Battle of Lake Khasan - Defence of Bezimyennaya (Shachaofeng)*
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Date: 2nd-9th August, 1938*
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Location: Bezimyennaya Hill, near Lake Khasan, Soviet-Korean border*
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Type: Japanese defence vs. Soviet assault*
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This scenario continues the previous one ("Opening Moves") and occurs more or less at the same time as the first defensive scenario.
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Soviet forces were put under command of General Grigory Shtern, while Blucher oversaw the battle. Shtern gathered his 39th Rifle Corps in the area, consisting mostly of 32nd and 40th Rifle Divisions and supported by 2nd Mechanized Brigade and couple of independent tank battalions. Forces were spread evenly between Zaozyornaya nad Bezimyennaya. Soviets were supported by massive artillery barrages - usually a single Soviet assault attempt used more ammunition than entire Japanese artillery fire missions combined during 2 weeks incident.
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Both hills were occupied by 75th Regiment of Colonel Sato, while elements of 76th Regiment supported the 75th on the northern sectors, mostly around the Cerkan Hill, as other attempts of river crossings to the north were thwarted by the Soviets.
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This scenario depicts the "generic" assaults occuring between 2-9 August on the northern sector - the Bezimyennaya. This sector was attacked by 32nd Rifle Division with the support of T-26 tanks and fast BT-7 tanks from 2nd Mechanized Brigade. The hill itself was under constant strafing runs by Soviet aircraft and was subjected to massive artillery bombardment and smoke screens. Soviet infantry attacked in force - this sector was wider than the southern one, thus Shtern ordered a main thrusts here. Yet again, it was still to narrow to properly deploy entire division and swamplands cause dozens of tanks to bog down. Those that made it were channeled against Japanese weak but effective anti-tank positions.
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The northern sector was critical for the entire battle.
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Expect massive infantry onslaught, heavy artillery fires and serious tank support. Beziyennaya is held by 3rd Battalion of 75th Regiment, while half of 76th Regiment's  2nd Battalion covers your flank on the Cerkan Hill. One light and one medium artillery battalions are supporting your sector. The other half rests in reserve on Yasyannaya island on Tumen River. Ferry them in with Daihatsus, but watch for Soviet aircraft that may strafe and destroy the barges! 4th Company of your battalion is weakened after the night assault so it rests in reserve - deploy them if needed. Do your best to channel the Soviet advance and crush it!
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Historically - this applies to both defensive scenarios - Japanese held firm and inflicted massive losses on the Soviets. Japanese light infantry tactics proved very effective against armoured vehicles in this terrain. Soviets underestimated the narrow approaches, artillery was used ineffectively, formations bumped into each other maneuvering and attacked en masse. Words of defected general Lyushkov proved right - Soviet Army was in a tragic shape after the purges. However, huge mass and sheer dominance of firepower caused the Japanese more and more ground. Finally, after 9th of August, Japanese asked for ceasefire, a request that was immediately accepted by humiliated Soviets. On 11th August, Japanese retreated from both hills back to Korea. The incident stabilised the border as it was previously controlled. Politically, Japanese gained nothing. But militarily, Japanese hailed the battle as victory and proof that Japanese fighting spirit may overcome technical differences, particularly that man can fight a tank. This assumption was a dramatic failure. Indeed, Japanese militarily won, but mostly due to very suitable terrain and massive ammouts of Soviet commanding errors.
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Japanese lost around 1500 dead and wounded, while Soviet losses reach about 4000 dead and wounded and about 100 tanks destroyed. Fieldmarshal Blucher was blamed for that defeat, arrested by NKVD and tortured to death. He was yet another victim of Stalin's purges. General Shtern was aquited of responsibility, but was killed three years later, during second purge of 1941, as result of being defeated several times by the Germans.
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Japanese would test the Soviets once more, a year later, near Lake of Khalkin-Gol, or Nomonhan. Wrong conclusions from Lake Khasan will result in a disaster for Imperial Japanese Army - this time heavy mechanized Soviet force will operate around mongolian steppes, easily outflank and encircle Japanese infantry and utterly destroy Japanese 23rd Infantry Division. But this is a different story...
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Note: Since this scenario and the other defensive one occur at the same time, we focus on certain sectors - do not expect flanking maneuvers and assume the other Hill is occupied by friendlies. Japanese artillery is split evenly between both scenarios, each sector having assigned one light and one medium battalion. Both scenarios are also commanded by the same A0 unit and located in the same position. Notice that your strongpoints have very low armour values - it will be very easy for tanks to destroy them, as well as artillery may crush it. Strongpoints are shown as infantry companies since they need to be manned. This battle is lenghy and ammunition issues may occur - guard your ammo depots and resupply your units if needed.
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When playing against the AI, Player should take Japanese side.
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Design: Marcin "SaS TrooP" Kaluza*
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Sources: Various internet sources, as well as Because We Were Japanese Soldiers: The Failure of Japanese Tactics at Changkufeng
and Nomonhan and Lessons Left Unlearned" by Ryan Schulz