Kanchazu Island Clash 1937

[Peter H]

In late June 1937 the Japanese 1st Division building fortications on Kanchazu Island in the Amur River clashed with Soviet forces.Two Soviet gunboats were also destroyed.The fighting did not escalate.

I can find no further details on this forgotten border skirmish in Manchuria.

Any further findings would be appreciated.

/Peter

[Henry]

Hi,

Coox's Nomohan book discusses this incident. The 49th regiment fired 2x37 mm guns, sinking one gunboat, crippling a second, and driving off a third. Cox devotes about 6 pages to this incident. It's too much to type into a post, but I'll try to answer any questions you may have.

Henry

[Peter H]

Thanks Henry.

Does Coox elaborate on why the Soviets didn't hit back as they later did in 1938 etc?

Regards,
Peter

[Henry]

Hi,

Shigemitsu, the Japanese ambassdor, met with Comissar Litvinov on June 29. During negotiations, the soviets agreed to pull back their forces. Apparently, the Soviets were more concerned with events in North China and Europe, as well as internal strife. Seven soviet gunboats appeared sometime in July, but the Japanese took no action. Eventually, the Soviets wree allowed to salvage the sunken gunboat, which was accomplished between october 22-29.

Henry

[Peter H]

Thanks Henry.

Any casualty figures for both sides?

Regards,
Peter

PS Was Kanchazu Island the correct name of the locale?If you do a 'Google' nothing comes up.

[Henry]

Hi,

Coox spells it a Kanchatzu. Total soviet casualities were estimated at 37, though Tass at the time admitted 2 killed and 3 wounded. There were no Japanese casualities. Most of the Soviet casualities were inflicted on soviet crewmen of the sunken gunboat, who were swimming in the water while being machine-gunned by the Japanese.

Henry

[Kim Sung]

Coox spells it a Kanchatzu.

If you let me know the Chinese letters for it or meanings of each word, I can find where it is located.

[Peter H]

Thanks Henry.

I think the island was called Bolshoi Island by the Soviets.

[Kim Sung]

Thanks Henry.

I think the island was called Bolshoi Island by the Soviets.

I assume the name of this island is 黑?子島, which was occupied by the Soviets in 1925 and called Bolshoi Ussuryski Island(болъшои Уссурыскии Остров). On June 7th this year, China and Russia agreed to the transfer of this island to China.

[Peter H]

Thanks K.

More here:

http://www.newtimes.ru/eng/detail.asp?art_id=1181

http://www.jamestown.org/publications_d ... id=2369795

I assume the Soviets retook the island in 1945 and kept it as a Soviet possession.

Regards,
Peter

[Kim Sung]

Japanese link on the Kanchazu(乾岔子) Island Incident

http://yokohama.cool.ne.jp/esearch/kind ... kyo12.html