When Japan invaded our country, it established many strongholds in our country, especially the Japanese Kwantung Army built very functional fortresses in the northeast, and some fortresses were not only conducive to the hiding of the Japanese army, but also allowed to survive in them for a long time. On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, and the main battle was over, but the Kwantung Army in tohoku used the fortress to resist.
Northern Strategy
In 1931, after japan occupied the three northeastern provinces, it began to continuously carry out strategic deployment in the northeast region, in addition to occupying a favorable position and building defensive facilities, Japan placed its strategy in the far north, that is, heilongjiang and northern Inner Mongolia. Why is Japan focusing its strategic focus on the north?
The northern region was a place where the Japanese army could move in and out freely, and from the sea point of view, Japan could use Vladivostok to transport troops to the northeast, and it could also retreat from this place, making it more convenient to escape from land. In the eyes of the Japanese army, the Soviet Union did not have a tight defense of the Siberian Far East, and it was possible to use its troops to retreat to the Soviet union.
Japan also had the illusion that during World War II, Japan believed that Germany could occupy the Soviet Union, so that Japan could quickly achieve docking with Germany in the Heilongjiang area. Therefore, Japan strengthened the construction of combat readiness facilities on the heilongjiang front line, and established many fortress facilities on the heilongjiang front line, both observation posts and communication transfer stations, and even deployed minefields, of which the Tiger Head Fortress was the largest fortress built by the Kwantung Army in Heilongjiang, even if it retreated from the northeast, or the Soviet Union killed, the Japanese army could hold out in the fortress for half a year.
The tiger head fortress was crucial, it was adjacent to the Ussuri River and facing the Soviet Trans-Siberian Railway, like a sharp knife inserted into Ussuriysk.
In addition to building huge underground fortifications in Hutou, Japan also penetrated dozens of tunnels underground and deployed various observation and communication facilities in the fortress. Some important locations have dark passages that do not know where to lead. The most important thing is that the fortress has a minefield that can suddenly close the passage and trap the enemy inside, while the guarding Japanese can escape from elsewhere.
According to Japanese strategy, the Japanese army basically completed the construction at Hutou in 1943, and set this place as a forbidden area, strictly entering the area from outsiders, and those who accidentally entered the area were immediately shot. Therefore, the locals did not know about the Tiger Head Fortress of the Japanese Army, and even if someone found out, they might have been killed long ago. Such a hidden and well-equipped fortress, the Kwantung Army thought that it had a long-term resistance capital, and did not pay attention to the Soviet army at all.
According to the records, the Tiger Head Fortress was stationed in the Kwantung Army's 4th Border Garrison, which consisted of 7,000 japanese troops, mainly 3 infantry squadrons, 12 artillery squadrons and an engineer team. Its firepower consisted of 24 heavy flames, 33 mountain and infantry guns, 18 anti-aircraft guns and 10 anti-aircraft machine guns.
The Japanese heavy artillery was set up on the hill and aimed directly at the Ussuri Bridge, which was crossed by the Soviet Union, and in order to avoid the range of the Japanese artillery fire, the Soviet Union had to build a railway branch line nearly twenty kilometers away.
As early as a year before the fortress was built, in order to combat these points of the Soviet Union, the Japanese moved the 400 mm howitzer into the fortifications, which was the largest caliber of the Japanese gun with a range of 20,000 meters.
In 1943, after the Hutou Fortress was basically completed, the Japanese army equipped the fort with a 240 mm train gun, which was transported to Hutou by rail, and at the same time added the existing 150 cannons, and the two guns became an important firepower, which could lead to the death of the Soviet army and reinforcements.
With the situation of World War II, Japan also continued to draw the Kwantung Army to the Pacific Theater, at this time the number of Japanese troops guarding the Tiger Head Fortress decreased, and the equipment was also transferred, and later on the basis of the remaining personnel, the 15th National Border Garrison was established.
Suddenly hit
Due to the continuous reduction of Japanese personnel and equipment at Hutou Fortress, the Soviet Army has always wanted to take this important facility of the Japanese army. The mission was then fortified by the Soviet 264th Infantry Division and the Soviet 109th, and was also a special Soviet formation consisting of artillery, soldiers and machine gunnery corps. The Area of Iman was guarded by the 57th Border Guard of the Soviet Army.
When the Soviets were preparing to take the Tiger Head Fortress, the Japanese 15 Border Garrison Army Ōsai Wakitake met with the 5th Army, and he asked to strengthen the strength of the Tiger Head Fortress, but the Japanese did not have so many troops to garrison the Tiger Head. Because Japan also thinks that tiger heads are safe.
On August 5, 1945, the Soviet reconnaissance detachment suddenly entered 40 kilometers, and there was a pontoon bridge over the Ussuri River, which was obviously an offensive posture, but the Kwantung Army considered it to be a routine exercise by the Soviet Army. On August 9, the Soviet offensive began.
The Hutou Fortress area suddenly sounded an alarm, the Soviet 57th Border Guard suddenly crossed the Ussuri River, and two advance battalions occupied the two sides of Hutou Town after fierce fighting.
However, at this time, the Japanese artillery did not open fire, and the acting commander did not know how to deal with this sudden information as Nishiwaki Daisa. So the Japanese didn't know it was a real attack. Of course, there are many people who do not understand, until the war is 5 hours later, the Kwantung Army understands that this is a real war.
Later, the Kwantung Army fired shells at the Soviets and blew up the Ussuri River Bridge, but Soviet bombers also flew over and blew up over the fortress for two hours, and the Soviet artillery fire was even fiercer than the Japanese. The Soviets quickly encircled the fort.
In the case of passive beatings, the Japanese army had to use night raids, but was partially eliminated by the Soviet army. The war lasted until August 11, when the Japanese 300 mm howitzers were attacked by the Soviets, and the Japanese retreated, but lost contact with the main force, and they tried to continue the battle by relying on the fortifications. By consolidating its positions, the Soviets targeted the core area of the fortress.
Soviet sappers lit gasoline in the fortress ventilation, forcing the Japanese to flee to the ground, while Soviet tanks opened the killing ring, and the Japanese at Tiger Head Fortress lost their former prestige.
When the Japanese tried to launch a counterattack, they were defeated. By August 16, the Soviet army was braving heavy rain to finish the battlefield. But when 30 Soviet tanks entered Hill 145 of the Second Squadron, 180 recalcitrant Japanese troops attempted to clash with the Soviet encirclement before hostilities.
These 180 Japanese troops launched a suicidal resistance with the Soviet Union, and when the Soviet army investigated the war situation, it found more than 100 Japanese corpses, which shows that the resistance was fierce at that time. But this revolt has no longer helped, but only delayed the time occupied.
Leave a mystery behind
After August 16, 1945, Soviet sappers contacted infantry to control positions on Tiger Head Fortress. The Japanese inside the fortress attempted to blackmail the Soviets, but the Japanese had lost the ability to resist under the position. On the 17th, when the remnants of the Japanese army tried to break through, most of them were made of cannon fodder, and the rest were also taken prisoners.
On August 17, the Soviets again launched a general offensive with the help of strong artillery fire, and the Soviets tried to enter the fortress, but were blocked by the Japanese. The Japanese tried to wait for reinforcements, but only fantasized, waiting for more intensive Soviet artillery fire. Towards the end of the war, the Soviets attacked the Japanese as they fled. There are also a few who have fled into the depths of the fortress in an attempt to use their supplies to steal their lives, and there is no chance.
The Soviets finally made a final attack on the Tiger Head Fortress, and the heavy artillery fire almost flattened the fort. A lot of the explosives were sent into the tunnels of the fortress, and the Japanese troops in the fortress had no chance of surviving.
On August 26, 1945, the Soviets occupied Hutou Fortress, which is considered to be the final end of World War II. Although the war was over, the number of forts built by the Japanese in the Heilongjiang area remained a mystery. Some have not even been discovered now, some have been marked by the Japanese army, and some have been destroyed by the Japanese army.
Therefore, the Tiger Head Fortress is not the last grave, and perhaps there are dead Japanese troops in some undetected fortresses....
References: Documentary of the Soviet Union's Invasion of Northeast China, Records of the Far East War, Tiger Head Fortress