# Far Eastern Front

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{{Short description|Soviet Red Army formation of WWII}}
The '''Far Eastern Front''' ([Russian](/source/Russian_language): Дальневосточный фронт) was a [front](/source/Front_(Soviet_Army)) — a level of [military formation](/source/military_formation) that is equivalent to [army group](/source/army_group) — of the [Red Army](/source/Red_Army) during the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II).<ref>Keith E. Bonn, Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front, Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005; [David Glantz](/source/David_Glantz), ''Stumbling Colossus''.</ref>

==Early war service==
Тhe Far Eastern Front was created on June 28, 1938 from the [Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army](/source/Special_Red_Banner_Far_Eastern_Army) within the [Far East Military District](/source/Far_East_Military_District).  It included the [1st Red Banner Army](/source/1st_Red_Banner_Army) and the [2nd Red Banner Army](/source/2nd_Red_Banner_Army).  In 1938 Front forces — seemingly the [Soviet 32nd Rifle Division](/source/Soviet_32nd_Rifle_Division) of 39th Rifle Corps — engaged Japanese [Manchukuo](/source/Manchukuo) forces at the [Battle of Lake Khasan](/source/Battle_of_Lake_Khasan).  On the eve of the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany, the Front comprised:<ref>Orbat.com/Niehorster, [http://niehorster.org/012_ussr/41_oob/far-east/_far-east-front.html Order of Battle, 22 June 1941]</ref>
* [1st Red Banner Army](/source/1st_Red_Banner_Army){{cn|date=February 2020}}
** [26th Rifle Corps](/source/26th_Rifle_Corps)
*** [21st Rifle Division](/source/21st_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
*** [22nd Rifle Division](/source/22nd_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
*** [26th Rifle Division](/source/26th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** [59th Rifle Corps](/source/59th_Rifle_Corps)
*** [39th Rifle Division](/source/39th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
*** [59th Rifle Division](/source/59th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** 1st, 4th, 5th Rifle Brigades
** [8th Cavalry Division](/source/8th_Cavalry_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** One [fortified region](/source/fortified_region), artillery, engineers
* [2nd Red Banner Army](/source/2nd_Red_Banner_Army)
** [3rd Rifle Division](/source/3rd_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** [12th Amurskaya Rifle Division](/source/12th_Amurskaya_Rifle_Division)
** [59th Tank Division](/source/59th_Tank_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** [69th Mechanized Division](/source/69th_Motorized_Division)
** One fortified region, artillery, engineers
* [15th Army](/source/15th_Army_(Soviet_Union)){{cn|date=February 2020}}
** [18th Rifle Corps](/source/18th_Rifle_Corps)
*** [34th Rifle Division](/source/34th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
*** [202nd Airborne Brigade](/source/202nd_Airborne_Brigade_(Soviet_Union))
** One fortified region, artillery, engineers
* [25th Army](/source/25th_Army_(Soviet_Union))
** [39th Rifle Corps](/source/39th_Rifle_Corps)
*** [32nd Rifle Division](/source/32nd_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
*** [40th Rifle Division](/source/40th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
*** [92nd Rifle Division](/source/92nd_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** Five fortified regions, artillery, and engineers
* [Special Rifle Corps](/source/Special_Rifle_Corps_(Soviet_Union)){{cn|date=February 2020}}
** [79th Rifle Division](/source/79th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
** [101st Mountain Rifle Division](/source/101st_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union))
* [35th Rifle Division](/source/35th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union)){{cn|date=February 2020}}
* [66th Rifle Division](/source/127th_Machine_Gun_Artillery_Division){{cn|date=February 2020}}
* [78th Rifle Division](/source/78th_Rifle_Division_(Soviet_Union)){{cn|date=February 2020}}
* Three fortified regions, artillery, engineers{{cn|date=February 2020}}

==War against Japan==
{{Main|Soviet-Japanese War}}

On August 5, 1945, the Front was divided and reorganized as the 1st Far Eastern Front and 2nd Far Eastern Front:

'''[2nd Far Eastern Front](/source/2nd_Far_Eastern_Front)''', under General [M. A. Purkayev](/source/Maksim_Purkayev) (aimed at eastern [Manchukuo](/source/Manchukuo)), including: 
* [2nd Red Banner Army](/source/2nd_Red_Banner_Army).
* [15th Army](/source/15th_Army_(Soviet_Union)).
* [16th Army](/source/16th_Army_(Soviet_Union)).
* [10th Air Army](/source/10th_Air_Army).

'''[1st Far Eastern Front](/source/1st_Far_Eastern_Front)''', under Marshal [K. A. Meretskov](/source/Kirill_Meretskov) (aimed at northern Manchukuo), including:
* [1st Red Banner Army](/source/1st_Red_Banner_Army).
* [5th Army](/source/5th_Army_(Soviet_Union)).
* [25th Army](/source/25th_Army_(Soviet_Union)).
* [35th Army](/source/35th_Army_(Red_Army))
* [9th Air Army](/source/9th_Air_Army)
* Chuguevsk Operational Group.
* [Amur River Flotilla](/source/Amur_Military_Flotilla).

[Transbaikal Front](/source/Transbaikal_Front) included the [12th Air Army](/source/12th_Air_Army).

In the [Soviet invasion of Manchuria](/source/Soviet_invasion_of_Manchuria) it led the attack into Japanese-occupied [Manchuria](/source/Manchuria).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-declare-war-on-japan-invade-manchuria|title = Soviets declare war on Japan; invade Manchuria}}</ref> Although the [Kwantung Army](/source/Kwantung_Army) of the [Imperial Japanese Army](/source/Imperial_Japanese_Army) had more than 1&nbsp;million soldiers, the [Japan](/source/Japan)ese defenders were overwhelmed by the offensive. Allied forces of [Mongolia](/source/Mongolia) and [Chiang Kai-shek](/source/Chiang_Kai-shek)'s [Nationalist China](/source/Republic_of_China_(1912%E2%80%931949)) aided the [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) operation. On August 19, the Far East Front continued its routing of the Kwantung Army by capturing [Harbin](/source/Harbin) and [Mukden](/source/Mukden). By August 21, the [Red Army](/source/Red_Army) had captured almost all of [Manchuria](/source/Manchuria), and the final surrender of the Kwantung Army took place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/vo-far-east.htm|title = Far Eastern Military District}}</ref>

On August 11 to 12, 1945, the [87th Rifle Corps](/source/87th_Rifle_Corps) was brought out from the reserve of the 1st Far Eastern Front, and received new orders to prepare for landing operations on the island of Hokkaido (Japan); however, the planned operation never took place, although elements of the 87th Corps participated in other operations against Japanese forces in the theatre.{{cn|date=February 2020}}

On September 30, 1945, the [Primorskiy](/source/Primorskiy_Military_District) (Maritime Provinces) Military District was formed on the territory of [Primorsky Krai](/source/Primorsky_Krai) (territory of the former Ussuri Oblast), from HQ [1st Far East Front](/source/1st_Far_East_Front).<ref>Stavka Directive № 11128 of September 10, 1945, and http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/gkv/primvo.htm</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_downfall4.html|title = Operation Downfall 4: Allied plans for Olympic and Coronet}}</ref>

== Commanders ==

* [Marshal of the Soviet Union](/source/Marshal_of_the_Soviet_Union) [Vasily K. Blukher](/source/Vasily_Bl%C3%BCcher) (1 July – 4 September, 1938)
* [Komkor](/source/Komkor) [Grigori M. Shtern](/source/Grigori_Shtern)  (August 1938; July 1940 – January 1941)
* [Colonel General](/source/Colonel_General) [Iosif R. Apanasenko](/source/Iosif_Apanasenko) [promoted to Army General in February 1941] (January 1941 – April 1943)
* Colonel General [Maxim A. Purkaev](/source/Maksim_Purkayev) [promoted to Army General in October 1944] (April 1943 – August 1945)

== Notes ==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [David Glantz](/source/David_Glantz), ''Stumbling Colossus'', University Press of Kansas, 1998 (for 1941 order of battle)

{{Fronts of the Red Army in World War II}}

Far East Front
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Category:History of the Russian Far East

[de:1. Fernostfront](/source/de%3A1._Fernostfront)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Far Eastern Front](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Eastern_Front) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Eastern_Front?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.