In 1941, in view of the danger of imperialist Japan entering the war against the Soviet Union, personnel and equipment were transferred from the West of the USSR to the East. The Amur flotilla, despite the high combat readiness, was completed by 80 percent, which caused Stalin's concern.
It so happened that fate threw my father, a native of the Kuban, in the very first months of the war to the Far East, to the Red Banner Amur Flotilla. In his rare stories about the war, dad recalled distant Khabarovsk and Harbin.
Old photo. 1926 Art. Medvedovskaya, Krasnodar region.
Father with mother, Marfa Emelyanovna Shakun. 
My grandfather, Ivan Alekseevich Shakun, died in the Kuban in the mid-20s of the last century.
In this regard, my father addressed all his letters from the front to my mother, my grandmother.
1918. Grandfather is 22 years old. 
Summer 1941. My father and mother (my grandmother) made a memory card
before being sent to the front. 
Signature on the card:
Spring 1942, AKF. "Mother in memory from her son and his friend."
Unfortunately, the friend's last name is not listed. 
Ivan Ivanovich Shakun at the age of twenty. AKF, 04/01/1942. 
AKF, 14 April 1943. 
Reverse side of the previous card.
AKF, 14 April 1943. 
On the left is Ivan Ivanovich Shakun.
I do not know the name of the second sailor.
17.12. 1944. 
military council :)
1944
The father is third from the left. 
End of 1945.
Top row - Alexey Shakun and Ivan Shakun.
There were no grandfathers left in our family after the 20s,
in this regard, those who came from the front were met by wives, mothers and aunts.
Family photo.
My grandmother, bottom row in the center, after the death of her husband during the period of collectivization,
never married.
Let me tell you, the woman was kind but tough. Kingdom of Heaven to her. 
I buried my father on August 22, 2002. He lived a little over 80 years. He was very strong in spirit.
1964
Mom, older brother Igor, aunt Lucy (mother's sister, participant in the defense of Leningrad, anti-aircraft gunner) and father.
I didn't exist at that time. I was born in 1968. I don't know.... Respect to Bate.
My father lived several lives. 
Dry facts:
Navy sailors in the liberation of Northeast China
Navy sailors of the Pacific Fleet and the Red Banner Amur Flotilla took an active part in the defeat of the Kwantung Army and the liberation of Northeast China from the Japanese invaders, along with the Soviet troops in the Far East. The success of the Manchurian operation in 1945 was largely facilitated by successful fighting of the Pacific Fleet and troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front to capture in a short time the main ports and naval bases of the enemy on the Liaodong Peninsula (Port Arthur and Dalniy) and in North Korea, which led the main forces of the Kwantung Army to complete isolation from their own mother country, deprived them of the possibility of transferring reserves and evacuation.
high command Soviet troops in the Far East, a very difficult and responsible task was assigned to the Red Banner Amur Flotilla - to ensure the crossing of the river. Amur troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and assist their offensive in the Sungaria and Sakhalyan operations.
It should be noted that r. Amur is the largest water communication in the Far East, navigable almost along its entire length (more than 2800 km). Full-flowing and its tributaries - the Sungari and the Ussuri. In the most important directions along the state border of the USSR with Northeast China, which runs mainly along the Amur and Ussuri, the enemy created strong fortified areas. The main ones were: Sakhalyan (opposite Blagoveshchensk), Sungari (covering the entrance to the Sungari River) and Fujin (70 km from the mouth of the Sungari, protecting the approaches to Harbin). The fortified areas consisted of nodes of resistance and strong points connected by communications, the basis of which were pillboxes, bunkers, and reinforced concrete structures. The Red Banner Amur Flotilla (commanded by Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov) had up to 150 warships and boats by the beginning of hostilities and significantly outnumbered the Japanese Sungaria River Flotilla in terms of combat strength and armament.
In the Sungaria operation, which was led by the commander of the 15th army, Lieutenant-General K.S. rank L. B. Tankevich and captain of the 2nd rank A. V. Fadeev).
On August 9 and 10, 1945, troops of the 15th Army and the 5th Separate Rifle Corps successfully crossed the Amur and Ussuri rivers, captured all the islands on the Amur and cleared the opposite banks of these rivers from the enemy in a 120-kilometer strip from the mouth of the river. Sungari to the mouth of the river. Khor and captured the cities of Lubei, Tongjiang, Fuyuan, as well as the centers of resistance of the Sungari fortified region. As a result, an opportunity was created for our troops to rapidly advance in the Harbin direction.
The personnel and warships of the Red Banner Amur Flotilla played an important role.
AT short term tens of thousands of people, a huge amount of military equipment and various military equipment were transported across the Amur. Together with the soldiers of the armies, the Amur sailors bravely fought the enemy. They were at the forefront of the advancing troops, with well-aimed artillery and machine-gun fire from the ships, they suppressed enemy firing points on the shore and paved the way for the paratroopers.
In the battle for the city of Fuyuan, the personnel of the gunboat "Proletariy" (commander senior lieutenant I. A. Sornev) and armored boats - under the command of senior lieutenant K. S. Shnyanin, lieutenant P. S. Semenyak and junior lieutenant S. F. Yakushenko. Under enemy fire, they quickly landed troops ashore and provided accurate shooting from ships. successful execution paratroopers capture the city.
In this battle, the foreman of the 1st article, communist Nikolai Golubkov, performed a heroic feat. Participating in the landing along with the soldiers of the 630th Infantry Regiment, when attacking one of the enemy's objects, he destroyed an enemy firing point with grenades. This created the possibility of a rapid advance by our paratroopers. However, he was mortally wounded. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, N. N. Golubkov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The people of Fuyuan warmly welcomed their liberators. Crowds of them went to the embankment, where our ships stood, their faces shone with joy. They warmly greeted and thanked Soviet soldiers and sailors for liberation from the Japanese colonialists.
On the monument erected in Fuyuan by local residents in memory of the dead Soviet sailors, a deeply symbolic inscription was made: "Soviet liberator soldiers will forever remain in the hearts of the Chinese people."
Every Soviet soldier, having set foot on Chinese soil, knew very well that he was fulfilling a lofty internationalist duty, fighting for the liberation of the Chinese people from Japanese oppressors, and this found a grateful response in the hearts of Chinese workers.
Stubborn battles unfolded for the capture of the Funjin fortified area and the city of Funjin. On the morning of August 11, under the cover of naval artillery fire, to the berths on at full speed armored boats of the 1st brigade of river ships approached, quickly moored and landed an assault company. Following them, the 3rd Battalion of the 364th Infantry Regiment was landed from the Sun Yatsen monitor (commander 3rd-Class Captain V.D. Korner). At the same time, naval assault forces were sent from the monitors to cover the rear of the advancing troops.
The fight was intense. The Japanese met the landing with powerful artillery fire, mortars and machine guns. The enemy fiercely resisted, repeatedly launched counterattacks, but could not withstand the onslaught of the Soviet troops. The heroism of the Soviet soldiers was massive. Everyone tried his best to fulfill the combat mission assigned to him.
Our warships-monitors, armed with 130-mm cannons and rocket artillery, had an advantage over Japanese artillery, the caliber of which did not exceed 75 mm. None of the enemy firing points could resist their fire. For example, the Sun Yatsen monitor destroyed and suppressed 5 bunkers, 12 bunkers, 6 mortar batteries, destroyed an ammunition depot and big number Japanese soldiers and officers.
The paratroopers were also greatly assisted by armored boats, which came close to the shores and fired at point-blank firing points and enemy manpower.
Our ships did not give respite to the retreating enemy troops. On August 16, with their active support, our troops captured the city of Jiamusi, for which they received gratitude from the Military Council of the 2nd Far Eastern Front. Eliminating pockets of enemy resistance, the ships of the flotilla continued to successfully move up the Sungari to connect with the airborne assault force that landed on August 18 in Harbin.
On the way from Sanxing to Harbin, the population of villages and villages, seeing our ships, gathered in crowds on the shore with red flags and warmly welcomed the Soviet sailors. On the morning of August 20, the ships of the Red Banner Amur Flotilla arrived in Harbin. The Harbin embankment was filled with people for many kilometers. Thousands of Chinese with flowers, banners and flags greeted their liberators. Soon a parade of Soviet sailors took place on the central square. Detachments of the Amur people with a clear step passed through the streets of the city to the stormy applause of the inhabitants. The day the Soviet sailors entered Harbin turned into a great national holiday.
Military sailors were active in the Sakhalin offensive operation. During August 10 and 11, troops of the 2nd Red Banner Army (commander Lieutenant General of Tank Forces M.F. Terekhin) were successfully landed from the ships of the Zee-Bureinsky brigade (brigade commander 1st-rank captain M. G. Voronkov) in area of the cities of Sakhalyan, Aigun and Tsike. Thus, three large bridgeheads were created on the right bank of the Amur, and further development the operation depended on how quickly the main forces of the army would be transferred here. This task was entrusted to the sailors of the Red Banner Amur Flotilla, and they fulfilled it with honor.
From August 10 to September 1, ships of the flotilla and vessels of the Upper Amur Shipping Company transported 22,845 people, 1,459 vehicles, 161 tanks, 116 armored vehicles and tractors, 429 guns and mortars, over 4 thousand tons of various cargoes from Blagoveshchensk to Sakhalin.
During the same time, 64,861 people, 460 guns and mortars, 3,800 cars and tractors, 14,330 tons of various cargoes were transported through another crossing from the village of Konstantinovka to Khadagan (110 km below Blagoveshchensk).
All this contributed to the rapid advance of the army into the central regions of Manchuria.
The population of the liberated cities cordially greeted the Soviet soldiers. In Sakhalin, when our ships approached the pier, thousands of Chinese rushed to them. Many of them carried red flags and flags in their hands. A rally arose spontaneously. Captain 1st rank M. G. Voronkov, who spoke at the rally, said that the Soviet troops came to them not as conquerors, but as friends to help them free themselves from Japanese domination. The speech was listened to with great attention. The rally was accompanied by stormy jubilation and cheers in honor of the Soviet soldiers-liberators.
In battles with the Japanese invaders, the soldiers and officers of the Red Banner Amur Flotilla showed high combat skills, discipline, courage, and a high understanding of the liberation mission.
During the operation, the ships were the only means of ensuring a high rate of advance of the ground forces. They were constantly in the forefront of the advancing units and in 12 days they fought from Fuyuan to Harbin 930 km, of which over 700 km along the Sungari.
The fighting of the flotilla was highly appreciated by the Soviet command. The commander of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, Army General M.A. Purkaev, in an order noted: "The Red Banner Amur Flotilla, following the order of the Supreme High Command, in close cooperation with the troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, contributed to a decisive victory over imperialist Japan. The ships of the flotilla, being the vanguard of the troops 2nd Far Eastern Front, crossed such water barriers as the Amur, Ussuri and Sungari rivers, and thereby accelerated the capture of strong strongholds of the Japanese and the cities of Manchuria.
For military merit in the war against imperialist Japan, 3315 sailors, foremen and officers of the flotilla were awarded orders and medals. Rear Admiral N. V. Antonov, Captain 1st Rank M. G. Voronkov, Captain 3rd Rank V. D. Korner, Lieutenant Commander I. A. Sornev and I. A. Khvorostyanov, Captain S. M Kuznetsov and foreman of the 1st article N. N. Golubkov were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. All four brigades of river ships of the flotilla were awarded orders and received honorary titles: 1st Harbin Red Banner, 2nd Amur Red Banner, 3rd Ussuri Order of Nakhimov and 4th Amur Order of Ushakov.
At the final stage of the Manchurian operation, following the airborne landing of army units in Dalniy and Port Arthur under the command of Lieutenant General of Aviation E. N. Preobrazhensky, landings of military sailors of the Pacific Fleet were landed from Amphibian-type sea planes.
The Chinese population of Dalny and Port Arthur met the Soviet soldiers and sailors very friendly. These days, the streets of cities were filled with thousands of lively and joyful people. The Chinese tried to provide all possible assistance to our units. So, for example, when landing the first planes on the water in the ports of Dalniy and Port Arthur, the Chinese quickly sent boats and schooners to land on the shore. Cheers were heard everywhere in honor of Soviet army and the Navy. And when our warships soon arrived in Port Arthur, the city literally changed. The news of the arrival of Soviet warships spread around the city with lightning speed. Crowds of Chinese with flags and banners began to flock to the port. They enthusiastically greeted the Soviet soldiers, sailors and officers - their liberators from the Japanese colonialists.
In the very first days of our stay in Port Arthur, the command of the naval base established in the city (the commander of the base, Rear Admiral V. A. Tsipanovich) established the most friendly relations with the local administration and the Chinese population. Considering the need of the population for food and consumer goods, the base command met the requests local authorities and donated from their reserves significant amount food, fabrics and various materials.
Joint concerts of amateur performances, performances by Soviet and Chinese artists, viewing of Soviet films were constantly organized in the city and in the clubs of the base. Systematically carried out sport games and competition.
I remember well how the population of Port Arthur, full of feelings of gratitude and gratitude to the Soviet Army and Navy for their liberation, took an ardent part in the celebration of the 28th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.
During these days, the Chinese did not work, a festive mood was felt everywhere. On November 7, a large number of people in festive clothes, with red armbands on their sleeves, gathered in the city squares. Soviet and Chinese flags were hung everywhere. The mass procession did not stop but the streets of the city. There were continuous cheers in honor of Soviet people, his army and navy.
In Dalny and Port Arthur, a significant number of Chinese workers worked at ship repair enterprises and in various workshops and institutions of the army and naval base. For their work, they received the same pay as the Soviet workers. When talking to us, the Chinese workers thanked Soviet people for the work given to them, for the brotherly attitude towards them. You should have seen what joyful, friendly smiles shone on their faces.
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| Amur military flotilla | |
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| The country | File:State banner 1742.JPG Russian Empire |
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Division of border ships, 2005
Amur flotilla (Amur River Flotilla) - a formation of warships created several times on the Amur River.
The first Russian warships appeared on the Amur River in the summer of 1644 - these were the plows of the Cossack head V. D. Poyarkov, who, with a small detachment of 85 people. made rafting down the river and, after wintering in the lower reaches of the Amur, returned through the Sea of Okhotsk to the Yakut prison. The second expedition led by ataman E. P. Khabarov, which reached the Amur in 1650 also on plows, managed to create Russian settlements along the Amur for a while, but after unsuccessful military operations with Qing China in 1689, under the terms of the unequal Nerchinsk peace, the Russians were forced to leave Amur for 160 years.
On July 10, 1850, as a result of the expedition of Captain-Lieutenant G. I. Nevelsky (later transformed into the Amur expedition), the lower reaches of the Amur became again available to Russia, and on May 18, 1854, the Argun steamer of the Siberian military flotilla, built on the Shilka River, entered the Amur and for the first time carried out rafting to the lower reaches, becoming the first ship of the Russian Navy in the upper and middle reaches of this river. Almost simultaneously, in 1855, the screw schooner Vostok of the same flotilla and the steam barge Nadezhda of the Amur expedition sailed in the lower reaches of the Amur. By the time the Aigun treaty was concluded in 1858 and a little later (by 1863), Russia had a pair of wooden gunboats on the Amur and Ussuri rivers and the Sungacha and Ussuri steamboats for navigation along the Ussuri, Sungach and Lake Khanka rivers. All these ships were organizationally part of the Siberian Flotilla of the Maritime Department.
Nevertheless, a permanent connection of the Navy on the Amur did not exist for about 60 years, despite the aggravation in relations with China in 1860 and 1880. Along the Amur and its tributaries since the 1860s. there were private and state-owned steamships, some of which belonged to the Military Department and could be armed: Zeya, Onon, Ingoda, Chita, Konstantin, General Korsakov. On the Amur there were also unarmed steamers of the Siberian flotilla "Shilka", "Amur", "Lena", "Sungacha", "Ussuri", "Tug", "Polza", "Success", screw barges and barges. Steamships were mainly engaged in economic transportation and supply. By the end of the 19th century, 160 steam ships and 261 barges were sailing along the Amur and its tributaries.
The first connection appeared in 1895-1897, although it was not a naval one. For the defense of the border line, the maintenance of the Cossack villages, located on the banks of the Amur, Ussuri and Shilka, was created Amur-Ussuri Cossack flotilla. It initially consisted of the Ataman steamships (flagship), the Ussuri Cossack, the Patrol steamboat, the Lena and Bulava barges. The crews included Transbaikal, Amur, Ussuri Cossacks. Senior commander (a position equivalent in status to the position of commander of a separate Cossack hundred) until 1901 - D. A. Lukhmanov. The flotilla was based on the Iman and was subordinate to the Amur Cossack troops and quite successfully defended Russian subjects from the attacks of the Chinese Honghuz, transported goods and passengers until 1917.
In the 1930s in the course of a large-scale campaign for the development of the Far East, the base of the flotilla was significantly improved. In Khabarovsk, in 1932, the Osipovsky Zaton shipbuilding plant was opened (later Shipyard named after S. M. Kirov, Shipyard No. 368, Khabarovsk Shipyard). Since 1934, the interests of the River Fleet were served by the Sretensky Shipyard, established in Kokuy on the basis of small civil shipyards and branches of factories. For the Navy and border guards, this plant built auxiliary ships and boats. But the largest shipbuilding enterprise on the Amur was the shipbuilding plant No. 199 named after. Leninsky Komsomol (now the Amur Shipbuilding Plant) in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which has been building ships since 1935. Repair bases operated in Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk.
From 06/27/1931 the flotilla was called Amur Red Banner Military Flotilla. In the prewar years, from 1935-1937. began to be actively replenished with special river warships new building. These included one of the first-born of the Soviet monitoring program - the monitor "Active" (1935), large "Amur" armored boats of project 1124 with two tank turrets (or installations of the "Katyusha" type) and small "Dnieper" armored boats of project 1125 with one tank tower. The first by 1945, there were 31 units, the second - 42 units. In addition, by 1941, the flotilla was replenished with eight gunboats converted from river steamers, as well as mine and bono-net layers, river minesweepers, mine boats, floating anti-aircraft batteries and other necessary vessels.
By the time of its zenith military power in 1945, the flotilla consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd brigades of river ships based in Khabarovsk (each brigade consisted of a detachment of 2-3 monitors or two divisions of 2-4 gunboats each, two detachments of armored boats of 4 units each. , a division of 4 minesweepers, one or two detachments of boat minesweepers and separate ships), as well as the Zeya-Bureya brigade of river ships based in Blagoveshchensk (1 monitor, 5 gunboats, two divisions of armored boats, a total of 16 BKA, a division of 3 minesweepers, detachment of boat minesweepers, two detachments of gliders), the Sretensky separate detachment of river ships (8 armored boats in two detachments and two gliders), the Ussuriysk separate detachment of 3 armored boats based on Iman, the Khanka separate detachment of 4 armored boats and the Guards of the raids of the main base of the flotilla. The Amur River Flotilla had nine separate anti-aircraft artillery divisions, armed with 76-mm guns - 28, 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns - 18 and 20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns - 24. In addition, the flotilla had its own air force in as part of a fighter regiment, separate squadrons and detachments. In total there were LaGG-3 - 27, Yak-3 - 10, Il-2 - 8, I-153-bis - 13, I-16 - 7, SB - 1, Po-2 -3, MBR-2 - 3, Yak-7u - 2, S-2 - 1. At the same time, despite the advance preparation for the war with Japan and the presence of a trained reserve in the form of two European flotillas, the Amur flotilla was staffed by officers only by 91.6%, and foremen and privates - by 88.7%. The situation was leveled by the fact that four relatively capital ships, as well as good special training of personnel. The latter is partly due to the fact that during the Great Patriotic War, even in comparison with the Pacific Fleet, the Amur Flotilla was in constant readiness to repel aggression, and therefore its personnel were tried not to be “pulled apart”. The foremen and most of the rank and file by that time had served for 6-8 years, and most of the officers came to the flotilla 10-15 years ago.
After the war, the flotilla was replenished with trophies, among which the most valuable were four Japanese-built gunboats, which previously belonged to the Manchurian Sungarian flotilla. In addition, 40 new, more protected and with better weapons, project 191M armored boats, which could truly be considered "river tanks", entered service. Finally, for the mouth of the Amur in 1942-1946. three powerful project 1190 monitors (of the Hassan type) were built, which a short time were in the Amur flotilla. However, since the early 1950s in the USSR, the decline of river fleets begins. No new ships are being built for them. The formation in 1949 of the initially friendly People's Republic of China also played an important role. By 1955-1958. all existing river military flotillas were disbanded, and the ships and boats that were part of them were scrapped. This was extremely short-sighted, since armored boats do not require large expenditures for their preservation - they are easy to store on the shore in a mothballed form, as a huge number of tanks, artillery and vehicles were once stored. The Amur flotilla was disbanded in August. Instead, it was created Red Banner Amur Military River Base of the Pacific Fleet.
Politics turned out to be a slippery business, and with the beginning of the 1960s. relations between the USSR and China began to deteriorate sharply. The defenselessness of the Amur River became so obvious that the military leadership of the country was forced to urgently revive the military river forces. Established in 1961 Amur brigade(subsequently division) Pacific Fleet river ships. For her, new ships had to be built: the basis of the river forces were project 1204 artillery boats, which in 1966-1967. built 118 units, as well as 11 small artillery ships of project 1208, built in 1975-1985. The first were to replace the old armored boats, the second - river monitors. However, according to experts and the military, a full-fledged replacement did not work out: if the 191M armored boats were created specifically for the war as "river tanks", then the new artillery boats are more likely peacetime patrol boats with bulletproof protection. MAKI Ave. 1208 different reasons were also not very successful. In addition, especially for border guards in 1979-1984. built eleven border patrol ships of project 1248 (based on MAK pr. 1208), and for headquarters and management purposes - eight PSKR project 1249 in the same years. In fairness, it should be noted that foreign analogues of our river ships of projects 191M, 1204, 1208 either significantly inferior to them, or absent altogether.
One way or another, but it was with this ship composition that the former Amur flotilla took on the stress of the Soviet-Chinese border conflicts, which peaked in 1969, and with it entered the "dashing 90s." Reorganizations began again... By the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of February 7, a Amur border river flotilla as part of the border troops of the Russian Federation. However, the Amur Border River Flotilla was soon disbanded by decree of the President of the Russian Federation of June 7. Due to underfunding, the connection is divided into separate brigades of border guard ships and boats.
p o r Armed forces of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War |
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| Fronts (commanders) | |
| Air defense fronts | |
| Fleets | |
| fleets | |
| Armies (commanders) | |
| combined arms | Primorskaya 1 2 9 25 29 30 32 34 35 37 38 40 42 46 47 48 49 52 53 54 55 57 59 60 63 65 66 67 68 69 Guards: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Drums: 11 |
| Tank | |
| Air | |
| Air defense armies | |
| Sappers | |
| Corps | |
| Shooting | Special |
1
... it would be more correct to say, according to the former KAF base, because the Red Banner Amur Flotilla itself, which was launched back in 1908, did not live up to its ninetieth birthday for several months (if we discard those periods when the unit was disbanded in order to be recreated again).
In the picture you can see the core of the forces of the division of border ships in the vast harbor between the right bank of the Amur and Zayachiy Island (it is also called the peninsula because of the bulk dam) in the northern part of Khabarovsk. I will leave a detailed story about the history of the flotilla and about warships for a future walk, since yesterday the weather was not very conducive to photography, and I thought of the equipment too poorly, and there was not enough time.
This concludes the story about yesterday's walk around the territory of the KAF base in the northern part of the city. I have shown only a part of the objects I have taken and filmed, but a detailed narrative, as already mentioned above, will follow later, since not everything has been investigated in the light of the negative factors mentioned. By the way, the gloomy overcast sky can only partly be attributed to those - it became a suitable mood background for a walk through the ruins of the once vast base of the formidable Red Banner Amur Flotilla.
The Red Banner Amur Flotilla in the battles against Japan in 1945. August 9th, 2011
The Red Banner Amur Flotilla in the battles against Japan in 1945. Sungarian campaign.
Part one.
KAF during the Great Patriotic War.Preparation for the war with Japan.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany, Japan remained the only Axis state to continue hostilities. Despite the sharp deterioration in the international situation, it firmly stood for the continuation of the war, counting on a stubborn defense to achieve a favorable peace for itself. To wage a protracted war, Japan had a fairly large force. And the calculations of the Japanese command were justified. The operations of the American-British armed forces on the outskirts of Japan developed extremely slowly. This development of operations did not foreshadow the imminent end of the war with Japan, and this forced the allies to turn to the Soviet Union for help.
Soviet Union entered the war with Japan in accordance with the decision of the Crimean Conference of the Heads of Government of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain, held in February 1945. At the Potsdam Conference of Heads of State, held in July 1945, the governments of the United States and England confirmed their interest in our country's entry into the war with Japan.
The Soviet Armed Forces were to conduct combat operations mainly on the territory of Manchuria and Korea, as well as on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, i.e. on the front, exceeding 6 thousand km. Along the border of the USSR, the enemy had 21 fortified areas
Despite the fact that Japan was drawn into a protracted war against China and waged military operations against the American armed forces on a wide front, it constantly strengthened the Kwantung Army. If in June 1941. its number did not exceed 300 thousand people, then on January 1, 1942. it was 1,100 thousand people (about 35% of the entire Japanese army), i.e. has quadrupled in six months. Border rivers during the Great Patriotic War repeatedly became a place of provocations.
During the war years, the Amur flotilla sent 9542 sailors to the front, who fought on various fleets and fronts. Between February 25 and March 2, 1945. The Military Council of the Red Banner Amur Flotilla held a bilateral operational game on the topic "Assistance to ground forces in an offensive operation along the water line with the fortification of the fortified water line and the destruction of the enemy flotilla", which was a preparation for the Soviet-Japanese war. 
KAF ships in Osipovsky backwater (mid 40s)
By the beginning of the war with Japan, the Amur flotilla included four brigades of river ships, the Sretensky separate division of river ships, the Khanka and Ussuri separate detachments of armored boats. On July 1, 1945, the flotilla included: eight monitors, 11 gunboats (three of special construction, and eight wheeled from among the mobilized ships), 52 armored boats, 12 wheeled river minesweepers, 36 cutter minesweepers, seven mine boats of the Ya-5 type with NURS, one mine layer, one net layer, five floating anti-aircraft batteries (including three self-propelled), 15 semi-gliders, three patrol boats, three floating bases and one command ship. However, of the above ships, part was in overhaul. For example, out of eight monitors - two ("Kirov" and "Dzerzhinsky"), out of five gunboats of a special construction - two ("Red Banner" and "Buryat"). With the outbreak of hostilities, all patrol boats of the border guard on the Amur and Ussuri rivers were transferred to the operational subordination of the flotilla. Also in the flotilla there were about 70 aircraft. 
mine boat type Ya-5 with NURS on Zeya 
Canboat "Red Star" after modernization. 1945. 
Border boat on the Amur. Late 30s
The first brigade included monitors Lenin, Krasny Vostok and Sunn-Yat-Sen; 1st battalion (four wheeled river minesweepers), 1st bka detachment (boats project 1124 N- 11, 12, 14, 23), 5th bka squad (boats project 1124 No. Alarm No. 91 and 92), the 1st and 2nd detachments of katsch (six minesweepers each), 1 detachment of the MKA (seven mine boats), self-propelled floating battery N-1234 and non-self-propelled floating battery N "1231.
The second brigade included the monitors Sverdlov and the Far East Komsomolets, the 2nd division of the tank (four wheeled river minesweepers), the 2nd detachment of the bka (boats pr. 1124 N "-" 13, 21, 22, 24), 3rd detachment of BKA (boats pr. 1124 No. 51-54), 3rd detachment of boats (six boat minesweepers), self-propelled floating battery No. 1232, non-self-propelled floating battery No. 1230.
Monitor "Serdlov" 1945
The third brigade included the 1st division of gunboats (Proletary and Mongol), the 3rd division of gunboats (wheeled gunboats No. 30, 31, 36 and 37), the 4th detachment of the bka (boats project 1125 No. 31 -34), 4th and 7th katsch detachments (six boat minesweepers each), self-propelled floating battery No. 1233, Strong wheeled mine layer. 
Armored boat Pr.1125 on the Amur. Early 40s.
The Zee-Bureya brigade of ships included the 2nd battalion of gunboats (monitor Active and gunboat Red Star, wheeled gunboats N "32-35), 3rd battalion tshch (three river minesweepers), 1st battalion bka (boats pr. 1124 No. 41-46, 55 and 56), 2nd division of the bka (boats pr. 1124 No. 61-64 and boats of type K No. 71, 73, 74, 74), boat minesweepers), 2nd glider detachment (5 units), 3rd glider detachment (4 units). 
Monitor "Active"
The Sretensky separate detachment of river ships included the 1st detachment of the bka (boats pr.1124 No. 16-19) the 2nd detachment of the bka (boats of type H N "81 and 84, boats of the Pika type No. 93 and 94), a detachment of gliders (AR 41 and 42).
The Ussuriysk separate detachment of armored boats included boats pr. 1125 N "26-29.
The Khanka separate detachment of armored boats included boats pr .1124 No. 15, 25, 65 and 66.
The security of the raids of the Main Base included three patrol boats and the ZBS-1 bonnet barrier.
The Amur River Flotilla had nine separate anti-aircraft artillery divisions, armed with 76-mm guns - 28, 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns - 18 and 20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns - 24. In addition, the flotilla had its own air force in as part of a fighter regiment, separate squadrons and detachments. In total there were LaGG-3 - 27, Yak-3 - 10, Il-2 - 8, I-153-bis - 13, I-16 - 7, SB - 1, Po-2 -3, MBR-2 - 3, Yak-7u - 2, S-2 - 1.
At the same time, despite the advance preparation for the war with Japan and the presence of a trained reserve in the form of two European fleets, the Amur flotilla was staffed by officers only by 91.6%, and by 88.7% for petty officers and privates. The situation was leveled by the fact that four relatively large ships were under repair, as well as good special training of personnel. The latter is partly explained by the fact that during the Great Patriotic War, even in comparison with the Pacific Fleet, the Amur Flotilla was in constant readiness to repel aggression, and therefore they tried not to pull apart its personnel. The foremen and most of the rank and file by that time had served for 6-8 years, and most of the officers came to the flotilla 10-15 years ago.
The main command of the Soviet troops in the Far East entrusted the Red Banner Amur Flotilla with a very difficult and responsible task - to ensure the crossing of the river. Amur troops of the 2nd Far Eastern Front and assist their offensive in the Sungaria and Sakhalyan operations.
It should be noted that r. Amur is the largest water communication in the Far East, navigable almost along its entire length (more than 2800 km). Full-flowing and its tributaries - the Sungari and Ussuri. In the most important directions along the state border of the USSR with Northeast China, which runs mainly along the Amur and Ussuri, the enemy created strong fortified areas. The main ones were: Sakhalyan (opposite Blagoveshchensk), Sungari (covering the entrance to the Sungari River) and Fujin (70 km from the mouth of the Sungari, protecting the approaches to Harbin). The fortified areas consisted of nodes of resistance and strong points connected by communications, the basis of which were pillboxes, bunkers, and reinforced concrete structures. The Red Banner Amur Flotilla (commanded by Rear Admiral N.V. Antonov) had up to 150 warships and boats by the beginning of hostilities and significantly outnumbered the Japanese Sungaria River Flotilla in terms of combat strength and armament.
AMUR MILITARY FLEET - formation as part of the navy. Created in 1900 to defend the border along the Amur and Ussuri rivers. During the Civil War, the ships were captured by the Japanese invaders. Recreated in 1920. Participated in combat operations during the Soviet-Chinese conflict of 1929, in the Manchurian operation of 1945 during the Soviet-Japanese war.
The flotilla was created as a temporary formation to protect Russian outposts in the Far East. It included armed commercial ships that carried out military transportation, since before the construction of the CER r. Cupid was the only way of communication. B 4904 the flotilla was reinforced with armed steamships and destroyers. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, the ships of the flotilla transferred troops and cargo to Manchuria.
In July 1906, a resolution was adopted on the establishment of the Amur military flotilla to defend the border line of the Amur basin and provide communications along the river. Amur and the construction of special military ships for it. On May 10, 1907, the first gunboats joined the flotilla. In 1910 it consisted of 8 turret seaworthy gunboats (monitors), 10 shallow draft gunboats, 10 messengers and several auxiliary vessels. The main base was Khabarovsk.
In December 1917, the Soviet Amur military flotilla was created. It included ships and vessels whose crews went over to the side Soviet power. The flotilla took an active part in the fight against the Japanese invaders and the White Guards, in the establishment of Soviet power in Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk. In March 1918, the gunboat Orochanin and the messenger ship Pika, as well as a detachment of sailors from the flotilla, successfully operated against Gamow's gangs in Blagoveshchensk. In April, a combined detachment (about 1000 people) of the sailors of the Siberian and Amur flotillas fought against the detachments of Ataman Semenov in the Chita region. 2 monitors and 5 gunboats of the flotilla carried guard duty on the Amur and Ussuri rivers and assisted the troops of the Red Army. At the end of June 1918, when parts of the rebellious Czechoslovak corps occupied Vladivostok, a detachment of Amur sailors and two armored trains arrived at the Ussuri Front. The ships of the flotilla provided significant assistance to the troops in repulsing the enemy offensive.
After the capture of the flotilla base in the Osipovsky backwater (near Khabarovsk) by the Japanese invaders on September 7, 1918, some of the ships were scuttled by the crews. The gunboat "Orochanin" as part of the Annunciation detachment fought stubborn battles with the interventionists until the end of September, then retreated up the river. Zeya, where she was brought into disrepair, and her crew switched to partisan operations. In October 1920, the Japanese took to about. Sakhalin best ships flotillas - monitor "Shkval", gunboats "Buryat", "Mongol" and "Votyak", 2 steamships and several barges with cargo worth more than 13 million rubles in gold.
On May 8, 1920, the reconstruction of the Amur Flotilla began in Blagoveshchensk. On April 19, 1921, she was subordinated to the headquarters of the Far East Naval Forces and in May she was transferred to Khabarovsk. By the summer of 1921, the Shtorm and Uragan monitors, the Sibiryak, Vogul and Kalmyk gunboats, 4 armed steamships, and 2 floating batteries were put into operation. In October, in connection with the threat of the capture of the city by the White Guard and Japanese troops, the ships moved to Blagoveshchensk. The Amur Flotilla participated in the defeat of the White Guards in Primorye. On September 10, 1922, an assault force was landed from two gunboats in Nikolaevsk, which took part in the liberation of the Lower Amur from the White Guards and interventionists. On September 30, a detachment of ships of the flotilla defeated the White Guard ships on Lake. Khanka. The sailors of the flotilla played a significant role in liquidating the last pockets of counter-revolution in the Far East. From January 9, 1922, the flotilla was part of the People's Revolutionary Fleet of the Far East, from November 1922 to September 1926 - part of the Naval Forces of the Far East, then, in April 1927, it was renamed the Far Eastern Military Flotilla (the main base of Khabarovsk) and subordinated to the Administration of the Navy of the Red Army. In 1929, on the eve of the conflict on the CER, the flotilla consisted of 3 divisions of ships (4 MN, 4 KL, 3 BKA, 1 ZM), a group of minesweepers, a landing battalion, and a hydro-aviation detachment (14 seaplanes). In the course of hostilities during the Sino-Soviet conflict, the flotilla successfully landed a number of tactical assault forces, broke into enemy defenses with ship fire, and destroyed the Sungari military river flotilla. On April 23, 1930, she was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In the 1930s, the flotilla was equipped with new ships. On June 27, 1931, it was renamed the Amur Red Banner Flotilla.
During the Great Patriotic War, the battalions formed on the flotilla marines and other units (more than 9.5 thousand sailors in total) fought on the land fronts against the Nazi invaders. During the war with Japan in 1945, the flotilla (6 MN, 11 KL, 7 MKA, 52 BKA, 12 TShch, 36 KATSCH and auxiliary vessels) provided operational transport, landing troops, forcing the Amur, Ussuri, Sungari rivers. Together with units of the 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts, she participated in capturing a number of strongholds of the Japanese and the cities of Manchuria. Subsequently, the flotilla was disbanded.
The flotilla was commanded by: G. G. Ogilvy (December 1917 - September 1918), V. Ya. Buzzard (May 1920 1920-June 1921), N. V. Tretyakov (August - October 1921), N. P. Orlov (October 1921 - January 1922), E. M. Voeikov (November 1922 - January 1923), P. A. Tuchkov (January - December 1923), S. A. Khvitsky (December 1923 - April 1926), V. V. Selitrennikov (May - September 1926), Ya. I. Ozolin (September 1926 - November 1930), D. P. Isakov (November 1930 - October 1933), I. N. Kadatsky-Rudnev (October 1933 - March 1938), F. S. Oktyabrsky (March 1938 - February 1939), D. D. Rogachev (1939, acting), A. G. Golovko (July 1939 - July 1940), P. S. Abankin (July 1940 - June 1943; March - September 1944), F. S. Oktyabrsky (June 1943 - March 1944), F. S. Sedelnikov ( September 1944 - June 1945), N. V. Antonov (June - December 1945).
