Taman Island on the border with China. Damansky conflict

The biggest armed conflict in the 20th century between China and the USSR occurred in 1969. For the first time, the atrocities of the Chinese invaders on Damansky Island were demonstrated to the general Soviet public. However, people learned the details of the tragedy only many years later.

Why did the Chinese bully the border guards?

According to one version, the deterioration of relations between the Soviet Union and China began after unsuccessful negotiations about the fate of Damansky Island, which arose on the fairway of the Ussuri River as a result of the shallowing of a small part of the river. According to the Paris Peace Agreement of 1919, the state border of the countries was determined in the middle of the river fairway, but if historical circumstances indicated otherwise, then the border could be determined based on priority - if one of the countries was the first to colonize the territory, then it was given preference in resolving the territorial issue .

Strength Tests

A priori, it was assumed that the island created by nature was to fall under the jurisdiction of the Chinese side, but due to unsuccessful negotiations between the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev and the leader of the PRC, Mao Zedong, the final document on this issue was not signed. The Chinese side began to use the "island" issue to establish relations with the American side. A number of Chinese historians argued that the Chinese were going to make the Americans a pleasant surprise, to show the seriousness of the break in relations with the USSR.

For many years, a small island - 0.74 square kilometers - was a tasty morsel that was used to test tactical and psychological maneuvers, the main purpose of which was to test the strength and adequacy of the reaction of Soviet border guards. Minor conflicts have occurred here before, but it did not come to an open clash. In 1969, the Chinese committed more than five thousand registered violations of the Soviet border.

The first landing went unnoticed

A secret directive of the Chinese military leadership is known, according to which a special plan of operation was developed for the armed seizure of the Damansky Peninsula. The first from the Chinese side moved to break through the landing, which on the night of March 1-2, 1969. They took advantage of the prevailing weather conditions. A heavy snowfall began, which allowed 77 Chinese soldiers to pass unnoticed along the frozen Ussuri River. They were dressed in white camouflage robes and armed with Kalashnikovs. This group was able to cross the border so covertly that its passage was unnoticed. And only the second group of Chinese in the amount of 33 people was discovered by an observer - a Soviet border guard. A message about a major violation was transmitted to the 2nd Nizhne-Mikhailovsk outpost, belonging to the Iman border detachment.

The border guards took a cameraman with them - Private Nikolai Petrov filmed the events on camera to the last. But the border guard did not have an accurate idea of ​​the number of violators. It was assumed that their number did not exceed three dozen. Therefore, 32 Soviet border guards were sent to eliminate it. Then they split up and advanced to the area of ​​violation in two groups. The task of the first is to neutralize the violators in a peaceful way, the task of the second is to provide reliable cover. The first group was led by twenty-eight-year-old Ivan Strelnikov, who was already preparing to enter the military academy in Moscow. Sergeant Vladimir Rabovich led the second group as cover.

The Chinese clearly imagined in advance the task of destroying the Soviet border guards. Whereas the Soviet border guards planned to resolve the conflict peacefully, as it happened more than once: after all, minor violations constantly occurred in this area.

Raised Chinese hand - a signal to attack

Strelnikov, as the most experienced commander and head of the outpost, was ordered to negotiate. When Ivan Strelnikov approached the violators and offered to leave Soviet territory peacefully, the Chinese officer raised his hand - this was the signal to open fire - the first line of the Chinese fired the first volley. Strelnikov was the first to die. Seven border guards accompanying Strelnikov died almost immediately.

Private Petrov filmed everything that happened until the last minute.

Gray hair and gouged out eyes

Rabovich's cover group was unable to come to the aid of their comrades: they were ambushed and died one by one. All border guards were killed. The Chinese were already mocking the dead border guard with all the sophistication. The photographs show that his eyes were gouged out, his face was mutilated with bayonets.

The surviving corporal Pavel Akulov was in for a terrible fate - torture and painful death. They captured him, tortured him for a long time, and then threw him into Soviet territory from a helicopter only in April. On the body of the deceased, doctors counted 28 stab wounds, it was clear that he had been tortured for a long time - all the hair on his head was pulled out, and a small strand was all gray.

True, one Soviet border guard managed to survive in this battle. Private Gennady Serebrov was seriously wounded in the back, lost consciousness, and a repeated blow with a bayonet in the chest was not fatal. He managed to survive and wait for help from his comrades: the commander of the neighboring outpost Vitaly Bubenin and his subordinates, as well as the group of junior sergeant Vitaly Babansky, were able to put up serious resistance to the Chinese side. With a small supply of forces and weapons, they forced the Chinese to retreat.

31 dead border guards at the cost of their lives offered worthy resistance to the enemy.

Losik and Grad stopped the conflict

The second round of the conflict took place on 14 March. By this time, the Chinese military had deployed a five thousandth regiment, the Soviet side - the 135th motorized rifle division, equipped with Grad installations, which were used after receiving a number of conflicting orders: the party leadership - the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU - urgently demanded to remove and not send Soviet troops to island. And as soon as this was done, the Chinese immediately occupied the territory. Then the commander of the Far Eastern Military District, Oleg Losik, who went through the Second World War, ordered to open fire on the enemy with the Grad multiple launch rocket system: in one salvo - 40 shells within 20 seconds were capable of destroying the enemy within a radius of four hectares. After such shelling, the Chinese military did not undertake any more large-scale military operations.

The final point in the conflict was put by the politicians of the two countries: already in September 1969, an agreement was reached that neither Chinese nor Soviet troops would occupy the disputed island. This meant that de facto Damansky passed to China, in 1991 the island became de jure Chinese.

On March 2, 1969, on Damansky Island, located in the middle reaches of the Ussuri River, a battle took place between Soviet border guards and a Chinese detachment, which included border guards and military personnel of the People's Liberation Army of China.

On March 2, 1969, on Damansky Island, located in the middle reaches of the Ussuri River, a battle took place between Soviet border guards and a Chinese detachment, which included border guards and military personnel of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). Until now, there are a variety of versions of the causes, course and results of this collision. This situation is partly due to the fact that all the Soviet border guards who were in the first detachment that entered the battle were killed, and only one seriously wounded survived from the second detachment. The rest of the participants in the events could not see the beginning of the battle. The main reasons are probably the disinterest of both sides in an objective investigation of the conflict, the lack of mutual understanding and cooperation in this matter.

A group of Soviet border guards is fighting for Damansky Island on March 2, 1969
(artist N. N. Semenov, Central Border Museum of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation)

Today, in principle, there is a common position on the part of the Russian and Chinese sides on the number of dead Soviet border guards. On March 2, in a battle that lasted about two hours, on Damansky Island and on the ice of the Ussuri River, 31 or 32 Soviet border guards were killed. The first to be killed were the head of outpost No. 2 of the Imansky border detachment, Senior Lieutenant I. I. Strelnikov, the detective of the special department of the detachment, Senior Lieutenant N. M. Buinevich, and five border guards following with them. Almost simultaneously, a battle began, in which 12 people of the squad of sergeant V.N. Rabovich died (a seriously wounded private G.A. Serebrov survived). Then most of the department of junior sergeant Yu. V. Babansky died. After some time, the border guards of outpost No. 1, senior lieutenant V. D. Bubenin, entered the battle. From this outpost on March 2, 8 border guards were killed in battle, and 14 were wounded. Almost generally accepted data on the losses of the Soviet side on March 2 are the following: out of 66 border guards participating in the battle, 31 died, one seriously wounded border guard died in Chinese captivity, 14 were wounded.

Memorial at the city cemetery of Dalnerechensk, where the remains are buried
dead Soviet border guards of the Imansky border detachment (photo by Sergey Gorbachev)

As for the losses on the Chinese side (according to Soviet data, about 30 border guards and up to 300 PLA ​​soldiers participated in the battle), even modern Russian publications contain different numbers - from 17 dead Chinese military personnel to 300. In published Soviet documents and scientific publications, there are no talked about the number of deaths on the Damansky Chinese. Only in the 2000s. at the suggestion of General V. D. Bubenin, a figure of 248 killed Chinese appeared in the historical literature. After the retreat of the Chinese from the island, Soviet border guards found the corpse of one Chinese there, the rest of the dead and wounded were probably evacuated by the enemy at the end of the battle.

Exactly 42 years ago, on March 2, 1969, the first shots of the Soviet-Chinese border conflict rang out on Damansky Island. The tragedy left a deep imprint in the memory of the great neighboring nations. Looking to the future, we do not forget the past. ETERNAL MEMORY TO THE FALLEN HEROES OF THE BORDER! GLORY TO THE VETERANS OF 1969!

disputed island

Damansky Island, because of which the border armed conflict broke out, occupies 0.75 square meters in area. km. From south to north it stretches for 1500 - 1800 m, and its width reaches 600 - 700 m. These figures are quite approximate, since the size of the island strongly depends on the time of year. In the spring, Damansky Island is flooded with the waters of the Ussuri River and it almost disappears from view, and in winter the island rises like a dark mountain on the icy surface of the river. From the Soviet coast to the island about 500 m, from the Chinese - about 300 m. In accordance with generally accepted practice, the borders on the rivers are drawn along the main fairway. However, taking advantage of the weakness of pre-revolutionary China, the tsarist government of Russia managed to draw a border on the Ussuri River in a completely different way - along the water's edge along the Chinese coast. Thus, the entire river and the islands on it turned out to be Russian. This apparent injustice persisted after the October Revolution of 1917 and the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, but did not affect Sino-Soviet relations for some time. And only at the end of the 50s, when ideological differences arose between the Khrushchev leadership of the CPSU and the CPC, the situation on the border began to gradually worsen. Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders have repeatedly said that the development of Sino-Soviet relations presupposes a solution to the border problem. The "solution" meant the transfer to China of certain territories - including the islands on the Ussuri River. The Soviet leadership was sympathetic to the desire of the Chinese to draw a new border along the rivers and was even ready to transfer a number of lands to the PRC. However, this readiness disappeared as soon as the ideological and then the interstate conflict flared up. Further deterioration of relations between the two countries eventually led to an open armed confrontation on Damansky.

Tensions in the Damansky area increased gradually. At first, Chinese citizens simply went to the island. Then they began to come out with posters. Then sticks, knives, carbines and machine guns appeared... For the time being, communication between Chinese and Soviet border guards was relatively peaceful, but in accordance with the inexorable logic of events, it quickly turned into verbal skirmishes and hand-to-hand fights. The most fierce battle took place on January 22, 1969, as a result of which the Soviet border guards recaptured several carbines from the Chinese. Upon inspection of the weapon, it turned out that the cartridges were already in the chambers. The Soviet commanders clearly understood how tense the situation was and therefore all the time called on their subordinates to be especially vigilant. Preventive measures were taken - for example, the staff of each frontier post was increased to 50 people. Nevertheless, the events of March 2 turned out to be a complete surprise for the Soviet side. On the night of March 1-2, 1969, about 300 servicemen of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) crossed to Damansky and lay down on the western coast of the island. The Chinese were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, as well as SKS carbines. The commanders had TT pistols. All Chinese weapons were made according to Soviet models. There were no documents or personal belongings in the pockets of the Chinese. But everyone has Mao's quote book. To support the unit that landed on Damansky, positions of recoilless guns, heavy machine guns and mortars were equipped on the Chinese coast. Here the Chinese infantry with a total number of 200-300 people was waiting in the wings. Around 9:00 am, a Soviet border detachment passed through the island, but they did not find the invading Chinese. An hour and a half later, at the Soviet post, observers noticed the movement of a group of armed people (up to 30 people) in the direction of Damansky and immediately reported this by telephone to the Nizhne-Mikhailovka outpost, located 12 km south of the island. Head of outpost Lieutenant Ivan Strelnikov raised his subordinates "to the gun." In three groups, in three vehicles - GAZ-69 (8 people), BTR-60PB (13 people) and GAZ-63 (12 people), Soviet border guards arrived at the scene. Dismounting, they moved in the direction of the Chinese in two groups: the first was led along the ice by the head of the outpost, Senior Lieutenant Strelnikov, the second, by Sergeant V. Rabovich. The third group, led by Art. Sergeant Yu. Babansky, moving in a GAZ-63 car, lagged behind and arrived at the scene 15 minutes later. Approaching the Chinese, I. Strelnikov protested about the violation of the border and demanded that the Chinese military personnel leave the territory of the USSR. In response, the first line of the Chinese parted, and the second opened a sudden automatic fire on Strelnikov's group. Strelnikov's group and the head of the outpost himself died immediately. Part of the attackers got up from their "beds" and rushed to attack a handful of Soviet soldiers from the second group, commanded by Yu. Rabovich. Those took the fight and shot back literally to the last bullet. When the attackers reached the positions of the Rabovich group, they finished off the wounded Soviet border guards with point-blank shots and cold steel. This shameful fact for the People's Liberation Army of China is evidenced by the documents of the Soviet medical commission. The only one who literally miraculously survived was Private G. Serebrov. Having regained consciousness in the hospital, he spoke about the last minutes of the life of his friends. It was at this moment that the third group of border guards under the command of Y. Babansky arrived. Taking up a position at some distance behind their dying comrades, the border guards met the advancing Chinese with machine gun fire. The battle was unequal, there were fewer and fewer fighters left in the group, ammunition quickly ran out. Fortunately, the border guards from the neighboring outpost of Kulebyakina Sopka, located 17-18 km north of Damansky, came to the aid of Babansky’s group, commanded by Senior Lieutenant V. Bubenin. hurried to the rescue of neighbors. At about 11.30 the armored personnel carrier reached Damansky. The border guards got out of the car and almost immediately ran into a large group of Chinese. A fight ensued. During the battle, Senior Lieutenant Bubenin was wounded and shell-shocked, but did not lose control of the battle. Leaving several soldiers in place, led by junior sergeant V. Kanygin, he and four fighters plunged into an armored personnel carrier and moved around the island, going into the rear of the Chinese. The climax of the battle came at the moment when Bubenin managed to destroy the Chinese command post. After that, the border violators began to leave their positions, taking with them the dead and wounded. Thus ended the first battle on Damansky. In the battle on March 2, 1969, the Soviet side lost 31 people killed - this is exactly the figure that was given at a press conference at the USSR Foreign Ministry on March 7, 1969. As for Chinese losses, they are not known for certain, since the PLA General Staff has not yet made this information public. The Soviet border guards themselves estimated the total losses of the enemy at 100-150 soldiers and commanders.

After the battle on March 2, 1969, reinforced squads of Soviet border guards constantly went out to Damansky - numbering at least 10 people, with a sufficient amount of ammunition. Sappers carried out mining of the island in case of an attack by Chinese infantry. In the rear, at a distance of several kilometers from Damansky, the 135th motorized rifle division of the Far Eastern Military District was deployed - infantry, tanks, artillery, Grad multiple rocket launchers. The 199th Upper Uda Regiment of this division took a direct part in further events. The Chinese also accumulated forces for the next offensive: in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe island, the 24th Infantry Regiment of the People's Liberation Army of China, which included up to 5,000 soldiers and commanders, was preparing for battle! On March 15, noticing the revival on the Chinese side, a detachment of Soviet border guards consisting of 45 people on 4 armored personnel carriers entered the island. Another 80 border guards concentrated on the shore in readiness to support their comrades. Around 9:00 am on March 15, a loudspeaker installation started working on the Chinese side. A sonorous female voice in pure Russian urged the Soviet border guards to leave "Chinese territory", abandon "revisionism", and so on. A loudspeaker was also turned on on the Soviet coast. The broadcast was conducted in Chinese and in rather simple words: think again before it's too late, before you are the sons of those who liberated China from the Japanese invaders. After some time, silence fell on both sides, and closer to 10.00, Chinese artillery and mortars (from 60 to 90 barrels) began shelling the island. At the same time, 3 companies of Chinese infantry (each with 100-150 people) went on the attack. The battle on the island was of a focal nature: scattered groups of border guards continued to repel the attacks of the Chinese, who outnumbered the defenders by far. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, the course of the battle resembled a pendulum: each side pressed the enemy when the reserves approached. At the same time, however, the ratio in manpower was always about 10:1 in favor of the Chinese. Around 15.00, an order was received to withdraw from the island. After that, the arriving Soviet reserves tried to carry out several counterattacks in order to expel the violators of the border, but they were unsuccessful: the Chinese thoroughly fortified on the island and met the attackers with dense fire. Only by this moment was it decided to use artillery, since there was a real threat of the complete capture of Damansky by the Chinese. The order to strike the Chinese coast was given by the first deputy. commander of the Far Eastern Military District, Lieutenant General P.M. Plotnikov. At 17.00, a separate rocket division of BM-21 Grad installations under the command of M.T.
So for the first time, the then top-secret 40-barrel "Grad" was used, capable of releasing all the ammunition in 20 seconds. In 10 minutes of artillery raid, nothing remained of the Chinese division. A significant part of the Chinese soldiers in Damansky (more than 700 people) and the adjacent territory were destroyed by a firestorm (according to Chinese data, more than 6 thousand). In the foreign press, the hype immediately went that the Russians used an unknown secret weapon, either lasers, or flamethrowers, or the devil knows what. (And the hunt for this, the devil knows what, began, which was crowned with success in the far south of Africa after 6 years. But that's another story ...)
At the same time, a cannon artillery regiment equipped with 122-mm howitzers opened fire on identified targets. Artillery hit for 10 minutes. The raid turned out to be extremely accurate: the shells destroyed the Chinese reserves, mortars, shell piles, etc. Radio interception data spoke of hundreds of dead PLA soldiers. At 17.10, motorized riflemen (2 companies and 3 tanks) and border guards in 4 armored personnel carriers went on the attack. After a stubborn battle, the Chinese began to withdraw from the island. Then they tried to recapture Damansky, but their three attacks ended in complete failure. After that, the Soviet soldiers retreated to their shore, and the Chinese made no more attempts to take possession of the island.

Political settlement of the conflict

On September 11, 1969, talks were held at the Beijing airport between the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR A.N. Kosygin and the Premier of the State Council of the PRC, Zhou Enlai. The meeting lasted three and a half hours. The main result of the discussion was an agreement to stop hostile actions on the Soviet-Chinese border and to stop troops at the lines they occupied at the time of the negotiations. It must be said that the wording "the parties remain where they have been until now" was proposed by Zhou Enlai, and Kosygin immediately agreed with it. And it was at this moment that Damansky Island became de facto Chinese. The fact is that after the end of the fighting, the ice began to melt, and therefore the exit of the border guards to Damansky was difficult. We decided to carry out fire cover of the island. From now on, any attempt by the Chinese to land on Damansky was thwarted by sniper and machine-gun fire. On September 10, 1969, the border guards received an order to cease fire. Immediately after that, the Chinese came to the island and settled there. On the same day, a similar story took place on Kirkinsky Island, located 3 km north of Damansky. Thus, on the day of the Beijing talks on September 11, there were already Chinese on the Damansky and Kirkinsky Islands. The consent of A.N. Kosygin with the wording "the parties remain where they were until now" meant the actual surrender of the islands to China. Apparently, the order to cease fire on September 10 was given in order to create a favorable background for the start of negotiations. The Soviet leaders knew perfectly well that the Chinese would land on Damansky, and deliberately went for it. Obviously, the Kremlin decided that sooner or later, they would have to draw a new border along the fairways of the Amur and Ussuri. And if so, then there is nothing to hold on to the islands, which will still go to the Chinese. Shortly after the completion of the negotiations, A.N. Kosygin and Zhou Enlai exchanged letters. In them, they agreed to begin work on the preparation of a non-aggression pact.

The final end to these Soviet-Chinese conflicts was put only in 1991. On May 16, 1991, an agreement was signed between the USSR and the PRC on the eastern section of the border. According to this agreement, the border was established along the main fairway of the rivers. Damansky Island went to China ...

The conflict on Damansky Island in 1969 was a reflection of the contradictions between China and the USSR

They have an old character. Good neighborly relations were replaced by periods of instability. The dispute over Damansky Island occupies a special place in the conflict with China.

Causes of the conflict

After the end of the opium wars in the 19th century, Russia and some Western European countries were able to reap considerable benefits for themselves. In 1860, Russia signed the Beijing Treaty, according to which the state border ran along the Chinese bank of the Amur and the Ussuri River. The document excluded the use of river resources by the Chinese population and secured island formations in the riverbed for Russia.

For several decades, relations between the countries remained smooth. The elimination of friction and disagreement was facilitated by:

• small population of the border strip;
• lack of territorial claims;
• political conjuncture.

In the 40s of the last century, in the face of China, the Soviet Union received a reliable ally. This was facilitated by military assistance in the conflict with the Japanese imperialists and support in the fight against the Kuomintang regime. But soon the situation changed.

In 1956, the 20th party congress was held, at which Stalin's personality cult was condemned and his methods of government were criticized. In China, the events in Moscow were closely followed. After a short silence, Beijing called the actions of the Soviet government revisionism, relations between the countries cooled.

The rhetoric between the parties took on the character of open claims, including territorial ones. China demanded that Mongolia and other lands be transferred to Chinese jurisdiction. In response to harsh statements by the Chinese side, Soviet experts were withdrawn from Beijing. Russian-Chinese diplomatic relations have degraded to the level of chargé d'affaires.

The territorial claims of the Chinese leadership were not limited to the northern neighbor. Mao's imperial ambitions turned out to be bigger and wider. In 1958, China began an active expansion against Taiwan, and in 1962 went into a border conflict with India. If in the first case the Soviet leadership approved the behavior of the neighbor, then in the issue with India it condemned the actions of Beijing.

Attempts to resolve territorial issues

Relations between the USSR and China continued to deteriorate. The Chinese side raised the issue of the illegality of state borders. Beijing's claims were based on the decisions of the Paris Conference of 1919, which regulated the drawing of borders between countries. The treaty demarcated the states along shipping routes.

Despite the severity of interpretations, the document provided for exceptions. According to the provisions, it was allowed to draw dividing lines along the coast, if such borders were formed historically.

The Soviet leadership, not wanting to aggravate relations, was ready to agree with the Chinese. To this end, bilateral consultations were held in 1964. They were supposed to discuss:

• territorial disputes;
• an agreement on border lands;
• legal regulation.

But due to a number of reasons, the parties did not reach an agreement.

China's preparations for war

In 1968, unrest began in Czechoslovakia, caused by dissatisfaction with the rule of the Communist government. Fearing the collapse of the Warsaw bloc, Moscow sent troops to Prague. The rebellion was suppressed, but not without casualties.

The Chinese leadership condemned Moscow's actions, accusing the USSR of excessive imperial ambitions and revisionist policies. As an example of Soviet expansion, Beijing cited the disputed islands, including Damansky.

Gradually, the Chinese side moved from rhetoric to action. Peasants began to appear on the peninsula and engage in agriculture. Russian border guards expelled farmers, but they crossed the line again and again. Over time, the number of provocations grew. In addition to civilians, Red Guards appeared on the island. The "Falcons of the Revolution" behaved exceptionally aggressively, attacking border patrols.

The scale of provocations grew, the number of attacks increased. The number of participants in illegal actions was in the hundreds. It became clear that the provocative attacks were taking place with the consent of the Chinese authorities. There is evidence that during 1968-1969, Beijing used the attacks for domestic political purposes. In January 1969, the Chinese planned a military scenario on the island. In February, it was approved by the General Staff and the Foreign Ministry.

How the USSR prepared for war

KGB agents who worked in the PRC repeatedly reported to Moscow about possible unfriendly actions by the Chinese. The reports said that as a result of the growing escalation, a large-scale Sino-Soviet conflict was possible. The government of the Soviet Union decided to pull in additional troops. For this purpose, units from the central and western military districts were transferred to the eastern borders.

Attention was paid to the army equipment of personnel. Troops additionally supplied:

• heavy machine guns;
• means of communication and detection;
• uniforms;
• combat vehicles.

The border was equipped with new engineering systems. The personnel of the border detachments was increased. Among the border guards, classes were held to repel aggression, to study the weapons and equipment received. The interaction of mobile groups and mobile detachments was worked out.

China's attack on the USSR 1969 - the beginning of the war

On the night of March 2, 1969, Chinese border guards secretly crossed the border of the USSR and set foot on Damansky Island. They headed for the western part of it, where they took up an advantageous position on a hill. The soldiers were dressed in white camouflage robes, light covers were put on their weapons. Warm uniforms were hidden under the robes, and the Chinese calmly endured the cold. Education and alcohol also contributed to this.

The foresight of the Chinese border guards was manifested in the thorough preparation for the operation. The soldiers were equipped with machine guns, carbines, and pistols. Separate parts of the weapon were treated with special compounds that exclude metallic sounds. In the coastal strip, sites were prepared for:

• recoilless guns;
• heavy machine guns;
• mortar calculations.

The coastal group consisted of about 300 people. About a hundred fighters were involved in the main detachment.

2nd of March

Thanks to covert night transfers and camouflage, the PRC fighters managed to go unnoticed for a long time. We found them only at 10 o'clock in the morning. The commander of the outpost, Senior Lieutenant Strelnikov, decided to advance towards the enemy. The outpost garrison was divided into 2 parts. The first went to the nearest group of Chinese. The task of the second was to neutralize the military, heading deep into Damansky.

Having approached the Chinese soldiers, the commander asked for an explanation of what their presence on Soviet territory meant. In response, automatic bursts rang out. At the same time, machine-gun fire was opened on the second group under the command of Rabovich. The suddenness and deceit left no chance for the Russian soldiers. Only a few Soviet border guards managed to survive.

The shooting was heard at a nearby outpost. The commander of the unit, Senior Lieutenant Bubenin, with two dozen soldiers advanced on an armored personnel carrier in the direction of the peninsula. The Chinese attacked the group by opening fire. The platoon courageously held the defense, but the forces were unequal. Then the commander made a strategically accurate and the only correct decision. Using the fire maneuverability of the combat vehicle, he went on the offensive. The raid on the flank of the enemy gave results: the Chinese faltered and retreated.

USSR and China conflict continues

With the outbreak of hostilities on the island, the Soviet command decided to increase the number of troops in the Damanskong area. A motorized rifle division advanced to the hot spot, reinforced by the division of Grad multiple launch rocket systems. In response, the Chinese deployed an infantry regiment.

In the dispute over Damansky Island, China took not only military actions. In the course were:

• diplomatic receptions;
• political methods;
• use of the media.

A picket was held near the Soviet embassy in Beijing condemning the actions of the Soviets. Chinese newspapers burst into a series of angry articles. Distorting the facts and throwing in outright lies, they accused the Soviet side of aggression. Newspapers were full of headlines about the invasion of Russian troops into Chinese territory.

The USSR did not remain in debt. On March 7, a rally was organized outside the Chinese embassy in Moscow. The picketers protested the unfriendly actions of the Chinese authorities and threw ink at the building.

March 15th

The Soviet-Chinese conflict entered a new phase on March 14. On this day, Soviet troops were ordered to leave their positions on the island. After the withdrawal of the units, the Chinese began to occupy the territory. Then a new order came: to push back the enemy. 8 armored personnel carriers advanced towards the enemy. The Chinese retreated, and our units again settled on Damansky. Lieutenant Colonel Yanshin commanded the military.

The next morning, the enemy opened heavy artillery fire. After a long artillery preparation, the Chinese again attacked the island. A group of Colonel Leonov hastened to help Yanshin. Despite the losses, the unit managed to stop the enemy. Leonov was hurt. He died from his wounds.

Ammunition ran out, and the Soviet troops had to retreat. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, the Soviet soldiers showed:

• heroism;
• courage;
• courage.

Outnumbering the Russians and elated by success, the enemy attacked continuously. A significant part of Damansky passed under the control of the Chinese. Under these conditions, the command decided to use the Grad systems. The enemy was stunned and suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment. The offensive of the Chinese troops bogged down. Attempts to regain the initiative were unsuccessful.

Number of victims

As a result of clashes on March 2, 31 servicemen were killed on the Soviet side, and 39 on the Chinese side. On March 15, 27 Russian soldiers were killed. Damage from the Chinese side is estimated differently. According to some reports, the number of dead Chinese exceeds several hundred. The greatest damage to the Chinese side was caused by Grad rocket launchers.

During the entire conflict, the Soviet troops lost 58 people, the Chinese - about 1000. 5 Soviet soldiers received the title of Hero, many were awarded orders and medals.

The results of the war

The main result of the incident was the realization by the Chinese leadership of the impossibility of confrontation with the USSR. The courage and valor of Soviet soldiers is evidence of the fortitude of the fighters. The ability to act in difficult conditions, with dignity to get out of critical situations, commanded respect. The Soviet Union demonstrated the ability to quickly redeploy large formations, and the use of Grad systems left no chance for the enemy.

All these factors prompted the Chinese leadership to sit down at the negotiating table. A number of high-level meetings were held in autumn. Agreements were reached to end conflicts and revise some lines.

Damansky Island today

For twenty years Damansky's fate was not finally decided. Consultations on disputed territories were held repeatedly. Only in 1991, the island officially received the status of Chinese territory.

In honor of the dead Chinese soldiers, an obelisk was opened on the island, where they take schoolchildren and lay flowers. Nearby is a frontier post. The Chinese media rarely return to the topic of the conflict. In those distant days, the Chinese showed:

• perfidy;
• cruelty;
• cunning.

Contrary to the truth, some Chinese journalists and historians blame the Soviet Union.

Conclusion

The Daman incident went down in history as a conflict of political elites. Exorbitant ambitions, unwillingness to hear the arguments of the opposite side and the desire to achieve goals by any means almost led to a new tragedy and did not drag the world into another war. It was only thanks to the heroism of Soviet soldiers that the world escaped this danger.

Damansky Island (or Zhenbao) is a Chinese island with an area of ​​less than 1 km₂, located on the Ussuri River. During the spring flood, Ussuri Damansky hides under water for several weeks. It is hard to imagine that two such powerful powers as the USSR and China could start a conflict over such a tiny piece of land. However, the reasons for the armed clash on Damansky Island lay much deeper than ordinary territorial claims.

Damansky Island on the map

The origins of the 1969 border conflict stemmed from the imperfection of the treaties drawn up by the two powers in the middle of the 19th century. The Beijing Treaty of 1860 stated that the line of the Russian-Chinese border should not run along the middle of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, but along their fairways (the deepest sections suitable for navigation). Because of this, almost the entire Ussuri River, together with the islands in it, ended up within Russia. In addition, St. Petersburg received the Amur region and vast territories adjacent to the Pacific Ocean.

In 1919, at the Paris Peace Conference, the terms of the Beijing Treaty were confirmed, the border between the USSR and China still passed along the Ussuri fairway. However, due to the peculiarities of the Ussuri current, the position of some islands changed: sand deposits formed in one place, and the land, on the contrary, was washed away in another. This also happened with the Damansky Island formed in the region of 1915.

However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the border issue did not interfere with cooperation between the USSR and China. With the support of Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong managed to come to power and form the communist People's Republic of China. Until Nikita Khrushchev came to power, relations between the Soviet and Chinese peoples remained friendly. Mao Zedong was extremely dissatisfied with Khrushchev's report "On the cult of personality and its consequences." This report indirectly affected the Chinese leader, who used in his country the same political methods as Stalin. Khrushchev's speech provoked anti-Stalinist protests in Poland and Hungary, and Mao Zedong rightly feared that the unrest Khrushchev had sown in the communist camp might also affect the Chinese people.

Khrushchev more than once allowed himself contemptuous remarks about the Chinese leadership, considering China a satellite of the USSR. According to Nikita Sergeevich, Mao Zedong was obliged to support any direction of Soviet policy. However, as the power of the Chinese Communist Party grew, and the Chinese economy and military industry developed, the Great Pilot needed less and less approval and support from the Soviet Union.

The difficult international situation was aggravated by the Chinese cultural revolution that began in 1966, accompanied by mass executions and repressions. The events taking place in China were condemned not only by democratically minded Soviet dissidents, but also by the leadership of the CPSU.

Thus, the main reasons for the deterioration of Soviet-Chinese relations were:

• The desire of the Chinese to change the border between the two countries;
• Struggle for leadership in the socialist camp;
• The desire of Mao Zedong to strengthen his power in China through a victorious war;
• Political and ideological contradictions.

The apogee of the crisis was the border conflict on Damansky Island, which almost turned into a war.

Attempts to resolve territorial issues in the 1950s and 60s

Vladimir Lenin more than once called the policy of tsarist Russia towards China predatory and predatory. But for a long time the question of revising the Soviet-Chinese border was not raised. In 1951, representatives of the two countries signed an agreement on the preservation of the existing border. At the same time, the Chinese leadership agreed to the establishment of Soviet border control over the Amur and Ussuri rivers.

In 1964, Mao Zedong first announced the need to change the map of the Far East. It was not only about the islands in the Ussuri, but also about the vast Amur territories. The Soviet leadership was ready to make some concessions, but the negotiations reached an impasse and ended in nothing.

Many believed that tensions in Sino-Soviet relations would subside after the change of Secretary General, but under Brezhnev the conflict escalated even more. Since the early 1960s, the Chinese side has regularly violated the border regime and tried to provoke a conflict. Articles about the Soviet occupiers appeared daily in the Chinese press. In winter, when the Ussuri was frozen, the inhabitants of the nearest Chinese villages went out to the middle of the river with banners. They stood in front of the Soviet border outpost and demanded to move the border. Every day the protesters behaved more and more aggressively, they began to take with them sticks, knives and even guns. In the winter of 1969, local residents began to arbitrarily cross the Soviet-Chinese border and provoke fights with Soviet border guards.

From the Amur region, Moscow regularly received reports of an impending war. However, the answers were rather concise and monotonous. The border guards were instructed not to succumb to provocations and not to turn to violence, despite the fact that two Soviet servicemen had already been killed. The outpost on the Ussuri also did not receive serious military assistance.

March 1969 events

2nd of March

On the night of March 1-2, 1969, about 300 Chinese soldiers crossed to Damansky across the Ussuri ice and set up an ambush there. Artillerymen covered the landing from the Chinese coast. Since it snowed all night and there was poor visibility, the Soviet border guards noticed the presence of strangers on the island only on the morning of March 2. According to preliminary estimates, there were about thirty offenders. The situation was reported to the head of the Soviet border outpost in Nizhne-Mikhailovka, Senior Lieutenant Strelnikov. Strelnikov and 32 other border guards immediately arrived on the shore and began to approach the island. Suddenly, automatic fire was opened on the Soviet military. The border guards began to shoot back, however, the forces were clearly not equal. Most of Strelnikov's people, like the senior lieutenant himself, were killed.

The survivors gradually retreated under the pressure of the enemy, however, a group from the Kulebyakina Sopka outpost led by Senior Lieutenant Bubenin arrived to help them. Despite the fact that Bubenin had a small handful of people and was seriously wounded in battle, his group managed to accomplish the incredible: bypass the superior enemy forces and destroy the Chinese command post. After that, the attackers were forced to retreat.

On that day, the Soviet border guards lost 31 fighters, and the Chinese side - about 150.

Both Soviet citizens and the Chinese public were outraged by this incident. Pickets were held near the Soviet embassy in Beijing and near the Chinese embassy in Moscow. Each of the parties accused the neighbor of unjustified aggression and the desire to unleash a war.

March 15th

After the events of March 2, active military preparations were underway on the banks of the Ussuri. Both sides pulled equipment and ammunition to the coastal line, and border outposts were fortified.

On March 15, there was a repeated military clash between the Soviet and Chinese armies. The attack was launched by the Chinese, who were covered by artillerymen from the shore. For a long time the battle went on with varying success. At the same time, the number of Chinese soldiers was about ten times greater than the number of Soviet ones.

In the afternoon, the Soviet soldiers were forced to retreat, and Damansky was immediately occupied by the Chinese. Attempts to dislodge the enemy from the island with artillery fire ended unsuccessfully. Tanks were even used, but the Chinese side had an extensive arsenal of anti-tank weapons and repulsed this counterattack. One of the tanks - a wrecked T-62 equipped with secret equipment (including the world's first night vision sight) - remained standing just a hundred meters from the Chinese coast. The Soviet side tried in vain to undermine the tank, and the Chinese tried to pull the car ashore. As a result, the ice under the tank was blown up, but the depth in this place turned out to be insufficient for the combat vehicle to completely go under water. Already in April, the Chinese managed to remove the Soviet tank. Now it is exhibited as an exhibit in one of the Chinese military museums.

After several unsuccessful counterattacks, the Soviet command decided for the first time to use a newly developed secret weapon against the enemy - the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher. These attitudes predetermined the outcome of the conflict. In a matter of minutes, hundreds of Chinese soldiers were killed, mortar systems and reserves were destroyed. After that, Soviet motorized rifles and a tank group went into battle. They managed to push the Chinese soldiers ashore, further attempts to occupy the island were thwarted. By the evening of the same day, the parties dispersed along their shores.

Consequences and results

The situation on the border remained tense throughout the spring and summer of 1969. However, there were no more serious incidents: the ice on the river melted, and it became almost impossible to occupy Damansky. The Chinese made several attempts to land on the island, but each time they were met with sniper fire from the Soviet coast. For several months, Soviet border guards had to open fire on violators about 300 times.

The situation required a speedy resolution, otherwise, by the end of the year, border clashes could lead to a war, possibly even a nuclear one. In September, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Kosygin arrived in Beijing to negotiate with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. The result of these negotiations was a joint decision to leave the troops on the lines where they are at the moment. The day before the meeting between Kosygin and Zhou Enlai, the Soviet border guards were ordered not to open fire, which allowed the Chinese troops to occupy the island. Therefore, in fact, this decision meant the transfer of Damansky to China.

As long as Mao Zedong and the Gang of Four were in power, relations between the two powers remained strained. Further attempts to resolve the issue of the border ended unsuccessfully. But since the early 1980s, the USSR and China began to establish trade and diplomatic ties. In the 1990s, it was decided to draw a new border between Russia and China. During these events, Damansky and some other territories officially became Chinese possessions.

Damansky Island today

Now Damansky Island is part of China. In honor of the dead Chinese soldiers, a memorial was erected on it, to which flowers are laid every year and schoolchildren are brought. There is also a frontier post here. Information about the exact losses of the Chinese army in March 1969 is classified. Official sources report 68 dead, but in foreign literature one can find data on several hundred or even several thousand killed Chinese soldiers and officers.

The conflict over Daman Island is, for some reason, not the most popular topic in Chinese historical scholarship.

• Firstly, a lifeless patch of land, of no interest to builders, geologists, or fishermen, was clearly not worth the loss of life;
• Secondly, the Chinese soldiers did not show themselves too worthy in this clash. They retreated, despite the fact that their numbers obviously outnumbered the enemy forces. Also, the Chinese side did not hesitate to finish off the wounded with bayonets and, in general, distinguished itself with particular cruelty.

However, in Chinese literature there is still an opinion that the Soviet border guards were the aggressors who unleashed the conflict over Damansky Island.

Many domestic researchers believe that for the Chinese side, the conflict over Damansky Island was a kind of test of strength before a full-fledged war with the SSSO. But thanks to the fearlessness and courage of the Soviet border guards, Mao Zedong decided to abandon the idea of ​​returning the Amur region to China.