Soviet Tanks in Manchuria 1945

The Red Army's ruthless last blitzkrieg of World War II

Soviet Tanks in Manchuria 1945 cover

Soviet Tanks in Manchuria 1945

The Red Army's ruthless last blitzkrieg of World War II

Description

A new illustrated study of the devastating, but little-known, Soviet armored blitzkrieg against the Japanese in the last weeks of World War II, and how it influenced Soviet tank doctrine as the Cold War dawned.

Although long overshadowed in the West by the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the USSR's lightning strike into Manchuria in August 1945 was one of the most successful and unique campaigns of the era. Soviet forces, led by over 5,500 tanks and self-propelled guns, attacked across huge distances and deserts, marshes, and mountains to smash Japan's million-strong Kwantung Army in a matter of days.

Japanese forces were short of training and equipment, but nevertheless fought fiercely, inflicting 32,000 casualties on the Soviets. Red Army operations were characterized by surprise, speed, and deep penetrations by tank-heavy forces born of the brutal lessons they had learned during years fighting the Wehrmacht. Lessons from the campaign directly shaped Soviet Cold War force structure and planning for mechanized operations against the West.

Illustrated with contemporary artwork and rare photos from one of the best collections of Soviet military photos in the West, this fascinating book explains exactly how the last blitzkrieg of World War II was planned, fought, and won, and how it influenced the Red Army's plans for tank warfare against NATO in Europe.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
- Red Blitzkrieg
SOVIET ARMORED FORCE EVOLUTION, ORGANIZATION,
AND DOCTRINE
TECHNICAL FACTORS
- Self-propelled guns
- Miscellaneous AFVs
THE CAMPAIGN
- Forces and plans
- Across deserts and mountains: The Trans-Baikal Front
- Through the fortified hills and forests: The First Far Eastern Front's attack
- Supporting attack: The Second Far Eastern Front
- Amphibious operations on the flanks
- Surrender and seizing the spoils
BATTLE ANALYSIS
- Japanese tank, antitank tactics, and operations
AFTERMATH
FURTHER READING
INDEX

Product details

Published 16 Mar 2023
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 48
ISBN 9781472853738
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations Illustrated throughout with 40 photos and 8 pages of color illustrations
Series New Vanguard
Short code NVG 316
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

William E. Hiestand

William E. Hiestand has worked for over 30 years a…

Illustrator

Henry Morshead

Henry Morshead is the Chief Designer for the Hill…

Illustrator

Irene Cano Rodríguez

Irene Cano Rodríguez (known as Araire) is a freela…

Resources

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