Japanese Underground Fortress in Eastern Manchuria

[Eugen Pinak]

Alas! One can only guess which sensation could be created by the TV guys in order to impress their viewers.

1. About "the biggest underground fortress in human history. It's 1,700km long, twice longer than Maginot line". This is complete noncence. There were several fortified areas along the border, but unlike the Maginot line they were not interconnected.

2. About "slave laborers were injected with poison or shot by Japanese soldiers". Both before and after the war Soviets were keen to disclose any Japanese war crimes - yet I've never heard about something like this.

3. About "Construction of these large scale underground fortresses along the borderline with the Soviet Union means that, from the start, Japanese Kwantung army's effort was focused on defense, not attack against the Soviet Union, contrary to our common belief". I don't think so. If Japan was really determined not to attack USSR, they'd build their defences in the depth. And this border fortresses were good not only for defence, but as the starting point for Japanese offensive.

[Kim Sung]

1. About "the biggest underground fortress in human history. It's 1,700km long, twice longer than Maginot line". This is complete noncence. There were several fortified areas along the border, but unlike the Maginot line they were not interconnected.

I didn't say 19 fortresses were interconnected. But, according to the Korean link that I posted, their combined length (including the exposed parts of fortresses on the ground) is 4,700 km. Tunnels dug undergound alone are 1,700 km. So, 3,000 km is covered with tochkas, bunkers, and trenches on the ground.

2. About "slave laborers were injected with poison or shot by Japanese soldiers". Both before and after the war Soviets were keen to disclose any Japanese war crimes - yet I've never heard about something like this.

Yes, that's why this new info is surprising. But this is official accounts of the Harbin Institute of Social Sciences(哈尔滨 社会科学院).

3. About "Construction of these large scale underground fortresses along the borderline with the Soviet Union means that, from the start, Japanese Kwantung army's effort was focused on defense, not attack against the Soviet Union, contrary to our common belief". I don't think so. If Japan was really determined not to attack USSR, they'd build their defences in the depth. And this border fortresses were good not only for defence, but as the starting point for Japanese offensive.

I don't agree. These fortresses are bulit like labyriths which are fit more for long-time defense. If the Japanese were more interested in attack, they wouldn't have invested so much in this secret project for 11 years: 3.2 million forced laborers and 5 billion Yuan. If they needed them for attack purpose, they didn't have to construct labyrinth-like underground fortresses filled with webs of tunnels.

[Eugen Pinak]

1. About "the biggest underground fortress in human history. It's 1,700km long, twice longer than Maginot line". This is complete noncence. There were several fortified areas along the border, but unlike the Maginot line they were not interconnected.

I didn't say 19 fortresses were interconnected. But, according to the Korean link that I posted, their combined length (including the exposed parts of fortresses on the ground) is 4,700 km. Tunnels dug undergound alone are 1,700 km. So, 3,000 km is covered with tochkas, bunkers, and trenches on the ground.

"Fortress" means a fortified _place_, not _area_. And Maginot line, while being only 380 km (that is really only 1/2 of the length of the Japanese fortifications), had only c.100 km of undeground tonnels. So either media guys try to compare "long with sweat" or this is just another tale.
And, IIRC, it was USSR who had the largest number of permanent fortifications before the WW2 and with the longest frontline - at least 1600 km.

2. About "slave laborers were injected with poison or shot by Japanese soldiers". Both before and after the war Soviets were keen to disclose any Japanese war crimes - yet I've never heard about something like this.

Yes, that's why this new info is surprising. But this is official accounts of the Harbin Institute of Social Sciences(哈尔滨 社会科学院).

So what? Will it be different from this "fairy tale"? - http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=86225
Why the killing of c.1000 workers, who buld the base camp of the infamous "Unit 731", was uncovered immediately after the defeat of Japan, but the death of 1000 times this number was a secret untill later? I've read a lot of books about MDG history (from serious historic works to Soviet propaganda), and none of them mentions this story, while mentioning much smaller Japanese atrocities.

3. About "Construction of these large scale underground fortresses along the borderline with the Soviet Union means that, from the start, Japanese Kwantung army's effort was focused on defense, not attack against the Soviet Union, contrary to our common belief". I don't think so. If Japan was really determined not to attack USSR, they'd build their defences in the depth. And this border fortresses were good not only for defence, but as the starting point for Japanese offensive.

I don't agree. These fortresses are bulit like labyriths which are fit more for long-time defense. If the Japanese were more interested in attack, they wouldn't have invested so much in this secret project for 11 years: 3.2 million forced laborers and 5 billion Yuan. If they needed them for attack purpose, they didn't have to construct labyrinth-like underground fortresses filled with webs of tunnels.

This will be true if they invested _only_ in the fortifications. But they'd also built 400 airfield and landing stripes (total carpacity - c.6000 planes), almost doubled rail and paved road network, expanded barracks to allow acomodation of c.70 divisions ("squized"; c.50 divisions "normal"), built 150 hospitals (c.75000 beds), etc., etc.
And another point. If you'll look on the map (like here: http://www.petrograd.biz/worldwars/1945_3.html ), you'll see, that 8 out of 16 Fortified Areas (I was unable to locate the 17th FA on the map) are located on the eastern border - which has the best natural cover. And of the remaining 6 FAs at least 3 or 4 are based on the pre-invasion Chinese fortifications. Seems strange - if not take into account Japanese planes of offensive into the Coastal region of the USSR as the first step. And the same mistery - why to create 3 FAs to defend strategically worthless Barga? But the second step of the Japan-USSR war was the invasion into Transbaikal region and Outer Mongolia - and Barga is the best starting area for both invasions.

[Kim Sung]

"Fortress" means a fortified _place_, not _area_. And Maginot line, while being only 380 km (that is really only 1/2 of the length of the Japanese fortifications), had only c.100 km of undeground tonnels. So either media guys try to compare "long with sweat" or this is just another tale.
And, IIRC, it was USSR who had the largest number of permanent fortifications before the WW2 and with the longest frontline - at least 1600 km.

Yes, "a fortress" means a fortified place. In that sense, these Japanese fortresses are typical fortresses.

So what? Will it be different from this "fairy tale"? - http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=86225
Why the killing of c.1000 workers, who buld the base camp of the infamous "Unit 731", was uncovered immediately after the defeat of Japan, but the death of 1000 times this number was a secret untill later? I've read a lot of books about MDG history (from serious historic works to Soviet propaganda), and none of them mentions this story, while mentioning much smaller Japanese atrocities.

This is not a fairy tale. All Chinese links on the Dongning fortress and other underground fortresses including the Hotou fortress assert the same number of casualties: one million in total and 170,000 deads in the Dongning fortress alone. According to these links, rumors on the atrocities at the Dongning fortress had been circulated like an old legend until it got eventually attention in late 1990s when Chinese media interviewed survivors and confirmed the atrocities commited at these fortresses.

This will be true if they invested _only_ in the fortifications. But they'd also built 400 airfield and landing stripes (total carpacity - c.6000 planes), almost doubled rail and paved road network, expanded barracks to allow acomodation of c.70 divisions ("squized"; c.50 divisions "normal"), built 150 hospitals (c.75000 beds), etc., etc.
And another point. If you'll look on the map (like here: http://www.petrograd.biz/worldwars/1945_3.html ), you'll see, that 8 out of 16 Fortified Areas (I was unable to locate the 17th FA on the map) are located on the eastern border - which has the best natural cover. And of the remaining 6 FAs at least 3 or 4 are based on the pre-invasion Chinese fortifications. Seems strange - if not take into account Japanese planes of offensive into the Coastal region of the USSR as the first step. And the same mistery - why to create 3 FAs to defend strategically worthless Barga? But the second step of the Japan-USSR war was the invasion into Transbaikal region and Outer Mongolia - and Barga is the best starting area for both invasions.

According to a well-written Chinese link, these fortresses were constructed for defense purpose.

张志强说，即便是在夏季，这座要塞室内温度也只有5摄氏度左右。

　　“二战期间，为了与苏军实现军事对峙，日本关东军在整个中苏、中蒙5000多公里长的东段边界上修建了17座要塞，它们都是与苏联军事防御工事相对的，其中，东宁要塞堪称亚洲最大要塞。”韩茂才介绍说。

作为日军设计的“国境一级阵地”，东宁要塞群从南至北共分为四个区，其中在第一防御区，它以胜洪山要塞为核心阵地，南有荣山阵地、军舰山阵地，东有朝日山地下要塞，北有勋山地下要塞，西有出丸地下要塞，各个防御阵地间有交通壕和秘密隧道相通，是一个灵活机动、防御功能齐全的地下要塞。修建要塞一直是很秘密的事情，17万劳工被折磨致死。

* 防御 means defense.

Another link

东宁军事要塞群位于东宁境内，是侵华日军为防御前苏联的进攻而修筑的军事建筑。

Translation : The Dongning fortress was built for defense against Soviet invasion.

Almost all other Chinese links assert these underground fortresses were constructed for defense purpose against possible Soviet invasion.


If you doubt credibility of these Chinese sources based on Chinese researchers' study and analysis, I'll respect your choice, too.

[Akira Takizawa]

Japanese war plan against Soviet Union changed according to following three periods.

1934-1939 (Top chart)
Japanese plan was to first destroy the Soviets in the east border, then destroy the Soviet main forces invaded into the west Manchuria. After that, make the offensive to Zabaikal.
In this period, the Japanese started to build eight fortresses. Three fortresses in the east border were for the purpose of attack and other fortresses were for the defense purpose.

1939-1944 (Middle chart)
The Japanese admitted that they could not cope with the Soviet main forces advancing from the west and abandonned to destroy them. In the west Manchuria, they would only delay the Soviets. But, they still kept the plan to destory the Soviets in the east border. In this perods, more five areas were fortified.

1945 (Bottom chart)
The Japanese totally abandonned the attack against the Soviets and devoted themselves to the defense. They decided an area for protracted struggle around Tonghua and planned to fortify this area. But, it ended with only plan.


Taki

[Eugen Pinak]

Akira Takizawa, thank you very much!
But strange thing is, that at least four FAs are missing (two along the river Sungari, one at Halun-Arshan (southern end of Hingan mountains) and one at Manchouli (west fron Hailar (#8) FA)). All Soviet sources I know agree that there were FAs at that places.

Kim Sung, I've found this info on the Russian fortifications site ( http://www.fortification.ru/forum/index ... &topic=466 ) and Sovier books about August campaign.
Dongning is a fortified area made from 6 (or 10 according to another source) forified sectors with different numbers of strongpoints in it. One of them had 15 ground strongpoints and had 280-mm hovitzer.
The museum is located in Suishang(spelling???) fortified sector, built around the Suishang mountain (3 km from Soviet border). It had 2 120-mm guns and 5(?) ground strongpoints. It had 3000 m of undeground tonnels, 1200 m ot antitank ditch and 9000 m of ground trenches.
According to different sources, fighting for Dongning FA continued till 26th, 30th August or even early September, when the last 900 defenders surrendered. Soviet losses vere c.1000 KIA - mostly from 106th Soviet FA.

Map of Japanese defences - Dongning FA outlined in red and Suishang sector shown in red (though I'm not quite sure about its location - it could be one futher to the South).

[Akira Takizawa]

Dongning Fortress (東寧要塞) extended 15-16km north-south and 7-8km east-west. 1st Border Garrison Unit (第１国境守備隊) defended the fortress and it consisted of four sector units (See below map). 1st Border Garrison Unit had 14 field guns, 16 10cm howitzers and 4 15cm cannons. There, Heavy Artillery Regiment was also deployed. It had 8 Type 45 24cm Howitzers and 4 Type 7 30cm Howitzers.

As the Pacific War became intense, many soldiers and artillery were extracted from the fortress. Finally, 1st Border Garrison Unit was disbanded in 1945 and 132nd Independed Mixed Brigade was organized for the defense of Dongning. Artillery were also extracted from the Heavy Artillery Regiment, but there still remained four howitzers.

When the Soviets invaded the Manchuria in Aug. 1945, they were deployed as follows.

郭亮・勾玉 (North in the map)
786th Independent Infantry Battalion
6th Battery of Dongning Heavy Artillery Regiment (2 Type 7 30cm Howitzers)
Total : Approx. 660 men

勝鬨 (South in the map)
789th Independent Infantry Battalion
1st Battery of Dongning Heavy Artillery Regiment (2 Type 45 24cm Howitzers)
Total : Approx. 1,000 men

The garrions of 郭亮・勾玉 resisted until Aug. 19th and they were destroyed. The garrsions of 勝鬨 resisted until Aug. 26th and surrendered.


Taki

[Eugen Pinak]

And yet another thanks to you
BTW, museum is located in the 2nd fortified sector - South-Western part of the map.

[eclectic]

There is a good account of the Hutou fortress in 'Nemesis' by Max Hastings, now available in paperback. JW

[eclectic]

Unless I have misunderstood, some writers are suggesting that the Japanese were preparing to attack Russia from Manchuria. I say nothing about their earlier intentions but by 1943 this seems highly improbable. There was a formal non-agression pact between Russia and Japan, which, incidentally, had allowed the Russians, crucially, to move Siberian divisions to protect Moscow. The Japanese had done badly at Khalkin Gol, and the improvement of Russian military capability could not have escaped their notice. They were desparately anxious to avoid Russian intervention in the war and had persuaded themselves that the Russians could provide a means of avoiding unconditional surrender--to the extent that diplomatic feelers were continued even after the Russians entered Manchuria. They had also and inevitably run down their forces in Manchuria as the situation worsened elsewhere. The Japanese lacked both the means and any motive to invade Russia. The discontinuous line of fortresses was surely defensive in intent--and proved to be a series of death-traps when attacked.

The Russians, able to move troops from Europe, used the prospect of an invasion to extract concessions from the Americans--and claimed joint command of the whole invasion of Japan on the basis of two days fighting!