Battle of Mutanchiang

Battle of Mutanchiang
Part of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria of World War II
Mutanchiang campaign map, August 1945
Date 12–16 August 1945[1] Location Mutanchiang, Manchuria Result Soviet victory Japanese defensive success[2]
Belligerents
Soviet Union	Japan  Manchukuo
Commanders and leaders
Kirill Meretskov[3] Nikolay Krylov[4] Afanasy Beloborodov[5]	Seiichi Kita[6] Shimizu Tsunenori[7]
Units involved
1st Far Eastern Front[3] 5th Army[8] 1st Red Banner Army[9]	First Area Army[6] Fifth Army[7]
Strength
~290,000 soldiers[nb 1] 1,102 tanks and SP guns 4,790 artillery pieces[11]	55,000[7]–60,000[12] 4 or more light armored cars[13] or tanks[14]
Casualties and losses
Manpower 12,000+ casualties[15] Materiel 600[16] tanks destroyed	Manpower 20,000[17]–25,000 total casualties including 9,391 killed[15] Materiel 104 artillery pieces[2] 4 light armored cars 600 trucks 6,000 horses[18]

The Battle of Mutanchiang, or Battle of Mudanjiang, was a large-scale military engagement fought between the forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Empire of Japan from August 12 to 16, 1945, as part of the Harbin–Kirin Operation of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in World War II. The rapid conclusion of the Manchurian campaign meant that this was one of the only set-piece battles that took place before the end of hostilities.^[1] During the action, elements of the Japanese Fifth Army attempted to delay the Soviet Fifth Army and First Red Banner Army long enough to allow the bulk of the Japanese forces to retreat to more defensible positions.^[19] Though casualties on both sides were heavy, the Red Army forces were able to break through the hastily organized Japanese defenses and capture the city ten days ahead of schedule. Nevertheless, the Japanese defenders at Mutanchiang achieved their goal of allowing the main forces to escape.^[2]

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