And samurai flew to the ground ...
Foreign intelligence officers, especially illegal immigrants, have never been denied state and departmental awards. In the windows of the Hall stories Foreign intelligence is widely represented military and labor awards of our state, as well as honorary state and departmental breastplates, which marked the activities of the best representatives of the service and who were transferred to eternal storage in the Museum of Intelligence history closest relatives of these intelligence officers.
AWARDS TALK ABOUT MANY
Among the awards on display, quite a lot of foreign. Among them, in particular, can be noted: the Maltese Cross and the Venezuelan Order of Francisco de Miranda with the star of illegal intelligence officer Joseph Grigulevich; the three highest orders of the Mongolian People's Republic, the commander of the Separate motorized rifle brigade of special purpose Vyacheslav Gridnev; the Czechoslovak Military Cross 1939 of the Year and the Military Order of the White Lion “For Victory” with the First Class Star of the head of the Soviet foreign intelligence service of the period of the Great Patriotic War Pavel Fitin; the Bulgarian Order "September 9 1944 of the Year" with swords of the prominent Soviet intelligence officer Boris Batrayev, who had worked behind the cordon for more than a quarter of a century; the Order of Merit for the Fatherland in the gold of the German Democratic Republic, which was awarded to one of the leaders of the Soviet illegal intelligence, Alexander Korotkov, and many others.
In the section of the exposition devoted to foreign intelligence activities on the eve of World War II, visitors to the History Hall are certainly attracted by an unusual and rather rare award that belonged to one of the veterans of intelligence Kh. - the breastplate of the Mongolian People's Republic "Participant of the Khalkhin-Gol". It is a circle covered with blue enamel, in the center of which is a golden horseman with a saber in his hand. A red banner with the inscription “August 1939” is developing above the rider, and on the red ribbon at the bottom there is an inscription in golden letters “Khalkhin-Gol” (the inscriptions are made in Latin alphabet).
Interesting is the history of this award, established in connection with the events that took place more than 75 years ago in the territory of Mongolia in the Khalkhin-Gol river (“Khalkha” is the name of the nationality that is the core of the modern population of Mongolia, “Mongolian” "). They are symbolic and instructive, as they were a kind of prologue to the world’s bloodbath - World War II, which broke out on September 1, 1939.
The feat of the Soviet people and their army at the Mongolian Khalkhin-Gol river is significant. And memories of him are not only a tribute to memory, but also an occasion to refer once more to the past in order to better understand today's realities.
IN THE AREA OF THE KHALKHIN-GOL RIVER
However, before we talk about the events at the Khalkhin-Gol river, we remind the readers that a year before they had committed a perfidious armed attack by Japanese militarists on the territory of the USSR in the area of Lake Hassan. The Soviet frontier guards and the soldiers of the Red Army managed then to win a convincing victory and throw the aggressors out of the sacred land of our Motherland. Fierce fighting on our Far Eastern border took place from July 29 to August 11 1938.
It should be particularly noted that during the period of the Hasan events, none of the world powers made a strong condemnation of the Japanese military action, trying to channel the spread of Japanese expansion in the direction of the Soviet Union. In the end, this position of the West led to a larger-scale aggression than the Khasan aggression against the USSR and the Mongolian People's Republic in May-September of the 1939 year by the Khalkhin-Gol river.
So, almost a year after the armed clash at Lake Hassan, the Japanese militarists in the area of the Khalkhin-Gol River launched a much larger armed attack on the fraternal Mongolian People’s Republic.
The official Japanese version of the beginning of the conflict was to demand the Japanese side to recognize the Khalkhin-Gol river as the border between Manzhou-Guo and Mongolia (the previous border ran 20 – 25 km east). In fact, the Japanese’s persistent intentions to streamline the border between Manzhou-Go and Mongolia were aimed at pushing it westward to a natural obstacle, the Khalkhin-Gol River, and the main objective of the aggressive actions of the Japanese military was to capture part of the Mongolian territory in order to create a convenient base for repeating military operations against Soviet Union.
On May 11, 1939, a detachment of Japanese cavalry of up to 300 men attacked the Mongolian border post at the height of Nomon-Khan-Burd-Obo. May 14 as a result of a similar attack, but with the support of aviation, was occupied the height of Dungur Obo.
The dangerous exacerbation of the situation on its Far Eastern borders forced the Soviet government to declare that the Soviet Union would defend the Soviet Union in the same way as its own, in accordance with the treaty of mutual assistance existing between the USSR and the Mongolian People's Republic. To do this, at the initial stage, units of the Soviet troops were involved, which were located on Mongolian territory on the basis of the previously concluded bilateral agreement. The armed conflict, later called by military historians of an undeclared war, lasted from spring to autumn 1939.
Formally, the conflict at the Khalkhin-Gol River concerned the relations between the two states, Mongolia and Manzhou-Guo. But in reality, they were behind the Soviet Union and Japan, and the real participants in the outbreak of hostilities were the units of the Red and Kwantung armies, reinforced respectively by the Mongolian and Bargut (barguts - residents of Inner Mongolia, which was part of Manchukuo) parts. It must be emphasized that this was no longer a local conflict, but large-scale military actions. The battles were fought using the latest for that time armored vehicles, aircraft and artillery.
Events in the area of the Khalkhin-Gol river developed rapidly. At the initial stage of the conflict, the Japanese command pulled up to the borders of the Mongolian People's Republic a large grouping of its troops (one infantry division, two infantry regiments, two tank regiment, three cavalry regiments). The grouping consisted of 38 thousand people, 310 guns, 135 tanks, 225 aircraft. The Japanese troops were tasked with encircling and destroying the Soviet-Mongolian troops on the eastern bank of the Khalkhin-Gol River.
After numerous provocations, the Japanese militarists, creating numerical superiority, with the support of tanks, artillery and aircraft, launched an offensive. Heavy fighting ensued, as a result of which the Soviet-Mongolian troops managed to drop the invaders from the Mongolian land. But the enemy did not let up and pull up fresh forces.
To prepare for the new offensive, the Japanese military command additionally formed a separate army specially designed for conducting combat operations in the conflict area. It numbered over 6 thousand people, 75 guns, about 500 tanks and over 200 aircraft. The new "resolute offensive" was supposed to begin on August 300.
All this led to the adoption of appropriate measures by the Soviet-Mongolian command. The active information support was provided to him by the residency of Soviet military intelligence and foreign intelligence of the state security bodies of our country operating in Mongolia, China and Japan. On the basis of the Soviet troops already in the MNR, as well as tightened new formations, the 1 Army Group was formed, which had 57 thousand people, about 500 tanks, 385 armored vehicles, more 540 guns and mortars, more than 500 aircraft. The group was headed by the comorus Georgy Zhukov. Mongol troops led by Marshal Khorlogyn Choibalsan. The operation to prevent the strike of the enemy was preparing secretly. The powerful, well-planned and prepared air and artillery strike of the Soviet-Mongolian troops at dawn on August 20 caught the enemy off guard.
As a result of fierce four-day fighting, the enemy was surrounded. From 24 in August, Soviet-Mongolian troops began to eliminate the grouping of Japanese troops and by 31 of August completely cleared the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic from the aggressor.
9 September 1939, the Japanese ambassador in Moscow, Togo Shigenori, visited the Foreign Affairs Commissariat and, on behalf of his government, offered to conclude an armistice and turn the Khalkhin Gol district into a demilitarized zone. In this regard, Soviet military intelligence officer Illegal Richard Sorge, who was working in Japan, said in a report to the Center on September 27: “A truce on the border of the Mongolian People's Republic means a radical departure of Japanese policy from adventurism. With regard to military activity against Siberia, actions will be limited to only one expansion in China ... There is a general agreement of all factions on the question of ending the policy of adventures against the North. ”The truce between the USSR and Japan was concluded on September 15 1939. The next day, hostilities in the area were stopped.
Japanese losses during the conflict at the Khalkhin-Gol River exceeded 61 thousand soldiers and officers, of which about 25 thousand people were killed. The Japanese 6-I separate army ceased to exist.
The Soviet side casualties made up the 8931 man killed, and the 15 952 soldier and officer were injured.
The defeat of the Japanese forces forced not only the command of the Kwantung Army to resign, but also the Japanese cabinet in power, complicated the development of the military alliance of Japan and Germany and questioned the idea of a "blitzkrieg" in the Far East.
The defeat of the Japanese aggressors in the area of the Khalkhin-Gol River seriously affected the foreign policy positions of Japan. That is why, when in December 1941, German troops stood near Moscow and Hitler fiercely demanded Tokyo to strike the Soviet Far East, Khalkhin Gol, as many historians believe, played a major role in the fact that Japan did not go for Berlin.
FOR COURAGE AND STABILITY
By the decree of the People’s Popular Khural of the Mongolian People’s Republic from 16 of August 1940, the badge “To the participant of the fighting at Khalkhin-Gol” was established. It was intended to award commanders, soldiers and civilians from both Mongolia and the Soviet Union who took direct part in the battles. The date on the sign "August 1939" reminded of the crucial moment in the confrontation.
Interesting and the further fate of the award. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Great People’s Khural No. 181 of December 29 of 1966, the badge "Participant of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol" was given the medal status.
Unfortunately, this award was extremely rare among Soviet soldiers. It was presented mainly to the servicemen of the Red Army who, after the end of the events, continued to serve in the Trans-Baikal Military District. The honorary award was also given to a number of resident staff who were directly involved in obtaining information during the conflict. Those of the military, who after the end of hostilities departed to permanent duty stations, remained at that time without deserved rewards. And the Great Patriotic War that broke out soon, did not allow to complete the process of awarding all participants of the events at the Khalkhin-Gol river.
To this story, it should be added that the majority of servicemen of the Red Army, as well as other USSR citizens who took part in this armed conflict, received Soviet awards - the Order of the Red Star or the Medal "For Courage". A total of 17 121 people were awarded. 70 soldiers were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, of which three pilots - twice.
In modern military literature it is emphasized that during the military conflict in the Khalkhin-Gol river region "Soviet troops gained considerable experience, especially in the use of tanks and aircraft and their interaction with rifle subunits." At the same time, it is noted that “the defeat of Japan seriously influenced the foreign policy positions of its government and kept it from opposing the USSR during the Great Patriotic War of the 1941 – 1945 years”.
For our part, it is necessary to add that the events in the Khalkhin-Gol river area allowed a number of residencies, particularly in Harbin, to test themselves and their ability to obtain operational information directly during the military conflict in which the Soviet Union was involved.
Referring to this period of activity of foreign intelligence of our country, in the “Sketches of the history of Russian foreign intelligence” it is stated: “Harbin residency worked most successfully. Occupied by the Japanese, Harbin was then the center of political and military activity in the region. In it scattered their networks and intelligence services of various states. The Harbin residency managed to obtain information about preparations for the attack on the Mongolian People’s Republic shortly before the fighting on the Khalkhin Gol river, promptly informing the Center about the concentration of units of the Kwantung Army near the borders of the Soviet Union before the battles on Lake Hassan, report on preparations by the Japanese to capture Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. ”
The harsh days of the 1939 period of military aggression became sacred for the Mongolian people, because then the sovereignty of the country was upheld. In memory of the heroes of Khalkhin-Gol, monuments were erected in Mongolian cities, streets were named, and a Victory Memorial was erected on the site of the battles. In Mongolia, they do not forget the Soviet soldiers-internationalists, who, together with the Mongolian tsirik, made a feat of arms.
The monument to the dead defenders of Khalkhin-Gol on the battlefield contains the words: “Eternal glory to the soldiers-heroes of the Soviet Army and the courageous cyrics of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Army who fell in battles for the freedom and independence of the peace-loving Mongolian people, for the peace and security of peoples, against imperial aggression ! ”
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