Japanese Failed Offensive at Nomonhan

On July 23, 1939 the Japanese attacked the Russians at Nomonhan, a disputed point on the Soviet border with Manchuria. This attack marked the largest battle yet in an escalating series of skirmishes that had begun back in May. I also have an earlier post on a similar border clash that occured in July of 1938.

In this attack the Japanese employed two reinforced regiments and sought to outmatch the Soviet artillery. This proved to be a losing game as the Japanese took their standard 10 day supply of artillery ammunition, doubled it and fired half of it off in two days. The Russians, without any special preparations, exceeded the Japanese artillery effort and halted the Japanese offensive almost immediately. The Japanese, seeing the immediate failure of an effort they could neither sustain nor quickly repeat, called off their attack and began drawing up plans for a new offensive in August.

The Soviets have also initiated plans for an August offensive. Who will strike first? Once again Soviet advantages in equipment and logistics have proven effective and Japanese emphases on fighting spirit and the human factor have not. We know in retrospect that Stalin took a personal interest in (and considerable offense at) these border clashes. He pretty much started the one in May and has resolved to settle matters decisively.

On July 20, 1939 the New York Times had published an editorial on the border clashes calling them “A Strange War”  raging in an obscure corner of the world “where it cannot attract a great deal of attention”.  The lessons and consequences were quickly swallowed up by larger events. However, we will pay further attention when that new August offensive rolls around.