Background of Sakhalin Battle

Sakhalin Island, with an area of 72,000 square kilometers, was the largest island in China during most of the Qing Dynasty (twice the area of Taiwan Province Province), and the aborigines on the island were one of the barbaric Jurchen Department and Jurchen Three Departments. However, in the Qing Dynasty, because the whole kanto region was regarded by the imperial court as a land full of people in Longxing, the Han people were not allowed to enter. After the Manchu entered the customs, the northeast region was sparsely populated and the border defense was empty. Therefore, from the19th century, Russian soldiers and Japanese immigrants landed on the island from the north and south respectively.

At this time, the Qing Empire, which once dominated the eastern part of Asia, was in decline. 1860, through the Beijing Treaty, Russia ceded 400,000 square kilometers of land south of Heilongjiang and east of Wusuli River to Russia, and Sakhalin Island also fell into Russian hands.

At that time, there were still many Japanese immigrants in southern sakhalin island, so Russia and Japan once again started a fierce competition for sakhalin island. With Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Sakhalin Island was split in two along the 50th parallel according to the Treaty of Portsmouth. When the Russians occupied the northern part of the island, the Japanese established Huatai colony in the southern part of the island. From 1942, Huatai Island was merged into Japan, no longer under the jurisdiction of the colonial department, and gradually became a part of Japan.

Sakhalin Island, which separates the North Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Okhotsk, has always been a strategic place. 1905 After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan defeated Yu Wei and seized the land of Sakhalin Island south of the 50th parallel of north latitude, which made Russia and the later Soviet Union feel bitter. 1August 8, 945, that is, two days after Hiroshima, Japan was destroyed by the American atomic bomb, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, and millions of Red Army launched an offensive campaign against northeast China, Korea and South Sakhalin Island under Japanese occupation, which was called "August Storm" in history. For various reasons, the details of Soviet operations in South sakhalin island have been kept in archives for a long time.

Sakhalin Island stretches 900 kilometers from north to south, covering an area of about 78,000 square kilometers. The 50-degree north latitude line just cuts it into two parts with equal area. According to the information provided by the Soviet intelligence service, there are about 20,000 Japanese troops in South Sakhalin. On August 1945 and 10, Lieutenant General Cheremisov, commander of the Second Army of the Soviet Far East 16 Army, was ordered to cross the 50-degree line the next morning and occupy South sakhalin island in cooperation with the North Pacific Fleet. Although the strength is several times that of the opposite Japanese army, Cheremisov still feels a little embarrassed.

First of all, the dividing line between the Soviet Union and Japan on Sakhalin Island is very short, and the troops can only attack the Japanese-occupied areas along the Polonaise Valley. The dense forests on both sides of the valley are impassable, and there is only a dirt road extending south, which limits the actions of the Soviet army. Only the 56th Infantry Army (37,000 men, commander Major General Diaco Novo) can be used for frontal assault.

Secondly, the Japanese army set up strong fortifications in Gutun (now Bo Beduneau) in the Polonaise Valley. Its front is only 12km wide, but its depth is as long as 30km. 17 permanent fortifications, 3 1 artillery bunkers, 108 machine gun bunkers and 28 deep artillery positions were arranged.

In addition, two brigades belonging to the 25th United Wing of the 88th Division of the Japanese Army are responsible for covering Zhengang (now Holmsk), while the other brigade stays at the southwest end of South sakhalin island, ready to meet the retreating troops and Japanese nationals and flee to Hokkaido. The 306th Wing under the jurisdiction of the 88th Division is responsible for guarding Shi Ming (now Gastrow), Rongbang (now Dorinsk) and Taibo, which is the main port for Japanese troops to retreat to the mainland. In addition, the Japanese army also set up a "Citizen Patriotic Combat Team" consisting of1male Japanese aged 5-60 and1female Japanese aged 7-40 on the island. The weapons for these people are slingshots and bamboo guns.

However, the Soviet Union also has an advantage, that is, the US military is approaching Japan, which leads to the fact that most of the Japanese naval vessels stationed in the ports of Dapo, Zhengang and Huixuqu (now Gorsk, URI) in southern sakhalin island have already moved south, and the 13 airport on the island is empty, so that the Soviet Union does not have to worry about threats from the sky and the sea. Because the forces available for frontal assault do not have an overwhelming advantage. Cheremisov ordered the fleet in the North Pacific to land behind the Japanese, forming a double attack.