The history of troubles on the border between Russia and China goes back to the 17th century, when Russian settlers arrived in the Amur region. After a series of clashes, Russia and the Qing Empire concluded the first border agreement in the history of the two countries in Nerchinsk. Subsequently, the demarcation line was repeatedly shifted, its outlines were clarified.
In the twentieth century, relations between the USSR and China looked cloudless for some time. The two largest socialist countries were in a close alliance, the USSR provided China with a variety of assistance - economic, technical, military. However, in 1969, an armed conflict broke out between the states.
Stalin's 1940s and early 1950s. become " honeymoon"in relations between the two countries. Soviet material and technical assistance largely laid the foundations for China's future industrial power. However, with Nikita Khrushchev coming to power in the USSR, relations began to cool. Firstly, Beijing reacted negatively to the debunking of Stalin’s personality cult. In addition, ideological differences widened between the USSR and China. The idea of “peaceful coexistence” with Western countries, voiced by Khrushchev, did not find understanding with Mao Zedong. The Chinese leader was irritated by the calmness of Moscow, which did not provide Beijing with support in a series of border incidents where the interests of China, India and Taiwan intersected. And most importantly, Mao believed that China should take the leading role in the socialist world - the place of a leader did not suit him. The paths of the USSR and China began to diverge.
Against this background, the border issue has intensified. According to the Beijing Treaty of 1860, in those places where the borders followed rivers, the border did not run along the fairway or the line of the middle of the river, as is usually customary, but along the Chinese bank. Thus, the islands on the river went to the USSR, which the Chinese considered as a blatant injustice. In addition, the border between the USSR and China was not clearly defined in a number of areas, and even border markers were often absent.
All 1960s Tensions were growing on the Soviet-Chinese border. Most often, the Chinese in large groups demonstratively tried to penetrate into the territory of the USSR, and the violators were delivered to the place centrally. Armed with stakes and metal rods, they tried to oust the Soviet border guards from the islands on Ussuri. The Chinese smashed headlights and viewing devices of cars and armored personnel carriers, and tried to beat the border guards themselves. There is a known case when peasants, under the cover of soldiers, tried to enter Soviet territory and plow it, chanting political slogans. More often, however, detachments of Chinese, numbering from several dozen to several hundred people, tried to break through the border with Mao quotation books in their hands. The border guards did not open fire and only drove the intruders back. There was a categorical ban on the use of firearms. To expel the Maoists, they used improvised means, from rifle butts to fire engines, and homemade blunted spears and clubs were also used.
In January 1968, the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a note about the events on Kirkinsky Island, where the Chinese were most active. However, a series of incidents at Kirkinsky did not have serious consequences. A year later, the PRC tested the strength of Soviet border guards on Damansky Island.
This island, located north of Vladivostok, is a strip of land about half a kilometer wide and more than 1,500 meters long. The channel separating Damansky from the western, Chinese bank of the Ussuri is only 47 meters wide, from the Soviet one - 120 meters. The island stretches along the river from northeast to southwest.
During the period of Soviet-Chinese friendship, Chinese from the border zone freely came to this island to graze livestock and make hay. However, as relations between the two countries began to cool, this practice was stopped. Now that the river was frozen, there were constant fights with Maoists trying to cross it. The clashes lasted for several hours, and border guards were often injured.
In February 1969, the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army of China approved an operation plan to capture Damansky. This action was planned to put pressure on the USSR during future border negotiations. Three reconnaissance companies of 200–300 people each were selected for the operation; they were commanded by officers with combat experience. The armed action was preceded by the usual skirmishes, in which the Chinese side was no longer attended by political activists, but directly by military personnel. Both sides have so far used only clubs as weapons. In January 1969, border guards seized several dozen machine guns and carbines from Chinese soldiers and discovered that the captured weapons were loaded with live ammunition.
After this, the head of the Iman border detachment, Colonel Democrat Leonov, in whose area of responsibility Damansky was, sent a report to the headquarters of the military district and asked to send additional equipment. In addition, Leonov asked for clear instructions, but received only confirmation of previous orders: to push the violators onto Chinese territory, not to use weapons. Leonov did what he could: he reinforced the outposts at Damansky with men and armored personnel carriers using his own reserves, and also organized constant live-fire training.
Key events unfolded on the night of March 1-2, 1969. Three infantry companies of the Chinese army moved to Damansky Island, where they remained until the morning. The Chinese took measures to camouflage themselves, so that even the squad of border guards who walked around Damansky on skis did not notice them. However, on the morning of March 2, border post observers discovered a group of armed Chinese of at least 30 people moving towards Damansky. At the Nizhne-Mikhailovka outpost, people were put on alert. The head of the outpost, Senior Lieutenant Strelnikov, with 30 subordinates rode out to meet the violators, intending to oust the Chinese from the island.
In front of Damansky, the border guards split up. Strelnikov walked from the front along with six border guards, two more groups were moving at some distance. At 11 o'clock in the morning, Strelnikov approached the Chinese and demanded to leave the island. In response, Chinese troops opened fire. The head of the outpost died on the spot along with everyone who was nearby. The same fate befell the detachment covering the flank. The third group, under the command of junior sergeant Babansky, was opened fire with machine guns and mortars, but he organized a defense and requested support by radio.
The remnants of the detachment were saved thanks to the clear actions of the commander of the neighboring border post, Senior Lieutenant Vitaly Bubenin, who moved to the battlefield at the head of a maneuver group. For more than half an hour, his squad fought without visible results. Then Bubenin decided to go around the island on the ice in an armored personnel carrier and go to the rear of the Chinese unit. The officer’s plan was fully justified: he managed to catch a Chinese company crossing the river on the ice and defeat it with the fire of a heavy machine gun from an armored vehicle. The armored personnel carrier was damaged by return fire, but Bubenin moved to another armored personnel carrier and brought the attack to an end. After some time, the second armored personnel carrier was destroyed by an armor-piercing shell from the Chinese coast, but ultimately it was Bubenin’s raid that turned out to be decisive for the course of the battle. The Chinese suffered heavy losses, and, judging by the fragments of field telephones found, the command post was destroyed. The intruders left the island.
This day became the bloodiest for the Soviet side. 31 people were killed, 14 border guards were injured. One soldier went missing, and the Chinese side later handed over his body.
Having learned about the heavy battle on Damansky, a commission headed by the chief of staff of the border troops, Lieutenant General V. A. Matrosov and the deputy chairman of the KGB, Colonel General N. S. Zakharov, went to the Imansky border detachment. The USSR government sent a condemning note to Beijing, declaring its readiness to take decisive measures to stop provocations. A maneuver group headed by Lieutenant Colonel E.I. Yanshin, consisting of 45 people and 4 armored personnel carriers, advanced to Damansky. A reserve detachment deployed on the Soviet shore. Units of the 135th Division of the Far Eastern Military District were urgently pulled up to the border, and strong points were erected at the positions of the border detachment. Meanwhile, the leadership of the KGB, which was in charge of the border troops, received instructions from Moscow: to prevent the seizure of Soviet territory and at the same time not to allow the conflict to escalate into a large-scale war.
On March 14, a group of Chinese soldiers tried to penetrate Damansky again. The fire from the duty machine gun stopped them, but then the border guards received an order to retreat from the island. They were to be replaced by Yanshin's maneuver group. Since the border guards left the island before the maneuver group arrived, the Chinese reoccupied Damansky on March 15. At about 11:35, Yanshin’s group approached the island and entered into battle with the invaders. Despite the fact that the better trained and armored Soviet soldiers had the advantage, the Chinese, constantly receiving reinforcements from their shores, continued to resist. The border guard commanders requested help from the leadership of the military district, but never received it. Army units were prohibited from entering the battle due to fears that the border clash would escalate into war.
The interaction of foot border guards and armored personnel carriers made it possible to inflict heavy losses on the enemy and generally conduct the battle successfully. However, the Chinese, who had a large number of hand grenade launchers, knocked out some of the armored personnel carriers. The border guards were accumulating wounded. At this moment an important event occurred. A tank company consisting of nine T-62 tanks approached the command post of the border detachment. Colonel Leonov reassigned the KGB vehicles on the spot and tried to repeat the success of Bubenin’s raid, that is, to go around the island on the ice. However, this time the Chinese prepared for a similar development of events and opened heavy fire from grenade launchers. The lead tank was hit by a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher (according to another version, the T-62 ran over a mine), and the crew died trying to get out of the vehicle. Colonel Leonov was killed by a bullet while leaving the tank.
Yanshin's maneuver group gradually ran out of ammunition, but nevertheless remained stable and fought. The capabilities of the Soviet troops were seriously limited by the lack of artillery support. The battle was fought by the border guards themselves with the support of tanks, while the Chinese constantly fired mortar fire to suppress it.
While a fierce battle was going on around Damansky, key decisions were made in Moscow. The commander of the Far Eastern Military District, Colonel General O. A. Losik, constantly asked Moscow, trying to get an order to use rocket artillery against the Chinese. The 135th Motorized Rifle Division had at its disposal a division of Grad rocket launchers. The division officers were determined and were only waiting for orders from the capital. However, management ignored requests from Far East. The General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L. I. Brezhnev was just at that moment on his way to visit Budapest, and the delegation also included the ministers of defense and foreign affairs and the head of government A. N. Kosygin. As a result, Losik (according to other sources, his deputy, Lieutenant General P. M. Plotnikov) made an independent decision to use heavy weapons. At 17:10, an artillery regiment and a Grad battalion of the 135th division opened fire on the rear positions of the Chinese group. At the same time, two army motorized rifle companies launched a counterattack on Damansky. The Chinese were driven off the island. The impact of artillery - primarily psychological - was powerful enough to end the confrontation with one quick attack.
As it turned out later, Chinese soldiers managed to visit a Soviet tank damaged during the battle and remove various equipment from it, including secret devices for stabilizing the gun. What was left of the tank was sunk in Ussuri after shelling the ice with mortars. Subsequently, the skeleton of the combat vehicle was lifted and taken to Beijing, where it is installed in the Museum of the People's Liberation Army of China to this day.
The battle on March 15 was the culmination of the confrontation on Damansky. Subsequently, the provocations undertaken by the Chinese side did not reach such a scale, and their activity began to decline. Later, another relatively large armed incident occurred in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Zhalanashkol, but the Chinese soldiers who crossed the border were surrounded and quickly defeated, with one intruder captured alive. After these events, the military gave way to diplomats, and the outline of the Soviet-Chinese border began to be determined at the negotiating table.
As a result of the fighting on Damansky, 58 Soviet servicemen were killed. It is much more difficult to determine the losses of the Chinese side. After the clashes in the USSR, they announced the deaths of 800 and even 2000 Chinese. Of course, this is an “estimate from above”. Official Chinese data indicate losses of 71 people killed and 88 wounded. These data are certainly confirmed by the presence of graves. However, there is reason to believe that this information is underestimated. Thus, the military hospital where the Chinese wounded were treated reported the treatment of 200 soldiers who were admitted there as a result of the fighting on the island. In addition, there is information about the execution of a number of Chinese soldiers and officers for cowardice. Be that as it may, the idea of the lower limit of losses of Chinese troops official version Beijing gives.
In the fall of 1969, negotiations took place in Beijing and Moscow, as a result of which the border agreements were revised. Damansky Island went to China; in 1991 the transfer was finalized.
Four border guards and one motorized rifleman received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the battle on Damansky. For Vitaly Bubenin, the confrontation on the Far Eastern island was the first step in an impressive career: in 1974, he became the commander of the Alpha group, and retired in the 1990s. Major General.
The incident on Damansky Island leaves a number of questions, primarily for the country’s political leadership. Key decisions were made locally. A categorical ban on opening fire ultimately led to the execution of border guards. Moscow had several days to develop a clear plan of action, but the border guards opposing the Chinese were left alone with the enemy, without the help of army units with their heavy equipment. The use of tanks again took place thanks to the strong-willed decision of army and KGB officers on the spot. Finally, the command of the motorized rifle division and the military district put an end to the confrontation, while Moscow actually removed itself from leading the events.
The Soviet soldiers showed their usual tenacity and courage, but ultimately the Chinese achieved at the negotiating table what they failed to achieve on the battlefield...
In the early spring of 1969, a conflict began on the Soviet-Chinese border. During the clashes, 58 Soviet soldiers and officers were killed. However, at the cost of their lives, the big war was stopped.
0.74 square km
The two most powerful socialist powers at that time - the USSR and the PRC - almost started a full-scale war over a piece of land called Damansky Island. Its area is only 0.74 square kilometers. Moreover, during a flood on the Ussuri River, it was completely hidden under water.
There is a version that Damansky became an island only in 1915, when the current washed away part of the spit on the Chinese coast. Be that as it may, the island, which was called Zhenbao in Chinese, was closer to the coast of the People's Republic of China. According to the international regulations adopted at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, the borders between states should pass through the middle of the main channel of the river. This agreement provided for exceptions: if the border had historically formed along one of the banks, with the consent of the parties it could be left unchanged. In order not to aggravate relations with its neighbor, which was gaining international influence, the leadership of the USSR allowed the transfer of a number of islands on the Soviet-Chinese border. On this issue, 5 years before the conflict on Damansky Island, negotiations took place, which, however, ended in nothing both because of the political ambitions of the leader of the PRC, Mao Zedong, and because of the inconsistency of the USSR Secretary General Nikita Khrushchev.
Five thousand provocations
For the USSR, which, by and large, has not yet recovered either demographically or economically after a series of wars and revolutions in the first half of the twentieth century and especially after the Second World War, an armed conflict, and especially full-scale military action with a nuclear power, in which, moreover, at that time, every fifth inhabitant of the planet lived, they were unnecessary and extremely dangerous. Only this can explain the amazing patience with which the Soviet border guards endured constant provocations from the “Chinese comrades” in the border areas.
In 1962 alone, there were more than 5 thousand (!) various violations of the border regime by Chinese citizens.
Originally Chinese territories
Gradually, Mao Zedong convinced himself and the entire population of the Celestial Empire that the USSR illegally owned vast territories of 1.5 million square kilometers, which supposedly should belong to China. Such sentiments were actively fanned in the Western press - the capitalist world, strongly frightened by the red-yellow threat during the period of Soviet-Chinese friendship, was now rubbing its hands in anticipation of the clash of two socialist “monsters”.
In such a situation, only a pretext was needed to start hostilities. And such a reason was the disputed island on the Ussuri River.
“Put them in as many as possible...”
The fact that the conflict on Damansky was carefully planned is indirectly recognized even by Chinese historians themselves. For example, Li Danhui notes that in response to “Soviet provocations,” it was decided to conduct a military operation using three companies. There is a version that the leadership of the USSR was aware of the upcoming Chinese action in advance through Marshal Lin Biao.
On the night of March 2, about 300 Chinese troops crossed the ice to the island. Thanks to the snowfall, they managed to remain undetected until 10 am. When the Chinese were discovered, the Soviet border guards did not have an adequate idea of their numbers for several hours. According to the report received at the 2nd outpost “Nizhne-Mikhailovka” of the 57th Iman border detachment, the number of armed Chinese was 30 people. 32 Soviet border guards went to the scene of events. Near the island they split into two groups. The first group, under the command of Senior Lieutenant Ivan Strelnikov, went straight to the Chinese, who were standing on the ice southwest of the island.
The second group under the command of Sergeant Vladimir Rabovich was supposed to cover Strelnikov’s group with south coast islands. As soon as Strelnikov’s detachment approached the Chinese, heavy fire was opened on it. Rabovich's group was also ambushed. Almost all border guards were killed on the spot. Corporal Pavel Akulov was captured in an unconscious state. His body, with signs of torture, was later handed over to the Soviet side. The squad of junior sergeant Yuri Babansky entered the battle, which was somewhat delayed when moving out of the outpost and therefore the Chinese were unable to destroy it using the factor of surprise. It was this unit, together with the help of 24 border guards who arrived in time from the neighboring Kulebyakiny Sopki outpost, that in a fierce battle showed the Chinese how high the morale of their opponents was. “Of course, it was still possible to retreat, return to the outpost, wait for reinforcements from the detachment. But we were seized with such fierce anger at these bastards that in those moments we wanted only one thing - to kill as many of them as possible. For the guys, for ourselves, for this inch that no one needs, but still our land,” recalled Yuri Babansky, who was later awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his heroism.
As a result of the battle, which lasted about 5 hours, 31 Soviet border guards died. The irretrievable losses of the Chinese, according to the Soviet side, amounted to 248 people.
The surviving Chinese were forced to retreat. But in the border area, the 24th Chinese Infantry Regiment, numbering 5 thousand people, was already preparing for combat. The Soviet side brought the 135th motorized rifle division to Damansky, which was equipped with installations of the then secret Grad multiple launch rocket systems.
Preventive "Grad"
If the officers and soldiers of the Soviet army demonstrated determination and heroism, then the same cannot be said about the top leadership of the USSR. In the following days of the conflict, border guards received very contradictory orders. For example, at 15-00 on March 14 they were ordered to leave Damansky. But after the island was immediately occupied by the Chinese, 8 of our armored personnel carriers advanced from the Soviet border post in battle formation. The Chinese retreated, and the Soviet border guards at 20:00 on the same day were ordered to return to Damansky.
On March 15, about 500 Chinese attacked the island again. They were supported by 30 to 60 artillery pieces and mortars. On our side, about 60 border guards in 4 armored personnel carriers entered the battle. At the decisive moment of the battle they were supported by 4 T-62 tanks. However, after several hours of battle, it became clear that the forces were too unequal. The Soviet border guards, having shot all the ammunition, were forced to retreat to their shore.
The situation was critical - the Chinese could launch an attack on the border post, and according to the instructions of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, under no circumstances could Soviet troops be brought into the conflict. That is, the border guards were left alone with units of the Chinese army many times superior in numbers. And then the commander of the Far Eastern Military District, Colonel General Oleg Losik, at his own peril and risk, gives an order that greatly sobered the belligerence of the Chinese, and, perhaps, forced them to abandon full-scale armed aggression against the USSR. Grad multiple launch rocket systems were introduced into battle. Their fire practically wiped out all the Chinese units concentrated in the Damansky area. Just 10 minutes after the Grad shelling, there was no talk of organized Chinese resistance. Those who survived began to retreat from Damansky. True, two hours later, the approaching Chinese units unsuccessfully tried to attack the island again. However, the “Chinese comrades” learned their lesson. After March 15, they no longer made serious attempts to take control of Damansky.
Surrendered without a fight
In the battles for Damansky, 58 Soviet border guards and, according to various sources, from 500 to 3,000 Chinese troops were killed (this information is still kept secret by the Chinese side). However, as has happened more than once in Russian history, diplomats surrendered what they managed to hold by force of arms. Already in the fall of 1969, negotiations took place, as a result of which it was decided that Chinese and Soviet border guards would remain on the banks of the Ussuri without going to Damansky. In fact, this meant the transfer of the island to China. Legally, the island passed to the People's Republic of China in 1991.
The largest armed conflict in the 20th century between China and the USSR occurred in 1969. For the first time, the general Soviet public was shown the atrocities of the Chinese invaders on Damansky Island. However, people learned the details of the tragedy only many years later.
Why did the Chinese abuse the border guards?
According to one version, the deterioration of relations between the Soviet Union and China began after unsuccessful negotiations on the fate of Damansky Island, which arose in the fairway of the Ussuri River as a result of the shallowing of a small part of the river. According to the Paris Peace Agreement of 1919, the state border of the countries was determined along the middle of the river fairway, but if historical circumstances indicated otherwise, then the border could be determined based on priority - if one of the countries was the first to colonize the territory, then it was given preference when resolving the territorial issue .
Strength tests
A priori, it was assumed that the island created by nature should have come under the jurisdiction of the Chinese side, but due to unsuccessful negotiations between the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev and the leader of the People's Republic of China Mao Zedong, the final document on this issue was not signed. The Chinese side began to use the “island” issue to improve relations with the American side. A number of Chinese historians argued that the Chinese were going to give the Americans a pleasant surprise, to show the seriousness of the break in relations with the USSR.
For many years, the small island - 0.74 square kilometers - was a tasty morsel that was used to test tactical and psychological maneuvers, the main purpose of which was to test the strength and adequacy of the reaction of Soviet border guards. Minor conflicts have occurred here before, but it never came to an open clash. In 1969, the Chinese committed more than five thousand recorded violations of the Soviet border.
The first landing went unnoticed
A secret directive of the Chinese military leadership is known, according to which a special operation plan was developed for the armed seizure of the Damansky Peninsula. The first from the Chinese side to move to break through was the landing force, which took place on the night of March 1-2, 1969. They took advantage of the prevailing weather conditions. Heavy snow fell, which allowed 77 Chinese soldiers to pass unnoticed along the frozen Ussuri River. They were dressed in white camouflage robes and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles. This group was able to cross the border so secretly that its passage was unnoticed. And only the second group of Chinese, numbering 33 people, was discovered by an observer - a Soviet border guard. A message about a major violation was transmitted to the 2nd Nizhne-Mikhailovskaya outpost, which belongs to the Iman border detachment.
The border guards took a cameraman with them - Private Nikolai Petrov filmed the events taking place with a camera until the last moment. But the border guards did not have an accurate idea of the number of violators. It was assumed that their number did not exceed three dozen. Therefore, 32 Soviet border guards were sent to eliminate it. Then they split up and moved into the area of the violation in two groups. The first task is to neutralize the intruders peacefully, the second task is to provide reliable cover. The first group was led by twenty-eight-year-old Ivan Strelnikov, who was already preparing to enter the military academy in Moscow. As cover, the second group was led by Sergeant Vladimir Rabovich.
The Chinese clearly understood in advance the task of destroying the Soviet border guards. While the Soviet border guards planned to resolve the conflict peacefully, as was the case more than once: after all, minor violations constantly occurred in this area.
A raised Chinese hand is a signal to attack
Strelnikov, as the most experienced commander and head of the outpost, was ordered to negotiate. When Ivan Strelnikov approached the violators and offered to leave Soviet territory peacefully, the Chinese officer raised his hand - this was the signal to open fire - the first line of Chinese fired the first salvo. Strelnikov was the first to die. Seven border guards accompanying Strelnikov died almost immediately.
Private Petrov filmed everything that was happening until the last minute.
Gray hair and gouged out eyes
Rabovich's covering group was unable to come to the aid of their comrades: they were ambushed and died one after another. All border guards were killed. The Chinese were already mocking the dead border guard with all their sophistication. The photographs show that his eyes were gouged out and his face was mutilated with bayonets.
The surviving corporal Pavel Akulov faced a terrible fate - torture and painful death. They captured him, tortured him for a long time, and then threw him out of a helicopter into Soviet territory only in April. Doctors counted 28 puncture wounds on the body of the deceased; it was clear that he had been tortured for a long time - all the hair on his head had been pulled out, and a small strand was all gray.
True, one Soviet border guard managed to survive in this battle. Private Gennady Serebrov was seriously wounded in the back, lost consciousness, and a repeated blow to the chest with a bayonet was not fatal. He managed to survive and wait for help from his comrades: the commander of the neighboring outpost Vitaly Bubenin and his subordinates, as well as the group of junior sergeant Vitaly Babansky, were able to provide serious resistance to the Chinese side. Having a small supply of forces and weapons, they forced the Chinese to retreat.
31 dead border guards put up worthy resistance to the enemy at the cost of their lives.
Losik and Grad stopped the conflict
The second round of the conflict occurred on March 14. By this time, the Chinese military deployed a five-thousandth regiment, the Soviet side - the 135th motorized rifle division, equipped with Grad installations, which were used after receiving a number of conflicting orders: the party leadership - the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee - urgently demanded that Soviet troops be removed and not brought into island. And as soon as this was accomplished, the Chinese immediately occupied the territory. Then the commander of the Far Eastern Military District, Oleg Losik, who went through the Second World War, ordered the Grad multiple launch rocket system to open fire on the enemy: in one salvo, 40 shells within 20 seconds were capable of destroying the enemy within a radius of four hectares. After such a shelling, the Chinese military no longer took any large-scale military actions.
The final point in the conflict was put by the politicians of the two countries: already in September 1969, an agreement was reached that neither Chinese nor Soviet troops would occupy the disputed island. This meant that Damansky de facto passed to China; in 1991, de jure the island became Chinese.
Brief historical and geographical information
Damansky (Zhenbaodao) - a small uninhabited island on the Ussuri River. The length is about 1500-1700 m, the width is about 500 m. The island was 47 m from the Chinese coast and 120 m from the Soviet coast. However, in accordance with the Beijing Treaty of 1860 and the map of 1861, the border line between the two states did not run along the fairway, but along the Chinese bank of the Ussuri. Thus, the island itself was an integral part of Soviet territory.
In the spring of 1969, the CPC Central Committee began preparations for the IX CPC Congress. In this regard, the Chinese leadership was very interested in a “victorious” conflict on the Soviet-Chinese border. Firstly, striking the USSR could unite the people under the banner of the “great helmsman”. Secondly, a border conflict would confirm the correctness of Mao’s course of turning China into a military camp and training for war. In addition, the incident guaranteed the generals solid representation in the country's leadership and expanded powers of the military.
In mid-1968, the Chinese military leadership studied the option of striking in the Suifenhe area. Here, the main posts of the Soviet border guards were located near the territory of the PRC and it seemed easy to capture them. To solve this problem, units of the 16th Field Army were sent to Suifenhe. However, ultimately the choice fell on Damansky Island. According to Li Danhui, an employee of the Research Institute of Modern China of the Academy of Social Sciences of the People's Republic of China, the Damansky area was not chosen by chance. On the one hand, as a result of the border negotiations in 1964, this island had allegedly already ceded to China, and, therefore, the reaction of the Soviet side should not have been too violent. On the other hand, since 1947, Damansky was under the control of the Soviet army, and, therefore, the effect of carrying out an action on this section of the border would be greater than in the area of \u200b\u200bother islands. In addition, the Chinese side took into account that the Soviet Union had not yet created a sufficiently reliable base in the place chosen for the attack, which is necessary for conducting offensive operations, and, therefore, would not be able to launch a large-scale retaliatory strike.
On January 25, 1969, a group of officers from the Shenyang Military District completed the development of a combat plan (codenamed "Retribution"). To implement it, it was planned to use approximately three infantry companies and a number of military units secretly located on Damansky Island. On February 19, the plan, code-named “Retribution,” was approved by the General Staff, agreed with the Foreign Ministry, and then approved by the CPC Central Committee and personally by Mao Zedong.
By order of the PLA General Staff, the border outposts in the Damansky area were assigned at least one reinforced platoon, transformed into 2-3 patrol groups. The success of the action had to be ensured by the element of surprise. After completing the task, a quick withdrawal of all forces to pre-prepared positions was envisaged.
Figure 87
Chinese soldiers with Mao quote books in their hands argue with Soviet officers about the border
Moreover, special attention was paid to the importance of capturing evidence from the enemy of his guilt in aggression - samples of Soviet weapons, photographic documents, etc.
Further events unfolded as follows.
On the night of March 1-2, 1969, a large number of Chinese troops secretly concentrated on their shores of the island. It was later determined that it was a regular PLA battalion, numbering more than 500 people, five companies strong, supported by two mortar and one artillery batteries. They were armed with recoilless rifles, large-caliber and heavy machine guns, and hand grenade launchers. The battalion was equipped and armed according to wartime standards. Subsequently, information appeared that he had undergone a six-month special training for conducting combat operations on the border. That same night, with the help of three infantry companies numbering about 300 people, he entered the island and took up defense along the line of the natural rampart. All Chinese soldiers were dressed in camouflage suits, and their weapons were adjusted so that they did not make any unnecessary sound (ramrods were filled with paraffin, bayonets were wrapped in paper so as not to shine, etc.).
The positions of two 82-mm batteries and artillery (45-mm guns), as well as heavy machine guns, were located so that it was possible to fire at Soviet equipment and personnel with direct fire. The mortar batteries, as an analysis of the combat operations later showed, had clear firing coordinates. On the island itself, the battalion's fire system was organized so that it was possible to conduct barrage fire from all fire weapons to a depth of 200 to 300 meters, along the entire front of the battalion.
On March 2, at 10.20 (local time), information was received from Soviet observation posts about the advance of two groups of military personnel, consisting of 18 and 12 people, from the Chinese border post "Gunsi". They pointedly headed towards the Soviet border. The head of the Nizhne-Mikhailovka outpost, senior lieutenant Ivan Strelnikov, having received permission to expel the Chinese, with a group of border guards in an BTR-60PB (No. 04) and two cars, moved towards the violators. The commanders of the neighboring outposts, V. Bubenin and Shorokhov, were also informed about the incident. The head of the Kulebyakiny Sopki outpost, senior lieutenant V. Bubenin, was ordered to provide insurance for Strelnikov’s group. It should be said that, despite the fact that the Chinese have been bringing up military units in their closest border area for a week, and before that they have been improving the routes to the border for a long time, no measures have been taken to strengthen outposts or military surveillance by the command of the Pacific Border District was. Moreover, on the day of the Chinese invasion, the Nizhne-Mikhailovka outpost was only half staffed. On the day of the events, instead of three officers on staff, there was only one at the outpost - senior lieutenant I. Strelnikov. There were slightly more personnel at the Kulebyakiny Sopki outpost.
At 10.40, senior lieutenant I. Strelnikov arrived at the scene of the violation, ordered his subordinates to dismount, take the machine guns “on the belt” and turn around in a chain. The border guards split into two groups. The main commander was Strelnikov. The second group of 13 people was led by Junior Sergeant Rabovich. They covered Strelnikov’s group from the shore. Having approached the Chinese about twenty meters, Strelnikov said something to them, then raised his hand and pointed towards the Chinese coast.
Figure 88
The last photo taken by N. Petrov. The Chinese soldiers are clearly moving into position. Literally in a minute, fire will be opened at point-blank range on the Soviet border guards and the battle will begin. March 2, 1969
Private Nikolai Petrov, standing behind him, took photographs and films, recording the fact of border violations and the procedure for expelling violators. He took a few shots with the FED Zorki-4 camera, and then raised the movie camera. At this moment, one of the Chinese sharply waved his hand. The first line of Chinese parted, and the soldiers standing in the second line opened machine-gun fire on the Soviet border guards. Shooting was carried out at point-blank range from 1-2 meters. The commander of the outpost, senior lieutenant I. Strelnikov, the detective of the special department of the 57th border detachment, senior lieutenant N. Buinevich, N. Petrov, I. Vetrich, A. Ionin, V. Izotov, A. Shestakov, died on the spot. At the same time, fire was opened on Rabovich’s group from the side of the island. It was fired from machine guns, machine guns and grenade launchers. Several border guards were killed immediately, the rest scattered and returned fire. However, being practically in open space, they were very soon completely destroyed. After this, the Chinese began to finish off the wounded with bayonets and knives. Some had their eyes gouged out. Of the two groups of our border guards, only one survived - Private Gennady Serebrov. He received bullet wounds in his right hand, leg and lower back, and a “control” blow with a bayonet, but survived. Later, Serebrov, who had lost consciousness, was carried out by border guard sailors from a brigade of patrol boats who arrived to help the Novo-Mikhailovka outpost.
By this time, a group of junior sergeant Yu. Babansky had arrived at the battlefield, lagging behind Strelnikov (the group was delayed on the way due to a technical malfunction of the vehicle). The border guards dispersed and opened fire on the Chinese lying on the island. In response, PLA soldiers opened fire with machine guns, machine guns and mortars. Mortar fire was concentrated on armored personnel carriers and vehicles standing on the ice. As a result, one of the cars, GAZ-69, was destroyed, the other GAZ-66 was severely damaged. A few minutes later, the crew of armored personnel carrier No. 4 came to Babansky’s rescue. Using fire from the turret machine guns, he suppressed the enemy’s firing points, which made it possible for the five surviving border guards of Babansky’s group to escape from the fire.
10-15 minutes after the start of the battle, a man group from the 1st border outpost “Kulebyakiny Sopki” under the command of Senior Lieutenant V. Bubenin approached the battlefield.
Figure 89
Border guards of the 1st border outpost who took part in the battles of March 2 and 15 on Damansky. March 1969
“Having landed from an armored personnel carrier, under the cover of the eastern shore,” recalls V. Bubenin, “we turned into a chain and jumped out onto the island. This is about 300 meters from the place where the tragedy had just occurred. But we didn’t know about it yet. there were 23 people. In battle formation, we began to move in the direction of the dying fire. When we went deeper about 50 meters, we saw that a platoon of Chinese soldiers was attacking us from the rampart. They ran towards us, shouted and fired. The distance between us was from 150 to 200 meters ". It was quickly shrinking. I not only heard the shooting, but also clearly saw flames flying out of the barrels. I understood that a battle had begun, but I also hoped that it was not true. I hoped that they were using blanks to scare them."
With a decisive attack, the Chinese were driven back behind the embankment on the island. Despite the wound, Bubenin, leading the survivors, went around the island in an armored personnel carrier and suddenly attacked the Chinese from the rear.
“A dense mass of Chinese,” writes V. Bubenin, “jumped from the steep bank and rushed to the island through the channel. The distance to them was up to 200 meters. I opened fire with both machine guns to kill. Our appearance in their rear turned out to be so unexpectedly, the running crowd suddenly slowed down and stopped, as if they had stumbled upon a concrete wall. They were completely at a loss. They didn’t even fire at first. The distance between us was quickly closing. Submachine gunners also joined in the shooting. The Chinese fell as if cut down, many turned and rushed to their shore. They climbed onto it, but, overwhelmed, slid down. The Chinese opened fire on their own, trying to return them to the battle. Everything was mixed up in this heap, combative, seething. Those who were turned around began to make their way to the island in groups. At some point they were so close that we shot them point-blank, hit them with their sides and crushed them with our wheels."
Despite the death of many border guards, the second wounding of V. Bubenin and the damage to the armored personnel carrier, the battle continued. Having transferred to an armored personnel carrier of the 2nd outpost, Bubenin struck the Chinese in the flank. As a result of the unexpected attack, the battalion command post and a large number of enemy personnel were destroyed.
Sergeant Ivan Larechkin, privates Pyotr Plekhanov, Kuzma Kalashnikov, Sergei Rudakov, Nikolai Smelov fought in the center of the battle formation. On the right flank, junior sergeant Alexey Pavlov led the battle. In his department were: Corporal Viktor Korzhukov, privates Alexey Zmeev, Alexey Syrtsev, Vladimir Izotov, Islamgali Nasretdinov, Ivan Vetrich, Alexander Ionin, Vladimir Legotin, Pyotr Velichko and others.
By 2 p.m. the island had completely come under the control of Soviet border guards.
According to official data, in just over two hours, Soviet border guards killed up to 248 Chinese soldiers and officers on the island alone, not counting the channel. During the battle on March 2, 31 Soviet border guards were killed. About 20 border guards were injured of varying degrees of severity, and Corporal Pavel Akulov was captured. After severe torture, he was shot. In April, his mutilated body was dropped from a Chinese helicopter onto Soviet territory. There were 28 bayonet wounds on the body of the Soviet border guard. Eyewitnesses recall that almost all the hair on his head was torn out, and those scraps that remained were completely gray.
The Chinese attack on Soviet border guards alarmed the Soviet political and military leadership. On March 2, 1969, the USSR government sent a note to the PRC government, in which it sharply condemned the Chinese provocation. It stated, in particular: “The Soviet government reserves the right to take decisive measures to suppress provocations on the Soviet-Chinese border and warns the government of the People's Republic of China that full responsibility for the possible consequences of adventurist policies aimed at aggravating the situation on the border between China and the Soviet Union, lies with the government of the People's Republic of China." However, the Chinese side ignored the statement of the Soviet government.
In order to prevent possible repeated provocations, several reinforced motorized maneuver groups from the reserve of the Pacific Border District (two motorized rifle companies with two tank platoons and a battery of 120-mm mortars) were transferred to the area of the Nizhne-Mikhailovka and Kulebyakiny Sopki outposts. The 57th border detachment, which included these outposts, was allocated an additional flight of Mi-4 helicopters from the Ussuri border squadron. On the night of March 12, units of the 135th motorized rifle division of the Far Eastern Military District (commander - General Nesov) arrived in the area of recent fighting: 199th motorized rifle regiment, artillery regiment, 152nd separate tank battalion, 131st separate reconnaissance battalion and rocket BM-21 "Grad" division. The operational group created by the head of the troops of the Pacific Border District, headed by the deputy chief of the district troops, Colonel G. Sechkin, was also located here.
Simultaneously with the strengthening of the border, reconnaissance activities were intensified. According to intelligence data, including aviation and space intelligence, the Chinese have concentrated large forces in the area of Damansky Island - mainly infantry and artillery units. At a depth of up to 20 kilometers, they created warehouses, control centers and other structures. On March 7, a concentration of up to an infantry regiment of the PLA with reinforcements was revealed in the Daman and Kirkinsky directions. 10-15 kilometers from the border, reconnaissance discovered up to 10 batteries of large-caliber artillery. By March 15, a battalion of Chinese had been identified in the Guber direction, a regiment with attached tanks in the Iman direction, up to two infantry battalions in the Panteleimon direction, and up to a battalion in the Pavlovo-Fedorov direction. In total, the Chinese concentrated a motorized infantry division with reinforcements near the border.
During these days, the Chinese also carried out intensive reconnaissance, even using aviation for this purpose. The Soviet side did not interfere with this, hoping that, having seen the real strength of the Soviet side, they would stop provocative actions. That did not happen.
On March 12, a meeting of representatives of the Soviet and Chinese border troops took place. During this meeting, an officer of the Chinese border post Hutou, referring to the instructions of Mao Zedong, expressed a threat to use armed force against the Soviet border guards guarding Damansky Island.
March 14 at 11.15 Soviet posts During surveillance, a group of Chinese military personnel was noticed moving towards Damansky Island. She was cut off from the border by machine gun fire and was forced to return to the Chinese coast.
At 17.30 two Chinese groups of 10-15 people entered the island. They installed four machine guns and other weapons at firing positions. At 18.45 we took up our starting positions directly on the shore from it.
To preempt the attack, by 6.00 on March 15, a reinforced maneuver group of the border detachment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel E. Yanshin (45 people with grenade launchers) on 4 BTR-60PBs was deployed to the island. To support the group, a reserve of 80 people was concentrated on the shore (the school of non-commissioned officers of the 69th border detachment of the Pacific Border District) on seven armored personnel carriers with LNG and heavy machine guns.
At 10.05 the Chinese began to capture the island. The path for the attackers was cleared by the fire of about three mortar batteries, from three directions. The shelling was carried out on all suspicious areas of the island and river where Soviet border guards could be hiding.
Yanshin's group entered the battle.
“...in the command vehicle there was a continuous roar, fumes, gunpowder smoke,” recalls Yanshin. “I saw Sulzhenko (he was firing from the machine guns of the armored personnel carrier) take off his fur coat, then his pea coat, unbutton the collar of his tunic with one hand... I see the guy jumped up and kicked the seat and while standing pours fire.
Figure 90
Commander of the motorized maneuver group of the 57th border detachment, Lieutenant Colonel E.I. Yanshin with his soldiers. Damansky, March 15, 1969
Without looking back, he reaches out his hand for a new can. Loader Kruglov only manages to load the tapes. They work in silence, understanding each other with one gesture. “Don’t get excited,” I shout, “save your ammo!” I show him goals. And the enemy, under cover of fire, again went on the attack. A new wave is rolling towards the shaft. Due to continuous fire, explosions of mines and shells, neighboring armored personnel carriers are not visible. I command in plain text: “I’m going on a counterattack, cover Mankovsky and Klyga with fire from the rear.” My driver Smelov rushed the car forward through the fire curtain. It deftly maneuvers among the craters, creating conditions for us to shoot accurately. Then the machine gun fell silent. Sulzhenko was confused for a moment. Reloads, presses the electric trigger - only a single shot follows. And the Chinese are running up. Sulzhenko opened the cover of the machine gun and fixed the problem. The machine guns started working. I command Smelov: “Forward!” We repulsed another attack..."
Having lost several people killed and three armored personnel carriers, Yanshin was forced to retreat to our shore. However, at 14.40, having replaced personnel and damaged armored personnel carriers, replenishing ammunition, he again attacked the enemy and knocked them out of their occupied positions. Having brought up reserves, the Chinese concentrated massive mortar, artillery and machine-gun fire on the group. As a result, one armored personnel carrier was shot down. 7 people died immediately. A few minutes later the second armored personnel carrier caught fire. Senior Lieutenant L. Mankovsky, covering the retreat of his subordinates with machine gun fire, remained in the car and burned out. An armored personnel carrier, commanded by Lieutenant A. Klyga, was also surrounded. Only half an hour later, the border guards, having “groped” for a weak area of the enemy positions, broke through the encirclement and united with their own.
While the battle was going on on the island, nine T-62 tanks approached the command post. According to some reports, by mistake. The border command decided to take advantage of the opportunity and repeat the successful raid of V. Bubenin, carried out on March 2. The group of three tanks was led by the head of the Iman border detachment, Colonel D. Leonov. However, the attack failed - this time the Chinese side was ready for a similar development of events. When Soviet tanks approached the Chinese coast, heavy artillery and mortar fire was opened on them. The lead vehicle was almost immediately hit and lost speed. The Chinese concentrated all their fire on her. The remaining tanks of the platoon retreated to the Soviet shore. The crew trying to get out of the damaged tank was shot with small arms. Colonel D. Leonov also died, having received a fatal wound to the heart.
Despite the heavy losses among the border guards, Moscow was still wary of introducing regular army units into battle. The Center's position is obvious. While the border guards were fighting, everything boiled down to a border conflict, albeit with the use of weapons. The involvement of regular units of the armed forces turned the clash into an armed conflict or a small war. The latter, given the mood of the Chinese leadership, could result in a full-scale one – and between two nuclear powers.
Political situation, apparently, was clear to everyone. However, in a situation where border guards were dying nearby, and army units were in the role of passive observers, the indecisiveness of the country's leadership caused disagreement and natural indignation.
“The army men sat down on our communication line, and I heard how the regiment commanders criticized their superiors for their indecision,” recalls the head of the political department of the Iman detachment, Lieutenant Colonel A.D. Konstantinov. “They were eager to go into battle, but were tied hand and foot by all sorts of directives.” .
When a report came from the battlefield about two damaged armored personnel carriers of Yanshin’s group, the deputy chief of staff of the Grodekovsky detachment, Major P. Kosinov, on his personal initiative, moved to the rescue in one armored personnel carrier. Approaching the damaged vehicles, he covered their crews with the side of his armored personnel carrier. The crews were removed from the fire. However, during the retreat, his armored personnel carrier was hit. While leaving the burning car as the last one, Major Kosinov was wounded in both legs. After some time, the unconscious officer was pulled out of the battle and, considered dead, was placed in the barn where the dead lay. Fortunately, the dead were examined by a border guard doctor. He determined from the pupils that Kosinov was alive and ordered the wounded man to be evacuated by helicopter to Khabarovsk.
Moscow remained silent, and the commander of the Far Eastern Military District, Lieutenant General O. Losik, made the sole decision to help the border guards. The commander of the 135th MRD was given the order to suppress enemy personnel with artillery fire, and then attack with the forces of the 2nd battalion of the 199th motorized rifle regiment and motorized maneuver groups of the 57th border detachment.
At approximately 17.10, an artillery regiment and a division of Grad installations of the 135th MSD, as well as mortar batteries (Lieutenant Colonel D. Krupeinikov) opened fire. It lasted for 10 minutes. The strikes were carried out to a depth of 20 kilometers across Chinese territory (according to other sources, the shelling area was 10 kilometers along the front and 7 kilometers in depth). As a result of this strike, the enemy's reserves, ammunition supply points, warehouses, etc. were destroyed. His troops advancing to the Soviet border suffered heavy damage. In total, 1,700 shells from mortars and the Grad multiple launch rocket system were fired at the Daman and Chinese coasts. At the same time, 5 tanks, 12 armored personnel carriers, the 4th and 5th motorized rifle companies of the 2nd battalion of the 199th regiment (commander - Lieutenant Colonel A. Smirnov) and one motorized group of border guards moved into the attack. The Chinese put up stubborn resistance, but were soon driven off the island.
In the battle on March 15, 1969, 21 border guards and 7 motorized riflemen (soldiers of the Soviet army) were killed and 42 border guards were wounded. Chinese losses amounted to about 600 people. In total, as a result of the fighting on Damansky, Soviet troops lost 58 people. Chinese - about 1000. In addition, 50 Chinese soldiers and officers were shot for cowardice. The number of wounded on the Soviet side, according to official data, was 94 people, on the Chinese side - several hundred.
At the end of hostilities, 150 border guards received government awards. Including five were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (Colonel D.V. Leonov - posthumously, senior lieutenant I.I. Strelnikov - posthumously, senior lieutenant V. Bubenin, junior sergeant Yu.V. Babansky, commander of the machine gun squad of the 199th motorized rifle regiment junior sergeant V.V. Orekhov), 3 people were awarded the Order of Lenin (Colonel A.D. Konstantinov, Sergeant V. Kanygin, Lieutenant Colonel E. Yanshin), 10 people were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, 31 - the Order of the Red Star, 10 - the Order of Glory III degree, 63 - the medal "For Courage", 31 - the medal "For Military Merit".
In China, the events at Damansky were proclaimed a victory for Chinese weapons. Ten Chinese military personnel became Heroes of China.
In the official interpretation of Beijing, the events at Damansky looked like this:
“On March 2, 1969, a group of Soviet border troops numbering 70 people with two armored personnel carriers, one truck and one passenger vehicle invaded our island of Zhenbaodao in Hulin County, Heilongjiang Province, destroyed our patrol and then destroyed many of our border guards with fire. This forced our soldiers to take action self-defense.
On March 15, the Soviet Union, ignoring repeated warnings from the Chinese government, launched an offensive against us with 20 tanks, 30 armored personnel carriers and 200 infantry, with air support from its aircraft.
Figure 91
Yu.V. Babansky (right) during the award ceremony in the Kremlin. April 1969
The soldiers and militias who bravely defended the island for 9 hours withstood three enemy attacks. On March 17, the enemy, using several tanks, tractors and infantry, tried to pull out a tank that had previously been knocked out by our troops. Hurricane response artillery fire from our artillery destroyed part of the enemy forces, the survivors retreated."
After the end of the armed conflict in the Damansky area, a motorized rifle battalion, a separate tank battalion and a BM-21 Grad rocket division of the 135th motorized rifle division remained in combat positions. By April, one motorized rifle battalion remained in the defense area, which soon also left for its permanent location. All approaches to Damansky from the Chinese side were mined.
At this time, the Soviet government took steps to resolve the situation through political means.
On March 15, the leadership of the USSR sent a statement to the Chinese side, which issued a sharp warning about the inadmissibility of armed border conflicts. It noted, in particular, that “if further attempts are made to violate the inviolability of Soviet territory, then the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and all its peoples will resolutely defend it and give a crushing rebuff to such violations.”
Figure 92
Funeral of Senior Lieutenant I.I. Strelnikova. March 1969
On March 29, the Soviet government again issued a statement in which it spoke in favor of resuming negotiations on border issues that had been interrupted in 1964 and invited the Chinese government to refrain from actions on the border that could cause complications. The Chinese side left these statements unanswered. Moreover, on March 15, Mao Zedong, at a meeting of the Cultural Revolution Group, raised the issue of current events and called for urgent preparations for war. Lin Biao, in his report to the 9th Congress of the CPC (April 1969), accused the Soviet side of organizing “continuous armed incursions into the territory of the PRC.” There, the course towards “continuous revolution” and preparations for war was confirmed.
Nevertheless, on April 11, 1969, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, in which it proposed to resume consultations between plenipotentiary representatives of the USSR and the PRC, expressing their readiness to begin them at any time convenient for the PRC.
On April 14, in response to a note from the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese side stated that proposals regarding the settlement of the situation on the border were “being studied and a response will be given to them.”
During the “study of proposals,” armed border clashes and provocations continued.
On April 23, 1969, a group of Chinese, numbering 25-30 people, violated the border of the USSR and reached Soviet island No. 262 on the Amur River, located near settlement Kalinovka. At the same time, a group of Chinese military personnel concentrated on the Chinese bank of the Amur.
On May 2, 1969, another border incident occurred in the area of the small village of Dulaty in Kazakhstan. This time, Soviet border guards were prepared for a Chinese invasion. Even earlier, to repel possible provocations, the Makanchinsky border detachment was significantly strengthened. By May 1, 1969, it had 14 outposts of 50 people each (and the Dulaty border outpost - 70 people) and a maneuver group (182 people) on 17 armored personnel carriers. In addition, a separate tank battalion of the district was concentrated in the detachment’s area (the village of Makanchi), and according to the plan of interaction with army formations - a motorized rifle and tank company, a mortar platoon of a support detachment from the 215th motorized rifle regiment (the village of Vakhty) and a battalion from the 369th 1st motorized rifle regiment (Druzhba station). Border security was carried out by surveillance from towers, patrols on cars and checking the control strip. The main merit of such operational readiness of the Soviet units belonged to the head of the troops of the Eastern Border District, Lieutenant General M.K. Merkulov. He not only took measures to strengthen the Dulatin direction with his reserves, but also achieved the same measures from the command of the Turkestan Military District.
Subsequent events developed as follows. On the morning of May 2, a border patrol noticed a flock of sheep crossing the border. Arriving at the scene, Soviet border guards discovered a group of Chinese military personnel numbering about 60 people. To prevent an obvious conflict, the Soviet border detachment was reinforced with three reserve groups from nearby outposts, a company of the 369th motorized rifle regiment with a platoon of tanks and two maneuver groups. The actions of the Soviet border guards were ready to be supported by the fighter-bombers of the air regiment based in Ucharal, as well as the motorized rifle and artillery regiments, two jet and two mortar divisions concentrated in the nearest areas.
To coordinate actions, a district operational group was formed, headed by the chief of staff, Major General Kolodyazhny, located at the Dulaty outpost. A forward command post headed by Major General G.N. was also located here. Kutkikh.
At 16.30, Soviet border guards began to “squeeze” the enemy, who also received significant reinforcements, from the territory of the USSR. The Chinese were forced to retreat without a fight. The situation was finally resolved diplomatically by May 18, 1969.
On June 10, near the Tasta River in the Semipalatinsk region, a group of Chinese military personnel invaded the territory of the USSR 400 meters and opened machine-gun fire on Soviet border guards. Return fire was opened on the intruders, after which the Chinese returned to their territory.
On July 8 of the same year, a group of armed Chinese, violating the border, took refuge on the Soviet part of Goldinsky Island on the Amur River and fired machine guns at Soviet rivermen who arrived on the island to repair navigation signs. The attackers also used grenade launchers and hand grenades. As a result, one riverman was killed and three were wounded.
Armed clashes continued in the area of Damansky Island. According to V. Bubenin, in the subsequent summer months after the incident, Soviet border guards were forced to use weapons more than 300 times to counter Chinese provocations. For example, it is known that in mid-June 1969, an “experimental” multiple launch rocket system of the “Grad” type, which arrived from Baikonur (combat crew of military unit 44245, commander - Major A.A. Shumilin), visited the Damansky area. The combat crew included, in addition to military personnel, specialists involved in supporting space programs. Among them were: Yu.K. Razumovsky is the technical manager of the lunar complex, Papazyan is the technical manager of the rocket-technical complex, A. Tashu is the commander of the Vega guidance complex, L. Kuchma, the future president of Ukraine, at that time an employee of the testing department, Kozlov is a telemetry specialist, I. A. Soldatova – test engineer and others. The “experiment” was controlled by a high-ranking state commission, which included, in particular, the commander of the missile forces Kamanin.
Perhaps the strike of Major A.A. Shumilin was demonstrative, with the aim of stimulating the Chinese side to begin peaceful negotiations to resolve the contradictions that had arisen. In any case, on September 11, 1969, during confidential negotiations between the head of the Soviet government A. Kosygin and the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Zhou Enlai in Beijing, an agreement was reached to begin official negotiations on border issues, which took place on October 20, 1969.
However, even a month before the meeting of representatives of the Soviet and Chinese governments, another large-scale armed provocation occurred on the Soviet-Chinese border, which claimed dozens of lives.
On October 7, 1966, amid political disagreements between Maoist China and the Soviet Union, all Chinese students were expelled from the USSR. In general, China was an ally of the USSR, and there were no fundamental or large-scale conflicts between the countries, but some outbreaks of tension were still observed. We decided to recall the five most acute conflicts between the USSR and China.
This is what historians call the diplomatic conflict between the PRC and the USSR, which began in the late 1950s. The peak of the conflict occurred in 1969, while the end of the conflict is considered to be the end of the 1980s. The conflict was accompanied by a split in the international communist movement. Criticism of Stalin in Khrushchev’s report at the end of the 20th Congress of the CPSU, the new Soviet course on economic development under the policy of “peaceful coexistence” with capitalist countries displeased Mao Zedong as contradicting the idea of the “Leninist sword” and the entire communist ideology. Khrushchev's policies were called revisionist, and its supporters in the CCP (Liu Shaoqi and others) were repressed during the Cultural Revolution.
The “Great War of Ideas between China and the USSR” (as the conflict was called in the PRC) was started by Mao Zedong in order to strengthen his power in the PRC. During the conflict, the Chinese demanded that the USSR transfer Mongolia to China, demanded permission to create an atomic bomb, “lost territories” and more.
Border conflict on Damansky Island
On March 2 and 15, 1969, in the area of Damansky Island on the Ussuri River, 230 km south of Khabarovsk and 35 km west of the regional center of Luchegorsk, the largest Soviet-Chinese armed clashes took place. Moreover, they were the largest in modern history Russia and China.
After the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, a provision emerged that borders between states should, as a rule (but not necessarily), run through the middle of the main channel of the river. But it also provided for exceptions.
The Chinese used the new border regulations as a reason to revise the Sino-Soviet border. The USSR leadership was ready to do this: in 1964, a consultation was held on border issues, but it ended without results. Due to ideological differences during the “cultural revolution” in China and after the Prague Spring of 1968, when the PRC authorities declared that the USSR had taken the path of “socialist imperialism,” relations became particularly strained.
Damansky Island, which was part of the Pozharsky district of Primorsky Krai, is located on the Chinese side of the main channel of the Ussuri. Since the early 1960s, the situation in the island area has been heating up. According to statements from the Soviet side, groups of civilians and military personnel began to systematically violate the border regime and enter Soviet territory, from where they were expelled each time by border guards without the use of weapons. Initially to the territory of the USSR on the instructions Chinese authorities Peasants came in and demonstratively engaged in economic activities there. The number of such provocations increased sharply: in 1960 there were 100, in 1962 - more than 5,000. Then Red Guards began to attack border patrols.
On October 20, 1969, new negotiations were held between the heads of government of the USSR and the PRC, and the parties managed to reach an agreement on the need to revise the Soviet-Chinese border. But only in 1991 Damansky finally went to the PRC.
In total, during the clashes, Soviet troops lost 58 people killed or died from wounds (including 4 officers), 94 people were wounded (including 9 officers). The losses of the Chinese side are still classified information and, according to various estimates, range from 500-1000 to 1500 and even 3 thousand people.
Border conflict near Lake Zhalanashkol
This battle is part of the “Daman conflict”; it took place on August 13, 1969 between Soviet border guards and Chinese soldiers who violated the USSR border. As a result, the violators were pushed out of Soviet territory. In China, this border conflict is known as the Terekta Incident, after the name of the river flowing from the Chinese Yumin County towards Lake Zhalanashkol.
Conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway
Conflict in China-East railway(CER) occurred in 1929 after the ruler of Manchuria, Zhang Xueliang, seized control of the Chinese Eastern Railway, which was a joint Soviet-Chinese enterprise. During subsequent hostilities, the Red Army defeated the enemy. The Khabarovsk Protocol, signed on December 22, ended the conflict and restored the status of the road that existed before the clashes.
Vietnam-China military conflict
The last serious crisis between China and the USSR occurred in 1979, when the PRC (Chinese army) attacked Vietnam. According to Taiwanese writer Long Yingtai, this act was largely related to the internal political struggle in the Communist Party of China. The then leader of the People's Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping, needed to strengthen his position in the party, and he tried to achieve this with the help of a “small victorious campaign.”
Already from the first days of the war, Soviet specialists who were both in Vietnam and in neighboring countries, began combat activities together with the Vietnamese. In addition to them, reinforcements began to arrive from the USSR. An air bridge between the USSR and Vietnam was established.
The USSR expelled the Chinese embassy from Moscow, and sent its personnel not by plane, but by rail. In fact, after the Ural ridge all the way to the border with China and Mongolia, they could see columns of tanks heading east. Naturally, such preparations did not go unnoticed, and Chinese troops were forced to leave Vietnam and return to their original positions.
Video
Damansky Island. 1969
