May 22, 2006 May 22, 2006
On June, 24th of 1945 I took part in the Victory Parade. And as early as the next day I was ordered to return to my 20th Guards Tank Brigade that had been transferred to Mongolia by that time. While travelling by train we didn't think about the war. We all believed that we should quickly pay the Japs back. (Rem. AMVAS - for the war of 1904-05, Khasan lake conflict and Khalkhin-Gol).
When I arrived at the brigade, who were dispersed in battalions around the
Tamtsak-Bulak Lake, I took command of a tank company (10 T-34-85). It was felt,
based of everything around that important events would start soon. Next morning
all the officers of the brigade were gathered to get officers briefings. We were
instructed about the organization and equipment of Japanese Army up to
divisional scale and their probable tactics in combat. But first of all we were
trained to orient ourselves with the help of stars, sun and azimuth. It was done
because the terrain of Mongolia and Northern China in the area of probable
combats was a desert-steppe region up to the Grand Khingan. It contained alkali
soil and loose sand areas and had practically no reference point.
In the first days of the August, Major Popkov - our battalion commander, drove
his officers to recon a possible path to the border. We were driven by truck. We
often stopped, defined our position with sun and azimuth and also marked any
details of the terrain, which could be used as a reference point. In one halt
our commander said: "It is enough, the border is within 10 km ahead." That day I
first saw two Japanese planes – they suddenly appeared from behind clouds at the
height of 1.5-2 km, reach the borderline and sharply turned back. 15 minutes
later they again appeared and repeated their actions but it was done 5-7 km to
the right from us. Out battalion commander said: "The Samurais feel something is
wrong there and make recon flights". I wanted to ask when should we begin, but
he looked at me and I understood that it was not a good idea to ask that
question. After all nobody spoke directly about the future war. But we were told
in political lessons (and it was done again and again up to the last moment)
about the previous wars against the Japanese, about the struggle of the Chinese
people who had been enslaved by Japanese imperialists, and about the liberation
mission of the Red Army. So all of us understood clearly that the war would
begin very soon, but we didn't discuss it aloud. And it was only in the morning
of August, 8th when we already had got additional rations and water (5 litres
for a person and 100 litres for a tank on every day of the advance) when we, the
commanders of companies and platoons, were gathered in the headquarters of the
battalion and were told: "It is time when we, soldiers-Guards, must wash off the
black spot of history lying on our Motherland." After that our commander
informed us about the plan to move to the starting point for future advance.
We had moved to the border in the second half of the day. We moved along the
path that had been reconnoitred a few days before. The sun scorched us very much – the heat was about 40 degrees Celsius. Our armour became hot very quickly. A
large cloud of dust made by our tanks forced us to increase the distance between
neighbouring tanks up to 50 meters. We had reached the starting region by 11 PM.
There we began to maintain our "thirty fours". And suddenly we saw a bad thing.
Indeed the sandy gravel soil let the tanks to move with high speed (up to 50
kph). But the tracks wore out very quickly in such case. Especially bad was the
situation with track fingers that connected separate tracks. As a result tracks
had stretched and were on the verge of breaking. Moreover, it was already after
the first day of a forced march, when our air cleaners were so dust-laden that
they could be out of action soon. On the whole, we had practically no rest that
day. We finished the maintenance, had supper, began to sleep and were ordered to
stand up and to fall in for a meeting. We washed ourselves somehow, saving
water, and gathered near our tanks still in the dark. General Tumanian, the
Member of the Military Council of the 6th Guards Tank Army, spoke with us. He
reminded us about the first Russo-Japanese War and about the aggressiveness of
Japanese imperialism and wished good luck for us. After that we were informed
about our common task, and this was done for the first time for all our time
there. We had to overcome the desert-steppe region (more than 300 km!!!) between
the border and the Grand Khingan in 2 days, and then we had to overcome the
Grand Khingan in 2 another days and reach the Central Manchurian Plain. Then we
had to advance in the southeastern direction and capture Port Arthur and Dalnii
towns in order to prevent the retreat of the main forces of the Quantung Army
from the Central Manchuria to the south. The average daily rate of our advance
was planned to be 80-90 and more km and it was unprecedented in history before!
Moreover, it was a first in military practice that a tank formation had to
operate in the first echelon.
We crossed the border on 4 AM of the August, 9th without a preparatory
bombardment. Nobody resisted us. It was only 2 hours later when two Japanese
planes tried to attack us but our fighters, which didn't let them attack,
intercepted them. On the whole, our advance was absolutely sudden for the
Samurais. They didn't show expected persistent resistance on our direction. So
our main enemies were not the Japanese but the climate and the terrain. By the
afternoon the temperature had risen to 45 degrees C. and the sun made the armour
so hot that it burnt our skin even through clothes. At that time we had got
first casualties – some infantrymen riding on our tanks began to fall out
because of overheating and sunstroke and a bit later some of the tanks' crewmen
also began to fall out for of the same reasons. From time to time our medics had
to make medical care now at the head of our column and then at the tail of our
column. But despite everything we were moving forward. The dust raised impeded
our orientation. But soon a U-2 appeared in the sky and it began to show us the
necessary direction of movement. For the first day we went 170-180 km, and it
was more than half of the distance between the border and the Grand Khingan,
which was already seen on the horizon.
On the next day we got more difficulties. Tiredness accumulated because the
people and the equipment operated at the breaking point of their abilities. When
a light rain began close to evening we were glad at first. We had hope that the
rain would eliminate the dust and would cool to some extent the scorching
armour. But we didn't have any relief because the heat was replaced by killing
sultriness. Moreover, the parched rivers were filling by water and began to turn
into serious obstacles and brackish areas became completely impassable. Then I
made an annoying mistake. I saw a small river that was only about 7-8 metres
wide and I decided to cross it at a rush. I ordered to increase speed to my
driver. But after entering the water my tank immediately began to bottom out and
barely got out on the opposite bank. The next "thirty four" was more unlucky and
was stuck in the river. Two other tanks stuck in the river. We spent more than
one and a half hours dragging them out with the combined force of 3 tanks and we
tore 3 tank ropes during the dragging out. After such a lesson we began to move
more carefully and often stopped to check the passability of our path and to
know the depth of the water obstacles.
Close to evening Japanese planes again tried to attack our column. Three planes
suddenly appeared from the Grand Khingan and began to close to attack. But I had
shouted: "Fire on enemy planes" and our tank infantry cover riding on our armour
met the Samurais with so harmonious and concentrated fire that the Japanese
planes didn't endure and turned away. Soon we were informed that those planes
had attacked the forward unit of our brigade. Two of them were shot down during
the approach but the third kamikaze had collided a tank after all.
By the end of August, 10th we hadn't met serious resistance, went 100 km more
and entered the foothills of the Grand Khingan. Unbearable heat, which was
replaced by sultriness after rain, wearisome work to overcome brackish areas and
small rivers exhausted us to the highest degree. When we had heard the command: "Stop!" and had climbed out from our tanks the crewmen really staggered like
they were on a ship's deck during a storm. But all we were cheerful. To be sure!
After all we had endured an advance rate that was unprecedented before!
After a 3-4 hour rest we had begun to rise on the Grand Khingan still before the
sunrise. Unfortunately, the troublesome rain wasn't finishing. The tracks were
sliding on wet stones, and were rolling inside the slush. It was more difficult
to move further every hour. Steep turns, rises and descents with the slope more
than 30 degrees, and swamp areas, which were overcame by us with great
difficulty, were met more and more often. Here, in the end, we saw the Korokhan
Pass. Even experienced tank drivers nodded their heads when they saw its
steepness. It was good only that our recon had reported that there was no enemy
on it. It was really good news. I tried to ascend the pass at a rush and I was
successful only on the third attempt but my driver was the best in my company. I
consulted with the platoons' commanders and we decided to ascend the pass with 3
tanks simultaneously, connecting them in one bunch with tank ropes. In such a
formation the first one, having ascended the pass, would help the next ones.
During the descent the last tanks would help control the movement of the forward
ones. We overcame the Korokhan Pass, tore a few more ropes, and moved further. A
mountain road to the next Tsagan-Dabo Pass went along a narrow swampy gorge. It
was necessary to pave the most difficult parts of the road with fascines and to
fill them up with stones. There our sappers helped us very much. They went to
the head of our column, splintered rocks and metalled the road. The direction of
our movement was shown with U-2 planes that threw pendants. The last kilometres
to the Tsagan-Dabo Pass our tanks overcame in the darkness, moving at the speed
of 5 km per hour, or at the speed of a pedestrian. But even such movement was a
large success if you recall the conditions of movement. After a short rest we
began to descend from the Grand Khingan in the morning of August, 12th. As a
result of unceasing rains that descent was not easier than the ascent. In spite of the incredible exertion our people still endured but, our equipment began to
break – even faultless "thirty fours" stopped more and more often because of
breakages. But our technical support service worked very well and soon those
tanks came up to our column.
We were inspired with the knowledge of the fact that we had passed over the
Mongol steppes and the Grand Khingan in 3 days, did it ahead of units of the
Quantung Army and didn't let them to settle on that very important defensive
position. But our following successful advance inside of Manchuria would drive
the Samurais into a corner. The Quantung Army was doomed to destruction or
surrender after the lose of the ability to retreat to their bases in Northern
China and to their ports at the coast of the Pacific.
Descending to the plain we soon heard the sounds of distant combat. The tanks of
our forward recon unit were engaged in combat against Japanese units, defending
the town of Lubei. Our battalion commander ordered by radio to increase speed. I
disposed my company in order of platoon columns to attack the enemy with a rush.
But how large was our disappointment, when coming to the approaches to Lubei we
saw the combat was over. Our recon unit crushed the enemy. We saw a few dozens
of dead Japanese on the battlefield. I heard over the radio: "A nice thing!
Again we were late!"
While we driving along the killed Japanese I drew my attention that some of them
had a bamboo pole in their hands. Those poles were 4 metres long and had
something like a German Faustpatron [Russian nickname of a Panzerfaust] at one
of their ends. But in contrast to the Hitlerites, the Japanese couldn't shoot
them and needed to run towards a tank with the pole and to poke it into the
tank's side. Using such a method the Japanese had to destroy not only the tank
but himself as well. Probably, kamikaze-soldiers were an ordinary event in
Japanese Army that time.
We began to feel the shortage of fuel by the evening of August, 12th. The
downpours had made the roads across the Grand Khingan impassable to wheeled
transport. Besides, we were a few kilometres from our main supply bases. I was
hearing on the radio: "How is the situation with "milk"?". It was a question
from our commander about fuel. I estimated that we had fuel to move 30 km,
probably 50 km at maximum. A half hour later I got a "Stop!" command. I stopped
my company assuming that we should get dinner and fuel. But our battalion
commander arrived and said that we had to leave minimum fuel if the worst comes
to the worst and to give up all the other fuel to the 1st Battalion, which had
to continue the advance. We had to stay and to wait for refuelling. I understood
that the decision was correct – the brigade had to advance with at least part of
its force – but it was a pity why the others and not we continued the advance.
Giving up the fuel we began to maintain our vehicles while waiting for
refuelling. The next morning we saw an amazing picture: some transport planes
landed one after another on an ordinary field within a kilometre of us. Metal
containers with fuel were unloaded from them. But due the low carrying capacity
of the transport planes of that time it took 2 days to transfer the fuel for
only our formation. Finally we began to move on the morning of August, 15th.
Rains periodically began again. Operating in difficult conditions of lack of
roads our "thirty fours" had entered the town of Tunliao at the end of the next
day. But it was practically impossible to move further. And it was impossible
even for infantry. As the result of downpours something like an artificial sea
was formed in the wide territories of the Central Manchurian Plain. And the
Japanese opened the dams. So everything 100 km around was submerged. We again
had to risk. It was decided to overcome the submerged plain along the sole
railroad embankment in that region from Tunliao to Chzhansu. At that the tanks
had to stretch in one line, moving at low speed and without the possibility to
manoeuvre, as there was not any other way. Also the moving on sleepers caused
large jolting and was a reason of the quick deterioration of track fingers and
of tearing of tracks. But any breakage was the reason for stopping the whole
column and turned the column into an easy target, so damaged "thirty fours" really were thrown off the embankment into water to give a path for the other
tanks. Soon Japanese planes appeared. The Japanese 4-6 plane kamikaze groups
tried simultaneously to attack different targets. But our supporting infantry,
riding on the armour, contained experienced veterans, met the Japanese planes
with organized concentrated fire so the result usually was unsuccessful for the
attacking planes. But nevertheless they destroyed a tank from the forward unit
and a few trucks. Our common casualties during that 100-km march were extremely
heavy although they were temporary. Only my company lost 5 out of 9 tanks, those
tanks tore their tracks and were left behind. Those tanks hadn't come up with us
up by the end of the war. The situation was no better in the other companies.
But we had traversed that artificial sea.
After that march we began to move to the ancient Manchurian capital Mukden in
the second half of August, 18th. But an air landing was made before we got
there, and the landed soldiers forced the local garrison to surrender, captured
the Manchurian Emperor Pu I and released some American POWs from a POW camp. By
that time the resistance of the Japanese troops had practically disappeared and
the Japanese had begun to surrender in whole units. Mukden's powerful troops
group together with their generals laid down arms cap in hand.
One day later air landings were made in the Liaodun Peninsula – at Dairen and
Dalnii. We boarded a train and went to help them. It was an unheard-of bold
decision that again was completely successful. What I saw I couldn't see even in
my dreams – tremendous officers-Samurais in full dress and with sabres met us in
all our way, saluted us, bowed before us and rendered any assistance to us. On
August, 23rd we arrived to Port Arthur. We also were met by the Japanese
military administration, which obligingly offered help in unloading the tanks
and the capturing of the town. I had a mixed feeling in my soul – I couldn't
believe that I was in the legendary Port Arthur, which was so disgracefully
given up to the Japanese by Tsarist generals in 1905.
And then we went again. Our column began to move on a motor road along the coast
of the Yellow Sea to the town of Dairen. We arrived there one and a half hours
later without any accidents. The local population met us with exultation. After
our tanks had entered southeastern outskirts of Dairen we were ordered to turn
to the ocean.
We know now that those resolute actions frustrated an American plan to occupy
the Liaodun Peninsula.
To that time my company had only 4 tanks from an initial 10. One was lost in the
desert (its pump was broken) and five were abandoned on the railroad embankment
because of tearing of their tracks. Casualties of the other companies were not
less. It was rare thing if a company contained more than 5 tanks. And those
casualties were explainable. It was only for 2 weeks while we made an
unprecedented 2000-km rush from Mongolia to the Yellow Sea. We had overcome
Mongolian semi-desert, the Grand Khingan Mountains, and Manchurian impassability
of roads, and forced the surrender of one of the strongest armies of the
World!!!
