Liberation of South Sakhalin 1945. Progress of the South Sakhalin operation

The operation of the Soviet army and navy to liberate South Sakhalin from Japanese troops during World War II was successfully completed.

Under the terms of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1905, which ended the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Russia ceded the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan (at the 50th parallel of the northern latitude), provided that both sides did not build any military fortifications on the island. The treaty also provided for the withdrawal of both Russian and Japanese troops from Manchuria (northeast of modern China).

In 1925, when diplomatic relations were established with Japan, the Soviet government recognized the treaty with the proviso that it did not bear political responsibility for it, and conscientiously carried out it. Japan, on the other hand, violated the treaty by occupying Manchuria in 1931 and building fortifications on southern Sakhalin.

During World War II, at the Tehran Conference of Country Leaders anti-Hitler coalition in 1943, the USSR agreed in principle to enter the war against Japan.

The Soviet-American-British agreement worked out in Yalta in February 1945 specified that the USSR would enter the war with Japan 2-3 months after Germany's surrender, subject to the "restoration of the rights belonging to Russia, violated by the treacherous attack of Japan in 1904" - the return of the southern part Sakhalin.

True to its obligations, the USSR declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945. The next day began the Manchurian offensive, the successful development of which created the preconditions for strikes against Japanese troops in other sectors of the front.

Prepared later by the American command for Pacific and agreed with the allies "General Order No. 1" ordered the Japanese troops on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands to surrender to the Soviet command.

August 10, the commander-in-chief of the Soviet forces in the Far East, Marshal Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky ordered the command of the 2nd Far Eastern Front (Colonel General Maksim Purkaev) to prepare and carry out an operation to liberate South Sakhalin before August 25.

Parts of the Red Army in the north of the island were united by the command of the 56th Rifle Corps of Guards Major General Anatoly Dyakonov. The main forces of the corps were rifle division, a tank brigade and three artillery regiments. The operation also involved a separate rifle brigade of the 16th Army (Major General Leonty Cheremisov), a Marine battalion and ships of the Northern Pacific Flotilla (Vice Admiral Vladimir Andreev). These forces were based on the continental ports of Sovetskaya Gavan and Vanino. The operation was supported by a mixed air division (about 100 aircraft).

South Sakhalin was defended by the 88th Japanese Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Toichiro Mineki), units of the field gendarmerie and reservists (about 30 thousand people in total). A fortified area equipped along the border 50th parallel north of the city of Coton (Pobedino), blocking the only road from north to south of the island along the valley of the Poronai River, served as a support for the defense.

The plan of the operation provided for the breakthrough of the border fortified area by the forces of the 56th corps and the defeat of the Japanese group with the participation of landing forces landing from the sea, who had the task of, among other things, preventing the evacuation of enemy troops and material assets from the island.

Starting the offensive on August 11, units of the 56th corps by the end of August 18 captured the border fortifications and continued to move south in the direction of the administrative center of South Sakhalin, Toyohara (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk).

In parallel, in the period from 16 to 25 August, marines and fighters transported from the continent rifle brigade The 16th Army captured the ports of Toro (Shakhtersk) and Maoka (Kholmsk) and the Otomari (Korsakov) naval base. On August 25, Toyohara was taken. More than 18 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers surrendered.

The 79th Rifle Division, 113th Separate Rifle Brigade, 255th Mixed Air Division and several other units that distinguished themselves in battles received the honorary names "Sakhalin".

The defeat of the Japanese troops on Sakhalin predetermined the success of the Kuril landing operation, during which by September 1, 1945 soviet troops cleared of the enemy all the Kuril Islands, torn away by Japan in 1855-1875.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

After the surrender of Germany, the smoldering hotbed of World War II remained in Asia Pacific... Here Japan was the aggressor - this country was the main target of the allies. With the victory over the Empire of the Rising Sun, one could speak of the end of the war as a whole.

The United States was especially interested in victory - the country was one of the leaders in the Pacific region and the proximity to the aggressive Empire that occupied half of the Far East (southern Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, Korea, Manchuria) was not very profitable for it. The USSR was also interested in the defeat of Japan - during the war, incidents involving Soviet ships and Japanese border guards became more frequent. There were both casualties and sunken ships. The USSR could not come to terms with the fact that Japan actually controlled all the country's actions in the Pacific Ocean: it prohibited and allowed the passage of ships through the straits, and it arbitrarily initiated inspections and inspections.

Agreements on the entry of the USSR into the war with the Land of the Rising Sun were reached by Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in February 1945 during the Yalta conference: the country of the Soviets promised to enter the war 2-3 months after the victory over Germany.

In the summer of 1945, the plans of the Allies for the complete destruction of the aggressors began to come true: the real signs of war touched on South Sakhalin, which was previously considered the deep rear of the Japanese Empire.

On June 12, an American submarine shelled Tyuleniy Island. A few days later, a steamer was torpedoed in Aniva Bay, and a couple more ships were blown up in the port of Maoka and in the La Perouse Strait. Regular sea traffic between South Sakhalin and Hokkaido was disrupted. On the night of July 17, American saboteurs, disembarking from a submarine, derailed a freight train near Shirahama station. The USSR was also preparing for war: from May 1945 on the Trans-Siberian Railway, day and night, echelons with troops and military equipment were moving east one after another.

People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov conveyed a statement to the Japanese government that the Soviet Union was joining the Postdam Declaration and, having accepted the proposals of the allies, would join the fight against the aggressor, and from August 9, he would consider itself at war with Japan. The second world War entered its final stage.

On the night of August 9, the troops of three fronts - Transbaikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern - crossed the border with Manchuria and Korea. They delivered coordinated strikes designed to dismember and destroy the main forces of the Kwantung Army. From the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, they were supported by the Pacific Fleet. Simultaneously with the offensive in Manchuria, Soviet troops deployed fighting on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

Nemirny island

According to the 1905 Portsmouth Peace Treaty, the Karafuto border strip was declared a demilitarized zone. But by 1945, in violation of agreements forty years ago, the area of \u200b\u200bthe 50th parallel was turned by the Japanese command into a real fortress - a whole chain of bunkers and fortifications stretched along the border. The main Japanese defensive posts were seriously fortified. For example, the Khandasa police post (today - Smirnykhovsky district) was a closed quadrangle - concrete bunkers at the tops, earthen ramparts, ditches and barbed wire along the perimeter.

The main line of the ground defense of Karafuto was the Khamitogsky fortified area, deployed near the village of Koton (modern Pobedino). The Sakhalin "Manerheim wall" stretches for 12 kilometers of the front, the depth of the fortification was 16 kilometers. The fortification consisted of 2 lines of defense. The main one included 3 resistance nodes and several strong points, where the Japanese had 25-30 bunkers, about 100 bunkers, anti-tank ditches, and wire barriers. The second line ran in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kiton village (now Smirnykh). The western flank of this defensive line rested against the mountain range, in the east - against the wooded swampy valley of the Poronai River.

South of the Kharamitegs was Coton. There were 17 reinforced concrete pillboxes, 31 artillery and 108 machine-gun bunkers, 28 artillery and 18 mortar positions, up to 150 shelters, as well as traditional anti-tank ditches and barbed wire.

In addition to concrete and steel, Karafuto was defended by Japanese soldiers of the 88th division, consisting of 4 regiments, a corps of reservists and a border guard. About 5.5 thousand people were concentrated in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Poronai River, near the state border. Military airfields were set up in Shikuk (Poronaysk) and Toyohar (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk). All of Sakhalin was entangled with telegraph lines.

Die Hard Karafuto

On August 8, the USSR officially entered the war with Japan, and on August 9, Soviet soldiers launched an offensive in the area of \u200b\u200bthe 50th parallel. The liberation of the southern part of Sakhalin was entrusted to the formations of the 16th Army under the command of Major General L.E. Cheremisov and ships of the Northern Pacific Flotilla, which was commanded by admiral V.A. Andreev.

According to the concept of the operation, the main attack by the forces of the 56th Rifle Corps fell on the area of \u200b\u200bthe 50th parallel and further south, along railroadleading to the capital of the Karafuto Governorate - Toyohara. The rifle corps consisted of the 79th rifle division, the 2nd and 5th rifle and tank brigades, two tank battalions, a machine-gun regiment, three artillery regiments and a machine-gun and rifle company.

The ground forces were supported by the 255th Mixed Aviation Division. Soviet aviation first opened hostilities on the island. Starting from August 9, weather permitting, it bombed military targets in southern Sakhalin.

The Soviet troops were opposed by the 88th Infantry Division with headquarters in Toyohara, units of the border guards and units of reservists from among the local population. The main enemy forces, numbering over 5 thousand people, were located in the valley of the Poronai River. Long before the war, the Japanese command erected the Kharamitogsky fortified area in this direction, which consisted of a forefield and two defense lines. The first, and main, zone of defense included three resistance centers north of the village of Coton (Pobedino) and several separate strongholds. Here the Japanese had about 17 reinforced concrete pillboxes and bunkers, anti-tank ditches, many trenches, barbed wire and minefields. There were practically no Japanese aviation and navy left on Sakhalin - by August 1945, the command had transferred them to defend the mother country in Manchuria. The assault on the Kharamite fortifications was a decisive event for the outcome of the entire South Sakhalin operation.

Early in the morning of August 11, Soviet troops crossed the state border at the 50th parallel. The 79th Rifle Division advancing in the first echelon under the command of Major General I.P. Baturova immediately met with fierce resistance. Its forward detachment is a battalion under the command of Captain G.G. Svetetsky tried to seize a large stronghold of Khandas on the move, but without artillery and tanks, he was forced to go over to the defensive. A stubborn battle ensued. By August 12, when the Khandas stronghold was surrounded and his fate was sealed, the Soviet command offered the Japanese surrender. But the Japanese garrison rejected this proposal. After half an hour of artillery work by strikes from the front and rear, it was destroyed.

The rest of the enemy strongholds were also blocked, but each of them had to be taken with a fight. Retreating, the Japanese blew up bridges, made ditches and blockages on the roads. Already in the first battles, Soviet troops had to face Japanese snipers disguised in thickets and trees. These snipers, or "cuckoos" as they were called, had excellent tactics. When found in the trees, they fell like a stone along the ropes to the ground and disappeared into the deep taiga to take their next position. Small groups and lonely Japanese "suicide bombers" infiltrated the rear with the aim of reconnaissance and sabotage.

Acting on the auxiliary direction of the 179th rifle regiment On August 12, he launched a surprise attack and, in a short hand-to-hand combat, defeated the Japanese stronghold of Mueka (Pervomayskoye). With the onset of darkness, the battalion under the command of Leonid Smirnykh moved through the swamps of the Poronaisk Valley to Coton. The soldiers walked waist-deep in water, pulling out military equipment in their hands. The enemy did not expect the appearance of Soviet troops in the rear of their main defense line. For five days, the battalion withstood Japanese counterattacks and killed hundreds of enemy soldiers.

Even the tragic death of the commander - Leonid Smirnykh was killed by a sniper's bullet on August 16 - did not break the morale of the infantrymen. Later, one of the captured Japanese officers admitted that the report that the Russians had passed through the swamps, and even at night, was first perceived by his command as an invention. After that, units of the 79th Rifle Division could attack the Khamitogsky fortified area from the north and from the south. But the Japanese soldiers fought hard, even when they were surrounded.

The difficult terrain also affected - often the Soviet troops were unable to place artillery for direct fire. Therefore, in the companies, special assault detachments were created - the soldiers broke through to the pillboxes, after which they destroyed the garrison of the fortification with grenades or flamethrowers. In one of the sections, a company of the Svetetsky battalion lay down under the fire of a machine-gun bunker. Sergeant Anton Buyukly volunteered to suppress him, but he could not do it the first time. He was wounded and he ran out of grenades. The count went on for seconds, and at that moment, as the participants in the battle said, Anton Buyukly rushed to the embrasure and closed it with his body.

The battle on the Kharamite Heights went on for a week. Assault groups, tanks and artillery smashed Japanese bunkers and bunkers one after another. Only in the evening of August 19, the remnants of the Japanese garrison, more than 3 thousand soldiers and officers, having laid down their arms, began to surrender. Almost simultaneously with the "land" war in the Kharamitoge-Koton fortified area, amphibious assault operations began in the ports of southern Sakhalin. They were planned by the Soviet command in order to secure the western flank of the 56th Rifle Corps, advancing on Toyohara, and to prevent the evacuation of Japanese troops, equipment and material values \u200b\u200bto Hokkaido. The main role in this was assigned to the ships and units of the marines of the Northern Pacific Flotilla (STOF), which was based in Sovetskaya Gavan. The first landing, numbering up to one and a half thousand people, landed on August 16 in the port of Toro (Shakhtersk). The military forces of the Japanese were limited here, but the fighting in the Toro area and the vicinity of the neighboring town of Esutora (Uglegorsk) lasted for almost two days. Street fighting in these cities was very fierce and resulted in a large number of civilian casualties.

The second landing force landed on August 20 at the port of Maoka (Kholmsk). These were units of the 113th separate rifle brigade. The Japanese showed desperate resistance here too - street battles were raging throughout the city, whole neighborhoods were burning. In the battles, Japanese troops lost more than 300 killed and 600 prisoners. It was decided to retreat to Kamyshovy Pass. Soviet troops lost 77 people in the battles for Maoko. The next city that surrendered to the Soviet troops was Honto (Nevelsk) - it was occupied by Soviet paratroopers during a march along the coastal road. After capturing the main ports of the western coast, units of the 113th separate rifle division moved towards Toyehara. On August 21 and 22, fierce battles took place here - units of the imperial army fought for every slope and railway junction. The confrontation near Futomato turned out to be especially tense. Here, Soviet troops destroyed about 30 Japanese firing points. The gun crew of junior sergeant Yevgeny Chaplanov took a heroic death here - this place now bears the name of the hero-artilleryman.

Another amphibious assault on the morning of 25 August landed at Otomari (Korsakov). The garrison of the naval base of the 40,000th city capitulated without a fight. On the evening of August 24, 1945, an advance detachment of paratroopers of the 113th separate rifle brigade under the command of Lieutenant Colonel M.N. entered the city of Toyohara from the Kamyshovy Pass. Tetyushkina. At this time, the combat units of the 56th Rifle Corps, overcoming the resistance of the Japanese troops who were defending Haramitogi, advanced from the north of the 50th parallel. With the occupation of Toyohara, the Yuzhno-Sakhalin operation, carried out by the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and the formations of the ships of the Pacific Fleet, ended. By August 28, southern Sakhalin was completely liberated from the Japanese invaders. More than 18,000 soldiers and officers surrendered to the Soviet army.

Veterans of the Great Patriotic War left many memories of how Soviet soldiers fought against the Japanese enemy.

Pavel Gordeevich Kolosov

“The Japanese fought very selflessly. On the one hand, the Japs, I myself saw - on the protection of bridges and roads, had machine gunners chained. They had Hotchkiss machine guns, old ones. With a disc. Another example. Peace was concluded, and we had to deal with the disarmament of the batteries. Cannons of 1902-1903 of the Obukhov plant even from that japanese war remained. Our task is for them to surrender their weapons. You come, imagine, to us, guys, how much did it cost? The battery commander sits down, pulls out his sword and - hara-kiri ... Then the non-commissioner deals with us. Such was the case. This is a must see. "

Alexander Dmitrievich Popov

“I was almost killed by a Japanese samurai. With a group of scouts, we crossed the river. Senior Lieutenant Glushenko was with me. When, having crossed to the opposite bank, I lay down and bent down, a knife flew from the hands of one samurai. They were very cruel. I remember one more such case. On the river, our group met with samurai. They tried to throw my people into the river, but they didn't succeed. One of them, apparently a kamikaze suicide bomber, tried to set off some kind of bomb. But one of my scouts intercepted this device in time. "

Ivan Vasilievich Kirdyanov

“The so-called“ suicide bombers, ”kamikaze, who never surrendered and fought to the last, also fought against us. In the fields, they had underground communications and each had their own manhole. They were chained to their burrows and provided with the necessary amount of ammunition and provisions. When our infantry attacked, they crawled out of all cracks and offered fierce resistance, they could not retreat. "

Joseph Borisovich Nemoytin

“At one o'clock in the morning we went on the offensive - around the dark, pouring rain! We joined hands so that no one was lost, and so we walked. When we approached the base of the hill, most of the regiment went around the mountain on the left, and the rest on the right. We also bypassed the bunkers, soon our battalion came out on the road, and only then the Japanese opened fire. Then our artillery turned on, and when it began to dawn, the aviation also went. How they began to bomb! It was impossible to look ahead - everything was black with smoke. "

Alexander Nikolaevich Ivanov

“At one time they brought in Japanese prisoners, a whole battalion, and we began to communicate with them. I had a contract with one: I did not smoke, but received tobacco, I tell him: "You will wash me, and I will give you tobacco." He washed my tunic, pants, I gave him tobacco. Ordinary guys, but these are ordinary people in captivity. In general, the Japanese are the best soldiers in the world. Could surrender to desperate situation our soldier, German, American, anyone could, but not a Japanese! For them, dying in battle is a worthy death! They have two deaths - an ordinary death (accident or illness) and a worthy death (in battle or shipuko, we call hara-kiri, but correct name sipuko) ".

Kurils are the last to surrender

Perhaps the most dramatic, difficult and bloody stage in the liberation of Sakhalin and the Kuriles was the operation on the islands of the Kuril ridge. Fierce resistance, insurmountable fortifications, trained garrisons - the imperial army in the Kuril Islands was ready for a long and bloody defense.

The liberation of the Kuriles was carried out by the Soviet leadership in two directions at once: from the north, the forces of the Kamchatka defensive region fell on the fortified islands of Shumshu and Paramushir. Their task was to capture the northern part of the Kuril ridge - up to and including the island of Urup. The southern part of the Kuriles was liberated by the forces of the 87th Rifle Corps, which joined the operation after the end of the fighting on southern Sakhalin. In preparation for the Kuril landing operation, the Soviet command was in a frank hurry - on August 14, Japan announced its surrender, on the 20th the Kwantung Army surrendered, it was on the way to an official peace, and the territories necessary for the USSR were never occupied. The Americans began to claim their rights to the Kuril Islands - they demanded that the Union place military bases on the islands.

The first "northern" stage of the Kuril landing began on August 17 - about 50 slow-moving ships left the Avacha Bay in Kamchatka and headed for Shumsha. The landing force approached the Japanese fortress island in thick fog in the early morning of 18 August. In a fierce battle, often turning into a bayonet, the Soviet paratroopers managed to break through the Japanese defenses between the Kokutan and Kotomari capes and occupy a small bridgehead in the north of Shumshu. Particularly fierce battles unfolded for heights 165 and 171. Having lost about 100 tanks and over 100 people killed, the Japanese briefly stopped the offensive and went into a deep defensive position - Soviet soldiers pressed against the shore, showing miracles of heroism, suppressed pillbox after pillbox, embrasure behind embrasure.

The airborne division provided support for the landing - it delivered massive strikes against the bases of Kataoka and Kashiwabara. On the morning of August 19, the Japanese command transferred forces to Shumshu from neighboring Paramushir. Now the defense of the fortress island was held by 5 infantry battalions, about 60 tanks and 70 artillery pieces. The parties were preparing for battle - a general battle unfolded for Shumshu.

The air force entered into action - for 6 hours it continuously bombed Japanese bases, the infantry attack began - the enemy was thrown 5-6 kilometers into the interior of the island. Heavy battles and losses forced the Japanese command to surrender - more than 12 thousand Japanese soldiers surrendered to Shumshu. The island-fortress completely surrendered only by the evening of August 23 - the six-day bloody assault ended with the victory of the USSR.

The bloodless garrisons of the other northern Kuril islands surrendered without a fight - on August 24, the imperial flags were lowered on Paramushir, until August 27, Onekotan, Shiashkotan and Matua were occupied. Urup was occupied on August 28-31.

Japanese resistance in the Northern Kuriles was completely suppressed. The second stage of the landing operation on the Kuriles was being prepared in Otomari, occupied by Soviet troops. August 28 soviet intelligence officers landed in Rubetsu Bay on Iturup. Soon the main landing force also landed on the island. The island's garrison surrendered without a fight - more than 13 thousand soldiers, led by the lieutenant general, laid down their arms. On September 1, Soviet troops were already in Furukamappu Bay on Kunashir - 1200 soldiers decided to surrender without a fight. On the same day, more than 600 people landed in the Shakotan Bay on Shikotan. Here, almost 5,000 Japanese servicemen announced their surrender.

The rest of the islands of the Kuril south were liberated before August 5 - despite the fact that Japan's surrender took place on September 2. Almost all the southern Kuril garrisons surrendered without a fight - the soldiers torn away from the metropolis no longer saw any reason to continue the slaughter. In total, during the Kuril landing operation, more than 50 thousand soldiers and officers were captured.

Speech by Georgy Zhukov on the victory over Japan in 1945.

Sakhalin, 23 August, SakhalinMedia. The headquarters of the main command of the Soviet troops of the Far East, evaluating the success of the actions of the Trans-Baikal and Far Eastern fronts in the first days of the war with Japan, on August 11, she decided to start hostilities to liberate South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. This task was assigned to units of the 16th Army, located in Kamchatka and Sakhalin, as well as the formations of the Second Far Eastern Front and the forces of the Pacific Fleet. The mournful list of warriors who gave their lives in battles in the south of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands numbers about 2000 people. For the liberation of the islands, hundreds of soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals, 14 people were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Military historian and writer Alexey Sukonkin specially for RIA PrimaMedia prepared material on the progress and results of the Sakhalin and Kuril operations.

Instead of a preface: “The Japanese came here in 1905 in order to quickly export timber, furs, coal, fish, gold from South Sakhalin for forty years in a row. They did not feel like the masters of this land. They were in a hurry, anticipating their short Sakhalin century, " - this is how the famous writer-marine painter Nikolai Cherkashin described the Japanese order on Sakhalin very accurately.

Back in 1905, as a result of the signing humiliating for Russia Portsmouth Peace Treaty, Russia has lost southern half Sakhalin - up to the 50th parallel. However, the Japanese went further - in 1920, taking advantage of the virtual absence of real power on Sakhalin, they occupied the entire island and returned beyond the 50th parallel only in 1925 after the signing of the Soviet-Japanese Convention on the Basic Principles of Relations (Beijing Treaty of 1925). Nevertheless, the USSR was forced to grant Japan the right to concession on coal, oil and fish resources - such a relaxation was caused, first of all, by the desire to stabilize the already complicated relations between the parties. As a result, Japan withdrew its troops, but began to actively develop the natural resources of Northern Sakhalin. At the same time, the Japanese side systematically violated concession contracts, creating conflict situations with the Soviet side.

Soon the situation changed, and in 1941, during the conclusion of the Soviet-Japanese pact of neutrality (April 13), the USSR raised the question of eliminating Japanese concessions in Northern Sakhalin. Japan gave written consent to this, but delayed its implementation for three years. And only convincing victories Soviet army over German troops prompted the Japanese government to comply with the previously given consent. On March 30, 1944, a Protocol was signed in Moscow on the liquidation of the Japanese oil and coal concessions in Northern Sakhalin and the transfer of all concession property of the Japanese side to the Soviet side. For some reason, it is not customary to voice this fact, highlighting the complex Soviet-Japanese relations of that period.

On April 5, 1945, Vyacheslav Molotov received the Japanese ambassador, Naotake Sato, and informed him that the extension of the Treaty of Neutrality of the Parties in conditions when Japan is at war with the allies of the USSR is meaningless and becomes impossible, and therefore this treaty is subject to denunciation. The Japanese ambassador noted that only the annulment of the treaty terminates its validity, and that denunciation does not legally cancel the treaty until the end of the agreed period - April 13, 1946. The parties remained unanimous, and on July 26, 1945, the United States, Britain and China turned to Japan with a proposal for unconditional surrender. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan ...

Training

A month and a half before the start of the war with Japan, units of the 79th Infantry Division, which were located in the northern part of Sakhalin, began training to overcome the barrier strips and destroy long-term firing points. The seriousness of intentions is evidenced by the fact that in the 79th division an exact copy of the Japanese Kharamitogsky (another name - Kotonsky UR) fortified area was built - in full size, with the exact location of all known firing points, all obstacles and minefields. And the soldiers day after day, until the seventh sweat, learned to storm enemy positions.

The geographic configuration of the central part of Sakhalin Island determined the only possible way from south to north and back - along the valley of the Poronai River. On both sides, the valley was squeezed by mountain ranges, which in themselves were already a natural barrier for the troops. And the Japanese closed the road and the river valley with the powerful Kharamitogsky fortified area, which occupied up to 12 km along the front and up to 16 km in depth. The flanks of the fortified area rested in the west against an inaccessible mountain ridge, and in the east against the wooded-swampy valley of the Poronai River. The construction of the structures was started back in 1939. Dozens of caponiers and other fortifications were built here.

In total, there were 17 reinforced concrete pillboxes, 31 artillery and 108 machine-gun emplacements, 28 artillery and 18 mortar positions, and up to 150 different shelters in the fortified area.

All these structures were located along the road connecting Northern Sakhalin with Southern Sakhalin, as well as along country roads and paths - that is, in places where hostilities were likely to unfold. The fortification was protected by anti-tank ditches, barbed wire, minefields and provided with a large supply of food. The garrison of the fortified area consisted of the 125th Infantry Regiment of the 88th Infantry Division, an artillery division, and a reconnaissance detachment of the same division. In total, there were at least 5,400 Japanese troops.

Forward to attack!

The hostilities on Sakhalin began with naval air strikes against various objects of the Japanese military infrastructure.

At 9 a.m. on August 11, the 79th Rifle Division (commander - Major General I.P. Baturov), the 2nd Rifle Brigade (Colonel A.M. Schekala), the 214th Tank Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel A.T. Timirgaleev ), as well as the 178th and 678th separate tank battalions, a separate Sakhalin rifle regiment and the 82nd separate rifle and machine-gun company crossed the state border of the USSR and Japan and began operations to break through the Japanese fortified area. Vanguard of the 165th infantry regiment 79th Infantry Division at 11 o'clock in the morning struck up a battle for the border stronghold of Honda. The commander of the forward detachment, Captain Grigory Svetetsky, captured four pillboxes and firmly established himself on the achieved line, but the Japanese blew up the bridge over the river, which closed the passage for the tanks. This option was calculated, and using the logs prepared in advance, the Soviet soldiers built a new crossing (!!!) overnight, along which tanks moved in the morning. Having sent one company to bypass, Svetetsky was able to block the enemy, blocking his path to retreat. In the evening, the enemy garrison chose to surrender. The capture of Honda made it possible to reach the front edge of the main line of defense of the Kharamitogsky fortified area. For the skillful organization of the battle and the courage and heroism shown at the same time, Captain Grigory Grigorievich Svetetsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On the night of August 12, while the 165th and 157th regiments of the 79th division finished off the garrison of the strongpoint, the advance detachment of the 179th regiment under the command of Captain Leonid Smirnykh secretly passed through a swampy area along the Poronai River (waist-deep in water, holding weapons overhead!) and unexpectedly for the enemy attacked the stronghold of Muika. In the course of a swift hand-to-hand combat, the strong point was captured, and its garrison was destroyed. All these actions added up to a piggy bank of success, but they were given at a great price - killed and wounded appeared in the units. On the night of August 13, Captain Smirnykh led his battalion to the next strongpoint, and in the morning they reached Coton, the main defense center of the entire fortified area. Immediately, the battalion attempted to seize the railway station, but a machine-gun bunker blocked their way, which did not allow them to move forward. To destroy the enemy firing point, a group of five fighters was assigned: four were to conduct continuous fire at the embrasure, and senior sergeant Anton Buyukly, armed with grenades, crawled forward, pushing a heavy machine gun in front of him. Hiding behind the armored shield of the Maxim machine gun, he was able to crawl almost point-blank to the bunker. From here he threw several grenades and the enemy machine gun fell silent. The company raised with a shout: "Hurray!", But the machine gun came to life - wounded and killed appeared in the chain of attackers.

And then Anton Efimovich Buyukly got up, pushed the "Maxim" forward, closed the embrasure with it and piled on top, holding his machine gun so that it would not be blown away from the embrasure by enemy bullets. The brave warrior received several severe wounds to his arms and legs, but continued to close the embrasure until his last breath - until the advancing company overcame the area under fire.

At the cost of his life, he cut off the fire of the enemy machine gun, which ensured the success of the actions of the entire regiment. Anton Buyukly was posthumously awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And the garrison of the Japanese bunker, which caused so many problems to the attackers, the comrades of the deceased Hero did not take prisoner - they burned it with a flamethrower.

Hero of the USSR Anton Buyukly. Photo: Courtesy of the author

The battle for Coton ended only on the second day. Taking his subordinates into battle, on August 16, battalion commander Leonid Vladimirovich Smirnykh died a heroic death. His bold and decisive actions determined success in capturing an important knot of resistance, and his feat was appreciated according to his merits - by the decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Two settlements of Sakhalin are now named after him and their surname - the villages of Leonidovo and Smirnykh.

In Coton, over 3,300 Japanese troops surrendered to Soviet troops. Having broken through the Kharamitogsky fortified area, the 79th Rifle Division entered the operational space and already on August 20 liberated the city of Sikuka (modern Poronaysk). Further, the Soviet units moved south in the direction of Toyohara (now Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), and the marines came to their aid.

The landing went to Sakhalin!

On August 16, in order to assist the advancing troops in the speedy seizure of the island to the western and southern parts of Sakhalin, the 16th Army began to land from the ships of the Northern Pacific Flotilla.

The port of Toro (now Shakhtersk) was chosen for the landing of the first amphibious assault, the purpose of which was to block the coastal road and further assist the units of the 79th division, which, having broken through the Japanese fortified area, advanced to the south of the island.

As a landing, it was decided to use the 365th separate battalion Marine Corps of the Northern Pacific Flotilla, as well as the second battalion of the 113th separate rifle brigade. In Sovetskaya Gavan and Vanino, the landing party boarded the ships of the landing convoy, which consisted of four minesweepers, nineteen torpedo boats and six patrol boats, as well as a minelayer and a patrol ship. They were supposed to provide artillery support to the landing force at the time of the landing and the battle for the bridgehead. Captain 1st Rank A.I. Leonov was appointed the commander of the landing force, and Lieutenant Colonel K.P. Tavkhutdinov, the commander of the landing force, was the commander of the 365th separate marine battalion.

The passage of ships with a landing party on board through the Tatar Strait took place in the most difficult conditions of dense fog and stormy weather. The worst of all was for the crews and the landing of small torpedo boats - they were thrown from side to side, many people began to be overcome by seasickness.

The disembarkation itself was made directly to the quays and pier of the port, as well as to the sandbank adjacent to the port. In the early morning of August 16, the first to land was a reconnaissance detachment, whose task was to suppress a small Japanese garrison. Following was the landing of the main landing force, after which the marines and riflemen moved in a southeast direction, breaking the resistance of small Japanese units. By the end of the day, Toro, Nishi-Onura, Taihe, and New Haku were cleared of the Japanese.

The aircraft of the Pacific Fleet provided great assistance to the landed assault force during periods when flight weather was established. Bombers and attack aircraft operated in conditions of weak enemy air defense, which the Japanese provided only with the use of anti-aircraft machine guns. It turned out that the Japanese had no combat aircraft on the island.

In development of the achieved success of the first landing, the Soviet command decides to send a subsequent amphibious assault to the port of Maoka ( modern name - Kholmsk).

The ships assigned to the landing were consolidated into three landing squads, a fire support squad and a guard squad. The first landing party consisted of seven patrol boats, the second - of four minesweepers, the third - of three transports, a rescue vessel and a tug. The Okean minelayer and the Zarnitsa patrol ship were included in the fire support detachment, and four torpedo boats were included in the guard detachment. Based on the experience of the operation already carried out in Toro, it was decided to make the landing directly to the port berths. It was also assumed that there would not be a long separation in time between the first assault force (assault squad of machine gunners), the first echelon (the combined battalion of the marines) and the second echelon (the 113th rifle brigade). Captain 1st Rank A.I. Leonov was again appointed commander of the landing forces, and Colonel I.Z.Zakharov, commander of the 113th rifle brigade, was appointed commander of the landing force.

On August 17, south of the port of Maoka, special operation - a reconnaissance group was landed from the submarine, which conducted reconnaissance of the landing sites, clarified the location of enemy firing points and the engineering support of the Japanese anti-amphibious defense system. The information received from the scouts allowed the command to plan more carefully the applications of the Marine Corps on this object.

On the morning of August 19, the landing ships headed for Maoku. The weather at the crossing by sea, which lasted about a day, was very bad, which led to a delay in the beginning of the disembarkation.

At 0730 hours on August 20, in a continuous fog, the ships were able to find the entrance to the central harbor of the port, after which patrol boats rushed into it with the first assault force. The enemy was taken by surprise, and the landing of the first thrust of the Soviet landing was completed quickly and without losses.

However, later on, as the landing party advanced inland, the enemy began to offer strong resistance.

By noon, the first landing echelon captured the entire territory of the port and engaged in battle in different parts of the city. Thanks to the bold and decisive actions of Soviet soldiers, the city of Maoka was taken by 14 o'clock. The losses of the Japanese amounted to more than 300 soldiers and officers killed, up to 600 prisoners. Fleeing from the devastating fire of the Soviet paratroopers, the samurai retreated along the railway inland. But there they were taken out by the main forces of the landing - on the night of 23 August, the 113th separate rifle brigade captured the Futomata railway station and launched an offensive on Otomari (Korsakov).

Kuril landing operation and the liberation of South Sakhalin. Japanese prisoners of war. Photo: Courtesy of the author

At this time, the headquarters of the Northern Pacific Flotilla was already preparing amphibious assault forces for the landing at Otomari, in order to deprive the Japanese command of the last opportunity to evacuate troops and cargo to Hokkaido. The decision to land this landing was taken immediately after the capture of the port of Maoka. The landing plan called for the landing of three battalions of the Marine Corps. Reference. During the build-up of forces for the upcoming landing on Hokkaido, the 357th Infantry Regiment of the 342nd Infantry Division, among others, was transferred to Maoko from Vladivostok. After the war, the division remained on Sakhalin, in 1957 it was reorganized into the 56th motorized rifle division, and the 357th rifle regiment - into the 390th motorized rifle regiment. And already on the basis of the 390th motorized rifle regiment The 390th Marine Regiment was formed, which was redeployed to Slavyanka, and was later deployed to the 55th Marine Division - which is today known as the 155th Marine Brigade, stationed in Vladivostok. This is the fate of our marines!

On the morning of August 23, a detachment of ships with a landing party on board headed for Otomari. The storm was such that the towing cables tore. The ships were forced to enter the port of Honto and wait out the stormy weather (at the same time, the surrender of a small local garrison was accepted). Due to the loss of time, the landing was landed in Otomari only in the morning of August 25, when the 113th rifle brigade was already approaching the outskirts of the city. By 10 o'clock in the morning, the Otomari naval base was liberated. The Japanese garrison of 3400 soldiers and officers laid down their arms and surrendered.

At the same time, the advanced units of the 79th Rifle Division entered the city of Toyohara (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk). By noon, the fighting on the island was over. As a result of the operation on Sakhalin, 18 320 Japanese soldiers and officers were taken prisoner.

And now - the Kuriles!

The liberation of the Kuril Islands was carried out by units of the 101st Infantry Division, as well as ships and vessels of the Petropavlovsk Naval Base, ships of the merchant fleet, as well as the 128th Mixed Aviation Division and the 2nd Separate Naval Bomber Regiment.

The idea of \u200b\u200bthe operation provided for a sudden landing on Shumshu Island with the task of seizing a bridgehead, ensuring the landing of the main landing forces and subsequently, violating the Japanese defense system, attacking the islands of Paramushir, Onekotan and others.

On the island of Shumshu, the Japanese had a strong military garrison, the basis of which was the 91st Infantry Division, two battalions of the 11th Tank Regiment and the 31st Air Defense Regiment, which together numbered more than 8,500 people, about 100 guns and mortars, and up to 60 tanks. On the island, 34 artillery pillboxes, 24 machine-gun pillboxes, 310 sheltered machine-gun points, numerous underground shelters for troops and military property up to 50 meters deep were equipped and camouflaged. Most of the defensive structures were connected by underground passages into a single defensive system.

The peculiarity of the landing operation on Shumshu was that it was developed in an extremely short time - in just a day.

During this time, the operators of the headquarters had to prepare, and the command had to make a decision to conduct a combat operation, give the necessary orders on a mass of issues, concentrate transport and landing vehicles at the loading points, deliver here parts of the 101st division, assigned for landing as an amphibious assault. Thanks to the high organization of the work of the command and subordinate headquarters, the selflessness of all personnel, the preparation of the landing operation was organized in an organized manner and was completed on time.

At five o'clock in the evening on August 17, a convoy with a landing party on board (a total of 64 pennants) left Avacha Bay to the Shumshu Island. The forward landing detachment consisted of a Marine Corps battalion commanded by Major T.A. Pochtarev, a company of machine gunners of Senior Lieutenant S.M. Inozemtsev, a mortar and sapper company, a reconnaissance platoon and a chemical defense platoon. Major P.I.Shutov, deputy commander of the 138th Rifle Regiment, was appointed commander of the forward detachment. In the first echelon of the landing there was the 138th rifle regiment, in the second echelon - the 373rd rifle regiment, an artillery regiment and a detachment of border guards.

Landing of amphibious forces on a ship before disembarking at Shumsha. Photo: Courtesy of the author

On August 18, at 4:30 a.m. on a three-kilometer stretch of coast between Kokutan and Kotomari Capes in the northeastern part of Shumshu Island, the landing of an advanced landing party began. The paratroopers had to pass a wide coastal shoal, after which they immediately captured two lines of empty trenches. It was only after the advance detachment had plunged two kilometers into the island that the Japanese finally discovered the landing.

The coastal batteries opened heavy fire. The Japanese command made every effort to disrupt the landing. Nevertheless, under deadly enemy fire, the advance detachment completed its immediate task - seized a bridgehead for the landing of the main landing force.

The ships approaching the point of disembarkation were subjected to brutal shelling. The pace of concentration of forces on the bridgehead remained low, artillery at the initial stage did not land at all. Until 9 o'clock in the morning, there was no radio communication of the fire support ships with the landed subunits, which is why the forward detachment could not issue target designations to defeat the main targets.

At the critical moment of the battle, the assistant to the commander of the marine corps platoon, foreman of the first class Nikolai Vilkov and sailor Pyotr Ilyichev approached the enemy bunker at a grenade throw distance. The bunker was silent for a minute, and the company rose to attack ... but the Japanese opened fire again, and then both marines covered two embrasures with their bodies.

The example of Alexander Matrosov was firmly entrenched in the minds of Soviet soldiers, who, even in this seemingly short war, in the heat of a fierce battle, often made this terrible, suicidal, but salutary decision for others. Posthumously, they both became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

And at the same time, other fighters of the vanguard fought with the Japanese tanks, which were trying to drop the landing into the sea. The commander of the submachine gunners, senior lieutenant S. M. Inozemtsev, destroyed two tanks from an anti-tank rifle. Junior Sergeant Sultanov jumped on an enemy tank and shot the crew from a machine gun through a viewing slot in the side of the tower.

From Paramushir, the Japanese began to transfer reinforcements to Shumshu, complicating the position of our landing party. The Japanese managed to sink or destroy seven landing craft, a border boat, two small boats by the fire of coastal batteries and the strikes of their aviation, seven landing ships and transport were also damaged.

So, the crew of a self-propelled barge consisting of foreman 1st article Vasily Sigov, minder Kryukov and sailor Kiselev, despite the mortal risk, were engaged in the transportation of troops and ammunition for three days without rest, evacuated the wounded.

Sigov was wounded in the head and arm, but continued to carry out a combat mission until the end of the landing operation.

For heroic actions, Vasily Sigov became a Hero of the Soviet Union, and his crew received military orders.

By the end of the day, the main landing forces were landed on the island, and on the night of August 19, artillery units appeared on the bridgehead - this became possible after the defeat of the coastal batteries, which did not allow the landing ships to approach the coast. By 11 o'clock the paratroopers were ready for a decisive offensive across the island, but the Japanese suddenly requested an armistice. Believing them, the Soviet command sent a detachment of ships to the Kataoka naval base to accept the surrender, but as soon as the Soviet ships were within the reach of the Japanese coastal batteries, they were immediately fired upon. As soon as the insidiousness of the enemy was revealed, the main forces of the landing, forgetting about the requested truce, launched a decisive offensive.

On August 2, having suffered a crushing defeat, the now truly Japanese began to lay down their arms. In total, one general, 525 officers and 11,700 soldiers were taken prisoner at Shumshu. Among the trophies were 57 field and 9 anti-aircraft guns, 214 light machine guns, 123 heavy machine guns, 20 anti-aircraft machine guns, 7420 rifles, several surviving tanks and 7 aircraft.

ACT of Japan's surrender. Photo: Courtesy of the author

The liberation of Shumshu Island was the decisive event of the entire Kuril landing operation - the occupation of the remaining islands did not require such a strain of forces from the Soviet troops. 91st Infantry Division, 18th and 19th Mortar Divisions, a company of the 11th Panzer Regiment), up to 50 guns and 17 tanks.

On August 25, a detachment of paratroopers landed on Matua - here the 41st separate mixed regiment was waiting for them, which surrendered in full force - 3795 people. Aside from the topic, I would like to note that recently a landing was again landed on Matua - this time the Russian military came there to build a military base from which in the future it will be possible to control almost all the islands of the Kuril ridge and the straits between them.

On August 28, the landing party landed on Urup, where it accepted the surrender of the Japanese 129th Infantry Brigade. On the same day, 13,500 people from the 89th Infantry Division surrendered on Iturup. On September 1, Kunashir was occupied - from it it was planned to develop an offensive on other islands, including Hokkaido - 1250 people surrendered here. On the same day, the garrison of Shikotan Island surrendered - the 4th Infantry Brigade in the amount of 4,800 people surrendered. By September 4, all the islands of the Kuril ridge were occupied.

After the fighting in Shumshu, the Pacific Fleet did not suffer any combat losses in the Kuril Islands region. In total, 50 442 Japanese soldiers and officers, including 4 generals, were disarmed and captured on the Kuril Islands. The landing on Hokkaido did not take place on the personal order of Joseph Stalin.

Decades have passed, but the Japanese leadership is still trying to challenge the results of the Second World War, in which the consolidation of the so-called "northern territories" for the USSR and Russia is a legally justified norm. Apparently, it is still difficult for Japanese samurai to admit the fact of shameful surrender, to which most of their military units were inclined, who occupied positions on the islands and showed tremendous cowardice in the face of their enemy ...

But in no case can we talk about the ease of the victory achieved! After all, some Japanese garrisons showed what the descendants of the ancient samurai are capable of, and this actually gives them honor, in no way diminishing the merits of Soviet soldiers!




	South Sakhalin
	The victory of the Soviet troops, the entry of South Sakhalin into the USSR
Opponents
	Empire of japan
Commanders
L. G. Cheremisov	K. Higuchi
V. A. Andreev
Forces of the parties
Unknown	Unknown

Unknown	Unknown

Yuzhno-Sakhalin operation (August 11 - 25, 1945) - an offensive operation of the armed forces of the USSR against Japanese troops during the Soviet-Japanese war (at the end of World War II) with the aim of capturing South Sakhalin. This offensive operation is one of the operations of the Soviet-Japanese war. It ended with the victory of the Red Army - the entire island of Sakhalin became entirely owned by the USSR.

The alignment of forces

the USSR

16th Army (commanded by General L.G. Cheremisov) of the 2nd Far Eastern Front (commanded by General of the Army M.A.Purkaev)

56th rifle corps

79th Infantry Division
2nd rifle brigade
a number of separate rifle, tank and artillery units

113th Infantry Brigade
214th tank brigade
255th Mixed Aviation Division (106 aircraft)

Northern Pacific Naval Flotilla (commanded by Vice Admiral V.A.Andreev) Pacific Fleet (commanded by Admiral I.S.Yumashev)

The operation involved about 30 ships and boats of the flotilla

naval aviation of the Pacific Fleet (80 aircraft)

Japan

88th Infantry Division of the 5th Front (commanded by Lieutenant General K. Higuchi)

Koton fortified area (17 pillboxes, 28 artillery and 18 mortar positions and other structures, garrison - 5400 people)

parts of the border guard
detachments of reservists

Operation progress

North and South Sakhalin were connected by a single road passing along the meridially elongated valley of the Poronai River. Here the Japanese built the Kotonsky fortified area, resting on the left flank against the Poronai chain, and with the right flank against the swampy right bank of the Poronai.

Attack on the Coton fortified area

The main attack on the Kotonsky fortified area in the valley of the Poronay River was delivered by the 56th Rifle Corps, under the command of Major General A.A. Dyakonov. The corps consisted of the 79th Rifle Division of Major General I.P. Baturov, the 2nd Rifle Brigade of Colonel A.M.Schekalov, the 214th Tank Brigade of Lieutenant Colonel A.T. Timirgaleev, the 678th and 178th separate tank brigades. battalions, a separate Sakhalin rifle regiment, an artillery brigade (machine gun, howitzer and mortar regiments), the 82nd separate machine gun and rifle company. Air support for the corps was provided by the 255th mixed aviation division (106 aircraft).

The 79th Rifle Division, reinforced by 214th Tank Brigade and artillery, delivered the main blow in the direction of Honda, Coton. Another regiment advanced off-road through the Muika police stronghold, bypassing the main strip of the fortified area on the eastern side.

The forward detachment under the command of Captain G.G. Svetetsky 165th Rifle Regiment at 11 o'clock in the morning on August 11 struck up a battle for the border strongpoint Honda (Khanda), which covered the first line of defense of the fortified area. Soviet troops vigorously attacked the Japanese, captured four cylindrical bunkers and firmly established themselves on this line. The stubbornly resisting enemy blew up the bridge over the river and thereby blocked the path soviet tanks... The approaching main forces of the 165th Infantry Regiment entered the battle. During the night, a temporary crossing was built from logs and improvised means, and at dawn the infantry and tanks attacked the Honda. The 6th company of Captain Farafonov bypassed the strongpoint from the rear and captured part of the trench. Then Svetetsky brought the 5th company into battle, thereby cutting off the enemy's retreat. All attempts of enemy soldiers to break out of the encirclement were unsuccessful. The fierce battle continued until the evening and ended with the complete defeat and capture of the Japanese garrison.

On the night of August 11-12, the advance detachment of the 179th Infantry Regiment, led by the battalion commander Captain L.V. Smirnykh, marched along the swampy left bank of the Poronai River and, unexpectedly for the enemy, attacked the Muika stronghold. As a result of hand-to-hand combat, the garrison was defeated. However, the main forces of the regiment, which arrived in the morning, were unable to move further south due to heavy fire from a neighboring strongpoint. Then the regiment commander decided to blockade it with one battalion, and with the rest of the forces go through the swamps straight to the city of Coton - the most important center of resistance of the fortified area. All night on August 13, the soldiers made their way through the bushes and swamps, sometimes waist-deep in water, carrying weapons and ammunition over their heads. The first was the battalion of Captain Smirnykh.

By the evening of August 12, the 165th Rifle Regiment approached the front edge of the main strip of the Kharamitog fortified area and, together with the 157th Rifle Regiment, following in the second echelon of the division, began the assault.

By the morning of August 13, a company of senior lieutenant Dorokhov from the Smirnykh battalion left the Coton station. At dawn, the Japanese launched a sortie, having previously opened strong mortar and machine-gun fire. Soviet soldiers responded with long machine-gun bursts. Dorokhov raised the soldiers to attack. Almost simultaneously, Captain Smirnykh and the main forces of the battalion launched an attack on the opposite side of the station. Having seized the road, he set up a screen and ordered the soldiers to break through to the station, where the enemy's reserves could approach at any moment. However, having met fierce resistance, the battalion suffered the first losses in this operation.

The battle for the city and the station lasted for two days. The active actions of the Smirnykh battalion decided the outcome of the battle. By the evening of August 15, the regiment had completely captured Coton. On August 16, Captain Smirnykh was killed. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the USSR. On Sakhalin, two settlements (Leonidovo and Smirnykh) and an urban district are named after him.

At dawn on August 16, after an hour-long artillery and air preparation, Soviet troops began an assault on the main zone of Japanese defense simultaneously from the front and rear. By the end of August 17, they dismembered the enemy troops into separate groups. By the evening of the next day, after capturing the main pass Harami-Toge, the fortified area was finished. The remnants of the Japanese garrison capitulated.

In these battles, the artillerymen of the battery, commanded by Senior Lieutenant P.N.Sidorov, showed high combat skill and courage. Acting in the battle formations of the infantry, the artillerymen with direct fire destroyed firing points, repelled enemy counterattacks. Only on August 16, the battery destroyed up to an infantry company, 6 observation posts and suppressed 4 pillboxes.

Landings

This was the case on the lines dividing the northern and southern parts of the island. To speed up the defeat of the Japanese, by the decision of the commander of the 16th Army, a detachment of ships from the Northern Pacific Flotilla with a landing of sailors and soldiers of the 113th Infantry Brigade, Colonel N. Z. Zakharov, left Sovetskaya Gavan. The crossing was made with a wind of 5 points and visibility of less than one cable. On the morning of August 16, after suppressing enemy fire resistance, the 365th separate battalion of the marines and the 2nd battalion of the 113th rifle brigade landed in the port of Toro and swiftly captured the port and city of Toro (Shakhtersk). On August 20, a landing was landed at the port of Maoka (Kholmsk). Despite the declaration of unconditional surrender, the Japanese troops on the island continued to resist. This was the demand of the Japanese government. It was trying to buy time for the last act of robbery of the South Sakhalin colony, which it had already lost. The landing at the port of Otomari (Korsakov) on August 25, through which the evacuation and removal of material values \u200b\u200bwere mainly carried out, was the last act of hostilities on the island. As a result of the operation, 18,320 Japanese soldiers and officers were taken prisoner.

On August 8, 1945, at 5 pm Moscow time, Molotov received the Japanese ambassador and told him the following: from midnight on August 9, that is, an hour later, Tokyo time, the USSR and Japan are at war. He also signed a Neutrality Pact with Japan in 1941

The USSR's plan was as follows: to defeat the Kwantung Army with converging blows from three fronts, liberate South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands; in the event that Japan refuses to unconditionally surrender, after the loss of Manchuria, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, to transfer hostilities together with the allies to the islands of the mother country, where to complete the defeat of the Japanese armed forces.

This is how the landing looked from the sea to the coast in Uglegorsk and Shakhtersk

Allies bombed the Japanese at sea and off the Kuril Islands

On land attacked with tanks

Makarovites, do you recognize your bridge?

Among the heroes of that war was Anton Buyukly.

On August 20, 1945, a Soviet landing was landed in the port of Maoka (now Kholmsk). When the soldiers entered the post office building, they found nine corpses of young Japanese telephone operators lying on the floor of the hall. All the girls took potassium cyanide. There is a monument to this event in Japan, about which. A film was made about the self-sacrifice of girls in Japan.

They fought with cannons, this one stands on Victory Square

And the infantry

Everything was more serious in the navy

Assisting the wounded in the Yuzhno-Sakhalin offensive operation

Outlandish flags

Winners

Entry of Soviet troops to Maoka (Kholmsk)

Vice-Admiral Andreev and Admiral Yumashev in Maoka

Red banner over southern Sakhalin

In August 1945, Mikoyan and Vasilevsky arrived on Sakhalin before the official surrender

Mikoyan's communication with Japanese children

The loss of the Japanese prisoners and killed amounted to 647,000 people, the Soviet army lost about 9,000 killed.

About how the signing of the surrender took place and what does Missouri have to do with it, we will soon tell in "Sunday Stories" on the website Region65.com. Bookmark the site and visit often!

Comments

Prokhor 08/10/2014 at 09:32
The descendants of those politicians are still in sight. Molotov's grandson, political scientist Nikonov (often on TV), Mikoyan's grandson - Stas Namin. The southern part of Sakhalin has remained the most technically advanced in comparison with the north. The Japanese impetus for the development of infrastructure in the south of Sakhalin is still being felt.
Izotov VG 08/10/2014 at 13:24
Well done. You remind the youth of the glorious milestones in the traditions of our Motherland.
Malvina Petrovna 1960 08/11/2014 at 09:50
exactly, the bridge in Makarov. I saw a lot of photographs of the small homeland of those times, but apparently missed this one.
Alexander 02/11/2014 at 14:38
Soviet occupation war against Japan! The USSR violated several treaties at once! 1) Portsmouth Peace Treaty, 2) USSR-Japan Non-Attack Pact, 3) Petersburg Treaty of 1875 .. Who violated the Non-Attack Pact in 1941? correctly fascist Germany! and now the USSR did the same !!! The USSR fought against the invaders for 4 years from 1941-1945, and 3 months after the victory over them, it itself became an occupier ... The Portsmust and St. Petersburg treaties said that the South of Sakhalin and ALL Kuril Islands rightfully belonged to Japan !!! On August 9, the United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki and the USSR starts military operations against Japan on the same day! Attacking Japan at a time when the United States destroyed 2 cities with civilians is a shame for the military and for the country !!! The Japanese in the South of Sakhalin and in the Kuriles defended their homeland, which rightfully belonged to them !!! What is the name of the army that continues military operations against the country that capitulated? Correctly STARTING ARMY !!! Japan surrendered on August 15. The United States ceased all hostilities against Japan .. The USSR continued to conduct military capture (battles) until September 1 .. parliamentarians from the Japanese side were simply shot ...
1. Tatiana 07/28/2016 at 16:18
  Alexander, you are wrong. Forgive me, I am always impressed by the patriotic feelings of every nation, but the historical truth is on the side that you mistakenly call criminal. As a historian, I see multiple errors in your judgments and I cannot but answer. Please do not take my answer to you as a hostile attack on your feelings and emotions, I just want you to know the facts.
  
  I'll start in order.
  1. Why does Japan lay claim to the South Kuril Islands, and in this connection the day of the so-called northern territories in Japan is celebrated on February 7?
  
  - It was on February 7, 1855 that Russia and Japan concluded the first diplomatic agreement - the Shimoda Treaty, which defined the borders between our countries. Sakhalin remained jointly owned by the two powers on an equal footing. The border between the Kuril Islands passed along the Fries Strait: all the islands to the north of Urup Island went to Russia, and the islands to the south (Iturup, Kunashir and the islands of the Small Kuril Ridge) to Japan.
  The Day of the so-called northern territories has been celebrated in Japan since 1981. Campaigning centers appear in crowded places, and residents are invited to sign up for the demand for the return of the "northern territories". Minibuses with loudspeakers run around the cities, from which slogans demanding return are heard.
  In Japan, they try not to remember that it was their country that annulled the Shimoda Treaty with its attack on Russia in 1904 (the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the occupation of Northern Sakhalin from 1920 to 1925). By the way, Japan attacked the North of Sakhalin in 1920 in violation of the Portsmouth Treaty of 1905, taking advantage of the situation and raking out ugly, otherwise you can't say oil and cut down the forest, for this, roads were rebuilt and railway tracks were laid. So is it correct to refer to a contract that you yourself have refused?
  1. Tatiana 07/28/2016 at 16:20
    2. When Sakhalin officially became part of Russian Empire?
    
    - Here we must rely not on the fact that the Russian flag was raised in 1853 by G.I. Nevelskoy, and on the treaty signed between Russia and Japan in 1875 in St. Petersburg. Until that time, the island belonged to both countries on an equal basis.
    In an effort to secure Sakhalin for itself, Russia in 1858 began an active colonization of the island by free settlers and convicts. In 1869, Alexander II signed a decree establishing the Sakhalin penal servitude. As a result, at the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Sakhalin exceeds 40 thousand people; by 1889, more than 130 Russian villages were built on the island. These measures proved to be effective. Under the new treaty, Japan abandoned joint ownership of Sakhalin (that is, since 1875 it is officially part of Russia), and in return Russia ceded to Japan the Kuril Islands, which belonged to it since 1855 under the Shimod Treaty, lying north of Urup.
    According to international law, the 1875 treaty, like the 1855 treaty, was canceled with the beginning Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905.
    1. Tatiana 07/28/2016 at 16:21
      3. Why are there Japanese bridges, roads and other structures not only in the south, but also in the north of Sakhalin?
      
      - On January 27, 1904, Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the ships of the Russian squadron in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. The successes of the Japanese in military operations on the Liaodun Peninsula contributed to their attack in 1905 on unprotected Sakhalin.
      As a result of the Russo-Japanese War, Russia and Japan signed a peace treaty on August 23, 1905 in the American city of Portsmouth, which defined new borders between the countries. Russia, as the losing side, had to transfer the southern part of Sakhalin and the adjacent islands (Tyuleniy and Moneron) to the victorious country at its insistence. As a result, Sakhalin was divided along the 50th parallel of northern latitude. Russia retained the northern part of the island.
      The 9th article of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty proclaimed peace and friendship between our states. However, in 1920, taking advantage of Civil war and the establishment of Soviet power in the Far East, Japan captured the northern part of Sakhalin and occupied it for five years. It was during this period that roads and bridges appeared there, built by the Japanese for movement, oil, timber and other purposes.
      1. Tatiana 07/28/2016 at 16:32
        4. When did the Russian-Japanese border take on its modern look?
        The next and last redistribution of the Russian-Japanese border took place in 1945. This was preceded by the following events. On June 22, 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union, and Japan on December 7, 1941 unleashed a war against the United States. In 1941 general base Japan was planning an attack on the Soviet Far East codenamed "Kantokuen" ("Special maneuvers of the Kwantung Army"), waiting for a favorable moment in the war between the USSR and Germany. The formations of the strategic grouping, concentrated in Manchuria near the Soviet borders, by the end of 1941 numbered over 700 thousand people.
        On February 11, 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the allied powers of the USSR, Great Britain and the United States agreed to start a war with militaristic Japan - an ally of Nazi Germany - three months after the surrender of the Nazis. The agreement between the allied powers was enshrined in the Agreement signed in February 1945 (February 4-11) at the Yalta Conference (Crimean). Two or three months after the surrender of Germany and the end of the war in Europe, the Soviet Union pledged to enter the war against Japan on the side of the Allies, on condition: “return to the Soviet Union of the southern part of Fr. Sakhalin and all adjacent islands "and" transfer of the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union. " On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union joined the Potsdam Declaration and declared war on Japan.
        On August 11, 1945, Soviet troops crossed the border on Sakhalin along the 50th parallel. The main military actions on Sakhalin took place near the former state border, where the Japanese built the Kotonsky (Kharamitogsky) fortified area for 6 years, 12 km along the front and 30 km in depth. Just like the Shumshu island, it was a powerful fortification with pillboxes, bunkers, mortar and artillery positions, underground passages, shelters and a supply of food for a year. The fact of the construction of fortified structures confirms another violation by the Japanese of their obligations under the 1905 Portsmouth Treaty: "Russia and Japan mutually agree not to build any fortifications or similar military structures in their possessions on Sakhalin Island and on the adjacent islands" (Article IX). In fact, it turned out that Japan had long and thoroughly been preparing for war - the south of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were a territory well prepared for war. The number of Japanese troops here was 3 times higher than the number of Soviet troops.
        
        The Yuzhno-Sakhalin offensive operation ended on August 25, the Kuril landing operation began on August 18 and ended in early September. By this time, Emperor Hirohito on August 15 announced the acceptance of the terms of surrender by radio, and hostilities between the Anglo-American and Japanese armed forces ceased. However, on the territory of Northeast China, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, Japanese troops continued to resist the Soviet Armed Forces, since parts of the Kwantung Army did not receive an order to cease hostilities.
      2. Tatiana 07/28/2016 at 16:35
        4. (continued)
        The Second World War ended on September 2, 1945. On board the American battleship Missouri, which entered Tokyo Bay, Japan signed the Act of Total and Unconditional Surrender. General MacArthur was the first to sign the act on behalf of the Allied Powers and the United States, then the representatives of the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China, Australia, Canada, France, Holland and New Zealand put their signatures.
        By signing a complete and unconditional surrender, Japan agreed to complete submission to the victorious countries (that is, the dismantling of the former state, which has lost its sovereignty, power and authority, is underway, the conditions of peace and post-war order are dictated to them by the victorious powers). The concept of unconditional surrender was revived by US President Roosevelt and put forward at a conference in Casablanca in 1943, specifically in order to deprive Germany and Japan of any rights in the event of their defeat in World War II and give their entire population and property to discretion of winners.
        By signing the surrender, Japan agreed to the terms of the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945, which limited it geographically. Clause 8 of the Potsdam Declaration on the terms of surrender of militaristic Japan reads: "The conditions of the Cairo Declaration must be met, Japanese sovereignty will be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and smaller islands that we will indicate."
        And they were indicated the very next year - the US military administration in Japan sent the Japanese government Directive No. 677 (January 29, 1946) signed by the supreme commander of the allied occupying forces, Army General Douglas MacArthur, instructing the Japanese imperial government to stop the implementation or attempts to implement the state or administrative authority in any area outside Japan. For the purposes of this Directive, the territory of Japan was defined as consisting of: the four main islands of Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku) and approximately 1,000 small islands, excluding the Kuril Islands, the Habomai group of islands, including the islands of Susio, Yuri, Akiyuri, Shibotsu and Taraku, and also the island of Sikotan (now these are the islands of Tanfilyev, Yuri, Anuchin, Zeleny, Polonsky and Shikotan). He was especially excluded from the state and administrative jurisdiction of the Japanese government of Karafuto (south of Sakhalin).
2. Roland 08/16/2018 @ 12:01 pm
  It is necessary to teach a true story, and not according to Soros manuals
Alexander 11/02/2014 at 15:06
I'm almost sure that my post will be deleted .. Since many people will probably not like it, but it's true .. I myself grew up and was brought up on Sakhalin, the USSR is my Motherland .. but I am Japanese by nationality .. And I want what would still be said the truth .. As V. Putin said, you need to know your story, no matter how pleasant or not it was .. I completely agree with him .. Many people ask .. Why are the Japanese "friends" with America, which dropped two atomic bombs??? I will answer you .. Who is the biggest "ENEMY" is the one who destroyed your house, but then helped to rebuild it and make it even better ... or the one who took your house and part of your Motherland from you .. while still continues to claim that he captured right .. and even calls September 2 the day of the liberation of Sakhalin and the Kul Islands from the Japanese militarists .. Doesn't it sound silly, liberation from the one to whom they belonged by right .. this is called not liberation but occupation !!!
Alexander 02/11/2014 at 15:31
By the way, my personal opinion is that the USA framed the USSR, persuading Stalin to start a war against Japan .. The USSR did not need this war. The people were tired of the war .. But Stalin agreed to join the war on the condition that Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands would go to the USSR .. in this way The USSR became a greater enemy than the United States .. since the United States did not seize or appropriated anything from Japan .. So Japan fell under the influence of the United States .. and the USSR became an occupier .. at which the United States pointed fingers to the Japanese .. THIS IS YOUR ENEMY, HE IS THE OCCUPANT , HE TAKEN YOU SAKHALIN AND SMOKERS !!! and we are your "friends" we are white and fluffy ... if it weren't for us, the USSR took away from you and Hokkaido, and maybe all of Japan occupied .. Thus, the United States in Asia received a great ally .. A country that would look at Russia with distrust .. at the same time placing their bases in Japan .. And now Russia is happy with the occupied 4 m islands .. while getting the US bases at hand and the Japanese people who consider Russia an occupier .. And the Happy Americans how they cleverly made everyone suckers .. They pitched one country with the other, while they themselves remained on the sidelines with a benefit .. Japan is under their control and bases close to Russia .. And so it wakes up for a long time because "Russia will not give up" "Our Kuriles" "Who does not jump that Japanese"