316 SOVIET TANKS IN MANCHURIA 1945: The Red Army's Ruthless Last Blitzkrieg of World War II

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Explains how the last blitzkrieg of World War II as the Soviets planned, fought, and defeated the Japanese in Manchuria. Lessons from the campaign directly shaped Soviet Cold War force structure and planning for mechanized operations against NATO in Europe. Illustrated with contemporary artwork and rare photos from one of the best collections of Soviet military photos in the West.

Although long overshadowed in the West by the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the USSR's lightning strike into Manchuria in August 1945 was one of the most successful and unique campaigns of the era. Soviet forces, led by over 5,500 tanks and self-propelled guns, attacked across huge distances and deserts, marshes, and mountains to smash Japan's million-strong Kwantung Army in a matter of days.

Japanese forces were short of training and equipment, but nevertheless fought fiercely, inflicting 32,000 casualties on the Soviets. Red Army operations were characterized by surprise, speed, and deep penetrations by tank-heavy forces born of the brutal lessons they had learned during years fighting the Wehrmacht.