on 14 August the Japanese Emperor announced to his subjects about the decision to stop the war, referring to the use by the opponent of “the super”. Even after two days the Emperor promulgated the “Rescript to soldiers and sailors”, pointed out the other reason for surrender: against us entered the war, the Soviet Union, resistance is futile.
the Order to surrender, not all the Japanese military wanted to hear. Lieutenant Onoda Hiroo two soldiers fought for another three decades, killing 30 and wounding more than a hundred military and civilian. Onoda surrendered only after Japan found its commander, was brought to the Philippines, where he ordered the Lieutenant to lay down their arms. Actually, insane people already fly in space and the jungle with a bloody sword running Japanese and the Philippine army and the police can’t keep up with him. Which gives an idea of Japanese spirit.
However, this is not our story. Where I have set foot on our soldiers and Marines, no Japanese Lieutenant-fanatics are already not running. Either with swords or without.
With the beginning of the Manchurian operation of August 16, the commander of the Kwantung army, General Yamada of Tojo ordered his army to surrender (but the fighting continued for another few days). And South Sakhalin operation we completed on August 25.
the Red army with the Mongols allies liberated from the Japanese and their puppet Manchuria, Northern Korea, southern Sakhalin, conducted landings in the Kuril Islands.
Our enemy – the 700-strong Japanese Kwantung army, another third of a million bayonets were in Manchukuo and Mengjiang, but these States no longer exist on the map. From our side of 1.7 million soldiers, the advantage in airplanes, artillery and tanks. But we fought not infantry and armor, and intelligence. Marshal Vasilevsky already ordered the two divisions to carry out the assault and occupy half of Hokkaido. But Stalin stopped the assault. In order to avoid conflict with the allies.
the Worst we can do is try to shy away from controversial topics. For example, a difficult question: why Japan attacked us in 1941 (as Hitler was counting on it), and we are in August 1945 declared war on them?
But really – why? Without any claim to truth in the last instance I will Express my opinion. Not attacked for two reasons. First: Khalkin-Gol. We have about those events is know mostly for the perky song from the movie “Tractor”. After Nikolay Kryuchkov, the whole country began to sing about how “I Flew down samurai”. Good and uplifting song. And most importantly, all true. Japanese troops at Khalkin-Gol was the head of Mititaro Komatsubara. Rethinking the experiences, in the fall of 1940 he committed suicide. And for our Zhukova Khalkhin-Gol was the beginning of a career “Marshal of the victory”.
Note that the Khalkhin Gol is the Mongolian land. And how the Russians will fight for their own, the Japanese have become known.
the Second reason: the Empire was waiting to��when we’re bleeding in the fight with Germany. Japanese war Minister General Hideki Tojo at the meeting of the Cabinet in the presence of the Emperor said that they should attack when “the Soviet Union will be ready to fall like a ripe plum”.
the Soviet Union not fallen. A counter-offensive at Moscow, many sobered. “Plum” was a tough nut to crack. And fall is a question. And to receive from us in a pumpkin was more than likely. Sorry for the fruit and vegetable politically incorrect. But Tojo started it.
as far as the events of August 1945, the history of rethinking is not needed. We made a promise to join the allies in the war against Japan in Tehran, where Stalin met with Churchill and Roosevelt. And in February 1945 in Yalta, the heads of the USSR, USA and Britain signed an agreement that Soviet Union would start fighting against Japan 2-3 months after Germany’s surrender.
Probably different and could not be. Was the axis of evil: Berlin – Rome – Tokyo. Rome fell for him in Berlin. In the late summer of 1945, it’s time to fall in Tokyo.
the Average Russian knows the story of the war with Germany. But as to the last of our war with Japan – it is not so. In the minds of some nuclear mixture of myths, rumors and distorted the real facts.
the Japanese – they seem entirely samurai and fanatics fought without tanks, their life is not valued, and suicide – are all of your brides take in the last flight…
I’m not kidding. About “kamikaze brides in white dresses” in the cockpit of a single “zero” was read in major publications, embarrassed even to say what. Although the authors – it seems to be respectable people who should know that kamikaze, anyone with a last flight did not take. Especially women. There was no such tradition.
meanwhile the Japanese army was so fantastic, colorful, sometimes crazy, what embellishment is not needed. A simple example. Tell me, how goes the fleet if he needs the support of the land forces and the air force?
will Request them from their army and air force. So everyone is doing.
Well, that will make the army, if she needs to make a landing or to transport troops by sea? Of course, send a request for landing craft and escort ships the naval command. But otherwise…
And so around the world.
But not in Japan. The Navy and the army hated each other with a samurai’s rage. And snobbery. All fought separately and by themselves. The admirals considered it beneath his dignity about something to ask the army, so if needed the aircraft and armored vehicles, we have developed them ourselves. The Japanese army would do the same: they built for themselves ships, until escort carriers.
Listen: aircraft carrier ground forces! Oh my God!..
the Navy in the fantasy did not depart from the infantry: they have made for themselves a tracked torpedo. The funny thing is: it happened, and very not bad.
But why would he? And the Japanese didn’t know how to heat up a huge American squadron based in the lagoons in the Pacific. The submarine in the lagoon could not log in, the bomber raids of the Americans quite effectively reflected. Then the company “Mitsubishi” has offered the miracle of technology: the case of an armored personnel carrier, diesel engine 115 HP – from floating tank, suspension from heavy ground tank. Called “Ka-TSU”. Weight – 16 tons, armed with two 13 mm machine guns and two 450-mm torpedoes. Speed over land to 20 km/h on the water up to 9 km/h For delivery adapted five submarines. In a submerged position (engine “Ka-TSU” was in a sealed capsule) they were delivered to the enemy ships. The submarine surfaced, produced amphibious, they were out on the land, made their way through the jungle to the lagoon, again went to the water and released torpedoes at targets.
in the Spring of 1944 launched the series, wanted to collect 400 of these machines. But it soon became clear that the attack on foreign bases Japan not. Its easier to protect. Then decided to equip their crews of the bombers with orders to sink all that is coming to Japan. But not in time. In 1945, “Ka-TSU” went to the Americans.
All because our with incredible quickness destroyed the Kwantung army. If a million of its soldiers was transferred from China to Japan, the war would have dragged on for years. And two American nuclear bombs could not change anything. It would take a new nuclear strike, killing millions of soldiers and civilians.
But back to the technique. In the Museum of the Victory in Moscow there is one more instance of Japanese engineering: amphibious tank “Ka-Mi”. Quite interesting design – two pontoons allowed to stick to 12.5-ton tank afloat even in mild storm. The bow pontoon consists of two symmetrical halves. The crew brought the car to the shore without leaving the tank, these pontoons were thrown. Halves were off in different directions, which allowed not to spend time on their detour. Everything is left to chance. Armament: 37-mm gun and 7.7 mm machine gun. Two propellers provided on the water speed to 10 km/h On land for up to 37 km/h.
Just made 180 PCs a Few tanks, we took as a battle trophy.
there were Japanese tanks without imagination and fantasy. During the war they released no more than 5 thousand tanks. It is not enough. But the Japanese are too fond of battleships, aircraft carriers and ocean-going submarines, built a lot of planes. On the other, they just lacked resources.
For comparison: the T-34 during the war produced nearly 58 thousand. The Americans – 49 thousand of their “Shermans”.
While the Japanese tanks were compared to ours and the American was weak, and the armor, engine, armament. More or less decent tank they created only in 1944: “Chi-nu” with 75-mm gun, whose projectile was shot from 1 km 65 mm of armor. But made them only 60. No more in time, the war ended.
A tank in Japan respected. The rank and file was prepared two years. The officers-tank crews were taken from the infantry or cavalry, and six months taught. There is reliable information that in the tank every officer tanker kept the sword.
does anyone know who put the first monument to the fallen defenders of the legendary Port Arthur?
Imagine: the Japanese government and their money. And the Russian cemetery, though reducing geographically, the Japanese kept throwing up there is a military memorial as a tribute to the heroism of our soldiers. At the opening ceremony 54-year-old Japanese General Maresuke Feet, stormed Port Arthur, said touching words in the Russian characters. To understand the situation: the General felt that his troops had suffered too much loss, and asked the Emperor to allow him to commit suicide. Was refused. Waited until the death of the Emperor and, thinking himself free from the pledge of allegiance, had committed suicide. But it will happen later. And in Port Arthur, opening the memorial, the General cried. And ordered over the Russian graves to lower the Japanese flag.
Yes, here’s another: in the battle with the Russian General lost two sons.
Another story, very personal. In school during the summer holidays I got a month to work: the assistant to the beekeeper. So at the end of the 1970s was taken. But a month to get away from the apiary could not and worked until 1 September. Pasechnik, Michael Babin, was a veteran. In 1945 he was drafted into the army, but the war with Germany did not. Sent to fight against Japan. Actually, because of his stories and I spent the summer in the apiary.
Retell one episode.
Babin Soldier, as any soldier who carried with war trophy. Namely, the book. Cover leather, pictures – eye-catching. He was often considered: of course, mostly pictures, the meaning of the characters was unclear. And once he was approached by prisoner of the Japanese and gestured to give him the book. Something fast and talked a lot in his language, begged.
“Offered to buy or trade?” politely I asked the chief. “No, just” – “And that was not a pity?” – “Yet what a pity! But he begged, bowed, thanked…”
Actually, I’m not talking about the book. And not about trophies. And not even the bows. And the fact that for the past two wars we’ve finished, managing not to harden hearts. Yes, in a battle killed each other.
But it is in battle.
And after the war left a complaint, and where do without them.
But as soon as the gunfire subsided, then quickly lost the feeling of hatred. Liked the magical Pacific breezes.
Honestly, I don’t even know how many times we fought Japan. Let historians keep records and control. But in my opinion, there is still hope that in the summer of 1945 was the last war between our peoples. Not in terms of what last. The last in the sense that quite-quite.
All Japanese suicide bombers we call “kamikaze”. But if�� a suicide bomber drove a boat full of explosives, “he sinje tokkotai”. If led torpedo-kaiten, then – “tainty”. Also called the suicide troops who undermine vehicles, artillery and enemy officers. “Fukurou” – divers-bombers.
A “kamikaze” – a pilots.
In 1934 in Japan have developed a 8-mm pistol “Nambu Type 94” (see photo). Reputed to be the ugliest gun in the world. Named in honor of the founder, General Kijiro Nambu. Inaccurate, unreliable, the shot could happen without pressing the trigger. But because of the ugliness and small series (71 thousand units) today are in great demand among collectors.
Captured equipment, the Soviet Union transferred to China. Therefore, the people’s liberation army of China in Beijing officially entered the Japanese tanks.
the Japanese fleet had 174 submarines, some of which was… aircraft carriers. Seaplanes E14Y1 “Glen” was in a waterproof hangars to prepare for their departure went from 6 to 15 minutes. Flew with a catapult. Flight range 900 km speed – 250 km/h Weapons of the weak: two bombs of 30 kg.
At the end of the war, the Japanese created a powerful shock seaplane M6AI “the Minister”: a range of 1.2 thousand km, speed – 480 km/h, carrying the torpedo. Designed for underwater aircraft carriers, long-distance actions of the type I-400. Managed to build only three dozen “of Saranov”, and only simplified: based onshore. In the battle of their throw was not in time.
