Harbin–Kirin Operation
Part of the Soviet-Japanese War of World War II
Date 9 August – 2 September 1945 Location Harbin Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
Soviet Union	Japan  Manchukuo
Commanders and leaders
Kirill Meretskov	Senichi Kushibuchi[1]
Strength
589,000 soldiers.[2]	250,000 soldiers[3]
Casualties and losses
22,367[4]	42,000[2]

Harbin–Kirin Operation was a military operation of the Red Army against the Japanese Forces during the Soviet-Japanese War. Conducted from August 9 to September 2, 1945, by troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front and Pacific Fleet with the goal of defeating the Kwantung Army in eastern Manchukuo and northern Korea. Part of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria

Plan

On June 28, 1945, the troops of the Primorsky Group of Forces^[5] in the directive Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 11113 an order was given to prepare an offensive operations in central Manchuria.^[6] When developing an operation plan it was required:

• deliver the main blow in the general direction to Mulin, Mudanjiang with the forces of the 1st Red Banner and 5th armies, one mechanized corps and one cavalry division, while using the bulk of the 1st Guards Breakthrough Artillery Division
• deliver an auxiliary strike in the direction of Mishan by the forces of the 35th Army;
• part of the forces of the 25th Army to deliver an auxiliary attack in the direction of Hunchun, Antu, with the goal of subsequently capturing the ports of Korea Ranan, Seishin and Racine;
• complete all preparations for the operation by July 25.

Subsequently, as part of the entire Manchurian strategic operation, the front was to advance on Xinjing and Jilin, together with the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front, to encircle and defeat the main forces of the Kwantung Army .

Composition and strengths of the parties

Operation

On the night of August 9, heavy rain began to fall in the zone of action of the front's strike group. This circumstance forced the Soviet command to adjust the operation plan. It was decided to launch an offensive under cover of darkness and bad weather without artillery preparation.^[8] At 1 a.m. on August 9, advanced detachments of rifle troops and border guards crossed the Soviet-Chinese border. The rain, hiding movements, contributed to the achievement of surprise, which allowed Soviet troops to break into fortified areas and take the enemy by surprise. By morning, the advanced detachments managed to advance 3–10 km deep into the Japanese defense. At 8:30 a.m. the main forces of the front went on the offensive. By the end of the first day of the operation, the 5th Army broke through the Suifenhei fortified area and advanced up to 23 km. The 1st Red Banner Army, advancing in difficult conditions of mountain-taiga terrain with complete impassability, covered 5–6 km in a day.

The offensive of the 35th Army in the auxiliary direction began with a strong artillery attack on enemy strongholds. Then the main forces of the army crossed Ussuri and Sungacha and, having overcome a vast swampy area, by the end of the day reached Hutou, a powerful hub of resistance.

The offensive of the 25th Army developed successfully, which by noon on August 10, with its main forces, captured the main strongholds of the Japanese defense and liberated the cities of Dongning, Tumen and Hunchun. At the same time, the left-flank formations of the army advancing along the coast of the Sea of Japan, with artillery support from ships of the Pacific Fleet, successfully overcame long-term enemy fortifications on the border with Korea. On August 12, through joint actions of the 393rd Rifle Division and the Pacific Fleet paratroopers, the port cities of Yuki and Racine landing.^[9] In the following days, Soviet troops captured a number of settlements. The battle lasted for four days for a large industrial center and a Japanese naval base, the city of Seishin (Chongjin). With the loss of Korean ports, the Kwantung Army lost contact with Japan.

By the end of August 14, Soviet troops broke through all border fortified areas and advanced 120–150 km deep into Manchuria. One of the targets on the way of the attackers was an important road junction, a large city in Eastern Manchuria - Mudanjiang. Back on August 13, the 26th Rifle Corps under the command of Major General Skvortsov, Alexander Vasilyevich burst into the city from the north and started fighting in its streets. However, soon, under the pressure of counterattacking Japanese troops, the corps was forced to retreat 8–10 km northeast of the city. Only on August 16, formations of the 1st Red Banner and 5th Armies, as a result of a four-day assault, captured this large center of resistance and thereby dismembered the 1st Front of the Kwantung Army. Having captured the city, Soviet troops entered the operational space and launched a rapid offensive against Harbin and Girin.

On August 17, the mass surrender of Japanese troops began. To speed up their surrender, airborne assaults were landed in a number of large cities, including Harbin, Girin and Heijo from August 18 to 24. In addition, to capture important industrial centers, strong mobile detachments were created, which, through swift action, were supposed to prevent the Japanese from exporting or destroying material assets.

Despite the fact that the organized resistance of the Japanese troops was broken, their individual groups, remaining completely cut off from the main forces, continued to fight. However, they were soon destroyed or captured.

References

Sources

• Харбино-Гиринская наступательная операция на сайте «Боевые действия Красной Армии в ВОВ»