How the Soviets Blitzed Japan in WW2

[Bill Ryan]

Most people don’t even know that the Soviets fought the Japanese in WW2. (The whole topic of the relations between the two countries even before WW2 is also most interesting.)

Here's an animated video, which inspired the title of this thread. It seemed appropriate in the light of the Russian Victory Day celebrations held just yesterday.

How the Soviets Blitzed Japan in WW2

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qiz-kVErOhk

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/RusEmbUSA/status/1035646800693260288

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/CarlZha/status/1094372099920080896

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/Tank_Archives/status/1472976493194186752

https://x.com/Tank_Archives/status/1378069484968284162

https://x.com/Tank_Archives/status/1419510126352949248

[Ravenlocke]

Translated text:
On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union officially declared war on Japan, deploying over 1 million Soviet soldiers to Manchuria, an area occupied by the Japanese in northeastern China, with the aim of capturing the 700,000 men of the Japanese army.

https://x.com/FotosDeFatos/status/1424384908764454913

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/EmbassyofRussia/status...31265629474817

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/mfa_russia/status/1830918977767514289

[Russian Bear]

All Russian articles from Russian bear: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1672458



Translated and compiled by Russian Bear with the help of the translator DeepL. (which was recommended by an American comrade) Test version. I apologize for any mistakes if you find them, I am gradually editing and correcting them. Figures and suggestions.

All materials were taken from various Russian resources, which were collected and elaborated by Russian Bear. Photos Taken from internet sources and archives.

Due to the fact that I have been blocked by the server administration, I am unable to post articles. I asked to open this thread, which was done for me. I was asked to write this article by a fellow forum member. So, I dedicate this historical article to them and all those who appreciate history and want to know the truth for their development. As Beale said in honor of May 9 ( https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1667216 ) this is quite a hot topic. Let's get started comrades!

I have published documentaries in this section, among them there is a series dedicated to this topic: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...90#post1667490

Soviet Storm: WW2 in the East This is episode 18: https://watchdocumentaries.com/sovie...video_index=17

On August 9, 1945, the USSR entered the war with Japan

On August 9, 1945, the USSR, fulfilling the commitments made to the Allies at the Yalta Conference, declared war on Japan and launched a strategic offensive operation in Manchuria (Liberation of Northeast China by Soviet troops).

Initially, the offensive was planned for August 20-25, 1945. However, in light of the bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the Americans on August 6, the date of the beginning of hostilities was adjusted.

The grouping of Soviet troops and units of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army had more than 1.6 million men, about 30,000 guns and mortars, 5,250 tanks and SAU, 5,200 airplanes, 93 warships of the main classes. The General Command of Soviet troops in the Far East (Commander-in-Chief - Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky), specially created by the Stavka, was in charge of the campaign.

At that time, Japanese forces in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Korea numbered more than 1 million men, 1,215 tanks, 6,640 guns and mortars, 1,907 combat aircraft and 25 warships of the main classes. The strongest grouping, the Kwantung Army, was in Manchuria and North Korea.

As a result of the rapid offensive by August 20, the Soviet troops advanced 400-800 km deep into Manchuria from the west, 200-300 km from the east and north, reached the Manchurian plain, dismembered the Japanese troops into a number of isolated groups and completed their encirclement. Since August 19, the enemy troops almost everywhere began to surrender as prisoners of war.

From the Japanese invaders the whole North-Eastern China (Manchuria), Liaodong peninsula, and also North Korea up to the 38th parallel were released. On August 29, Marshal Vasilevsky ordered the abolition of martial law in the Soviet territory of the Far East from September 1, and on September 3 reported to Stalin on the completion of the campaign. The Soviet troops for 23 days of fighting struck a crushing blow to the Kwantung Army, which became one of the determining factors in the defeat of Imperial Japan. It led to the largest defeat of the Japanese armed forces in the Second World War and the heaviest losses for them, which exceeded 720 thousand soldiers and officers, including more than 640 thousand prisoners.

The USSR Armed Forces lost 12,031 men killed and missing in action and 24,425 wounded in the war with Japan.
For their heroic deeds in the war against Japan 308 thousand Soviet soldiers were awarded orders and medals, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 93 people, 6 of them twice. More than 300 formations and military units of the army and navy received battle honors, and 25 of them became Guards.

The victory over Japan returned to our country the territories annexed as a result of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, and also consolidated the sovereignty of the USSR over the southern Kurils. The defeat of the Japanese army not only ensured the security of the Far Eastern frontiers of the Soviet Union, but also created favorable conditions for the victorious conclusion of the national liberation war of the Chinese and other Asian peoples.

On September 8, 1951, the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed, formally ending the state of war between Japan and the signatory allied states. However, the USSR did not join the treaty because the San Francisco Peace Conference did not invite representatives of the People's Republic of China, and the text of the document did not enshrine the USSR's sovereignty over the South Sakhalin and Kuril Islands guaranteed by the decisions of the Yalta Conference.


Green is Russia. Red is Japan. The Kuril Islands are yellow, which were taken from Japan to Russia. Japan still wants them back. But they belong to Russia legally.

At the same time, on October 19, 1956 in Moscow, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR N.A.Bulganin and Prime Minister of Japan I.Hatoyama signed the Joint Declaration of the USSR and Japan of October 19, 1956 on the cessation of the state of war. However, the Soviet-Japanese peace treaty was never signed.

9 August 1945. The Last Chord of World War II: The Manchurian Operation.

Soviet marines in Port Arthur. Port Arthur is a former ice-free port and naval base of the Russian Empire's Pacific Fleet in 1898-1904. It is located in the southeastern part of the Liaodong Peninsula in Northeast China, on the coast of the Yellow Sea. It is currently the Liushinkou district of the city of Dalian in the People's Republic of China.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, September 3, 1945 was declared a holiday of victory over Japan. The day before, Imperial Japan had signed an act of surrender, although it had intended to fight for at least two more years. The Soviet Union had forced its surrender in just ten days. The last chord of World War II - the Manchurian Offensive Operation of the Red Army.

By August 1945, Italy had defected to the Allied side, and Germany had been completely defeated and capitulated. The last stronghold of the “Axis” remained the Japanese Empire, fiercely fighting the Americans on the Pacific front. The Japanese were suffering defeats all over the theater, but they were not going to surrender. It looked very much like a doomed madness: kamikaze pilots, single submarines filled with explosives, samurai with katanas rushing into hand-to-hand combat shouting, “Banzai!” Japanese soldiers were ready to stand to the death for their emperor and ruin many more lives.


Fire on the aircraft carrier Banker Hill after two kamikaze attacks, May 1945, U.S. Naval Warfare Archive

Excerpt from the film Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked the American army.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y9xPgUB_v5A

Nearly 2 million Americans and their allies continued to fight against Imperial Japan's seven million-man army on islands scattered in the Pacific, and U.S. commanders predicted that active combat until Japan was completely defeated could last at least two more years. That meant even more personnel losses, even more waste of taxpayer money, and even more disgruntled Americans. Hideki Tojo, Japan's Prime Minister and Minister of the Army, one of the instigators of the attack on the American base at Pearl Harbor in 1941, whose soaring career began while serving in the Kwantung Army, said, “If these white devils land on our islands, the Japanese spirit will go to our great citadel, Manchuria, where we have the indestructible valiant Kwantung Army.”

On July 25, 1945, U.S. President Harry Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese National Government President Chiang Kai-shek set surrender terms for Japan. The Potsdam ultimatum stated that if Japan did not accept the proposed terms, it would be subjected to “speedy and complete destruction.” Japan rejected the ultimatum, and on August 6, an American B-29 bomber named Enola Gay dropped an 18-kiloton atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The Japanese were given a clear message of “swift and total annihilation.” But even this impressed only a few government ministers, the rest were determined to continue the fight to the end.

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the U.S. Air Force dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although they had no significant military significance. During these strikes, 114 000 people were killed. The first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. It was subjected to terrible destruction, of the 306 000 inhabitants more than 90 000 were killed. In addition, tens of thousands of Japanese died later from wounds, burns and radiation exposure. The West carried out this attack not only to demoralize the Japanese military and political leadership, but also to demonstrate to the Soviet Union. The United States wanted to show the terrifying effect of the weapons with which it wanted to blackmail the USSR.

“The victory over Japan was won not by the atomic bomb, but by the Red Army” - read about it below. This is how history is known in Russia. When I talked to a Japanese girl, she also adhered to this historical fact.


Hiroshima after the atomic bomb explosion, TASS photochronicle

Only the Soviet Union could help “bend Japan to peace”. Stalin was “indebted” for the opening of the Second Front in Normandy, and now it was time to fulfill his obligations. In addition, the attack on Japanese troops in Manchuria was fully in the interests of the Soviet Union. Japan had been preparing since 1941 a thorough plan for an invasion of the USSR and kept at its very borders almost one and a half million Kwantung Army. To put an end to this threat once and for all was an important national task.

Balance of power

On April 5, 1945, the Soviet government officially declared that the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact concluded in 1941 was no longer valid. Now the defeated Japanese army had to pay attention to a new threat: it was necessary to strengthen the defense in Manchuria, which was incredibly important to ensure uninterrupted supplies of valuable raw materials from Korea and China. Within a very short time, only four months, the Japanese additionally deployed in Manchuria 24 infantry divisions and ten brigades, while at the end of 1944 in this direction were serving only nine infantry divisions. It was simply impossible to prepare and well arm such a large number of fighters in such a short time. Almost half of the Kwantung Army, which was preparing to defend the Empire from the Bolshevik attack, was made up of poorly trained conscripts of the youngest age and attracted from the reserve soldiers of limited fitness, who were not suitable for the Imperial Army on medical grounds. There was an acute shortage of arms and ammunition, new divisions were practically not provided with artillery and armored vehicles, and what was available was already incorrigibly outdated. This applied both to Japanese tanks (“Ha-Go”, “Chi-He” and “Chi-Ha”), airplanes, and anti-tank weapons. The old anti-tank guns of small caliber were simply incapable of fighting modern Soviet armored vehicles.


Soviet army's transfer to the East, TASS photochronicle

The Americans were expecting help from the USSR, as they had suffered great losses in the war with Japan, and the Soviet troops, on Stalin's orders, were transferring a huge army to help the allied American troops in order to end the war and help their American comrades.

Video of Soviet troops rushing to help their American-English allies (Soviet troops defeated Japan's million-strong Kwantung army in 12 days. After which Japan capitulated):

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Vn9nmWme0fY

However, the Japanese had managed to fortify themselves thoroughly in Manchuria: by August 1945, in their area of responsibility, they had erected 17 fortifications - more than 8,000 long-term fire points made of reinforced concrete and stone. Each of the fortifications was a deeply echeloned defense system built according to all the rules of fortification, stretching 50-100 kilometers along the front and having up to 50 kilometers of depth.
In the steppe were built airfields for transport and fighter aviation - a total of 133 airfields and more than 400 landing sites. By the time the war with the Soviet Union began, the Kwantung Army had approximately 1 million soldiers and consisted of 31 infantry divisions, nine separate infantry brigades, a kamikaze brigade and two tank brigades, as well as two air armies and a small Sungari War Flotilla. The command was held by General Yamada Otozo, 63, who had extensive experience in China and Manchuria. He was also subordinate to the troops of the puppet state of Manchukuo-Go, the army of Inner Mongolia under the command of Prince De Wang and Suiyuan Army Group. The total number of troops in Manchuria by August 1945 amounted to over 1.3 million men, more than 1,200 tanks, about 2,000 airplanes, and 6,500 artillery pieces. It was an impressive force - the last hope of “beleaguered” Japan.


Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky, TASS photochronicle

Even before the end of active combat operations in the West, the Soviet command began to transfer significant human and technical reserves to the East - endless echelons stretched from the West to the East: they transported more than 400,000 men, more than 7,000 guns and mortars, more than 2,000 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, and much, much more. In order to conceal the true purpose of the concentration of such significant forces, the Far East was transferred primarily those units that had been withdrawn from there to the Western Front at the beginning of the war.
Together with the previously deployed Far Eastern units, the invasion troops formed three fronts: the Transbaikal, the 1st Far Eastern and the 2nd Far Eastern. The total number of Soviet troops in this direction by August 1945 was more than 1.5 million men, about 30,000 artillery pieces and rocket-assault fire units, more than 5,000 tanks and SAUs, and about 4,000 aircraft. The ground forces were supported by units and formations of the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Military Flotilla (totaling up to 200,000 men, more than 500 ships of various types, about 2,500 artillery pieces and up to 1,500 airplanes). The Soviet forces were commanded by the Chief of the General Staff, 49-year-old Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky. He was an experienced military commander who had organized several major military campaigns in 1942-45 and personally led the most difficult operation to storm Königsberg.

A small Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army led by Marshal Choibalsan also gathered to fight on the side of the Soviet Union.

The beginning

In June 1945, the Victory Parade was held in Moscow. Soviet soldiers laid German swastika banners at the foot of the mausoleum, Georgy Zhukov on a white horse galloped across Red Square, and a festive salute rang out in the black June sky. Almost immediately after the end of the festivities, commanders of various ranks, headed by Marshal Vasilevsky went to the Far East to finish the war there.


Georgy Zhukov at the Victory Parade, June 1945, Yevgeny Khaldey / TASS photochronicle

Already in June, active preparations for the Manchurian offensive operation began. All the work was conducted in strict secrecy to ensure the suddenness of the attack, which, according to the Soviet command, was the key to success. Officers did not even use the services of typists and draftsmen - all planning work was carried out by the direct executors, in order to maximally limit the circle of people privy to the secrets of the command.
The idea of the operation was as follows: to strike the Japanese at once from three directions - from Transbaikalia, Priamurye and Primorye. All three “fists” should converge in the heart of Northeast China. A blow from three sides will allow to break the Kwantung Army into pieces and then defeat them separately. It suffered from a severe shortage of transport and fuel, and thus was immobile and unable to move troops quickly within the vast theater of operations.


Scheme of Soviet troops' actions in the Soviet-Japanese War

Soviet commanders approached the training of personnel as responsibly as possible. Everyone knows that any military operation carries some element of inevitable chaos and disorganization. Even the most disciplined and prepared army is not able to turn its soldiers into robots, but this time Vasilevsky tried to get as close to the ideal as possible. Day and night, the commanders of the advanced units practiced the order of advancing to the offensive on specially created models of the terrain, each of them was provided with a detailed map of the terrain with all the necessary markings and control points. Contact was established with the border guards, who knew the terrain much better than the infantry officers. The border guards were to march in the front lines of the advancing units, pointing the way.


Soviet soldiers storming Japanese fortifications on the Ryzhaya hill, TASS photochronicle

At the location of each division, special training fields were set up to simulate Japanese fortifications with models of pillboxes and bunkers. Exercises were held almost daily, often Vasilevsky himself came to inspect them. During the exercises all elements of interaction between different branches of the troops and units moving along neighboring routes were worked out.
All preparations were completed in less than two months. An unprecedented amount of preparatory work was done, the troops were provided with everything they needed, everyone knew their role and the order of work. It was an incredibly difficult task to ensure communication between different units spread over such a vast territory, but it was accomplished. Liaison officers stretched thousands of kilometers of telephone and telegraph lines, prepared backup and emergency communication options, was strictly defined subordination of officers, they all received clear instructions, and the intervention of the high command was now required only to determine the strategic objectives of the highest order. On July 30, the General Command of Soviet Forces in the Far East was established to coordinate the offensive during its active phase. By early August Vasilevsky was already confident enough in his men, it was possible to proceed with the plan.

Operation

On the evening of August 8, 1945, the Japanese ambassador in Moscow received a note from the Soviet government stating, “In view of Japan's refusal to cease hostilities against the United States, Great Britain and China, the Soviet Union considers itself at war with Japan from August 9, 1945.” Stalin acted in accordance with the Third Hague Convention of 1907 and officially warned the enemy: “I'm coming at you!” All norms of international law were observed. But, given the time zone difference between Moscow and the Far East, the Japanese had no time for any adequate response. In fact, the war began exactly one hour after the Japanese were notified. In the morning, the Japanese clearly understood that not enough had been done to repel the Soviet Union's attack, which meant that the end was imminent.


Red Army soldiers dismantling captured weapons, TASS photochronicle

On the night of August 8-9, the forward units of all three Far Eastern fronts launched a full-scale offensive. In the first days of August the weather was very bad almost everywhere along the offensive front. The vanguard of the Red Army crossed the state border in fog and under the incessant rain and moved into the enemy territory. The Japanese, fearing massive artillery fire, went deep into the defensive positions, which allowed the Soviet army, without opening small arms fire, without enemy resistance to occupy the Japanese fortifications of the first line of defense in several places at once. At dawn the main forces of the “invasion” came into action.
With the first rays of sunlight aviation began to make powerful bombing strikes on objects deep in the Japanese defenses - massive bombing was subjected to Harbin, Changchun and Jilin. Bombs fell on Japanese airfields, communication hubs, major transportation hubs. The Pacific Fleet under the command of Admiral Ivan Yumashyov entered the Sea of Japan and promptly cut all communication routes between the Japanese metropolis and occupied Manchuria and Korea. The main forces of the Japanese Navy were fighting in the southeast with the Americans and could not provide any serious opposition to the Soviet sailors. Shipboard aviation bombed ports and naval bases at Ungi, Najin, and Cheongjin.


Japanese heavy artillery defeated, Photochronicle TASS

Simultaneously with the actions of the air force and the fleet, supported by massive artillery fire, the main forces of the Transbaikal and 1st Far Eastern Fronts began to advance. They met almost no organized resistance on their way - the enemy took demoralized troops deep into Manchuria to organize a more coherent defense and try to take a break to assess the seriousness of the situation. Those strongholds where the Red Army met particularly stubborn resistance and which could not be taken from the start, simply bypassed. This allowed to maintain the pace of the offensive and save forces to repel counterattacks. Eventually, all Japanese units that tried to resist the advancing Soviet troops were surrounded, as the main forces of the Kwantung Army continued to retreat, and they had no time to care about the recovery of their comrades.
The 2nd Far Eastern Front forced the Amur and Ussuri rivers and with the support of the Amur Military Flotilla was able to quickly break the Japanese defenses near the city of Heihe (directly opposite the modern Russian Blagoveshchensk, the capital of the Amur region).
The hard-won Japanese defenses were crumbling before our eyes. They could do nothing to counter the speed and onslaught of the Soviet offensive.

Collapse

Emperor Hirohito was absolutely shocked by the speed of events. The Soviet troops in Manchuria easily broke the defense of the Kwantung Army, depriving Japan of its last hope, the Americans were preparing an operation to invade the Japanese archipelago, the Imperial Navy was incapacitated - all of its main ships were sunk or required serious repairs, in addition, on August 15, the Emperor almost became the victim of a coup d'état in his own country. Japan was doomed, and now he realized it. After brief negotiations with the “Big Six” (Japan's highest military council, which included all the major ministers), Hirohito instructed to agree with the Allies the Potsdam terms of surrender put forward by the United States, Britain, China and the Soviet Union.
On August 15, Emperor Hirohito addressed the Japanese nation by radio and announced Japan's surrender. But the fighting did not end there, the troops never received a clear order to lay down their arms and continued to resist.



Residents of Harbin greet Soviet soldiers, TASS photochronicle

All this time the Soviet troops in Manchuria did not stop the offensive. On August 18 and 19, airborne paratroopers landed in Harbin, Mukden, Girin and Changchun, disorganizing the Japanese and disrupting their logistics. Soviet paratroopers among other prisoners captured and Manchurian Emperor Henry Pu Yi and then handed over to the Chinese side.
Overcoming stubborn resistance on their way, the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front moved deep into Manchuria, and already on August 20 the 15th Army captured Harbin.
The 6th Guards Tank Army, which was part of the Transbaikal Front, took Mukden and headed towards Dalian and Port Arthur (now part of the city of Dalian).


Japanese prisoners under a convoy of Soviet soldiers on the streets of Harbin, TASS photochronicle

Units and formations of the 1st Far Eastern Front, having repulsed several Japanese counterattacks, by August 19 approached Girin and occupied the ports of North Korea, cutting off the Japanese retreat and completely disrupting supply.
Vasilevsky managed to achieve an impressive rate of advance of his troops: per day they passed from 20 to 50 kilometers, while fully preserved all supply lines and stable communication between units. By August 19, the three fronts deepened into Manchuria at a considerable distance: from the north by almost 200 kilometers, from the east by 300 kilometers and from the west from 500 to 800 kilometers. The Kwantung Army was cut into pieces, as it was supposed by the previously developed plan - the compounds that had stubbornly resisted the Soviet troops were isolated, and the supply of provisions and ammunition was completely disrupted. The Japanese were rapidly losing morale, suffering losses under constant air and artillery raids. As soon as they learned of Emperor Hirohito's decree proclaiming Japan's surrender, they began to surrender.

Capture of the islands

During the Manchurian offensive, part of the 2nd Far Eastern Front fought on Sakhalin, whose southern part still belonged to the Japanese. The 16th Army of General Maxim Purkaev, who would become commander of the Far Eastern Military District after the war, was thrown in to capture the island. The operation to liberate South Sakhalin began on August 11 and was fraught with great difficulties: the island was divided roughly in half by a narrow isthmus, where the Japanese built a powerful Kotonsky fortification. For four days the Soviet troops fought hard battles to master this fortification, and only on August 15 they managed to take the town of Koton - the center of the Japanese fortification.


Soviet flag over South Sakhalin, TASS photochronicle

However, the enemy continued to resist in the southern part of the island, where strong defense lines had also been prepared. In order to disorganize their resistance, on August 16, the Pacific Fleet ships landed the first marines in the port of Toro (now Shakhtyorsk), and on August 20, Soviet paratroopers landed near the port of Maoka (now Kholmsk). Despite the fact that the Kwantung Army by this time was actually defeated, and the Japanese government declared unconditional surrender, the Japanese troops on the island were still resisting - they sought to have time to remove as much valuables and raw materials through the port of Otomari (now Korsakov), located in the south of the island. On August 25, Soviet sailors landed an amphibious assault there as well - the island was completely captured, and about 20,000 Japanese were taken prisoner.


Destroyed Japanese military equipment on the island of Shumshu, TASS photochronicle

The last chord of the Soviet-Japanese war was the landing of the Kuril landing force, which started on August 18 and ensured the capture of all the Kuril Islands by September 1 - in just two weeks, despite the fact that they were defended by about 80,000 Japanese. The first Soviet landing force, supported by artillery from Kamchatka, landed on Shumshu Island at dawn on August 18. Fierce battles were fought until August 23 - massive air raids and artillery fire could not smoke the Japanese out of well-fortified concrete and stone pillboxes. It was during the battles for Shumshu that the Soviet side suffered the greatest losses, they amounted to more than 500 people killed and about 1000 wounded. The Japanese lost somewhat less. Other islands of the Northern Kuril Ridge were delivered to the Red Army without a fight: Japanese garrisons either unconditionally surrendered or managed to escape on transport ships to Japan. The next stage of the operation to occupy the southern part of the islands began on August 28 with the landing of two rifle companies on the island of Urup, followed by Iturup, Kunashir and all the others. Except for a few minor incidents, the operation was also bloodless: the Japanese garrisons preferred to surrender their weapons without a fight and not to test their fate. More than 50,000 men were captured, and a considerable amount of arms and supplies were captured.
On September 1, everything was ready for the invasion of Hokkaido, but it was no longer necessary. Japan surrendered.

Finale

The total defeat of the Kwantung Army meant for Japan the loss of connection with the sources of raw material supply from China and Korea, the loss of all military industry on the mainland and the actual deprivation of the ability to continue the war. The issue of surrender had been resolved as early as August 15; all that remained was to document it in accordance with the principles of international law.


September 2, 1945. General K.N.Derevyanko signs the document on the surrender of Japan on board the American cruiser “Missouri”, Photochronicle TASS

On September 2, a Japanese delegation boarded the battleship USS Missouri, moored in Tokyo harbor, to sign the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan.
But long afterward, isolated garrisons of fanatical Japanese fought on remote islands without access to communications or command. They simply could not believe that the Emperor, who had promised to fight to the end, had betrayed them. The last Japanese, Hiroo Onoda, who continued his personal World War II, surrendered to Philippine authorities only in 1974, after they tracked down his former commander and the latter personally read him the order to lay down his arms.

Results

The Manchurian Offensive Operation is rightfully called one of the most successful operations in the history of World War II. In just ten days of active fighting, the Red Army managed to advance deep into enemy territory at a distance of 200 to 600 kilometers, losing relatively few: the operation involved more than 1.5 million soldiers and officers, of whom 12,000 people were killed, another 25,000 were wounded. The losses of the Kwantung Army amounted to much more - about 85,000 killed and up to 800,000 wounded, captured and missing.


Sailors of the Pacific Fleet in liberated Port Arthur Yevgeny Khaldey / TASS photochronicle

93 Soviet soldiers and officers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for bravery and heroism shown in battles. 220 military units were given honorary names according to the geographical location of their combat path. After the Manchurian operation in the Red Army appeared Hingan Division (17th Guards Rifle Division), Amur Fighter Aviation Division (254th), as well as “Ussuriyskie”, “Mukden”, “Harbin”, “Port Arthur” and many other units. 301 military units were awarded various orders.

In addition to the direct military component, the large-scale Soviet operation in the Far East was an impressive example of a logistical operation. In the shortest possible time and over huge distances - from 9,000 to 12,000 kilometers across the country from West to East - hundreds of thousands of men and thousands of pieces of equipment, tens of thousands of tons of ammunition, food and other equipment were moved. Most of the movements were made by railroad transport along the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Baikal-Amur Railway. And often with only one track available. Add to this the highest degree of secrecy and the need for careful camouflage, which accompanied the transportation, and you get the largest military transport operation of the Second World War. Neither the Allied landings in Normandy nor the fighting on the Pacific front required such a large amount of preparatory work to move troops.



Soviet officer talking to Japanese prisoners of war

Supplemental Summary:

USSR defeated and defeated a million-strong Japanese army in 12 days.

A million soldiers - such losses were expected by the Americans during the assault on the Japanese islands. To defeat fascist Japan, the Allies needed the help of the USSR. Moreover, the Red Army could force the enemy to surrender without fighting for Tokyo and other Japanese cities. In February 1945, at the Yalta Conference, Stalin promised to declare war on the Japanese 3 months after the defeat of Germany.

From the 1930s, Japan regularly conducted provocations on the border. In 38-39 they escalated into full-scale conflicts at Khasan and Khalkhin-Gol. The Japanese were waiting for Germany to seize Moscow. General Tojo said that they should attack when “the Soviet Union is ready to fall like a ripe plum”.

At the end of 1941, the USSR launched a counteroffensive, and the Japanese abandoned their plans. Nevertheless, sabotage in the border areas continued. Japanese intelligence gathered information about Soviet troop movements, and enemy ships sometimes sank Soviet merchant ships.

Soviet offensive
Exactly 3 months after the Victory, on August 9, 1945, the Red Army attacked the Japanese in Manchuria. The enemy's military force consisted of a million soldiers, while the Soviet Union and friendly Mongolian troops numbered 1.7 million.

The Soviet troops were commanded by Marshal of Victory Alexander Vasilevsky. Despite fierce resistance, the Red Army defeated the main Japanese forces in just 12 days.



This is what scout Nikolai Siachin, a participant in the battles, recalled:

“The Japanese had good fortifications. DOTs, DZOTs, trenches, they were sitting there hard. And they were terrible soldiers.” (terrible - What is meant here is that they are fearless, brave and disciplined, a killing machine. The translator translated the word poorly)

However, a week later, unable to withstand the pressure of the Soviet troops, the Japanese began to surrender.



“We started disarming them, and there were only 10 of us per 100 Japanese! We took them to camps - in the field, fenced off with boards, like a big corral. The discipline of the Japanese prisoners was perfect. We formed them into a platoon, a company, a regiment, like in the army. We appointed commanders, and they commanded themselves. I remember one case: a Chinese man was selling pumpkins, and a Japanese soldier took the pumpkin from him. The Japanese commander saw him and started slapping his cheeks! I remember one incident: a Chinese soldier was selling pumpkins and a Japanese soldier took his pumpkin.

By August 20, the Kwantung Army was defeated, and on September 2, Japan signed an act of surrender. The war was over.





Harbin-Girin Offensive Operation - a military operation of the Red Army against Japanese troops during the Soviet-Japanese War.

The operation was conducted from August 9 to September 2, 1945 by the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front and the Pacific Fleet. The goal was to defeat the Kwantung Army in eastern Manchukuo and northern Korea.

Some events of the operation:

On the night of August 9, 1945, forward units of the 1st Far Eastern Front went on the offensive.
On August 12, the troops took the port cities of Yuki and Racine, thus depriving the Kwantung Army of communication with the main forces.
By the evening of August 14, Soviet troops broke through all border fortified areas and advanced 120-150 km deep into Manchuria.
On August 16, 1945, the key Japanese defense stronghold of Mudanjiang was taken.

On August 17, mass surrender of Japanese troops began.
From August 18 to 24, airborne landings were made at Harbin, Girin, Pyongyang, Dalnyi, and Port Arthur.
Results of the operation: the Soviet troops defeated the opposing enemy grouping, advanced to a depth of 300 kilometers into Manchuria and liberated the northern part of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese troops.

The Japanese forces lost about 108,000 prisoners, over 700 guns, 120 tanks, and about 360 airplanes.

Why it wasn't the atomic bomb that made Japan surrender, but the Soviet Union.

You can also read in detail about it on this military site: https://en.topwar.ru/173837-pobedu-n...ja-armija.html

The real truth about Japan's surrender is that it wasn't the atomic bomb that forced the Japanese to surrender. It was the USSR that caused it, and here's why.

In 1942, the U.S. began the Manhattan Project, a secret project to build an atomic bomb to catch up with Germany, which had pulled ahead. This work was the most expensive in human history, 34 billion dollars at today's exchange rate was spent. On July 16, the prototype product was detonated in New Mexico.

On August 6 and 9, U.S. bombers dropped 2 bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 14 Japan announced its surrender, and after that history textbooks in the West and in Japan began to state: Japan surrendered thanks to the atomic weapons of the USA. The role of the USSR was forgotten.

1. Why the US developed the myth of the atomic bomb

At the time of the use of atomic weapons on Japan, no one said so. On the contrary, US commanders were against the bomb. “The atomic bomb did not play a decisive role, from a purely military point of view, in the defeat of Japan ...” - Admiral Nimitz, commander of the Pacific Fleet.

“I told the President I was opposed to it on two counts. First, the Japanese are ready to surrender, and there is no need to hit them with this terrible thing. Second, I hate to see our country be the first to use such a weapon.” - General Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief in Europe.

“The first atomic bomb was an unnecessary experiment. It was a mistake to drop it at all. The scientists had a toy, they wanted to try it out, so they dropped it ...” - Admiral “Bull” Halsey, Jr., commander of the U.S. 3rd Fleet.

However, for the U.S. government, dropping the bomb had another purpose than military. Dropping and claiming that the atomic bomb was the reason for the end of World War II was a great move to justify to America the unimaginable costs.

Besides, the atomic strike and the surrender of an entire country because of a small bomb, allowed the US to gain power over the planet as the only country with a weapon that brings everyone to their knees.

If the US had told the truth that Japan capitulated after the USSR entered the war, it would have meant that the Soviet Union accomplished in 6 days of war what the Americans could not in 4 years. This would have undermined America's role and elevated the Soviets.

2. Why the Japanese developed the myth of the atomic bomb

But not just the US, Japan too believes that the bomb was the reason for the surrender. Let's take a look at why. At the time of the strike, the Japanese authorities did not think so, the atomic bombing was a common occurrence, one of many. Today we are told that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were wiped out and the casualties were horrific.


Completely destroyed neighborhoods of Tokyo after the bombing on March 10, 1945

But if we compare the atomic bombing to the strikes on 68 cities in Japan in the summer of 1945, we see that the atomic targets are not even in the top. If you map the area of destruction, you will find that Hiroshima ranked 7th. If you map the extent of destruction of the city, Hiroshima comes in 17th.

The truth is that the Japanese High Command didn't even discuss atomic strikes in the early days. Because the bombing of Hiroshima killed 126,000 people, Nagasaki killed 80,000. And the U.S. Air Force bombing of Tokyo on March 10, 1945, killed 200,000 people and destroyed a million homes.

For the Japanese authorities, blaming superweapons for the country's loss is a great opportunity to justify their defeat to the people and hide their mediocrity.


The Nanjing Massacre in China in 1937.

Nanjing Massacre

An episode during the Second Sino-Japanese War in which Japanese troops committed mass murder and rape against civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China. The violence lasted for six weeks, beginning on December 13, 1937, the day the Japanese captured the city. During this period, soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army killed an estimated 40,000 to over 500,000 Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers, and committed numerous rapes and looting. Several of the main perpetrators of these crimes were tried and executed by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal...


Furthermore, it was Japan that started the war, allied with Nazism, and committed the war crimes known as the Nanjing Massacre or the use of chemical/bacteriological weapons that killed 300,000 people.

The truth is that the atomic bombs allowed Japan to portray itself as a victim rather than a criminal. To get away from their guilt and get huge amounts of money from the West to rebuild their economy.

3. Why the USSR is the reason for Japan's surrender

In 1945, the Japanese were at peace with us. Therefore, the best troops were in Japan where an invasion was expected and were ready to inflict such losses on the US that the Americans would make peace. In addition, Japan hoped that the USSR would mediate in the negotiations and allow to provide gentle terms of this peace.

But all hopes came to an end when Stalin, fulfilling a treaty with the Allies, declared war on Japan on August 8. A day later, Soviet divisions broke through Japanese defenses in China and Sakhalin, and received orders to invade Hokkaido, the second island in Japan itself.

Hopes for the USSR were over, and the Soviet soldiers, hardened in Berlin, were tearing the Japanese army to shreds. Now Japan had no defense options anywhere, and no chance for peace instead of surrender.

The USSR, not the US with the bomb ended WWII. And the truth is that the atomic bombing was a forceful challenge to Russia. And a declaration of the beginning of an endless war between the US and the Russians for world leadership, a Cold War declaration.
Also see the topic Cold War: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...-World-War-III.


Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (real surname Dzhugashvili) was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet statesman, politician and military leader, the first general secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, and the de facto leader of the USSR.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=rG3xFUpEiT0

It was a Masonic conspiracy not only against humanity but also against Orthodox Christianity, namely the destruction of the Orthodox Japanese.


Harry Truman, President of the United States. The photo was taken at the moment when he was making the decision to use atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only cities in Japan where the Christian population lived in large numbers.
It was in these cities that the Orthodox population of Japan was concentrated.
Fortunately, on the eve of the bombings, as if foreseeing trouble, the Orthodox left the cities in religious processions.
Thus, we can regard the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a blow to the Center of Eastern Christianity. A sacred blow!
Japan is large, there were many military facilities there at that time, but the nuclear strike fell precisely on two peaceful cities, which, as it turns out now, were the centers of Japanese Christian communities!
The historical center of Christianity in Japan - the city of Nagasaki - was destroyed on August 9, 1945 by the atomic bomb "Fat Man". At 11:02 am on August 9, 1945, the Fat Man exploded over a church in the center of Nagasaki, destroying the city and its inhabitants. The explosion was equivalent to the explosion of 21,000 tons of conventional explosives.
Tens of thousands of people died in an instant. Most of the dead residents of Nagasaki burned to the ground in one second.
Despite this, the tragedy of densely populated Hiroshima, where a total of 160,000 people died, overshadowed the tragedy of the ancient Christian center, which, moreover, was supposedly a "spare target".
The Urakamitenshudo Church, over which the bomb exploded, was the largest Christian church not only in Japan, but in the entire East.

[Russian Bear]

Japan still has claims to these islands and wants them back. What is Japan's claim? In 1951, the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed, according to which Japan renounced all claims to the Kuril Islands. But a few years later, the Japanese began calling four islands - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai - the Northern Territories and claiming that they belong to Hokkaido, not the Kuril Islands. Although on pre-war Japanese maps they were designated as the Southern Kuril Islands. In fact, these are the islands that Japan wants to return.

"The Americans also tried to land there, but died":
"We stood up to this fight." We won. This was not said for the sake of it. Vladimir Vladimirovich was born in the city of Sretensk in the Chita region, he was called up at the end of 1942, when he was 17 years old, almost a boy. But in May 1945, the war did not end for him.

- After the end of the war with Germany, the Allies turned to Stalin to ask our army to help in the war with Japan. They got bogged down there, and Stalin said that three months after the end of the war with Germany, Soviet troops would enter the war against Japan. And in August 1945, a new battle for us began: the troops that were in the Far East were ordered to liberate the Kuril Islands, - says Vladimir Vladimirovich. - For this purpose, a landing force was being prepared in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in which my 101st Mountain Rifle Division and units from the Western Front under the command of Marshal Rokossovsky participated. There were 10 thousand paratroopers in total.

The landing on the Kuril Islands began on August 15, with 64 ships participating - both combat and civilian. They headed from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Shumushu Island.

- It was the most fortified island, with a 30,000-strong garrison. And the landing force had to land from ships and seize a bridgehead for the landing of the main forces, - recalls Vladimir Vladimirovich. - A lot of people died here: the paratroopers landed on the bare shore, and they were cut off by dagger fire (when they shot from both sides). But they still managed to seize a bridgehead.

A day later, the landing of the main forces began.

- My topographic reconnaissance platoon and the marines were tasked with seizing a hill by any means and adjusting the fire of the ship's guns on the enemy from there, - the veteran explains. - The Japanese did not expect the attack to happen at night, and we captured the top of this hill. The radios did not work because the equipment got wet during the landing, so we transmitted all the data to the ships using signal flags. The Japanese quickly guessed that the hill had been taken, because the fire from the ship's guns was very accurate, and they launched several attacks on the hill itself. One after another, our soldiers were killed, and it was decided to direct the fire at ourselves. As a result, 15 of our 200 soldiers were wounded or shell-shocked...

Then the main forces approached the hill, and they managed to give battle to the Japanese tanks.

- The fighting lasted until August 23. The 30,000-strong Japanese garrison capitulated to 10,000 Russian paratroopers. Thus, the most fortified island, Shumushu, was liberated, - Vladimir Vladimirovich continues. - The rest of the islands were liberated much faster, and Japan capitulated on September 3. Everyone was later surprised how we were able to hold out: the Americans also tried to land there, but as many of them landed, as many died…

How the USSR took the Kuril Islands from the Japanese

Contents
Why Countries Fought for the Kuril Islands
Beginning of the Kuril Landing Operation
First Stage of the Operation
Second Stage of the Operation
After the Storming of Shumshu Island


The Red Army's Kuril landing operation on the Kuril Islands went down in the history of operational art. It was studied by many armies around the world, but almost all experts came to the conclusion that the Soviet landing had no prerequisites for a quick victory. Success was ensured by the courage and heroism of the Soviet soldier. American failure on the Kuril Islands

On April 1, 1945, American troops, supported by the British fleet, landed troops on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The US command expected to seize a bridgehead for landing troops on the main islands of the empire with one lightning strike. But the operation lasted almost three months, and the losses among American soldiers were unexpectedly high - up to 40% of personnel. The resources expended were disproportionate to the result and forced the US government to think about the Japanese problem. The war could have lasted for years and cost the lives of millions of American and British soldiers. The Japanese were convinced that they would be able to resist for a long time and even put forward conditions for concluding peace.

The Americans and the British were waiting to see what the Soviet Union would do, having already committed itself to military action against Japan at the Allied Conference in Yalta.
The USSR's Western allies had no doubt that the Red Army would face the same long and bloody battles in Japan as in the West. But the commander-in-chief of the troops in the Far East, Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky, did not share their opinion. On August 9, 1945, the Red Army troops went on the offensive in Manchuria and in just a few days inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy.
On August 15, the Emperor of Japan Hirohito was forced to announce his capitulation. On the same day, American President Harry Truman drew up a detailed plan for the surrender of Japanese troops and sent it to the allies - the USSR and Great Britain - for approval. Stalin immediately drew attention to an important detail: the text did not say anything about the Japanese garrisons on the Kuril Islands having to capitulate to Soviet troops, although quite recently the American government had agreed that this archipelago should go to the USSR. Considering that the other points were spelled out in detail, it became clear that this was not an accidental mistake – the US was trying to call into question the post-war status of the Kuril Islands. Stalin demanded that the US President make an amendment, and drew attention to the fact that the Red Army intended to occupy not only all of the Kuril Islands, but also part of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. It was impossible to rely solely on Truman's good will; the troops of the Kamchatka Defensive Region and the Petropavlovsk Naval Base were ordered to land troops on the Kuril Islands.

Why Countries Fought for the Kuril Islands

In good weather, Shumshu Island could be seen from Kamchatka, which was only 12 kilometers from the Kamchatka Peninsula. This is the outermost island of the Kuril Archipelago, a chain of 59 islands 1,200 kilometers long. On maps, they were marked as the territory of the Japanese Empire.
Russian Cossacks began to develop the Kuril Islands back in 1711. At that time, the international community had no doubts about the territory's belonging to Russia. But in 1875, Alexander II decided to strengthen peace in the Far East and handed the Kuril Islands over to Japan in exchange for Japan renouncing its claims to Sakhalin. These peace-loving efforts of the emperor were in vain. Thirty years later, the Russo-Japanese War began, and the agreement was no longer in effect. Russia lost and was forced to recognize the enemy's conquest. Japan not only kept the Kuril Islands, but also received the southern part of Sakhalin.
The Kuril Islands are unsuitable for economic activity, so for many centuries they were considered practically uninhabited. There were only a few thousand inhabitants, mostly representatives of the Ainu. Fishing, hunting, subsistence farming - these were the only sources of existence.
In the 1930s, rapid construction began on the archipelago, mainly military - airfields and naval bases. The Japanese Empire was preparing for the struggle for dominance in the Pacific Ocean. The Kuril Islands were to become a springboard for both the capture of Soviet Kamchatka and for an attack on American naval bases (the Aleutian Islands). In November 1941, these plans began to be implemented. This was the shelling of the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. Four years later, the Japanese managed to equip a powerful defense system on the archipelago. All accessible landing sites on the island were covered by firing points, and there was a developed infrastructure underground.

Beginning of the Kuril landing operation

At the Yalta Conference in 1945, the allies decided to take Korea under joint guardianship and recognized the USSR's right to the Kuril Islands. The United States even offered assistance in seizing the archipelago. As part of the secret Project Hula, the Pacific Fleet received American landing ships.
On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt died, and the attitude towards the Soviet Union changed, as the new president, Harry Truman, was wary of the USSR. The new American government did not deny possible military action in the Far East, and the Kuril Islands would have become a convenient springboard for military bases. Truman sought to prevent the transfer of the archipelago to the USSR. Due to the tense international situation, Alexander Vasilevsky (commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops in the Far East) received an order: "using the favorable situation that developed during the offensive in Manchuria and Sakhalin Island, to occupy the northern group of the Kuril Islands. Vasilevsky did not know that such a decision was made due to the deterioration of relations between the USA and the USSR. It was ordered to form a battalion of marines within 24 hours. The battalion was led by Timofey Pochtarev. There was little time to prepare for the operation - only 24 hours, the key to success was close cooperation between the army and navy. Marshal Vasilevsky decided to appoint Major General Alexei Gnechko as commander of the operation forces. According to Gnechko's memoirs: "I was given complete freedom of initiative. And this is quite understandable: the command of the front and the fleet was a thousand kilometers away, and it was impossible to count on immediate coordination and approval of each of my orders and instructions." Naval artilleryman Timofey Pochtarev gained his first combat experience in the Finnish War. With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, he fought in the Baltic, defended Leningrad, and participated in the battles for Narva. He dreamed of returning to Leningrad. But fate and command decreed otherwise. The officer was assigned to Kamchatka, to the coastal defense headquarters of the Petropavlovsk naval base. The most difficult stage of the operation was the first stage – the capture of Shumshu Island. It was considered the northern gate of the Kuril archipelago, and Japan paid special attention to fortifying Shumshu. 58 pillboxes and bunkers could fire at every meter of the coast. In total, there were 100 artillery mounts, 30 machine guns, 80 tanks, and 8.5 thousand soldiers on Shumshu Island. Another 15 thousand were on the neighboring island of Paramushir, and they could be transferred to Shumshu within a few hours. The Kamchatka Defensive Region had only one rifle division. The units were scattered across the entire peninsula. They all had to be delivered to the port in one day, August 16. In addition, it was impossible to transport the entire division across the first Kuril Strait – there were not enough ships. The Soviet troops and sailors had to act in extremely difficult conditions. First, land on a well-fortified island, and then fight a numerically superior enemy without military equipment. All hope was in the “surprise factor.”


This shot was taken in 1945, during the Kuril operation.

The first stage of the operation

It was decided to land the Soviet troops between the capes of Kokutai and Kotomari, and then strike to capture the center of the island's defense, the Kataoka naval base. In order to mislead the enemy and disperse the forces, a diversionary strike was planned - a landing in Nanagawa Bay. The shelling of the island began a day before the operation. The fire could not cause much damage, but General Gnechko set other goals - to force the Japanese to withdraw their troops from the coastal territory where the landing of the landing troops was planned. Some of the landing troops under the leadership of Pochtarev became the core of the detachment. By nightfall, loading onto the ships was completed. On the morning of August 17, the ships left Avacha Bay. The commanders were instructed to observe radio silence and blackout. The weather conditions were difficult - fog, because of this, the ships arrived at the site only at 4 am, although they planned for 11 pm. Due to fog, some ships were unable to approach the island closely, and the marines swam the remaining meters with weapons and equipment.
The advance detachment reached the island in full force, and at first did not encounter any resistance. Yesterday, the Japanese leadership withdrew troops deep into the island to protect them from artillery fire. Using the element of surprise, Major Pochtarev decided to use his companies to capture the enemy batteries on Cape Katamari. He led this attack personally.

The second stage of the operation

The terrain was flat, so it was impossible to approach unnoticed. The Japanese opened fire, the advance stopped. All that was left was to wait for the rest of the paratroopers. With great difficulty and under fire from the Japanese, the main part of the battalion was delivered to Shumshu, and the offensive began. By this time, the Japanese troops had recovered from their panic. Major Pochtarev ordered a halt to frontal attacks, and in a combat situation, assault groups were formed. [C-BLOCK]After several hours of fighting, almost all the Japanese pillboxes and bunkers were destroyed. The outcome of the battle was decided by the personal courage of Major Pochtarev. He stood up to his full height and led the soldiers. Almost immediately he was wounded, but he did not pay attention to it. The Japanese began to retreat. But almost immediately they pulled up their troops again and began a counterattack. General Fusaki ordered that the dominant heights be recaptured at any cost, then the landing forces be cut into pieces and thrown back to the sea. Under the cover of artillery, 60 tanks went into battle. Naval strikes came to the rescue, and the destruction of the tanks began. Those vehicles that managed to break through were destroyed by the marines. But ammunition was already running out, and then horses came to the aid of the Soviet paratroopers. They were allowed to swim to the shore, loaded with ammunition. Despite the heavy shelling, most of the horses survived and delivered ammunition. From Paramushir Island, the Japanese were transferring forces of 15 thousand people. The weather improved, and Soviet aircraft were able to fly out on a combat mission. The pilots attacked the docks and piers where the Japanese were unloading. While the advance detachment repelled the Japanese counterattacks, the main forces launched a flank attack. By August 18, the island's defense system was completely disrupted. The turning point in the battle had come. The fighting on the island continued as dusk fell - it was important not to let the enemy regroup and bring up reserves. In the morning, the Japanese capitulated, hanging out a white flag.

After the assault on Shumshu Island

On the day of the landing on Shumshu Island, Harry Truman recognized the USSR's right to the Kuril Islands. In order not to lose face, the United States demanded that the attack on Hokkaido be abandoned. Stalin left Japan with its own territory.
Tsutsumi Fusaki postponed the negotiations. He allegedly did not understand the Russian language or the document that needed to be signed.
On August 20, Pochtarev's detachment received a new order - to land on Paramushir Island. But Pochtarev no longer took part in the battle, he was sent to the hospital, and in Moscow they had already decided to give him the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
When the Soviet ships entered the second Kuril Strait, the Japanese unexpectedly opened crossfire. Then the Japanese kamikaze went on the attack. The pilot threw his machine right at the ship, firing continuously. But the Soviet anti-aircraft gunners thwarted the Japanese feat.
Having learned of this, Gnechko again ordered an attack – the Japanese hung out white flags. General Fusaki said that he had not given the order to fire on the ships and suggested returning to the discussion of the disarmament act. Fusaki was prevaricating, but the general agreed to personally sign the disarmament act. He avoided even saying the word "capitulation" in every possible way, since for him, as a samurai, it was humiliating. The garrisons of Urup, Shikotan, Kunashir and Paramushir capitulated without offering resistance. It was a surprise to the whole world that Soviet troops occupied the Kuril Islands in just one month. Truman asked Stalin to place American military bases, but was refused. Stalin understood that the US would try to gain a foothold if they received the territory. And he was right: immediately after the war, Truman made every effort to include Japan in his sphere of influence. On September 8, 1951, a peace treaty was signed in San Francisco between Japan and the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. The Japanese renounced all conquered territories, including Korea. According to the text of the treaty, the Ryukyu Archipelago was transferred to the UN, in fact, the Americans established their protectorate. Japan also renounced the Kuril Islands, but the text of the treaty did not say that the Kuril Islands were transferred to the USSR. Andrei Gromyko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (at that time), refused to sign the document with such wording. The Americans refused to amend the peace treaty. Thus, a legal quirk arose: de jure they ceased to belong to Japan, but their status was never confirmed. In 1946, the northern islands of the Kuril Archipelago became part of the South Sakhalin Region. And this was indisputable.

The site was translated via Google Translate from Russian to English by Russian Bear. Information taken from this Russian resource:https://dzen.ru/a/YCYOJPoL2RWaUgVD

[Russian Bear]

Brilliant PR: Why the Japanese adore the US after the atomic bombing and hate Russia



What the Americans have really succeeded in in Japan in the post-war years is political PR: they dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and 76 years later the Japanese sincerely love them (more than 85% of society), and sincerely hate the Russians, who did not kill hundreds of thousands of Japanese (only 19% are neutral towards Russia).

In essence, we are talking about enslaving the Land of the Rising Sun through mass consciousness management. You have to be able to do it! Let's briefly examine how this is done, and what myths are implanted and strengthened in the mass consciousness of the Japanese, so that the reputation of the Americans becomes so impeccable.

Statements by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov about Russia's response to the deployment of American medium-range missiles in Japan have caused another hysteria on the Japanese islands.

The media was flooded with hundreds of aggressive and angry comments from Japanese readers. Some even suggest turning Russia "into a sea of ​​fire." Naturally, Russia is an enemy. America is a friend and ally.

Indeed, the Americans committed the most terrible crime in human history against Japan (many historians and political scientists are sure of this) - the atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the murder of at least 300 thousand Japanese... and in fact, it has not been considered a crime in Japan for a long time.

A tragedy - yes. A crime - no.

On the contrary, many Japanese politicians justify what the United States did, believing that the two bombs of enormous destructive power dropped were a punishment for Japan's militaristic attitude, and the Americans are not to blame, because they did not know about the radioactive radiation, otherwise they would not have placed their military contingent at the site of the bombing - thousands of American soldiers were irradiated.

And, in general, the main humiliation of the Japanese was inflicted by the Soviet Union - one of the main opponents both in World War II and during the Cold War, and not America at all - after all, it was the Soviet troops that defeated the Japanese army, forcing Japan to capitulate, and also took the Kuril ridge and their own island of Sakhalin. And the USA gave Japan wealth, prosperity and democracy.

The most powerful work is being done in the USA in geopolitics with the help of public relations schemes or public relationships that have been developed over the years, that is, public relations, work to ensure that this or that society (in this case, Japanese) lives mainly by the models introduced into the consciousness of society, and not by reality, which is completely distorted.

You can't blame only the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for such miscalculations in the Japanese direction. The entire state policy of Russia, and earlier - the USSR, alas, is aimed at the fact that we simply do not care what those who do not like us think about us. And this is wrong.

Over the course of decades, geopolitical PR can perform a miracle: convince the Japanese that the main damage and insult to them was inflicted by the Soviet Union, and that it also took the Kuril Islands.

And to the Ukrainians, for example, that their best friend is not Russia, which has the closest socio-cultural and historical ties with Ukraine, but for some reason now - the United States and Europe.

The Americans are implanting myth number one in the consciousness. "Without the bombing of Japan, the country would not have capitulated, and was captured and occupied by the Soviet Union." A lie, of course. But one that most citizens in the world today believe. The Japanese too.

In 2007, Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma directly stated that he "does not hold a grudge against the United States," since the bombing, in his opinion, was inevitable and helped prevent the occupation of Hokkaido by the Soviet Union.

The Japanese know very well that the only two bombs from the US brought great destruction and disaster, but not victory to the Allies. And the Japanese would not have surrendered anyway if it were not for the USSR, so the Americans are not to blame for their defeat, they believe - and justify the American occupation, believing that there was none. Given the Japanese mentality, it was the USSR that humiliated them.

On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union entered the war with Japan. And it was this circumstance that convinced the Japanese "war party" that there was no longer any hope for victory.

Moreover, the defeat of the million-strong Kwantung army was lightning fast. And in mid-August, the Emperor of Japan addressed the army and navy with an order to surrender.

Unlike the radio address, it does not mention nuclear bombings at all, and the capitulation is explained by the entry of the USSR into the war.


Why Japan Needs Over 90 US MilitaryBases



It so happened that in the modern world many people no longer even take Japan seriously as one of the world powers. What we know about this country is that they produce some of the best cars, quality electronics, they have a high standard of living, and they are located on some small islands. In the news about Japan, we usually hear only when there are earthquakes there.

But few people know that the Japanese army ranks 5th in the world. And even fewer people know that in addition to their very good army, there are about 90 US military bases on Japanese territory. Why do I say about? Because according to official information there are 91, but in reality no one knows their exact number, because many military bases are classified.

How did US military bases appear in Japan?
Many people guess that US military bases appeared in Japan after World War II. It was then that Okinawa Prefecture (consisting of Okinawa Island itself and several smaller islands) came under US administrative control and became one of the key US strongholds in East Asia. The prefecture was returned to Tokyo's control only in 1972. However, American bases remained on its territory, and to this day they occupy about a quarter of the main island's area.

How many US troops are permanently stationed in Japan?


There are approximately 47,000 active duty US troops and servicemen in Japan, as well as approximately 52,000 family members, and 5,500 civilian employees.

Military bases are located on the main islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Okinawa. The latter is home to approximately 74.7% of all US military installations in Japan, located on the island of Okinawa. Between 50 and 75% (25,800 US troops and 19,000 family members and US civilians) of US troops in Japan are stationed on Okinawa.

Who pays for the concert?
Surprisingly, the Japanese government bears most of the costs of maintaining the US Army. Yes, yes. Not only does Japan need to maintain its own army, but they also maintain the US Army. For example, in 2016, the state budget allocated 581.8 billion yen (more than $5.7 billion) for US military bases. These funds go largely to pay utility bills at American facilities. In addition, Tokyo also pays almost entirely for the salaries of the Japanese base maintenance personnel.

Why does Japan need this?
I will not talk about the interests of the United States, which are quite transparent and banal, for example, demonstrating its military power in the region, containing potential threats from Russia, North Korea and, in general, world domination in the military sphere.

For Japan, the cooperation with the United States, which was established during the post-war occupation, was in many ways a much more profitable deal than it might seem at first glance. It was the preservation of the American military presence and the "nuclear umbrella" (that is, guarantees from Washington that in the event of an external attack on Japan, American troops would come to the rescue using all available means, not excluding nuclear weapons) during the Cold War that allowed Japan to save on the development of its own armed forces and redirect resources to peaceful development. Of course, this was not the only and not even the main reason for the "Japanese economic miracle", when Japan, a country devastated by the war, was able to become the second largest economy in the world by GDP by 1968. But cooperation with Washington also brought another result, even more important than saving on military spending. Thanks to him, Japan integrated into the global free trade system tied to the United States, and the growing Japanese industry gained access to the huge American market.

Despite the fact that in 2019 Japanese officials called the US proposal to quadruple the fee for maintaining American troops on their territory "unrealistic", the Japanese government continues to maintain the US army on its territory to this day. And in the near future, no drastic changes, such as the withdrawal of US troops from Japan, are planned.