The Far Eastern Front (Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War.[1]
Тhe Far Eastern Front was created on June 28, 1938 from the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army within the Far East Military District. It included the 1st Red Banner Army and the 2nd Red Banner Army. In 1938 Front forces — seemingly the Soviet 32nd Rifle Division of 39th Rifle Corps — engaged Japanese Manchukuo forces at the Battle of Lake Khasan. On the eve of the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany, the Front comprised:[2]
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, under General M. A. Purkayev (aimed at eastern Manchukuo), including:
1st Far Eastern Front, under Marshal K. A. Meretskov (aimed at northern Manchukuo), including:
Transbaikal Front included the 12th Air Army.
In the Soviet invasion of Manchuria it led the attack into Japanese-occupied Manchuria.[3] Although the Kwantung Army of the Imperial Japanese Army had more than 1 million soldiers, the Japanese defenders were overwhelmed by the offensive. Allied forces of Mongolia and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist China aided the Soviet operation. On August 19, the Far East Front continued its routing of the Kwantung Army by capturing Harbin and Mukden. By August 21, the Red Army had captured almost all of Manchuria, and the final surrender of the Kwantung Army took place.[4]
On August 11 to 12, 1945, the 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.
On September 30, 1945, the Primorskiy (Maritime Provinces) Military District was formed on the territory of Primorsky Krai (territory of the former Ussuri Oblast), from HQ 1st Far East Front.[5] [6]