of the 25th Army, among whom was G.E. Popov. Hurricane machine-gun fire from the pillbox forced the soldiers to lie down. Popov volunteered to destroy the pillbox, crawled closer and threw grenades at its embrasure. But the enemy machine gun did not stop. Having used up all the grenades, soviet soldier rushed to the embrasure. The hero died, but the height was taken. On another sector of the front, in the offensive zone of the 1st Red Banner Army, the same feat was accomplished by a sapper of the 75th separate machine-gun and artillery battalion of the 112th fortified region, Komsomol Corporal V.S. Kolesnik. These soldiers were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In the battles for the Dunninsky fortified area, a 20-year-old Komsomol member of the 7th rifle company of the 567th rifle regiment of the 384th rifle division, junior sergeant A.Ya. Firsov. This is how this feat is described in a front-line leaflet: “On August 11, the company in which Firsov served attacked a resistance center. But suddenly the pillbox came to life, spewing a deadly flurry of fire. The company lay down. The young machine gunner, who had previously destroyed several enemy firing points with the fire of his light machine gun, decided to engage in single combat with the enemy hidden behind concrete ... So he quickly jumped up and fired a long burst at point-blank range at the embrasure, but the enemy machine gun did not stop. When the cartridges ran out, Firsov, leaving the machine gun, rushed to the embrasure and covered it with himself. The attack resumed. Rota completed the task ... "

The 5th separate rifle corps of the 15th Army of the 2nd Far Eastern Front developed an offensive against Baoqing. Having defeated the enemy, the corps with advanced units captured Daegou (35 km north of Baotsin) and advanced 15 km by evening. By the end of August 13, the army had covered 30-60 km, its formations had captured railway station Xingshanzhen. With part of her forces, she knocked out the enemy, who had settled in strongholds to the south and east of Fujin. In one of these battles, senior sergeant Muravlev showed exceptional courage. He saw that the commander grappled in hand-to-hand combat with a Japanese officer. At the moment when the Japanese rushed at him, the senior sergeant covered the commander with himself. The blow of the blade cut off the warrior's hand, but the enemy paid with his life for this: Muravlev's machine gun worked perfectly. And then the wounded soldier noticed that the enemies were surrounding Lieutenant Bikbashirov. Throwing up his machine gun with one hand, Muravlev shot them, but he himself died the death of the brave ....

In the battle for the city of Ehe, tankers of the 77th brigade showed special courage. On August 16, during an attack by a direct hit by a projectile, one of the tanks of the brigade was put out of action, a cannon and a machine gun, the commander, a turret gunner and a radio operator were seriously injured. Only the driver-mechanic member of the Komsomol Antonenko remained unharmed. At top speed, he led the tank to the enemy's firing positions, destroyed four enemy guns, dispersing and partially crushing their calculations, Antonenko's tank was the first to break into the city of Ehe, and here the Japanese surrounded him and demanded that the tanker surrender. In response, the Soviet soldier threw several grenades through the hatch and opened fire from a machine gun. Having lost hope of taking the tanker alive, the Japanese set fire to the tank. Shell-shocked by the blast wave, wounded by fragments of the tank's armor, the Komsomol member continued to fight in a burning car and held out until the main forces of the 77th brigade approached.

In the Sungarian direction, the 15th Army of General S.K. Mamonov, advancing on Jiamusi, landed troops near the village of Honghedao (30 km northwest of Sanxing), ensuring an offensive along the Songhua River on Sanxing. The front commander entrusted the task of capturing the city and port of Sanxing to the Red Banner Amur military flotilla and the 632nd rifle regiment, which was to act as a landing force.

Moving south, on August 18 they reached Sanxing, where reconnaissance established a large concentration of infantry and carts at the crossing of the Mudanjiang River south of the city. The ships of the flotilla landed troops. The enemy, forced to cease resistance, laid down his arms. 3900 soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. In the battle to capture Sanxing, the crew of the Sun Yat-sen monitor, awarded the rank of guards, successfully operated. His commander, captain 3rd rank V.D. Korner was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Photo 1. Russian and Chinese veterans of the war with Japan in the Museum of the Memorial to the soldiers who fell in battles on Chinese soil. Port Arthur (Lyushun), September 2010 (Photo from the book: The Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. In 12 volumes. Vol. 5. The victorious finale. The war with Japan. M .: Kuchkovo field , 2013.)

Chairman of the Russian Committee of War Veterans and the Armed Forces M.A. Moiseev presents commemorative medals to Russian and Chinese veterans of the war with Japan. Beijing, September 2010 (Photo from the book: The Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. In 12 volumes. Vol. 5. The victorious finale. The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe. The war with Japan. M .: Kuchkovo field, 2013.)

Awarding a medal for the victory over Japan

All participants in the battles in the Far East in 1945 received the right to the medal "For the Victory over Japan". It was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 30, 1945. The author of the drawing is the artist M.L. Lukin. In addition to the direct participants in the battles, this award was awarded to servicemen of the central directorates of the Soviet Armed Forces who took part in supporting the combat operations of our troops in the Far East.

In total, more than 1 million 800 thousand people were awarded the medal "For the Victory over Japan".

The brass medal "For the victory over Japan" is a circle with a diameter of 32 millimeters. On its front side, a bust image of I.V. turned to the right is placed in profile. Stalin in the form of a Marshal of the Soviet Union. On the circumference of the award in raised letters is written: "FOR VICTORY OVER JAPAN". In the upper part of the reverse side of the medal there is a five-pointed star, and below it is a convex inscription "September 3, 1945". With the help of an eye and a ring, the medal is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk ribbon 24 mm wide, in the middle of which there is a wide red strip, and on both sides one strip of white and red, as well as a narrow white strip. The edges of the ribbon are bordered with narrow yellow stripes. The medal is worn on the left side of the chest and attached after the medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945".

On February 5, 1951, according to the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, additions were made to the Regulations on the medal. In particular, it was found that in the event of the death of the recipient, the medal "For the victory over Japan" and the certificate to it remain in his family for storage as a memory. Previously, the medal and certificate to it after the death of the medal bearer were returned to the state.

The medal "For the Victory over Japan" is in many ways similar to the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". For example, I.V. Stalin in the uniform of a Marshal of the Soviet Union, but on the obverse of the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945." the profile of the leader is turned to the left, that is, to the west; on the medal "For the Victory over Japan", he looks to the right - to the east.

Documents and materials of the Soviet-Japanese war

Annex 1

AGREEMENT OF THE LEADERS OF THE THREE GREAT POWERS -

SOVIET UNION, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AND UK

The leaders of the Three Great Powers - the Soviet Union, the United States of America and Great Britain - agreed that two or three months after the surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe, the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan on the side of the Allies, provided:

Maintaining the status quo of Outer Mongolia (Mongolian People's Republic);
Restoration of the rights belonging to Russia, violated by the perfidious attack of Japan in 1904, namely:

a) the return to the Soviet Union of the southern part of about. Sakhalin and all adjacent islands;

b) the internationalization of the commercial port of Dairen with the provision of the predominant interests of the Soviet Union in this port and the restoration of the lease on Port Arthur as a naval base of the USSR;

c) joint operation of the Chinese Eastern Railway and the South Manchurian Railway, which gives access to Dairen, on the basis of organizing a mixed Soviet-Chinese Society with the provision of the predominant interests of the Soviet Union, while it is understood that China retains full sovereignty in Manchuria;

Transfer of the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union.

The Heads of the Governments of the Three Great Powers agreed that these claims of the Soviet Union should be unconditionally satisfied after the victory over Japan.

For its part, the Soviet Union expresses its readiness to conclude a pact of friendship and alliance between the USSR and China with the National Chinese Government to assist it with its armed forces in order to liberate China from the Japanese yoke.

I. STALIN

F. ROOSEVELT

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL

Published: Soviet Union at international conferences

period of the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.

Crimean Conference of the Leaders of the Three Allied

In 4 vols. T. 4. M., 1984. S. 254–255;Great

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale. The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe. War with Japan. M.: 2013. S. 801.

Annex 2

№ 11047

TO THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS OF THE PRIMORSKY GROUP

ON THE ORGANIZATION OF DEFENSE IN THE EVENT OF ATTACK BY JAPAN

In the event of an attack by the Japanese armed forces on the Soviet Union

The troops of the Primorsky Group (35th Army, 1st Red Banner Army, 25th Army, 9th Air Army), in cooperation with the Pacific Fleet, by stubborn defense to prevent the enemy from invading the territory of the Soviet Union, landing and securing it on the coast from the mouth R. Tumen-Ula to Cape Sosunov and ensure the concentration of new forces in Primorye.
When organizing defense, pay special attention to ensuring the uninterrupted operation of railways on the territory of the front and the most durable cover for the directions: Imansky, Lesozavodsky, Spassky, Voroshilovsky, as well as the regions of Primorye - Barabashsky, Khasansky, the Main Naval Base of the Pacific Fleet - Vladivostok, Shkotovo, Vladimiro-Aleksandrovskoye, Olga, Tetyukhe, Plastun, Terney.
In order to ensure the normal operation of the Khabarovsk-Vladivostok railway, provide for an operation by the forces of the 35th Army and the 1st Red Banner Army with the task of capturing the Khutou and Mishan region and firmly securing it.
The Pacific Fleet (without the Northern Pacific Flotilla), the Imansky and Khankaisky detachments of armored boats of the Amur Red Banner Military Flotilla shall be operationally subordinated to the commander of the Primorsky Group.
The dividing line with the Far Eastern Front and the responsibility for ensuring the junction between the Primorsky Group and the Far Eastern Front - in accordance with the Directive of the Headquarters of March 19, No. 11046.
Guided by this directive and Directive of the Headquarters No. 220061 dated 3/31/1944, develop a detailed plan for the defense of the troops of the Primorsky Group and the Pacific Fleet, an operation plan for capturing the Khutou, Mishan area and a plan for interaction between the Primorsky Group and the Pacific Fleet to defend the coast of the Sea of Japan within the boundaries of the Primorskaya groups.

To allow the development of plans: commanders, members of the Military Councils, chiefs of staff and chiefs of operational departments of the headquarters of the Primorsky Group and the Pacific Fleet - in full.

The chiefs of combat arms and services should be allowed to develop only special sections of the plan, without familiarizing themselves with the general tasks of the Primorsky Group and the Pacific Fleet as a whole.

I. STALIN

A. ANTONOV

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 330–331.

Great

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 802.

Annex 3

STATE DIRECTIVE OF THE SUPREME HIGH COMMAND No. 11112

TO THE COMMANDER OF THE FAR EASTERN FRONT

In addition to Directive No. 11048, on March 26, 1945, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command orders:

By August 1, carry out and complete in the troops of the front all preparatory measures for the grouping of troops, their combat and logistical support and command and control with the aim of conducting an offensive operation, by special order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command.

a) the purpose of the operation is to set: active assistance to the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front and the Primorsky Group in the defeat of the Kwantung Army of the Japanese and the capture of the Harbin region;

b) to carry out an offensive operation in the Sungari direction with the forces of the 15th Army in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla.

To carry out the operation, attract at least three rifle divisions, the bulk of the RGK artillery, tanks, aircraft and crossing facilities, with the immediate task of crossing the river. Amur, take control of the Tongjiang UR and reach the Jiamusi area by the 23rd day of the operation.

In the future, keep in mind actions along the river. Sungari to Harbin.

With the forces of 2 KA and 5 SC, firmly defend the state border in accordance with the instructions of the Directive of the Headquarters No. 11048 of 26.3.1945.

In the development of success in Primorye, to provide for offensive operations of the 5th Brigade in the direction of Zhaohei with the aim of assisting the 15th Army in the direction of Fugdin, Jiamusi or the right flank of the troops of the Primorsky Group in the direction of Baoqing.

The main task of the 16th Army is to set: firmly defend about. Sakhalin, to prevent the invasion of the Japanese on our territory of the island, as well as the landing of Japanese troops on the coast of about. Sakhalin.
Not later than July 15, transfer three rifle divisions from the front to the forces of the Primorsky Group.

To develop an operation plan, allow: the commander, a member of the Military Council, the chief of staff of the front and the chief of the operational department of the front headquarters - in full.

The procedure for admission to the development of an army operation plan shall be the same as for the front.

Headquarters of the Supreme High Command

I. STALIN

A. ANTONOV

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 332–333.

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe. War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 803.

Appendix 4

STAFF DIRECTIVE OF THE SUPREME HIGH COMMAND

TO THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS OF THE TRANSBAIKAL FRONT

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND CARRYING OUT OF THE OFFENSIVE OPERATION

The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command orders:

In the event of an attack by the Japanese armed forces on the Soviet Union, the forces of the Trans-Baikal Front will use reliable defense to prevent the enemy from invading the territory of the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic and to cover the concentration of new forces on the territory of the front.
When organizing the defense, pay special attention to ensuring the uninterrupted operation of railways within the boundaries of the front and the most solid cover for the Tamtsak ledge from the south, east and north, as well as the Solovievskoye-Bain-Tumen railway section.
Without waiting for the full concentration of the troops of the 53rd Army, by July 25, 1945, to carry out and complete in the front troops all preparatory measures for grouping troops, their combat and logistical support and command and control with the aim of carrying out, by special order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, offensive operation of the front and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army.
When developing an operation, be guided by the following:

a) to set the goal of the operation: a swift invasion of Central Manchuria, together with the troops of the Primorsky Group and the Far Eastern Front - the defeat of the Kwantung Army of the Japanese and the capture of the Chifyn, Mukden, Changchun, Zhalantun regions;

b) to build the operation on the surprise of the strike and the use of mobile units of the front, primarily the 6th Guards. TA, for quick advance;

c) deliver the main blow with the forces of three combined arms armies (39th army, sd - 9; 53rd army, sd - 9; 17th army, sd - 3) and one tank army (6 guards TA, mk - 2 , mk - 1) bypassing the Khalun-Arshan UR from the south in the general direction to Changchun.

Lead the armies on a broad front, with the immediate task of defeating the opposing enemy, crossing the Greater Khingan, and by the 15th day of the operation, with the main forces, reach the front of Dabanshan, Lubei, Solun.

39th Army should advance with one force from the Khamar-Daba area in the direction of Hailar towards the 36th Army with the task, together with the 36th Army, to prevent the enemy from retreating to the Greater Khingan, defeat the Hailar group of Japanese troops and capture the Hailar area;

d) 6th Guards. TA, operating in the zone of the main attack in the general direction of Changchun, by the 10th day of the operation, cross the Great Khingan, secure the passes over the ridge and prevent enemy reserves from central and southern Manchuria until the main infantry forces approach;

e) in the future, keep in mind the withdrawal of the main forces of the front to the Chifeng, Mukden, Changchun, Zhalantun line.

In the direction of the main attack, attract two breakthrough artillery divisions, the bulk of the RGK artillery, tanks and aircraft.
To provide for the protection of the main grouping from enemy counterattacks from the Ganchzhur region to the south and from the Dolonnor, Chifyn region to the north.
Auxiliary strikes to deliver:

a) by the forces of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, reinforced by two motorized brigades and the 59th cavalry division of the front, from the area of Khongor-Ula-somon, Khudugyin-khid, Shine-Dariganga-somon to Kalgan and Dolonnor with the task of pinning down enemy forces in this direction and leaving to the area of St. book. Zong Suwitwan, St. book. Barun Sunitwan, Huade.

In the future, take possession of Dolonnor, Kalgan.

The offensive of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army is allowed to begin 2–3 days later than the start of the offensive of the main forces of the front;

b) the main forces of the 36th Army (four to five rifle divisions) force the river. Argun in the Duroi, Staro-Tsurukhaituy, Novo-Tsurukhaytuy areas and advance on Hailar, having the immediate task, together with part of the forces of the 39th Army, to prevent the enemy from retreating to the Greater Khingan, defeat the Hailar group of Japanese troops and capture the Hailar region and the Hailar UR.

The rest of the forces firmly defend the state border in readiness to advance around the Manchurian-Chzhalaynor UR from the south in the direction of the city of Dashimak, Hailar and in the Hailar region to unite with the main forces of the army.

In the future, with the main forces of the army, cross the Greater Khingan and capture the Zhalantun region.

All preparatory measures to be carried out with the strictest secrecy.

To develop an operation plan, allow: the commander, a member of the Military Council, the chief of staff of the front and the chief of the operational department of the front headquarters - in full.

The chiefs of the military branches and services are allowed to develop special sections of the plan, without familiarizing themselves with the general tasks of the front.

Tasks to be assigned to the commanders of the armies personally, orally, without handing over written directives from the front.

The procedure for admission to the development of an operation plan for armies is the same as for the front.

All documentation on the action plans of the troops to be kept in the personal safes of the commander of the troops of the front and the commanders of the armies.

Correspondence and negotiations on issues related to the plan of operation should be conducted only personally through the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army.

Headquarters of the Supreme High Command

I. STALIN

A. ANTONOV

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 334–336;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 804–805.

Annex 5

ORDER OF THE STAFF OF THE SUPREME HIGH COMMAND No. 11120

ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MARSHAL OF THE SOVIET UNION A.M. VASILEVSKY

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST

Appoint Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Forces in the Far East with subordination to him from August 1, 1945: the Trans-Baikal, Far Eastern Fronts, the Primorsky Group of Forces and the Pacific Fleet.

Headquarters of the Supreme High Command

I. STALIN

A. ANTONOV

Published: Collection of documents of the Supreme High Command

during the Great Patriotic War. In 4 vols. M., 1968. T. 4. S. 301;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 805.

Appendix 6

TELEGRAM OF MARSHAL OF THE SOVIET UNION A. M. VASILEVSKY

TO THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WITH A PROPOSAL

FORM 1st and 2nd FAR EASTERN FRONTS AND HEADQUARTERS

OF THE HIGH COMMAND OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST

Primorsky Group of Forces in the 1st Far Eastern Front. Far Eastern Front - to the 2nd Far Eastern Front.
The group of Colonel-General Vasiliev - to the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East.
I also ask you to cancel the conditional titles and surnames of officials, leaving the existing conditional surnames for them only for talking over the wires.

VASILEVSKY

TsAMO. F. 66. On. 178499. D. 8/1. L. 104. Original.

Published:GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. At 12 t.

T. 5. Victorious finale. The final operations of the Great Patriotic War

in Europe. War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 805.

Annex 7

ORDER OF THE STAFF OF THE SUPREME HIGH COMMAND

ON THE FORMATION OF THE 1st AND 2nd FAR EASTERN FRONTS

AND STAFF OF THE HIGH COMMAND OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST No. 1112

Primorsky Group of Forces (commander - Marshal of the Soviet Union Meretskov K. A.) - to the First Far Eastern Front.
Far Eastern Front (commander - General of the Army Purkaev M.A.) - to the Second Far Eastern Front.

The task force of Colonel-General Vasilyev was sent to the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Forces in the Far East.

To appoint Colonel General S.P. Ivanov as Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Forces in the Far East.

Headquarters of the Supreme High Command

I. STALIN

A. ANTONOV

Published: Russian archive: Great Patriotic War.

VGK rate. Documents and materials. 1944–1945

T. 16 (5-4). M., 1999. S. 302.

Annex 8

ON THE SITUATION OF THE SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST

AND SUGGESTIONS ON THE TIME FOR THE START OF ACTIONS

I am reporting on the position and condition of the troops in the Far East as of 24:00 08/03/45 Transbaikal time.

Transbaikal Front:

Troops 39 A (Lyudnikova) and 53 A (Managarov) are advancing to the designated concentration areas so that by the morning of August 5, 1945, together with all the other troops of the front, they will be ready, in accordance with your instructions, in areas of 50–60 km from the border, take the command to start action.

From the moment the command is received to the crossing of the border, and, consequently, to the start of actual operations, it will take at least 3, maximum 5 days for the supply of troops and their final preparation.

Taking into account all the issues of material support and the accumulation of the necessary supplies in the troops, the best time for the start of operations by the troops of the front (I mean crossing the border) will be August 9–10, 1945.

A further delay is not in the interests of the front. Settled for last days in Transbaikalia, the weather is already not quite conducive to this.

I believe that the troops of the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts will have to begin their combat operations on the same day and hour as the troops of the Transbaikal Front in order to improve their initial position by taking advantage of the suddenness of the start of the war by capturing objects of interest to us to start the main operations , and most importantly - to most firmly ensure the defense of the railway. dor. The main operation of the 1st Far Eastern Front, according to the plan approved by you, depending on the development of the operation of the Trans-Baikal Front, to begin 5-7 days after the start of the last one.

Regardless of this, the final readiness of the troops of both fronts was established on August 5, 1945.

In the zone of both fronts and especially in Primorye beyond Lately there are continuous rains, although the latter, according to the report of the front commanders, will not have a negative impact on roads or airfields. Worse with the airfields in the Pacific Fleet, the latter got wet. According to the forecast, the weather here should be expected to improve between August 6 and 10.

The command of the Pacific Fleet is currently busy gathering ships to their bases in order to bring the fleet and flotillas to full combat readiness no later than August 5-7.

Based on the scheduled dates, it will be necessary in the near future for transports coming from the east to refuse to let them pass through the La Perouse Strait so that, starting from August 7, all transports will be sent through the Tatar Strait.

According to intelligence data, over the past month there has been an increase in Japanese troops in Manchuria and Korea, both in infantry and aviation. If by July 1, 45, the GRU had 19 infantry divisions and up to 400 aircraft of the Japanese army, then on August 1, 1945 there were 23 infantry divisions (4 of them on the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin) and up to 850 combat aircraft. In terms of infantry, this reinforcement is taking place mainly in our maritime and Thessalonica directions, and in terms of aviation, in the areas of Qiqihar and Korea.
I ask you to:

a) not later than August 5, 1945, give me a final instruction on the dates for the start of action for the two main directions, as well as on other issues, and mainly on political and diplomatic issues related to this;

b) I ask you to consider the appeals developed and sent to you by the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East to the Japanese, Mongols, Chinese and Koreans and give your instructions on them;

c) to improve the leadership of the Pacific Fleet, urgently send Fleet Admiral Kuznetsov to the Far East or a person at your discretion;

d) I ask you to provide for the further reinforcement of our troops in the Far East with aviation formations, and primarily bomber and ground attack aircraft, as well as replenishment of both personnel and especially tanks.

VASILEVSKY

TsAMO. F. 66. On. 178499. D. 8/1. L. 125–127. Script.

Published:GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 t. T. 5.

Winning final. The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 809.

Annex 9

STAFF DIRECTIVE OF THE SUPREME HIGH COMMAND

No. 11122 TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF COMBAT ACTIONS

4:30 p.m.

The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command orders:

Troops of the Trans-Baikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts on August 9 to begin combat operations to carry out the tasks set by Stavka directives No. 11112 (for the 2nd Far Eastern Front), No. 11113 (for the 1st Far Eastern Front) and No. 11114 (for Transbaikal Front).

Combat operations by aviation on all fronts should begin on the morning of August 9, with a view to bombing Harbin and Changchun above all.

Ground troops of the border of Manchuria to cross:

2nd Far Eastern Front - at the direction of Marshal Vasilevsky.

Pacific Fleet with the receipt of this:

a) move to operational readiness number one;

b) start laying minefields in accordance with the approved plan, with the exception of the mouth of the river. Amur and Tauiskaya Bay;

c) stop single navigation, direct transport to points of concentration.

In the future, shipping should be organized in convoys guarded by warships;

Time to count according to Trans-Baikal time.
Report on receipt and execution.

Headquarters of the Supreme High Command

I. STALIN

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 340–341.

Annex 10

DIRECTIVE OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST No. 80/nsh TO THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS

OF THE TRANSBAIKAL FRONT ON THE BEGINNING OF COMBAT ACTIONS

23h00 min.

(Transbaikal time)

The date for the start of hostilities of advanced units, scheduled for 06.00 10.08.45, Moscow time, should be moved to 18.00 08.08.45 Moscow time, or to 24.00 08.08.45, Trans-Baikal time.

In this regard, it is necessary:

The main forces of comrade Kravchenko and the group of comrade Pliev should be withdrawn to the starting areas no later than the evening of 08/08/45 in order to start operations in these areas with strong advanced units from 2400 08/08/45 (Transbaikal time), the main forces to enter into action (the moment they cross the border) no later than 04:30 08/09/45 (Trans-Baikal time).
Actions by strong advanced and reconnaissance units on the boards of Comrade. Danilov and Lyudnikova should also begin exactly at 24:00 on August 8, 1945 (Trans-Baikal time), setting before them the tasks envisaged earlier. Take all measures to ensure that the main forces of the armies of Comr. Lyudnikov and Danilov to have in their designated starting areas no later than the morning of 08/09/45, so that, starting at 04:30 on 08/09/45 (Trans-Baikal time) in these directions [actions] with tank and mechanized troops, to introduce the main infantry forces these armies in no case later than 12.00 9.08.45.
The troops of the main grouping of the army of Comrade Luchinsky from 24.00 on 8.08.45 (Trans-Baikal time) begin to force the river. Argun in the direction indicated to her.
From the morning of August 9, 1945, to include in combat operations the entire aviation of the front to carry out the tasks provided for by the plan. Keep in mind that the 19th long-range bomber air corps, in connection with the transition to a decisive offensive simultaneously with you, by the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front will be used in the first days in the interests of the latter.
Report immediately on receipt of the directive and orders given.

VASILEVSKY

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 341;.

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

Annex 11

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF DIRECTIVE

SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST No. 81/nsh

TO THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS

1st FAR EASTERN FRONT

ON THE BEGINNING OF COMBAT ACTIONS

22h 35 min.

(Transbaikal time)

In connection with the additional indication of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, I order:

The implementation of the plan provided for at 1.00 11.08.45, Khabarovsk time, should be started from 1.00 9.08.45 Khabarovsk time (from 18.00 08.08.45 Moscow time), for which:

All preparatory measures for this should be carried out on the night of 08/08/45 and during 08/08/45.
To put all aviation of the front into action no later than dawn on August 9, 1945.
The success obtained from the actions of strong forward units during 08/09/45 in the main direction should be immediately used to bring the main forces into action. Thus, you are given the right, in the presence of a favorable situation, to immediately begin to carry out the main plan of the front with a preliminary report to me about this.
In order to change the previously given orders, the 19th Air Corps, both on the night of 08/09/45, and in the future, until my instructions, use it in the interests of the front. On the tasks for 08/09/45, report to me no later than 12:00 on 08/08/45.
Report immediately on receipt of this directive and orders given.

VASILEVSKY

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 811.

Annex 12

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF DIRECTIVE

SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST No. 82/nsh

TO THE COMMANDER OF THE PACIFIC FLEET

ON THE BEGINNING OF COMBAT ACTIONS

22 hours 40 minutes

(Transbaikal time)

In connection with additional instructions from the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, the start of hostilities both on land, in the air, and at sea is scheduled for 18.00 08.08.45 Moscow time, or 01.00 08.09.45 Khabarovsk time. In this regard, you are given the right to carry out all the necessary preparatory measures during 08.08.45.

The order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command for the further direction of commercial vessels through the La Perouse Strait remains in force.

Report the receipt of this directive and the orders given.

VASILEVSKY

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 342;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 811–812.

Annex 13

OF THE TRANSBAIKAL FRONT TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST ABOUT THE TRANSITION

STATE BORDER

01 h 30 min.

I report that the reconnaissance detachments of the armies crossed the state border at 00:10 on August 9, 1945.

The main forces of the armies begin operations from crossing the state border at 04:30 on 08/09/45 (Trans-Baikal time).

MALINOVSKY

TEVCHENKOV

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 343–344;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 812.

Annex 14

ORDER OF THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS OF THE 1st FAR EASTERN FRONT

"ON THE INTRODUCTION OF MARIAL STATE IN THE PRIMORSKY KRAI"

From 9 August s. I declare martial law in all cities and villages of Primorsky Krai.
All local government authorities, state, public institutions, organizations and enterprises are obliged to provide full assistance to the military command in the use of local forces and means for defense needs and ensuring public order and security, guided by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council USSR dated June 22, 1941
in all cities and settlements, on railways, highways and dirt roads, strictly observe the orders of the air defense command and introduce blackout.
Prohibit the traffic of both individuals and vehicles from 12 o'clock at night to 5 o'clock in the morning, with the exception of vehicles and persons with special passes from the commandants of cities, and in the event of an air alert, the movement of the population and transport must take place in accordance with the rules approved air defense. Issuance of special passes within 3 days.
The military council of the front calls on the entire population of the region to be vigilant, to strictly keep military secret, observe labor discipline, order and calmness and provide the Red Army with all possible assistance.
For disobedience to the orders and orders of the military authorities, as well as for the commission of a crime, the perpetrators are subject to criminal liability under the laws of wartime.
The order to announce in all parts of the front, cities and towns of the region.

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 344–345;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 812–813.

Annex 15

APPEAL OF THE MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE 1st FAR EASTERN FRONT

TO PERSONNEL IN CONNECTION WITH THE DECLARATION OF WAR ON JAPAN

Comrade Red Army soldiers, sergeants, officers and generals of the 1st Far Eastern Front!

August 8, 1945 People's Commissar Foreign Affairs of the USSR comrade. Molotov received the Japanese ambassador and made a statement to him on behalf of the Soviet Government for transmission to the government of Japan.

The statement said that “after the defeat and surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan was the only great power that still stands for the continuation of the war. The demand of the three powers - the United States of America, Great Britain and China dated July 26 with. of the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces was rejected by Japan. Thus, the proposal of the Japanese government to the Soviet Union for mediation in the war in the Far East loses all ground.

Taking into account 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 for the end of the war, reduce the number of victims and help restore world peace as soon as possible.

True to its allied duty, the Soviet Government accepted the proposal of the allies and joined the statement of the allied powers of July 26 this year. G.

The Soviet Government considers that such a policy of its own is the only means capable of hastening the onset of peace, freeing the peoples from further sacrifices and suffering, and enabling the Japanese people to get rid of the dangers and destruction that Germany experienced after its refusal of unconditional surrender.

In view of the foregoing, the Soviet Government declares that from tomorrow, that is, from August 9, the Soviet Union will consider itself in a state of war with Japan.

hotbed of war in Central Europe liquidated. Now the time has come to punish Japan's criminal aggression and eliminate the hotbed of war and violence in the Far East.

In order to carry out their insidious plans against the Soviet Union, the military clique of robber Japan for many years did not stop its adventuristic provocative actions on the borders of our Motherland.

So it was in 1918-1922, when the Japanese military invaded the lands of the Soviet Far East. “... We know perfectly well,” Vladimir Ilyich Lenin said indignantly, “what incredible disasters the Siberian peasants are suffering from Japanese imperialism, what an unheard-of number of atrocities the Japanese have committed in Siberia.” So it was in 1938 in the area of Lake Khasan, so it was in 1939 in the area of the Khalkhin-Gol River. In all these cases, the Japanese military clique was defeated and crushed against the indestructible might of the Red Army. However, these instructive lessons were not accepted by the rulers and the military clique of aggressive Japan.

In the most difficult time for the USSR, when the Red Army and the entire Soviet people waged a stubborn struggle against the German invaders, when the question of life and death of the Soviet state was being decided, the question of whether the Soviet people should be free or fall into enslavement, the Japanese aggressors, hiding behind neutrality, in fact, they actively helped fascist Germany in the implementation of predatory plans against the Soviet Union and the peoples of Europe. They concluded a secret agreement with the Hitlerite predatory government on the division of our Motherland.

During the entire war of the Soviet people and their Red Army against Nazi Germany, the Japanese military clique continuously disturbed our country with all sorts of border incidents, tried to unleash a war against us and stab the Soviet Union in the back.

The Soviet people and their Red Army can no longer tolerate the provocations of the Japanese military clique and the further encroachment of the Japanese aggressors on our native Soviet land.

As in the West, so in the East, the great banner of the victory of freedom and peace among peoples must flutter.

Soldier of the Red Army! You are known in the West as a liberator, so you should be known in the East - in China, in Manchuria and Korea.

The blows inflicted on Japan from the sea and air by the troops of America, Britain and China are joined by a powerful blow from the victorious Red Army. The just sword of the Red Army is raised above Japanese imperialists and Japan's fate is sealed. Imperialist Japan will be crushed.

By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, Comrade Stalin, the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front launched a decisive offensive against the Japanese troops in order to eliminate the center of war in the Far East; secure the Far Eastern borders of our Motherland; to punish the Japanese invaders for the shed blood of the heroes of Port Arthur, Khasan, Khalkhin Gol, for the Japanese atrocities against the Soviet people during the years of intervention; reduce the time for the end of the war and the number of victims; contribute to the speedy restoration of world peace.

Far Eastern warriors, privates and sergeants, infantrymen and mortarmen, artillerymen and pilots, tankers and sappers, signalmen and cavalrymen; Comrade officers and generals! Ruthlessly smash the hated Japanese invaders, remembering that this is a just, sacred cause.

Fight against the perfidious enemy heroically, with courage and fury.

Praise the name of the soldier of the Red Army, praise the strength and might of our invincible Soviet

Motherland, glorify the name of our Great Generalissimo Comrade Stalin!

Under his wise, brilliant leadership, we have always won and will win!

Forward to the victory!

Death to the Japanese invaders!

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 345–346;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 813–814.

Appendix 16

REPORT OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST TO THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

ON THE START OF MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST THE JAPANESE TROOPS

09 h 40 min.

(Transbaikal time)

I report: in accordance with your instructions, our troops in the Far East have been in a state of war with Japan since 18.00 08.08.45 Moscow time. In the period from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm on August 8, 1945 (Moscow time), the actions of our troops in the directions were limited to the actions of only reconnaissance and forward units in the spirit of the plan approved by you.

By 22.30 8.08.45 (Moscow time) or at 4.30. 08/09/45, Trans-Baikal time, the main forces of Zab. front in all its main directions crossed the border.

During the night, the forces of the 19th long-range bombers. air corps bombed the cities of Changchun and Harbin, I find out the results, I will report additionally.

By 07:00 08/09/45 (Trans-Baikal time), at 1:00 08/09/45 (Moscow time), the position of Soviet troops in the Far East is as follows:

Transbaikal Front:

Kravchenko's army, with its 7th and 9th mechanized corps, reinforced by the 36th and 57th honey, having advanced up to 35 km after the advanced units, passed the line: Ihe-Sume, Lake. Tsagan-Nur.

Army comrade. Lyudnikov 5th Guards. sk and 113th sk by the same time passed the line: Syaburutei-mountain, height. 1036, advancing up to 20 km from the border.

14 sk, operating in the Hailar direction, advanced from 5 to 12 km.

The main forces of Comrade Pliev's group and Danilov's army advanced from the border from 15 to 25 km.

Luchinsky's army on its right flank, having captured bridgeheads and built across the river. Argun in the Staro-Tsurukhaytuy section, Duroy four pontoon bridges, occupied by the crossing to the southeastern coast of the units of the 2nd and 86th sk on the left flank, part of the reinforced 298th rifle division by 7.08.45 (zab. time) fought for g .Manchuria.

2nd Far Eastern Front (Purkaeva):

A rare firefight on the entire front and the actions of advanced reconnaissance units. Two Sat 361st Rifle Division captured Fr. Tatar. The enemy is not active. 32 people were taken prisoner in the Bikinsky direction.

1st Far Eastern Front:

At 1.00 9.08. according to Khabarovsk time, the advanced units of the armies of Beloborodov and Krylov crossed the state border. Operating in absolute darkness, in a thunderstorm and in heavy rain, units of the 1st spacecraft of Beloborodov advanced up to 5 km in certain directions. Parts of the 5th A Krylov - from 2 to 3 km.

The Pacific Fleet began reconnaissance and aviation operations in the ports of Racine and Seishin.

Conclusion: the blow to the enemy was unexpected. The enemy, bewildered by surprise, did not offer organized resistance until morning, except for the radius of the city of Manchuria.

The actions of our troops are developing in accordance with the plan approved by you.

VASILEVSKY

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 347–348;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 814–815.

Annex 17

OF THE 2nd FAR EASTERN FRONT TO THE COMMANDER OF THE 15TH ARMY

ON THE OFFENSIVE TOWARDS JIAMUS

01 h 40 min.

In connection with the withdrawal of the enemy in front of the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Fleet, I order:

From the morning of 11.8.45, the 15th Army continued a decisive offensive in the directions: Lobei, Sinypanzhen, Jiamusi, Tongjiang, Fushing, Jiamusi, having mobile (tank) units in the first echelon in both directions, reinforced by infantry landings.

The task of the army: the mobile (tank) units of the army and the forces of the KAF on August 11, take over Sinypanzhen, Fushing, and on August 12 - Jiamusi.

SHEVCHENKO

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 350;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945. In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

Appendix 18

ORDER OF THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED ARMY

TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST ABOUT THE MISSION OF THE TROOPS

1st FAR EASTERN FRONT

The Supreme Commander ordered:

To the troops of the First Far Eastern Front, the operation to capture the ports of Racine and Seishin according to report No. 0074/45/op dated 11.8. do not carry out.

The main task of the troops of the First Far Eastern Front is to quickly reach the Kirin area, without dispersing forces to perform secondary tasks.

Report the orders given.

TsAMO. F. 66. Op. 178499. D. 2. L. 605. Copy.

Published: GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 816.

Annex 19

BATTLE ORDER OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FORCES

OF THE 1st FAR EASTERN FRONT TO THE COMMANDER OF THE 25TH ARMY

ON THE SUSPENSION OF THE OFFENSIVE TO KOREA AND THE TASKS OF THE ARMY

23 hours 26 minutes

Suspend the offensive in Korea. Do not take the ports of Yuki and Racine.
Army mission:

1) Securely cover up on the Kraskinsky direction, the main forces can be concentrated as quickly as possible in the Wanqing, Nanyantsun area, with the further task of reaching Dunhua.

2) 88th sc lead behind 17th sc.

MERETSKOV

KRUTIKOV

TsAMO. F. 66. Op. 178499. D. 3. L. 7. Copy.

Published: GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

Annex 20

EXTRAORDINARY REPORT OF THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE 1st FAR EAST

OF THE FRONT TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SOVIET TROOPS

IN THE FAR EAST ABOUT CONQUERING THE CITY OF MUDANJIANG

24h00 min.

After fierce fighting during 15 and 16 August. The 1st Red Banner and 5th Armies of the 1st Far Eastern Front, with a joint attack from the northeast and east, defeated the enemy grouping in the Mudanjiang area and again captured a large junction of highways and railways and a defense junction covering the approaches to Harbin and Kirin, - the city of Mudanjiang. At the same time, the heavily fortified bridgehead position of the enemy was broken through, covering the approaches to the city of Mudanjiang from the east and northeast.

1st Red Banner and 5th armies, having crossed the river. Mudanjiang, by 20.00 16.8.45 they are developing an offensive: the 1st Red Banner Army - in the direction of Harbin; 5th Army - through Ningan (Ninguta) to Emu, Kirin, Changchun.

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 817.

Appendix 21

BATTLE REPORT OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FORCES

2nd FAR EASTERN FRONT TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST

ABOUT CONQUERING THE CITY OF JIAMUSI

13h 38 min.

Troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Fleet the task set by the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 11112 in the Sungarian direction, August 17 with. g. (the eighth day of the operation) - completed.

By 10.00 on August 17 with. The troops of the front, with the assistance of the Amur Red Banner Flotilla, destroyed the remnants of the enemy in the military town southwest of Jiamusi, completely cleared the city of Jiamusi and airfields.

I continue the attack on Sanxing.

SHEVCHENKO

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 353;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 818.

Annex 22

REPORT OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST

TO THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

AND FURTHER PLANS OF THE SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST

During August 17, the troops of the fronts of the Far East continued to carry out the tasks assigned to them, with the enemy's resistance sharply reduced. In some directions during the day there were cases of capitulation of individual units and subunits of the enemy, as well as sending truce envoys to us. Both the appeals of the command of the Kwantung Army to the Soviet Command in the Far East and the reports of the parliamentarians speak of an order given to the troops of the Kwantung Army to stop the fighting of the Japanese army and to surrender. Up to 25,000 Japanese-Manchurian soldiers and officers were disarmed per day. Surrender continues, although skirmishes take place in certain sectors of the front.

To strengthen the defense of Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and about. Hokkaido, in accordance with your instructions, we ask for your permission in the period from August 20 to September 15 to relocate part of the forces of the Pacific Fleet to Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka and its main forces to the port of Otomari (southern part of Sakhalin) in such a way as to have: in Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka - a brigade of patrol ships, a brigade of submarines, a destroyer division, a division of torpedo boats, a division of minesweepers, one aviation regiment of naval bomber aviation; in the area of the port of Otomari - a division of patrol ships, a division of submarines, a division of torpedo boats, a division of minesweepers, a mixed air division naval aviation; to strengthen the defense of Korea, we propose to create a naval defense area in the Seishin port area, including in it: one destroyer battalion, a torpedo boat battalion, a minesweeper battalion, and the 113th Marine Brigade.

The main focus of the area is the defense of the ports of Racine, Seishin and Genzan.

With regard to the deployment of naval forces in the area of the ports of Dairen and Port Arthur, your additional instructions are needed.

You also need your permission to use the marine merchant fleet for the sea transportation of troops for the period up to 15.9.

All preliminary orders to the commanders of the fronts according to the present plan have been given. We will issue instructions to the commander of the Pacific Fleet together with Admiral Kuznetsov on 18.8. personally in Vladivostok.

Simultaneously with the fulfillment of the tasks envisaged by this plan, I categorically demand that the troops of the fronts organize immediate registration and export to their territory of captured weapons, food and equipment of industrial enterprises.

I ask for your approval or instructions on this plan.

VASILEVSKY

Published: Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 355–356;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 819–820.

Appendix 23

BATTLE REPORT OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FORCES

1st FAR EASTERN FRONT TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

SOVIET TROOPS IN THE FAR EAST ON THE TERMINATION

FIGHTING

03h00 min.

On August 19, 1945, the fighting of the 1st Far Eastern Front ceased.

The capitulated units of the Japanese Kwantung Army began to lay down their arms and began mass surrender. The troops of the front, moving deep into the territory of Manchuria in the Harbin and Girin directions, disarmed and captured units of the Kwantung Army. In some areas, short-term battles were fought with scattered small groups of the enemy, who refused to lay down their arms.

During 19.8.45, the troops of the front disarmed and captured 55,000 enemy soldiers and officers, including 5 generals. In addition, during the hostilities from 9.8.45, 7,000 soldiers and officers were captured. Thus, by the end of August 19, 1945, the troops of the front had captured a total of 62,000 enemy soldiers and officers.

On the morning of August 19, 1945, specially authorized representatives of the Military Council of the Front Guards arrived in the city of Kirin by plane. Colonel Lebedev with a group of officers and a detachment of troops (a free battalion of machine gunners) in order to organize control over the implementation of the surrender of the Girin group of the Kwantung Army.
35th A - in the area of \u200b\u200bthe mountains. Pain continued the disarmament of scattered groups of the enemy's Bolinsky garrison. During the day, 200 soldiers and officers were taken prisoner.
1st KA - advanced its troops in the direction of Harbin. By the end of August 19, 1945, the mobile detachment of the army reached Imyanyto (130 km southeast of Harbin); The 26th SC, advancing along the route of the mobile detachment, approached Simaheizi with the head of the main forces. Army troops disarmed units of the 124th, 126th and 135th Infantry Division, the 46th Communications Regiment, the 20th Gap and the 12th Engineer Battalion of the enemy. 35,000 soldiers and officers and 5 enemy generals were taken prisoner.
5th A - advanced in the direction of Kirin. By the end of August 19, 1945, the mobile detachment of the army had reached Fynhuangdian (135 km east of Jilin). The main forces of the 72nd Corps, moving behind the mobile detachment, approached Erzhan with their heads.

Army troops disarmed and captured up to 10,000 enemy soldiers and officers per day.

25th A - advanced to Dunhua. By the end of 19.8.45, the forward detachment of 10 microns occupied Dunhua. Parts of the 259th brigade are occupied by mountains. Yanji. The main forces of the army from the Vaccine-Yanji region are advancing on Dunhua.

During the day, the troops of the army disarmed the 112th and 80th infantry divisions of the enemy and captured up to 10,000 soldiers and officers.

MERETSKOV

Right: Lieutenant Colonel VYSOTSKY

Russian archive: Soviet-Japanese war of 1945:

the history of the military-political confrontation between the two powers in the 30-40s.

Documents and materials. In 2 vols. T. 18 (7-1). M., 1997. S. 362–363.;

GreatPatriotic War 1941-1945.

In 12 vols. T. 5. Victorious finale.

The final operations of the Great Patriotic War in Europe.

War with Japan. M., 2013. S. 820–821.

Annex 24

APPEAL I.V. STALIN TO THE PEOPLE

Moscow Kremlin

Comrades!

Compatriots and compatriots!

Today, September 2, the state and military representatives of Japan signed an act of unconditional surrender. Completely defeated on the seas and on land, and surrounded on all sides by the armed forces of the United Nations, Japan acknowledged defeat and laid down her arms.

Two centers of world fascism and world aggression were formed on the eve of the current world war: Germany in the west and Japan in the east. It was they who unleashed the second world war. It was they who brought humanity and its civilization to the brink of destruction. The center of world aggression in the West was eliminated four months ago, as a result of which Germany was forced to capitulate.

Four months later, the center of world aggression in the east was liquidated, as a result of which Japan, Germany's main ally, was also forced to sign an act of surrender.

This means that the end of the Second World War has come.

We can now say that the conditions necessary for world peace have already been won.

It should be noted that the Japanese invaders caused damage not only to our allies - China, the United States of America, Great Britain. They also caused serious damage to our country. Therefore, we also have our own special account for Japan.

Japan began its aggression against our country as early as 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War. As you know, in February 1904, when negotiations between Japan and Russia were still ongoing, Japan, taking advantage of the weakness of the tsarist government, unexpectedly and treacherously, without declaring war, attacked our country and attacked the Russian squadron in the Port Arthur area in order to disable several Russian warships and thereby create an advantageous position for their fleet.

And she really disabled three first-class warships of Russia. Characteristically, 37 years later, Japan exactly repeated this treacherous trick against the United States of America when, in 1941, it attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor and disabled a number of battleships of this state. As you know, in the war with Japan, Russia was then defeated. Japan took advantage of the defeat tsarist Russia in order to seize South Sakhalin from Russia, establish itself on the Kuril Islands and thus lock up for our country in the East all outlets to the ocean - therefore, also all outlets to the ports of Soviet Kamchatka and Soviet Chukotka. It was clear that Japan set itself the task of wresting all of its Far East from Russia.

But this is not the end of Japan's predatory actions against our country. In 1918, after the establishment of the Soviet system in our country, Japan, taking advantage of the then hostile attitude towards the Soviet country of England, France, the United States of America and relying on them, again attacked our country, occupied the Far East and for four years tormented our people, plundered Soviet Far East.

But that's not all. In 1938, Japan again attacked our country in the region of Lake Khasan, near Vladivostok, with the aim of encircling Vladivostok, and the following year, Japan repeated its attack in another place, in the region of the Mongolian People's Republic, near Khalkhin Gol, in order to break through to Soviet territory, cut off our Siberian railroad and cut off the Far East from Russia.

True, the attacks of Japan in the area of Khasan and Khalkhin Gol were liquidated by the Soviet troops with great shame for the Japanese.

In the same way, the Japanese military intervention of 1918-22 was successfully liquidated, and the Japanese invaders were thrown out of the regions of our Far East. But the defeat of the Russian troops in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War left painful memories in the minds of the people.

It fell on our country as a black spot. Our people believed and expected that the day would come when Japan would be defeated and the stain would be eliminated. We, the people of the old generation, have been waiting for this day for 40 years. And now, that day has come. Today, Japan has acknowledged defeat and signed an act of unconditional surrender.

This means that South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands will go to the Soviet Union, and from now on they will not serve as a means of separating the Soviet Union from the ocean and the base of a Japanese attack on our Far East, but a means of direct communication between the Soviet Union and the ocean and the base of our country's defense against the Japanese. aggression.

Our Soviet people spared no effort and labor in the name of victory. We have gone through difficult years, but now each of us can say: we won. From now on, we can consider our Fatherland delivered from the threat of the German invasion in the West and the Japanese invasion in the East. The long-awaited peace has come for the peoples of the whole world.

I congratulate you, my dear compatriots and compatriots, on the Great Victory, on the successful end of the war, on the advent of peace throughout the world!

Glory to the armed forces of the Soviet Union, the United States of America, China and Great Britain who defeated Japan!

Glory to our Far Eastern troops and the Pacific Navy, who defended the honor and dignity of our Motherland!

Glory to our great people, the victorious people!

May our Motherland live and prosper!

Appendix 25

JAPANESE SURRENDER SIGNING

Tokyo, 2 September. (TASS). Today at 10 o'clock. 30 min. Tokyo time on board the American battleship "Missouri", located in the waters of Tokyo Bay, the signing of the act of surrender of Japan took place.

At the start of the signing ceremony, General MacArthur made a statement that read:

“I declare my firm intention, in accordance with the tradition of the countries I represent, to exercise justice and tolerance in the performance of my duties, while at the same time taking all necessary measures to ensure the full, speedy and exact implementation of the terms of surrender.

We are gathered here as representatives of the major belligerent powers to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace can be restored. The problems associated with various ideals and ideologies have been resolved on the battlefields of the whole world, and therefore are not subject to discussion or debate.

Then General MacArthur invited the Japanese representatives to sign an act of surrender.

The Japanese Surrender Act reads:

"1. We, acting on the orders and in the name of the Emperor, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff, hereby accept the terms of the Declaration issued on July 26 at Potsdam by the Heads of Government of the United States, China and Great Britain, to which the USSR subsequently acceded, which four Powers will hereafter be called allied powers.

We hereby declare the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Imperial Japanese General Staff, all Japanese military forces and all military forces under Japanese control, no matter where they are located.
We hereby order all Japanese troops, wherever located, and the Japanese people to cease hostilities immediately, to preserve and prevent damage to all ships, aircraft and military and civilian property, and to comply with all demands that may be made by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or organs of the Japanese government on its instructions.
We hereby order the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately issue orders to the commanders of all Japanese troops and troops under Japanese control, wherever located, to surrender unconditionally in person, and also to secure the unconditional surrender of all troops under their command.
All civil, military and naval officials shall obey and carry out all instructions, orders and directives which the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers deems necessary for the implementation of this surrender and which may be issued by him or by his authority; we prescribe it all officials remain in their posts and continue to perform their non-combat duties, except when they are relieved of them by a special decree issued by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or under his authority.
We hereby undertake that the Japanese Government and its successors will faithfully carry out the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, issue such orders and take such actions as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or any other representative appointed by the Allied Powers, in order to implement this declaration, requires.
We hereby direct the Imperial Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately release all Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control and ensure their protection, maintenance and care, and their immediate delivery to the designated places.
The authority of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to govern the state shall be subordinated to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, who shall take such steps as he deems necessary to carry out these conditions of surrender."

The first to approach the table is Mamoru Shigemitsu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the current Japanese government. He signs the act of surrender on behalf of the emperor, the Japanese government and the Japanese imperial headquarters. Following him, the chief of the Japanese general staff, General Umezu, puts his signature. Both Japanese delegates step aside. Then begins the ceremony of signing the document by representatives of the allied nations appointed by their governments to be present at the signing of Japan's act of surrender. General MacArthur says: The Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers will now sign the document on behalf of the Allied Nations. I invite General Wainwright and General Percival to come with me to the signing table. General MacArthur walks up to the table on which the document is placed, followed by Generals Wainwright and Percival. General MacArthur, followed by Wainwright and Percival, sign the document. Then, on behalf of the United States, the document is signed by Admiral Nimitz. Next, the representative of the Republic of China, General Su Yong-chang, head of the operations department of the Chinese National Defense Council, comes to the table.

General Su Yong-chan signs the document on behalf of China.

General MacArthur invites the representative of England. Admiral Fraser signs the act.

General MacArthur says: now the act will be signed by the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Lieutenant General Kuzma Nikolaevich Derevyanko is approaching the table. Together with him are two military men: one is a representative of the fleet and the other is from aviation. General Derevianko signs the document.

Then the act is signed by the representative of Australia, General Thomas Blamy, the commander-in-chief of the Australian troops, representatives of Canada, France, Holland, and New Zealand.

After the signing of Japan's surrender, President Truman's speech is broadcast over the radio from Washington.

The ceremony of signing the surrender, which lasted 45 minutes, ended with speeches by General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz.

General MacArthur, in his closing speech, stated that all previous attempts to prevent and resolve international conflicts had failed, leading to the ordeal of war. “At present, the extreme destructiveness of war excludes such an alternative.

We had one last opportunity. If we don't create a better and fairer system now, we will be doomed.

The Potsdam Declaration obliges us to secure the emancipation of the Japanese people from slavery.

My goal is to fulfill this commitment as soon as the armed forces are demobilized. Other important measures will be taken to neutralize the military potential and energy of the Japanese race.

Freedom has gone on the offensive. In the Philippines, the Americans proved that the peoples of East and West can walk side by side in mutual respect and for the common good."

Admiral Nimitz said in his speech: “The freedom-loving peoples of the whole world rejoice at the victory and are proud of the achievements of our united forces. It is essential that the United Nations steadfastly implement the peace conditions that are being imposed on Japan. It will also be necessary to maintain the strength of our country at a level that will prevent future acts of aggression aimed at destroying our way of life. We now turn to the great task of reconstruction and restoration. I am sure that in solving these problems we will act with the same skill, resourcefulness and insight as in solving problems related to achieving victory.

Annex 26

DECREE OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Moscow. Kremlin

In commemoration of the victory over Japan, establish that September 3 is the day of national celebration - the Victory Day over Japan. September 3 is considered a non-working day.

Annex 27

IN THE USSR Council of People's Commissars

In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the announcement of September 3 as the Holiday of Victory over Japan, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decided to consider September 3, 1945 a non-working day.

The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR invited all Soviet government agencies September 3rd on the day of the national celebration - the Victory Day over Japan - to raise the State Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on their buildings.

Published: Bulletin of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. 1945. No. 61.

Annex 28

ORDER OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

By the troops of the Red Army

and the Navy

September 2, 1945 in Tokyo, representatives of Japan signed an act of unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces.

The war of the Soviet people together with our allies against the last aggressor - Japanese imperialism - has been victoriously completed, Japan has been defeated and capitulated.

Comrades of the Red Army, Red Navy, sergeants, foremen, officers of the army and navy, generals, admirals and marshals, I congratulate you on the victorious conclusion of the war against Japan.

In commemoration of the victory over Japan, today, September 3, on the day of the Victory over Japan Day, at 9 pm, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, salutes the valiant troops of the Red Army, ships and units Navy who won this victory, twenty-four artillery salvos from three hundred and twenty-four guns.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battles for the honor and victory of our Motherland!

May our Red Army and our Navy live and prosper!

Published: Orders of the Supreme Commander in the period

Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union: Collection. M., 1975. S. 520.IN

Appendix 29

ARMIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE MANCHURAN STRATEGIC

OFFENSIVE OPERATION

Name of the army	Commanding	Chief of staff
1st Red Banner	Colonel General A. P. Beloborodov	Major General F.F. Maslennikov
2nd Red Banner	tank lieutenant general M.F. Terekhin	Major General S.F. Mozhaev
5th	Colonel General N.I. Krylov	Lieutenant General N.Ya. Prihidko
15th	Lieutenant General S.K. Mamonov	Major General V.A. Proschaev
16th	Lieutenant General L.G. Cheremisov	colonel L.L. Borisov
17th	Lieutenant General A.I. Danilov	Major General A.Ya. Spirov
25th	Colonel General I.M. Chistyakov	Lieutenant General V.A. Penkov-
35th	Colonel General N.D. Zakhvataev	Major General S.A. Ivanov
36th	lieutenant general, from September 1945 Colonel General A.A. Luchinsky	Major General E.V. Ivanov
39th	Colonel General I.I. Ludnikov	Major General M.I. Siminovsky
53rd	Colonel General I.M. Managarov	Major General A.E. Yakovlev
6th Guards Tank	Colonel General of the Tank Troops A.G. Kravchenko	major general of tank troops A.I. Stromberg
9th air	aviation colonel general THEM. Sokolov	Major General of Aviation S.N. Isaev
10th air	aviation colonel general P.F. Zhigarev	aviation major general S.A. Lavrik
12th air	Air Marshal S.A. Khudyakov	aviation major general D.S. Kozlov
Transbaikal air defense army	major general of artillery P.F. Rozhkov	colonel A.S. Vitvinsky
Amur air defense army	major general of artillery Ya.K. Polyakov	Major General G.M. Koblenz
Primorskaya air defense army	artillery lieutenant general A.V. Gerasimov	major general of artillery G.H. Chailakhyan

In early August 1945, the Soviet Union, fulfilling its obligations to the allies, began military operations in the Far East. A large strategic enemy grouping was concentrated on the territory of Manchuria and North Korea. Its basis was the Japanese Kwantung Army (commander - General O. Yamada).

Under General Yamada were also troops formed in the occupied territories - the army of the "state" of Manchukuo, the army of Inner Mongolia under the command of Prince Dewan and the Suiyuan army group.

The enemy troops numbered over 1 million people, 6260 guns and mortars, 1155 tanks, 1900 aircraft, 25 ships. A third of the group's troops were located in the border zone, the main forces - in the central regions of Manchuria.

There were 17 fortified areas along the borders with the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR).

In preparation for the operation, the Soviet command during May - early August transferred to the Far East part of the troops and equipment released in the west. From the newly arrived, as well as the troops already existing in the Far East, 3 fronts were formed: Transbaikal (commander - Marshal of the Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky), 1st Far East (commander - Marshal of the Soviet Union K.A. Meretskov), 2- th Far East (commander - General of the Army

M.A. Purkaev). The troops of the fronts numbered over 1.5 million people, over 27 thousand guns and mortars, more than 700 rocket artillery installations, 5250 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 3.7 thousand aircraft. The forces of the Pacific Fleet involved in the operation (commander - Admiral I.S. Yumashev) numbered about 165 thousand personnel, 416 ships, 1382 combat aircraft, 2550 guns and mortars.

In addition, the Amur military flotilla (12.5 thousand people, 126 ships, 68 combat aircraft, 199 guns and mortars; commander - Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov), as well as the Border Troops of the adjacent districts. The general command of the Soviet troops in the Far East was carried out by Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. The Mongolian troops were commanded by Marshal of the MPR Kh. Choibalsan. The actions of the forces of the Navy and the Air Force were led by Admiral of the Fleet N.G. Kuznetsov and Air Chief Marshal A. A. Novikov.

To defeat the forces of the Kwantung Army and its allies, the Soviet command planned to launch two main strikes from the territory of Mongolia and the Soviet Primorye, as well as several auxiliary strikes in the general direction to the central regions of Manchuria. After the completion of a deep envelopment of the main forces of the Kwantung Army, they were supposed to be cut and defeated piece by piece. The fighting was to be carried out in a complex theater of operations, replete with various difficult terrain types (desert, mountain, taiga) and large rivers.

The offensive began on August 9 with the simultaneous actions of three Soviet fronts. Military installations in Harbin, Changchun and Jilin, as well as areas of concentration of troops, communication centers and communications of the enemy in the border areas were subjected to massive air strikes. Pacific Fleet ships attacked Japanese naval bases in North Korea and cut communications linking Korea and Manchuria with Japan.

The troops of the Trans-Baikal Front advanced from the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic and Soviet Dauria. The forward detachments crossed the border on the night of August 9 and launched a swift offensive. The main forces moved forward at dawn. Having overcome the waterless steppes, the Gobi Desert and the Great Khingan mountain system, the armies of the Transbaikal Front defeated the Kalgan, Solun and Hailar enemy groups, reached the approaches to the large industrial and administrative centers of Manchuria, cut off the Kwantung Army from the Japanese troops in Northern China and, having occupied Changchun and Shenyang, advanced towards Dalian and Lushun.

The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front advanced from Primorye towards the Trans-Baikal Front. They broke through the enemy's border fortifications, after which, having repulsed strong counterattacks of the Japanese troops in the Mudanjiang area, together with the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, they occupied Girin and Harbin.

In cooperation with the landing forces of the Pacific Fleet, they captured the North Korean ports of Ungi, Najin, Chongjin, Wonsan. Japanese troops were cut off from the mother country. At the same time, the troops of the front were advancing on Harbin and Kirin, fighting to eliminate individual enemy groupings that continued to resist. For the speedy liberation of Harbin, Jilin, Pyongyang and other cities, airborne assault forces were landed in them from August 18 to 24.

The troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, in cooperation with the Amur military flotilla, crossed the Amur and Ussuri and within three days cleared the entire right bank of the Amur from the enemy. After that, they broke through the enemy's long-term defenses in the Heihe and Fujin regions and then launched an offensive deep into Manchuria.

Having overcome the Lesser Khingan mountain range by August 20, the forward detachments of the front developed an offensive against Qiqihar. On August 20, formations of the 15th Army entered Harbin, already occupied by Soviet airborne troops and sailors of the Amur Flotilla.

By August 20, Soviet troops, having advanced deep into Northeast China from 200-300 km from the east and north to 400-800 km from the west, reached the Manchurian Plain, surrounded and dismembered the Japanese grouping into several isolated parts. On August 19, Japanese troops began to surrender en masse.

After the defeat of the Kwantung Army and the loss of a military and economic base in Northeast China and North Korea, Japan lost last strength and opportunities to continue the war. On September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, Japanese representatives signed an act of surrender, which brought the Second World War to an end.

Operation in Manchuria 1945. Defeat of the Kwantung Army. The Soviet Army is preparing for a liberation campaign

balance of power

Japan

USSR

Operation plan

fighting

Operation results

Collection of ideal social studies essays

Anti-Soviet rebellion in Hungary (1956)